Tag Archives: Asia

Lychee

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Lychee

Lie low – the lychee are just around the corner!

  • Lychee is a sweet fruit of small size, originating from the tropical areas of Asia’s China.
  • The scientific name of the tree that lychees grow on is Litchi chinensis, and it is from the family Sapindaceae, the family of soapberries.
  • The rough thin skin of a lychee should be peeled before eating, and this reveals the internal edible fruit, and a smooth brown seed.
  • The skin of lychees is generally a red to pink colour when the fruit is ripe and fresh, while the flesh inside is white and translucent.
  • Chinese emperors and other wealthy Chinese prized lychees, so much so, that it caused high demand and a significant consumption rate throughout the centuries.

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Lychees
Image courtesy of silkway/Flickr
  • Lychees are generally eaten raw, although they may be added to, or cooked in other dishes to feature their sweet flavour.
  • There are a number of varieties of lychees; and they grow on trees that are evergreen, that generally grow to heights of 10 to 12 metres (33 to 40 feet).
  • Lychees are roughly spherical in shape and are approximately 4 to 5 centimetres (1.6 to 2 inches) in diameter.
  • The skin of lychees tends to go brown after picking, and while they are best stored in the refrigerator, this can accentuate this tendency, however, the flesh remains unchanged.
  • Lychees are very high in vitamin C, they are a good source of copper, potassium, vitamin B and fibre, and they contain many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Lychee, 2011, Fresh for Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/lychee/lychee.html
Lychee, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lychee

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Siberia

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Siberia

Siberia is such a breath-taking place. *sigh*

  • Siberia is a region located in North Asia, spreading from the central to eastern parts of the continent, and it is one of the districts of Russia.
  • The origin of the name ‘Siberia’ is controversial; with some theorising its origins are from ‘su’ and ‘bir’, meaning ‘water and ‘land’ respectively, while others state ‘Sib Ir’ as the origin, which is native terminology for ‘sleeping land’.
  • The actual boundaries of Siberia are somewhat undefined, with the Federal District covering approximately 5.1 million square kilometres (2 million square miles), and the most broadest boundaries (also known as ‘Asian Russia’) include more than 70% of Russia.
  • Siberia is economically important in supplying minerals including gold, nickel, coal, silver, zinc, lead and diamond, with the region containing some of the largest reserves on earth.
  • Some towns in Siberia are generally isolated and unconnected from other settlements in that they do not have designated roads for vehicles, while the Trans-Siberian railway provides some of the greatest accessibility to the southern areas.
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Part of Siberia
Image courtesy of Marc van der Chijs/Flickr
  • Novosibirsk is the largest city in Siberia, and third largest city in Russia, with a population of approximately 1.5 million in 2013.
  • A wide variety of native groups inhabited parts of Siberia until the Mongolian invasions from the 1200s, and later the Russian invasions from the late 1500s.
  • Siberia has particularly cold temperatures, with low winter temperatures reaching -20°C (-4°F) despite the area originally being full of volcanic activity.
  • As of 2014, Siberia Federal District had a population of approximately 20 million people, and with the wider area included, the total was around 40 million, bringing it to roughly the same people to land ratio as Australia – a low density of 3 people per square kilometre (0.4 of a square mile).
  • Siberia is notable for its vastness, and its extensive and awe inspiring scenery, particularly Ukok Plateau, and the largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Baikal.
Bibliography:
Siberia, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberia
Siberia Federal District, Russia (Siberian), 2015, Russia Trek, http://russiatrek.org/siberia-district
Siberia History, 2015, Lonely Planet, http://www.lonelyplanet.com/russia/siberia/history
Siberia, n.d, Encyclopedia.com, http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Siberia.aspx

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Afghan Hound

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Afghan Hound

Afghan hounds are quite the lovable type.

