Category Archives: Culinary

Sage

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Sage

You will become wise when you eat sage.

  • Sage is a herb that is a perennial plant with the scientific name Salvia officinalis, that originated in the Mediterranean.
  • Sage comes from the family Lamiaceae, the family of mint and deadnettle, and it has a slightly sweet and light peppery taste, that is often used to flavour savoury foods.
  • Sage is commonly used to season meat and stuffing, particularly during Thanksgiving, and is also used in Italian and other European cuisines.
  • Essential oil can be obtained from sage leaves, and the leaves have an abundance of special acids, as well as estrogenic material, niacin and flavones.
  • Sage was commonly used in Ancient Roman and Greek society to treat numerous medical illnesses, and it is still considered to be of medicinal value.

Sage, Green, Herb, Spice, Vegetation, Plant, Culinary, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Sage can be used to preserve meat, and this has been known since Ancient times.
  • Fresh sage leaves, which are coloured green to a slight grey, have a more prominent flavour compared to the leaves when then are dry.
  • Sage is commonly available in supermarkets in dried form, and the herb can be bought whole, roughly grounded or powdered, dried or fresh.
  • Sage is believed to increase memory and brain power as shown by numerous experiments.
  • Sage is extremely high in vitamin K, and it also contains calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and fibre.

 

Bibliography:
Sage, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=76
Salvia officinalis, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_officinalis

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Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

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Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

Spreadable chocolate and nuts is hazelnut chocolate spread.

  • Hazelnut chocolate spread, also known as ‘chocolate spread’, is a cocoa flavoured substance that is typically known by the famous brand name ‘Nutella’.
  • Hazelnut chocolate spread typically contains oil, sugar, cocoa, milk powder and hazelnuts, as well as a few other ingredients, and is usually made by extracting the cocoa and processing the hazelnuts, then mixing the items with the other ingredients, into a paste.
  • Hazelnut chocolate spread was first invented by Italian confectioner Pietro Ferrero, in Italy’s Piedmont, after World War II, to give people an affordable chocolate treat.
  • The first invented hazelnut chocolate spread was originally solid, known as ‘Pasta Gianduja’, which was first sold in 1946, and later altered so that it became spreadable, which was known as ‘Supercrema’ in 1951.
  • Hazelnut chocolate spread is commonly used on wheat-based items, such as bread, waffles, crumpets and scones.

Hazelnut Chocolate Spread, Nutella, Brown, Hoembrand, Australia, Paste, Condiment, Dollop, Ten Random Facts, Foods, Culinary

  • In 1964, ‘Supercrema’ was improved and released as ‘Nutella’, by Michele Ferrero, Pietro’s son, which is the original, and leading hazelnut chocolate spread brand.
  • Hazelnut chocolate spread has been previously marketed as a healthy item, due to the healthy hazelnuts, but generally the product actually contains a large quantity of sugar and fat.
  • Hazelnut chocolate spread was originally targeted at all ages, but later primarily at children, who are one of the main consumers of the spread.
  • Hazelnut chocolate spread is high in fat, sugar, and manganese and is a good source of vitamin E, copper and iron.
  • Although hazelnut chocolate spread originated in Italy, it entered the market in the United States of America in 1983, and it is now sold around the world under different names, recipes and brands, by different companies.

 

Bibliography:
History of Hazelnut Chocolate Spread, 2013, Nutilight, http://www.nutilight.com/#!HISTORY-ON-HAZELNUT-CHOCOLATE-SPREAD/cqpw/6136BBEF-617B-4315-9DA2-818B42B7439D
Mitzman D, Nutella: How the world went nuts for a hazelnut spread, 2014, BBC News Magazine, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27438001
Nutella, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutella

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Dill

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Dill

Isn’t dill play-on-words fun!?

