Category Archives: Culinary

These facts are as hard as a rockmelon.

• Rockmelons are spherical fruit, or melons, that are from the family Cucurbitaceae, the family of gourds.
• Rockmelons’ are also known as ‘cantaloupes’, ‘canteloupes’, ‘cantaloups’, ‘mushmelons’, ‘sweet melons’, ‘Persian melons’, ‘spanspeks’, ‘Garmas’ and ‘muskmelons’.
• A rockmelon has the scientific name Cucimis melo var. cantalupensis, and is one of the varieties of the Cucumis melo or ‘melon’ species.
• Rockmelons grow on large vines that have big hairy leaves, and the actual melon can weigh 0.5 to 5 kilograms (1 to 10 pounds).
• Rockmelons are native to Africa, the Middle East’s Iran and Asia’s India.

• Rockmelons are often harvested nearly ripe, although rockmelons do not continue to ripen once picked, and the skin is often covered in bleach wash or sodium hypochlorite to inhibit mould growth.
• Rockmelons are commonly eaten fresh or raw, such as in fruit salad, or with custard, ice cream or pavlova, and are often included in antipasto platters, and are sometimes found in salads.
• Even though the skin of a rockmelon is not eaten, it can be the foundation for dangerous bacteria, so it is suggested that it be washed before preparation.
• Rockmelons have a strong bumpy or net-like skin texture, sometimes with significant grooves, and are coloured green, cream or brown, with yellow, orange, or peach coloured flesh
• Rockmelons have a sweet taste, are extremely high in vitamin A and vitamin C, are high in potassium, and have a water content that can reach 90%.

Bibliography: Cantaloupe, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantaloupe

Rockmelon, 2011, Fresh for Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/rockmelon/rockmelon.html

Rota G, 9 Benefits of Eating Rockmelon, 2014, Popsugar, http://www.popsugar.com.au/fitness/Health-Benefits-Rockmelon-Fibre-Vitamin-C-Potassium-33541917

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Custard is quite exquisite.

• Custard is an edible substance most commonly used in desserts, and it can range from a runny, pouring liquid, up to a firm and thick consistency.
• Traditional custard is primarily made of eggs, which thickens the mixture, and a dairy product, such as milk, although cream is often used, and vanilla and sugar is commonly incorporated.
• Custard is commonly used in desserts, like tarts and trifle, and served hot or cold with puddings, although it can also be used in savoury cuisine, and is the main ingredient for quiche.
• ‘Custard’ comes from the word ‘croustade’, a Middle French word, which in turn comes from the Latin word ‘crustāre’, meaning ‘crust’, referring to the pastry or tart it was often used in.
• Making egg based custard can be a little tricky, as it can easily burn or spoil, and if it reaches temperatures of more than 80°C (176°F), it can cause curdling, while at 70°C (158°F) it will usually start to set.

• Custard has been historically made throughout Medieval Europe, typically eaten in tarts, but it was not unknown in Asia during the same period.
• Powdered custard mix is absent of egg, and was first invented in 1837 by Alfred Bird, from Birmingham, England, who originally made it for his wife who was allergic to eggs, although he started selling it commercially and it became a great success.
• Powdered custard is usually purchased in a packet from a grocery store, and it usually contains corn starch, although other starch products are sometimes used; colour; and flavour; and milk is heated and added to the powder to make it a thickened liquid.
• Custard is very high in cholesterol, and is high in riboflavin, phosphorus, selenium and calcium.
• Longlife and ready made custards have become popular, and are commonly available in supermarkets, and they can be used as is, or heated and poured over desserts.

Bibliography:
Custard, 2013, British Food: A History, http://britishfoodhistory.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/custard/

Custard, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custard

Olver L, Food Timeline FAQs: puddings, custards, & creams, 2014, Food Timeline, http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpuddings.html

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Unlike Swiss cheese, Swiss chard does not have holes.

• Swiss chard is a biennial vegetable primarily grown for its edible leaves.
• ‘Swiss chard’ is also known as ‘silverbeet’, ‘spinach beet’, crab beet’, ‘seakale beet’, ‘mangold’, ‘chard’, ‘white beet’, ‘perpetual spinach’, ‘strawberry spinach’, ‘Roman kale’ and ‘bright lights’.
• Swiss chard has the scientific name Beta vulgaris cicla and is from the beet genus, Beta vulgaris, and is related to beetroots and sugar beets.
• Swiss chard is from the family Amaranthaceae, the family of amaranths, which is the same family that the leaf vegetable, spinach, is from, and the plant is native to Europe’s Mediterranean.
• Swiss chard is commonly used raw or cooked, in salads or other dishes, or sauteed as a side vegetable, and is regularly used in Mediterranean cuisine.

• Swiss chard can have a bitter taste when raw that can be removed by cooking, mostly caused by the oxalic acid in the vegetable, and large quantities can cause health issues for some people.
• Swiss chard is extremely high in vitamin K, very high in vitamin A, high in vitamin C, and has many other beneficial vitamins and minerals.
• ‘Swiss chard’ is said to have been named to communicate a difference between another, similar looking or similarly named vegetable.
• Swiss chard has large, glossy looking, bubbly textured leaves that can be green or a reddish purple colour, and the thick stems or stalks can be white, red, yellow, orange or purple.
• It is best to store Swiss chard unwashed, as it can otherwise easily deteriorate, and it is recommended that it be kept in a sealed plastic bag with air removed, in the refrigerator.

