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Fossa

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Fossa

Fossas are Madagascar movie stars.

  • Fossas are mammals that have an appearance similar to cats, although they are more closely related to the mongoose, and they are found only in the forests of Madagascar, an African island.
  • Fossas have the scientific name Cryptoprocta ferox and are from the family Eupleridae, the family of carnivoran Malagasy animals.
  • Fossas grow to be around 61 to 80 centimetres (24 to 31 inches) in length and between 5.5 to 12 kilograms (12 to 29 pounds) in weight.
  • The word ‘fossa’ is also spelt ‘fosa’, which is the Malagasy word for the animal, and the pronunciation also varies, with an ‘o’ sound as in the word ‘clock’ or an ‘oo’ sound as in the word ‘food’.
  • Fossas generally live alone, although they may kill and share prey together, and they communicate with yelps, calls, purrs and mews, as well as other body movements.

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A Fossa
Image courtesy of Keith Williams/Flickr
  • Fossas are carnivorous, preying primarily on Malagasy lemurs, as well as other animals including birds, rodents, lizards and tenrecs.
  • Fossas have litters of one to six mixed gender cubs, born with closed eyes in isolated locations such as dens, and they live for 15 to 20 years and do not have any natural predators.
  • Fossas are vulnerably endangered due to habitat destruction, which has caused a 30% decrease in populations from 1987.
  • Fossas have short fur, typically light brown to black in colour, a long tail, marginally webbed toes and retractable claws.
  • Fossas spend much of their time in trees, and they mark their territory, as well as communicate, with their scent glands.
Bibliography:
Fossa (Animal), 2014 Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossa_(animal)
Fossa, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/fossa/
Fossa, 2014, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/fossa

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Katsuobushi

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Katsuobushi

Foreign food, like katsuobushi, is quite interesting.

  • Katsuobushi is a Japanese food product of fermented, smoked and dried fish, such as bonito or most commonly skipjack tuna.
  • ‘Katsuobushi’ is also known as ‘okaka’, both Japanese words, as well as ‘dried bonito’ and ‘dancing fish flakes’.
  • Katsuobushi is commonly used in Japanese cuisine to make soups and sauce, or more specifically, broth, as well as a garnish or topping that imparts flavour to the dish.
  • Katsuobushi has a savoury taste, and the product includes fungi that is part of the fermentation process.
  • Heat emissions and steam can cause Katsuobushi to move as if the substance is alive, and it is often used decoratively on hot foods for this reason.

Kastuobushi, Dried Bonito Flakes, Bowl, Japanese, Food, Culinary, Small, Ten Random Facts

  • Katsuobushi can be bought either in blocks or as shavings, often in sachets, in a coarse or fine version, and it is typically pink to brown in colour.
  • Katsuobushi is made by filleting the fish, boiling and smoking the fillets, sun-drying them and spraying them with moisture-absorbing fungus, and letting them ferment, while the entire process takes many months.
  • The final product of Katsuobushi, before shaving, is generally a very dry, hard block that looks similar to wood, and weighs over 80% less then the original fillet, and once shaved it resembles wood shavings
  • Katsuobushi is available in fine or coarse flakes, while the larger flakes generally have a stronger taste and are bulkier.
  • Katsuobushi was first made in the 1670s, in Japan, while a more modern version was brought into use by 1770.

 

Bibliography:
Fujita C, Dried Bonito, 2009, The Tokyo Foundation, http://www.tokyofoundation.org/en/topics/japanese-traditional-foods/vol.-15-dried-bonito
Katsuobushi, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsuobushi
What is Katsuobushi, 2014, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-katsuobushi.htm

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Spinning Wheel

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Spinning Wheel

Spinning wheels may be old but still are interesting!