  • Dill is a leafy herb that reaches heights of 40 to 60 centimetres (16 to 24 inches) and the plant is grown as an annual in full sun.
  • Dill is native to Europe’s east, Russia’s south, Africa and the Mediterranean, and it is the only species in the Anethum genus; its scientific name is Anethum graveolens.
  • Dill is from the family Apiaceae, that is also known as the Umbelliferae family, and it is the family of celery, parsley and carrots, and other hollow stem plants.
  • ‘Dill’ is derived from the Norse word ‘dilla’, meaning ‘to lull’ or the Old English word ‘dile’, and the names are a reference to the plant’s medicinal purposes.
  • Dill leaves are often used in seafood or soup dishes, as well as pickled items like cucumbers, and the seeds are used as a spice for flavouring.
Dill, Food, Seeds, Culinary, Spice, Brown, Bowl, Many, Flavour, Ten Random Facts, AustraliaSeeds
  • Oil can be obtained from the dill plant, which can be used to produce soap.
  • Dill has been used for thousands of years, and in England in the 5th to 11th centuries it was used to treat headaches, stomach illness, boils and nausea, and other sickness.
  • Fresh dill leaves are delicate and feathery and are typically coloured a bright green, while seeds are mustard to brown in colour.
  • Dill has a taste described typically as mild and warm, with a slight anise flavour, and the leaves have a milder flavour than the seeds.
  • Dill leaves are a very good source of vitamin C and vitamin A, and they contain many other vitamins and minerals, while the seeds are high in calcium.
Bibliography:
Dill (Anethum graveolens), 2014, Gourmet Garden, http://www.gourmetgarden.com/en/herb/252/dill
Dill, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=71
Dill, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dill

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Buckwheat

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Buckwheat

Buckwheat is not wheat but instead a wheat alternative.

  • Buckwheat is a seed grain that is obtained from the plant with the scientific name Fagopyrum esculentum, and is classified as a pseudocereal, as it is not a species of grass.
  • ‘Buckwheat’ is also known as ‘beech wheat’, and this name is a reference to the similar triangular shaped appearance it has to beech nuts that are significantly larger, and its common use as a wheat replacement.
  • Buckwheat is not related to wheat, instead it comes from the family Polygonaceae, the family of knotweed, that rhubarb also belongs to.
  • ‘Buckwheat’ s comes from the word ‘boecweite’ that means ‘beech wheat’ in Middle Dutch, and when the seed is roasted, it is known as ‘kasha’.
  • In 2011, Russia was the leading producer of buckwheat, with 800,380 tonnes (882,000 tons), China with 720,000 tonnes (793,700 tons) and Ukraine boasting 281,600 tonnes (310,400 tons).

Buckwheat, Grain, Seed, Cream, Multi, Ten Random Facts, Australia, Gluten Free

  • The outer buckwheat layer is typically a dark tan when roasted, or light green or brown in colour when raw, while the inner starch is coloured white, and is approximately 3 to 4 millimetres (0.12 to 0.16 inch) in diameter and approximately 5 millimetres tall.
  • Buckwheat can be eaten raw or roasted, and is commonly ground into flour, which in turn is used in pancakes, noodles, bread and porridge; although some people are allergic to it, causing a rash, and anaphylaxis cases have occurred.
  • Buckwheat is a grain that does not contain wheat or gluten, and therefore is a common replacement for those with coeliac disease, or who are intolerant or have an allergy to wheat.
  • A buckwheat seed is called a ‘groat’, and its triangular shape has led to unique equipment to hull the seed.
  • Buckwheat is very high in fibre, niacin, riboflavin, copper, magnesium, phosphorous and manganese.

 

Bibliography:
Buckwheat, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=11
Buckwheat, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckwheat
Murray, J, What is Buckwheat? Buckwheat Defined, 2014, About Food, http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/a/What-Is-Buckwheat.htm

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Puffed Rice Cereal

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Puffed Rice Cereal

“Snap, Crackle, Pop” – notable slogan accompanying Kellogg’s puffed rice cereal.

