Tag Archives: Culinary

Nashi Pear

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Nashi Pear

You cannot get more exotic than nashi pears.

  • Nashi pears are a fruit of roughly spherical shape that grow on trees from the same genus as pears.
  • ‘Nashi pears’ are also known as ‘Japanese pears’, ‘Chinese pears’, ‘nashis’, ‘Korean pears’, ‘Asian pears’, ‘Japanese apple pears’, ‘apple-pears’, ‘Oriental pears’, ‘Taiwan pears’ and ‘sand pears’.
  • The scientific name of the nashi pear tree is Pyrus pyrifolia and it is from the family Rosaceae, the family of roses.
  • The skin of nashi pears is a little course and is typically speckled, and can be a light yellow, green, golden brown or cream colour, depending on the variety.
  • The flesh of nashi pears is almost white, and it tends to be crispy, grainy, watery, and sweet.

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Nashi Pear
Image courtesy of Apple and Pear Australia Ltd/Flickr

 

  • Nashi pears are popularly eaten both raw and cooked, sometimes used as a sweetener, and they can be baked, grilled, poached and barbecued.
  • Nashi pears have their origins in Japan and China, in East Asia, where the tree’s flower has become a sign of spring.
  • Nashi pears are best stored in a dry and cool area, where they can be kept for a number of weeks.
  • Due to their high water content, nashi pears can bruise quite easily, and as a result they require hand picking and sufficient cushioning for transportation purposes.
  • Nashi pears have significant quantities of vitamin K and vitamin C, as well as fibre and potassium.
Bibliography:
Nashi, 2011, Fresh For Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/nashi/nashi.html
Pyrus pyrifolia, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrus_pyrifolia

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Plate

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Plate

Have a plate for your bread and a plate for your roast.

  • Plates are an invention used to serve food in both a household and a commercial setting, both to increase presentation but also for practical purposes.
  • Plates are generally quite flat with a slight bowl or dip spreading from the centre, which is where food is generally served.
  • The three main sections that make up a plate are the rim, which is the outermost edge; the base, the underneath surface where the dishware rests; and the well, where the food is placed.
  • A variety of materials can be used to make plates including ceramics, metal, glass, cardboard, wood and plastic, while cardboard is generally used for those that are used once only and disposed of, and some plastic ones are also made with this purpose in mind.
  • Plates come in a wide variety of sizes, generally ranging from 10 to 36 centimetres (4 to 14 inches) in diameter, and the most common are usually between 25.5 to 30.5 centimetres (10 to 12 inches); and the size generally determines its use.

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  • Early plates were likely natural items such as large shells or big leaves, and old bread was also utilised, while wood, pewter, silver and clay items were later employed for this purpose, however they were designed for communal use, rather than as individual pieces.
  • Stereotypically, plates are of a round shape, although some cultures prefer a rectangular or ellipse shape, and square ones are not uncommon.
  • The Chinese created plates from porcelain through the ceramic process in the 7th century, and these were made available to Europeans from the 1300s, although it was not until the 1700s that Europeans started making the products themselves.
  • Some people collect plates as a hobby, although they are usually used to hold a wide variety of food, including main meals, entrees, buffets and bread; while a small one designed to hold a cup is known as a ‘saucer’.
  • In European countries, porcelain plates were originally reserved for those of wealthy status due to their expense and limited availability due to the product being made in China, however, they became affordable and readily available in the 1800s due to more efficient manufacturing processes.
Bibliography:
Carrol M, The History of Dinner Plates, 2015, eHow, http://www.ehow.com/facts_7728332_history-dinner-plates.html
The History Behind Your Plate, 2014, HubPages, http://nanlt.hubpages.com/hub/history-of-the-plate
Plate (dishware), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_(dishware)

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Brussels Sprouts

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Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts sprout on stalks that sprout from soil.