  • An Afghan hound is a breed of large domestic dog, that is commonly kept and bred as a pet, and it uses its sense of sight and fast moving ability when hunting, and therefore is listed as a ‘sighthound’.
  • ‘Afghan hounds’ are also known as ‘Tazis’, ‘Sage Balochis’, ‘Ogar Afgans’, ‘Eastern greyhounds’, ‘Kabul hounds’, ‘Baluchi hounds’, and ‘Persian greyhounds’, as well as ‘Tāžī Spay’ and ‘Sag-e Tāzī’ in native languages.
  • The long, thick hair with a silk-like appearance is a notable feature of Afghan hounds, along with their distinctly curled tails and particularly lengthy muzzles.
  • The fur of Afghan hounds ranges from brown, grey, black, gold and white in colour, and it requires much grooming to keep a neat appearance.
  • Afghan hounds originate from the cold mountainous regions of Afghanistan, in Asia, and were probably domesticated in the area around 4000 BC.

 

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Afghan Hound
Image courtesy of Bryan Ungard/Flickr
  • Afghan hounds generally grow to be 61 to 74 centimetres (24 to 29 inches) in height and 20 to 27 kilograms (44 to 59.5 pounds) in weight.
  • Usually, Afghan hounds have a gentle and pleasant nature, although they have been used throughout history to hunt boar, deer, gazelle and goats, and guarding livestock from snow leopards, wolves and other animals.
  • Afghan hounds were first imported into the United Kingdom in the 1880s, while afterwards in the United States of America in the 1920s, and they quickly became a popular breed and commonly exhibited at shows.
  • Although originally quite an independent breed, Afghan hounds have had this tendency dulled through breeding attempts to create appealing varieties.
  • Female Afghan hounds generally have around seven pups at a time, and they typically live twelve to fourteen years.
Bibliography:
Afghan Hound, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/afghan-hound/
Afghan Hound, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_Hound

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Sushi

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Sushi

What do you like in your favourite sushi?

  • Sushi is a rice-based food originating from Japan, and the rice is normally held together by, or wrapped in nori (seaweed).
  • Sushi can be prepared in wide variety of styles, including hand rolled in a cone as temakizushi, rolled cylindrically as makizushi, pressed into a rectangular shape and topped with an ingredient as nigirizushi, or put in a bowl as chirashizushi.
  • Rice made with rice vinegar is virtually always used as the base in sushi, while other ingredients can include specially prepared cooked egg (tamagoyaki), raw fish and other seafood, cucumber, pickled vegetables, yam and avocado.
  • Soy sauce, or wasabi may be served with sushi, while green tea is commonly drunk with the dish and pickled ginger (gari) commonly accompanies the food to cleanse the palate for the next course.
  • Traditional sushi, known as ‘narezushi’, originated from the 700s in Japan and surrounding areas as a way of preserving fish, as it was encased in fermented rice for many months, however, the rice was typically thrown out until the Japanese started eating it with the fish, and they eventually added vinegar to the rice, which resulted in a shortened fermentation process.

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  • Japanese Hanaya Yohei of Tokyo is credited with the invention of the now common, modern style sushi in the early 1800s, which was a ‘fast food’ version, small in comparison to the previous style, quick to make, and easy to eat.
  • Unlike Japan, raw seafood is often not chosen as a commercial sushi filling in Western civilisations, as seafood is notorious for requiring the hassle of freezing to kill potentially harmful parasites as per safety regulations in many countries.
  • Sushi may be eaten with chopsticks, although it is traditional to eat it with fingers and this is common practice in both Japan and the West.
  • Sushi is typically white in colour, due to the rice, and dark green, due to the nori seafood, and other colours vary depending on the extra ingredients, while the dish is savoury and served as the main dish of a main meal, one of the dishes in a main meal, a snack, or in bento (a portable food box),
  • Sushi is generally high in carbohydrates and protein, while significant quantities of other vitamins and minerals vary, depending on the fillings.
Bibliography:
Avey T, Discovering the History of Sushi, 2012, PBS, http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-of-sushi/
Sushi, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi

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Lake Baikal

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Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal… the deepest of them all.