  • Spinning wheels are machines used to spin yarn or other fibres, that were invented to replace the spindle and distaff hand spinning.
  • Illustrations of spinning wheels have originated as far back as 1035, in Asia, while pictures of the machines emerged in the 1200s in Europe, China and Iraq.
  • Notable versions of spinning wheels include the Charkha, among the oldest machines and they have a wheel moved by hand; the ‘great wheel’, often larger and also with a wheel moved by hand; and the treadle wheel, that has a foot peddle that spins the wheel.
  • Spinning wheels are depicted in numerous art and literature forms, including fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty and Rumplestiltskin.
  • Spinning wheels were invented by the Chinese, and led to increased production of yarn that positively effected many industries including sail making and paper making.

Spinning wheel, brown, wooden, old, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Textiles, Peddle

  • The spinning Jenny was invented in 1764 and replaced the spinning wheel, due to increased efficiency, as it was able to spin multiple threads at once.
  • Spinning wheels can be run by electrical energy, and these machines are usually powered by an electric motor.
  • To produce yarn using a spinning wheel, the fibre is attached to a bobbin that is connected to the machine, and the yarn is fed and guided by the hand while it twists, as the wheel spins.
  • Spinning wheels are traditionally made of wood, but can also be constructed from metal.
  • Spinning wheels have been superseded by modern technology, however they are still used by home hobbyists who prefer to spin their own fibre.
Bibliography:
100 years of Spinning Wheels, 2014, Wild Fibres, http://www.wildfibres.co.uk/html/spinning_wheels_history.html
Spinning Wheel, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_wheel

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Atlantic Ocean Road

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Atlantic Ocean Road

The Atlantic Ocean Road is full of twists and turns.

  • Atlantic Ocean Road is a part of the County Road 64, that passes through one of Norway’s archipelagos in the Eide and Averøy regions, in western Norway, in Europe.
  • Atlantic Ocean Road is built on a number of islands, connected by numerous bridges and the most famous and longest is the Storseisundet Bridge.
  • Atlantic Ocean Road spans a distance of 8.3 kilometres (5.1 miles) and the road includes four rest locations and numerous tourist attractions.
  • The concept of the Atlantic Ocean Road route originated in the early 1900s, originally as a railway, although this was replaced with the idea of road in 1935, but it was not until the 1980s until the project was approved.
  • The construction of Atlantic Ocean Road began on 1 August 1983, opening on 7 July 1989, although the management of the project changed hands during the process; and 12 hurricanes occurred during the building stages.
Atlantic Ocean Road, Twist, Bridge, Archipelago, Island, Ten Random Facts, Place, Norway
Part of Atlantic Ocean Road
Image courtesy of Daniele Faieta/Flickr
  • Atlantic Ocean Road originally had a toll to cover some of the costs, and although the idea was received negatively, due to the expectation that it would take longer than fifteen years to pay off, however the toll had covered the costs by 1999, after only ten years, after which it was removed.
  • Atlantic Ocean Road is a popular tourist attraction and is often said to be among one of the best road trips in the world.
  • Atlantic Ocean Road consists of many dips, curves and turns, as well as many scenic views.
  • Stormy weather at Atlantic Ocean Road can make road trips dramatic, while calm weather allows for the spotting of wildlife, including whales, and other scenery.
  • ‘Atlantic Ocean Road’ is also known as ‘Atlantic Road’, as well as ‘Atlanterhavsveien’ in Norwegian.
Bibliography:
Atlantic Ocean Road, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean_Road
Atlantic Ocean Road, n.d, dangerousroads.org, http://www.dangerousroads.org/europe/norway/164-atlantic-ocean-road-norway.html
The Atlantic Road, n.d, Visit Norway, http://www.visitnorway.com/uk/where-to-go-uk/fjord-norway/kristiansund-nordmore/what-to-do-in-kristiansund-and-nordmore/tour-suggestions-in-kristiansund-and-nordmore/the-atlantic-road/

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Tuatara

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Tuatara

Tuataras are not lizards… but they are reptiles!