  • Brussels sprouts, also known as ‘brussel sprouts’, are a vegetable eaten primarily for its leaves and they grow as buds along the stalk of a plant.
  • The scientific name of the Brussels sprout plant is Brassica oleracea variety gemmifera, from the Brassica genus, which include species of cabbages and cruciferous vegetables, and it is from the Brassicaceae family, the family of mustards.
  • Generally Brussels sprouts are a rough oval shape, with an appearance of a tiny cabbage, and they grow to sizes of 2.5 to 5 centimetres (1 to 2 inches) in length.
  • The exact origin of Brussels sprouts is unknown, although it is thought Europe’s Belgium first cultivated the vegetable, possibly in the capital Brussels sometime around the 1200s, hence the vegetable’s name, although concrete evidence only exists from the late 1500s.
  • The United States of America saw the introduction of Brussels sprouts in the 1700s by some immigrants from France.
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Brussels Sprouts
Image courtesy of Jacqueline/Flickr
  • The typical lush green colour of Brussels sprouts can vary in shade, and they can become a yellow or other discoloured colour when of poor quality, however purple coloured varieties are available.
  • Brussels sprouts are popularly cooked through boiling, stir-frying, grilling or roasting techniques, and are commonly flavoured with spices or sauces, and they are also able to be eaten raw and are sometimes used in salads.
  • Brussels sprouts contain a sulphur compound, glucosinolate sinigrin, that can produce a displeasing smell and a bitter taste when overcooked.
  • The Netherlands in Europe is one of the largest producer of Brussels sprouts in the world with 82,000 tonnes (90,390 tons), while the United Kingdom has a fairly high consumption rate of the vegetable.
  • Brussels sprouts are very high in vitamin C and vitamin K, and are a good source of folate, and they also contain other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Brussels Sprouts, 2011, Fresh For Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/veg_pages/brussels_sprout/brussels_sprout.html
Brussels Sprouts, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels_sprout
Brussels Sprouts, 2015, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=10

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Honeydew Melon

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Honeydew Melon

Honeydew melons are sweeter than watermelon and perhaps healthier than honey.

  • Honeydew melons are a melon fruit of roughly spherical shape, and it is said that they originated in Algeria in North Africa, and possibly other surrounding areas including the Middle East and southern Europe.
  • Honeydew melons are a cultivar known as ‘inodorus’ of the muskmelon species that has the scientific name Cucumis melo, and is from the family Cucurbitaceae, the family of cucurbits or some gourds.
  • ‘Honeydew melons’ are also known as ‘honeymelons’ and simply ‘honeydews’, and they can also be referred to as ‘winter melons’ (not to be confused with the gourds of the same name) and ‘White Antibes melons’.
  • The rough size of honeydew melons is 15 to 22 centimetres (6 to 9 inches) in length and 1.8 to 3.6 kilograms (4 to 8 pounds) in weight.
  • The skin of honeydew melons can be green, white or yellow, while the interior flesh is usually a light green colour.
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Honeydew Melon
Image courtesy of Tracy Ducasse; edited/Flickr
  • Honeydew melons are very sweet due to their high content of natural sugars, and the sugar content increases as the fruit ripens.
  • The skin texture of a good quality honeydew melon is generally waxy, and the melon will be weighty, which indicates that it contains significant quantities of juice.
  • Honeydew melons have been favoured by Napoleon, Cleopatra VII and Pope Paul II, and they were originally reserved for the noble or wealthy.
  • Raw is the most common way to eat honeydew melons, although the fruit may be cooked in dishes for a sweet addition or used to flavour beverages.
  • Honeydew melons are very high in vitamin C and are a good source of potassium, and they contain other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Honeydew, 2011, Fresh for Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/honeydew/honeydew.html
Honeydew (Melon), 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeydew_(melon)

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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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Sweet Potato

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Sweet Potato

The roots literally stem to the sweet potato.

  • A sweet potato is a vegetable that is the root of a dicot plant with the scientific name Ipomoea batatas, and the plant is from the family Convolvulaceae, the family of morning glories or bindweeds.
  • Some people refer to sweet potatoes as yams, despite the term technically reserved for totally unrelated vegetables from the Dioscoreaceae family, with the scientific name Dioscorea; thus creating confusion.
  • There are numerous varieties of sweet potatoes, and the skin can be coloured orange, beige, brown, red, yellow, or purple, while the flesh can be yellow, beige, orange, white, pink, purple, red, or violet, and they are generally a long, fat shape.
  • Sweet potatoes are commonly cooked through baking, frying, grilling or boiling; and both the leaves and root can be eaten.
  • Sweet potatoes are native to South and Central America, and they have been used in these areas since ancient times, and were likely cultivated there thousands of years ago.

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  • China is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the world, producing around 81.7 million tonnes (80.4 million tons) in 2011, totalling approximately 77% of the world’s production.
  • Sweet potatoes do not grow well in cold temperatures, preferring sunlight and the warmth it generates, and once harvested they are best stored in a dry, dark and cool environment, however, they should not be stored in the fridge.
  • Europe had not seen sweet potatoes until 1492, after Christopher Columbus brought back some of the vegetables from his original visit to America.
  • The skin of sweet potatoes may be commercially dyed or waxed, the former to increase the apparent quality and fool consumers, while the latter is used to protect the vegetable from moisture loss and to maintain its freshness.
  • Sweet potatoes have an extremely high content of vitamin A and are a good source of vitamins C and B6, fibre, potassium and manganese, and they contain many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Sweet Potato, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato
Sweet Potato, 2015, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64

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