Bibliography:
Chard, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chard

Swiss chard, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=16

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Lemons are really quite amazing.

• Lemon is a citrus fruit from a small tree that is evergreen, that is generally believed to be native to China, India, and Burma (Myanmar), in Asia.
• Lemons are from the family Rutaceae, the family of citrus, and have the scientific name of Citrus x limon, belonging to the Citrus genus, and are hybrids that are most likely a cross between a pomelo and a citron.
• Lemons are primarily used for its juice and rind, to make beverages; for flavouring; or to make condiments; and they can also be pickled and used as a temporary preservative, and can cause amines to become neutral when used on fish.
• Lemon juice contains a high content of citric acid, 5% to 6%, which causes the fruit to taste sour.
• Lemon juice can be used to remove odour from hands, and may also be used as a degreaser, bleach, and disinfectant, and has more uses with added salt or baking soda.

• Lemons are an oval shape, and have a skin colour ranging from yellow to orange that can be either smooth or bumpy, and thick or thin, depending on the variety.
• In 2011, the total world production of lemons was 13,888,000 tonnes (15,309,000 tons), and China produced the most lemons in the world, with 2,319,000 tonnes (2,556,000 tons), and Mexico and India were also large producers.
• Lemon juice is often used by cash handlers, such as cashiers, to moisten fingers and are commonly used in school science experiments as an acid or to create a battery.
• Lemons are usually 5 to 10 centimetres (2 to 4 inches) in length, and contain 8 to 10 inner parts, known as segments, that usually contain seeds.
• Lemons are very high in vitamin C, are a good source of dietary fibre, and they also contain quantities of other vitamins and minerals, and can improve the human immune system’s function, as well as have many other positive health effects.

Bibliography:
Lemon, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon

Lemon/Limes, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=27

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Figs are old, but delicious fruit.

• Figs are fruit that grow on 7 to 10 metres (23 to 33 feet) high trees with the scientific name Ficus carica, and belong to the family Moraceae, the family of figs or mulberries.
• Ficus carica trees are native to Asia and the Middle East, and there are other fig species native to other parts of the world, although their fruit is not commonly consumed.
• Figs have a length of 3 to 5 centimetres (1.2 to 2 inches) and typically have a ripened skin colour of green, purple, black and brown.
• Unripened figs contain latex, which can cause irritation if the sap contacts the skin.
• Figs were one of the first cultivated fruit and were very popular among Ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians.

Dried Figs

• Figs are generally eaten raw or dried and are commonly used in baked goods or made into jam, and they can also be used to make an alcoholic beverage.
• In 2012, Turkey produced 274,500 tonnes (302,600 tons) of figs, which was a quarter of the total production in the world of approximately 1,031,000 tonnes (1,137,000 tons).
• There are in excess of 600 varieties of figs, and their flesh colour can be red, pink, yellow, orange and purple.
• Fresh figs are generally not available in countries where the fruit is not grown, as they are difficult to transport due to their thin skin that is easily damaged, and once picked they can only be kept at room temperature for a day or two.
• Figs are high in dietary fibre and contain significant quantities of vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and manganese.

Bibliography:
Common Fig, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_fig

Figs, 2014, The Fruit Pages, http://www.thefruitpages.com/figs.shtml

Figs, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=24

Fig, 2014, Purdue University: Center for New Crops & Plant Products, http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/fig.html

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Pineapples are not apples from pine trees.

• Pineapples are tropical fruit native to Paraguay and Brazil in South America, and are grown on plants with the scientific name Ananas comosus, that grow to be 1 to 1.5 metres (3.3 to 4.9 feet) in height.
• Pineapples are from the family Bromeliaceae, a family of monocot (one ‘seed leaf’) flowering plants.
• ‘Pineapple’ was the original name for a ‘pine cone’, and pineapples were named so, because of their similar look to conifer tree pine cones.
• Pineapples have a sweet flavour and are commonly eaten raw, particularly in fruit salads; cooked, often on pizza or in other dishes; used crushed in baked goods; and can be juiced to make different beverages.
• The major producers of pineapples in 2009 were the Philippines and Thailand, producing approximately 2 and 1.7 million tonnes (2.2 and 1.9 million tons) respectively, with a world production of 12.9 million tonnes (14.2 million tons).

• Pineapples have either smooth or rough green leaves protruding from the top of the fruit, depending on the variety, and typically yellow coloured spiky skin when ripe, although there are less common red skinned varieties, and the fruit may be harvested green.
• Pineapples have a light yellow or rich yellow juicy flesh, and do not generally ripen after harvesting, nor do they keep well, although they can be kept in the refrigerator to extend their life, and are often preserved by commercial canning methods, making the fruit available for purchase in supermarkets all year round in tinned form.
• Pineapples have a very high content of vitamin C and manganese, and grow to be 20 to 30 centimetres (8 to 12 inches) in height and have a diameter of 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches).
• Pineapples have a central hard core running through the middle of the fruit, that contain bromelain enzymes that are commonly used to tenderise meat, and have also been historically used for medicinal purposes, and the enzymes also exist in the flesh of the fruit, although they are destroyed by heat.
• A pineapple is commonly believed to be a single fruit, however it is a combination of many fruits that develop from 150-200 flowers, that merge together and are joined by the core.

Bibliography:
Pineapple, 2012, Fresh for Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/pineapple/pineapple.html

Pineapple, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple

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