  • A tuatara is a species of reptile native to New Zealand and its nearby islands, and are the only extant members of the order Rhynchocephalia.
  • The scientific name of a tuatara is Sphenodon, from the family Sphenodontidae, and there are two living species.
  • Tuataras can grow up to 70 to 80 centimetres (28 to 31 inches) in length, and they can weigh up to 0.6 to 1 kilogram (1.3 to 2.2 pounds).
  • ‘Tuatara’ is a native Maori word, which in English can be translated as ‘spines on the back’, referring to the crested spikes on the animal.
  • The tuatara was first classified in 1831 by the British Museum after studying the reptile’s skull, and it was classed as a lizard, however, in 1867 this was determined to be inaccurate and was changed.
Tuatara, Lizard, Animal, Reptile, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, New Zealand, endangered, threatened
Tuatara
Image courtesy of Sid Mosdell/Flickr
  • The skin of tuataras can be grey, green or brown in colour, which is shed many times and the reptile also features a spiny back and three eyes, one of which sits on top of its head.
  • Tuataras have a life span that ranges from 60 to 100 years, and they are preyed on by rats, pigs and cats and other introduced species.
  • The diet of tuataras typically includes insects, frogs, spiders, lizards, young birds and eggs, and they live in burrows, generally venturing out at night.
  • Tuataras are mainly found on isolated islands, although they are being reintroduced to mainland New Zealand, and there has also been a concerted effort to protect them, as their numbers are dwindling due to habitat loss, and the eggs and young are very vulnerable to introduced predators.
  • A female tuatara lays up to 19 eggs approximately once every four or five years, although the eggs can take up to 15 months to incubate, and the incubation temperature determines the gender of the hatched reptile.
Bibliography:
Tuatara, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/tuatara/
Tuatara, 2014, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/tuatara
Tuatara, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuatara

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Worcestershire Sauce

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Worcestershire Sauce

Worcestershire sauce must be the most mysterious condiment out there!

  • Worcestershire sauce is a condiment in the form of a liquid, made primarily through the process of fermenting.
  • ‘Worcestershire sauce’ is also known as ‘Worcester sauce’ and, in Spanish, ‘salsa inglesa’, meaning ‘English sauce’.
  • Worcestershire sauce is most often used as a flavouring in beef and other meat based dishes, Caesar salad and hamburgers, as well as cocktail beverages.
  • Worcestershire sauce is typically made of anchovies, garlic, spices, molasses and onion, as well as a mixture of other ingredients that often includes vinegar.
  • Although its history is uncertain, Worcestershire sauce is said to have been first invented by English pharmacists John Lea and William Perrins, in England’s Worcester, in Worcestershire,  Europe, and it was sold commercially by them by the year 1838 under the Lea & Perrins brand, now the most popular brand in the world.

Worcestershire Sauce, Worcester Sauce, Condiment, Food, Culinary, Flavour, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

  • The initial Worcestershire sauce made by Lea and Perrins is said to have been very strong and unpleasant and therefore placed in a cellar, however, years later it was tasted and discovered it was pleasant after fermenting.
  • Worcestershire sauce is high in sodium, iron, potassium and vitamin C and it contains many other vitamins and minerals.
  • It is widely accepted that the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce recipe is derived from an Indian condiment, that the Englishmen tried to replicate for an acquaintance who had visited or lived in the country.
  • Worcestershire sauce is commonly available in supermarkets and is usually sold in bottles, under various brand names.
  • The list of ingredients, but no method, of the original Worcestershire sauce by Lea & Perrins was first uncovered in 2009 in a rubbish bin, and the document now resides in the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum.

 

Bibliography:
Docio A, History of Worcestershire Sauce, 2013, British Local Food, http://britishlocalfood.com/history-of-worcestershire-sauce/
Smallwood K, What is in Worcestershire Sauce and Why is It Called That?, 2012, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/10/worcestershire-sauce-called/
Worcestershire Sauce, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcestershire_sauce

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