  • Lake Baikal is a large, long and relatively narrow lake consisting of freshwater, located in Russia’s Siberia, in North Eastern Asia.
  • ‘Lake Baikal’ is also known as the ‘Pearl of Siberia’ and the ‘Galapagos of Russia’, and in Russian it is ‘Ozero Baykal’ and ‘Baygal nuur’ in Mongolian, while the latter translates as ‘nature lake’.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention declared Lake Baikal a World Heritage Site in 1996, due to its rich ecosystem and its scientific significance.
  • Lake Baikal contains the greatest amount of fresh water of all water bodies on earth, equalling around 20% of the total liquid fresh water in the world, and it is known for its water clarity, greatest depth of all lakes, and it holds the status of the seventh largest lake in the world.
  • The volume of Lake Baikal is greater than 23,6oo cubic kilometres (5,600 cubed miles), it has an area of around 31,600 square kilometres (12,200 square miles) and a depth reaching more than 1630 metres (5,347 feet).
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Lake Baikal
Image courtesy of Sergey Gabdurakhmannov/Flickr
  • Lake Baikal is located in a rift valley surrounded by mountains, and sits above a divergent plate boundary where two plates are slowly moving away from each other, and this activity has created hot springs in and around the lake.
  • Wildlife finds Lake Baikal a haven, with around 1,000 vegetation species and 2,500 animal species, including plankton, worms, snails, crustaceans, fish, and the Baikal seal, while large numbers of the species are endemic to the area.
  • Humans had settled around Lake Baikal by 500 AD, primarily due to it being an accessible water source, and it became more widely known after 1643, when explorer Kurbat Ivanov from Russia found it.
  • Lake Baikal freezes from January to May and can be crossed during these times, although it can be fatal, as the freezing winds can cause hypothermia and frostbite.
  • Hundreds of rivers supply water to Lake Baikal, including the Sarma River, Selenga River, Snezhnaya River, Barguzin River and Turka River, while it drains into the ocean via the Angara River.
Bibliography:
Baikal – The Pearl of Siberia, 2005, Geographia, http://www.geographia.com/russia/baikal01.htm
Lake Baikal, 2015, Lake Baikal – World’s Deepest Lake, http://lakebaikal.org/
Lake Baikal, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/754
Lake Baikal, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Baikal

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Dhole

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Dhole

Dholes are quite a bit more wild and free compared to the domesticated dog.

  • Dholes are a medium sized mammal native to a variety of habitats in the wilderness of Asia, in the southern and eastern parts of the continent.
  • Dholes have the scientific name Cuon alpinus, and are from the family Canidae, the family of dogs, and they have an average lifespan of 10 to 13 years.
  • ‘Dholes’ are also known as ‘Indian wild dogs’, ‘red wolves’, ‘red dogs’, ‘whistling dogs’, ‘mountain wolves’, and ‘Asiatic wild dogs’.
  • The length of dholes range from 75 to 110 centimetres (29.5 to 43 inches) and weigh around 12 to 20 kilograms (26 to 44 pounds).
  • The fur coat of dholes can be grey, red or brown in colour, according to their environment, with white, tan, gold or black highlights.
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Dhole
Image courtesy of Neil McIntosh/Flickr
  • Dholes generally live in small groups of around five to twelve, but up to forty members, and they will usually hunt in groups from early morning.
  • The diet of dholes consists of mammals including goats, deer, boar, buffalo, and rabbits; and they will usually rip open their prey.
  • Dholes are listed as an endangered species, due to a combination of diminished numbers of prey and habitat loss, as well as other factors.
  • Sounds made by dholes vary from growls, yaps, screams, chatters, whines and most notably, whistles.
  • Five to twelve pups are born to a female dhole at one time, with both parents and others in the pack looking after the pups; and they start hunting with adults when they are around six months old.
Bibliography:
Dhole, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/dhole/
Dhole, 2015, San Diego Zoo Animals, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/dhole
Dhole, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Dhole

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