  • Puffed rice cereal is a crunchy cereal made primarily of rice that has been expanded, often using a combination of steam and heating methods, including an oven, or via the use of pressure.
  • ‘Puffed rice cereal’ is also known as ‘rice pops’, ‘Rice Krispies’, ‘Rice Bubbles’, ‘pori’, and ‘muri’, depending on its use, origin and brand.
  • Although it is a popular breakfast cereal in western countries, like the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, puffed rice cereal is commonly adapted as a snack in many Asian countries, where it has been eaten for centuries in various forms.
  • Puffed rice cereal was created and commercialised as a breakfast cereal in 1927, by either Clayton Rindlisbacker or Eugene McKay, both employees of Kellogg’s.
  • The puffed rice cereal’s thin walls become weak when milk or other liquid is added, and this makes the popular noises ‘snap’, ‘crackle’ and ‘pop’ that the cereal is noted for.

Puffed Rice Cereal, Bowl, Ten Random Facts, Australia, Rice Pops, Rice Bubbles, Rice Krispies, Homebrand, White

  • Puffed rice cereal is primarily made of rice, sugar and salt ingredients, and depending on the brand and its use, some flavourings and preservatives may be added.
  • Puffed rice cereal has been released in numerous different flavours, and chocolate is particularly popular.
  • Puffed rice cereal can be adhered together using other ingredients to make snack bars or party style food.
  • In India, a version of puffed rice cereal is used traditionally as an ingredient in a snack for Hindu god offerings.
  • Puffed rice cereal has little nutritional value, so vitamins and minerals are often added back in to improve the nutrition content of the product.

 

Bibliography:
Puffed Rice, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffed_rice
Rice Krispies, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_Krispies

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Camembert

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Camembert

Do you prefer soft cheese, like camembert?

  • Camembert is a milk based, light yellow coloured cheese, that has a sweet taste, textures of creaminess and softness, and is typically shaped as a short cylinder.
  • Camembert is said to have been invented in a Normandy village of the same name, in Europe’s France, in the late 1700s by a French farmer named Marie Harel, and the cheese was a common addition to French military ration packs during World War I.
  • Camembert is traditionally made of unpasteurised milk, known as ‘Camembert de Normandie’, and those with French certification are still made this way.
  • The initial process for creating camembert is done by solidifying a mix of warm cow’s milk, rennet and mesophilic bacteria, and the curd is extracted and the whey is then removed.
  • Camembert curd is placed in a round form, and once all the whey has been removed, the cheese is sprayed with Penicillium camemberti fungus that has been dissolved in water and is left to ripen.
Camembert Cheese, White, Soft, Cut, Half, Plate, Ten Random Facts, FlickrCamembert
Image courtesy of Rebecca Siegel/Flickr
  • It is a requirement by law, that three weeks minimum must pass, to allow camembert to ripen and then be packaged, and the cheese is commonly covered by a thin paper wrap or two, before being packaged and transported.
  • The rind (mouldy layer) of camembert has generally been white since the 1970s, although historically it was a blue to grey colour, and was spotted brown.
  • Commercial camembert is typically 10 to 11.5 centimetres (4 to 4.5 inches) in diameter, 3.2 to 3.8 centimetres (1.25 to 1.5 inches) in height and weighs approximately 200 to 250 g (7 to 8.8 ounces).
  • Camembert is often confused with brie cheese, and while they are similar in texture and appearance, brie is usually much larger or sliced from a large wheel, ages slower, has a milder taste, and often uses a different substance to create the mouldy rind.
  • Camembert is very high in fat, sodium, riboflavin, protein, calcium and phospherous; is high in vitamin B12, selenium, zinc, folate and vitamin A; and also contains many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Camembert, 2012, Cheese.com, http://www.cheese.com/camembert/
Camembert, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camembert
Prabhat S, Difference Between Brie and Camembert, 2009, DiferenceBetween.net, http://www.differencebetween.net/object/comparisons-of-food-items/difference-between-brie-and-camembert/

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