Tag Archives: Culinary

Popping Candy

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Popping Candy

‘Pop! Pop! Pop!’ goes the popping candy.

  • Popping candy is a confectionery item that notably reacts by fizzing on contact with moisture.
  • ‘Popping candy’ is also known as ‘Pop Rocks’, ‘Space Dust’, ‘Action Candy’ and ‘Cosmic Candy’, all of which have been names of commercially produced versions of the candy.
  • Corn syrup, sugar and lactose are the primary ingredients of popping candy, along with flavours and colours.
  • Popping candy is typically made by allowing the melted mixture of ingredients to come in contact with carbon dioxide gas that has been pressurised, causing small bubbles of the gas to be caught in the confectionery as it cools.
  • On contact with moisture, popping candy makes sounds of crackling and popping, caused by the release of carbon dioxide as the candy melts, usually on one’s tongue.

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  • Popping candy was created in 1956 by William Mitchell, a chemist for the American company General Foods, and it was a failed experiment, as it was originally intended to be a fizzy ‘tablet’ to create an instant carbonated drink, that was not successful.
  • The minuscule bubbles of carbon dioxide in popping candy are able to be seen with the use of a microscope; while the product can be purchased in small sealed packets, and can also be found in chocolate bars and included in other confectionery items.
  • The well known myth that the combination of stomach acid, carbon dioxide and carbonated drinks causes stomach explosions, which surfaced in 1979, was ever only a myth, and was confirmed as such when it was busted by MythBusters in 2003.
  • Popping candy typically looks like small crystals or ‘rocks’, although it can be powdery, and it comes in a wide variety of colours and a number of flavours.
  • Popping candy did not become commercially available until 1975, when General Foods released the product, known as ‘Pop Rocks’, however it was removed from sale in 1983 due to it being a commercial failure, however, the confectionery was later manufactured in the 2000s by various companies, and became a success.
Bibliography:
Hiskey D, Why Pop Rocks Pop, 2011, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/01/why-pop-rocks-pop/
Pop Rocks, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_Rocks
Pop Rocks History, n.d, Pop Rocks Candy, http://www.poprockscandy.com/history.html

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Tin Can

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Tin Can

Tin cans are the stars of food packaging.

  • Tin cans are containers most commonly used in commercial production, to package or store items like food or other products.
  • ‘Tin cans’, also known as ‘tins’; ‘steel cans’; ‘cans’; and ‘steel packaging’, are made of a metal material that is easy to cut, such as aluminium or tinplate steel.
  • The shape of a tin can is most commonly cylindrical, although round-edged prisms are also available; and they generally feature a rim on the top, and sometimes bottom edge, as well as a label, that is usually either printed or glued on.
  • Tin can walls often have one or more ridges or indents circling the can, giving a corrugated look, and these are designed to add strength to the can, and they can also sometimes be found on the top and base.
  • Tin cans are measured by a variety of formats, from net weight, volume and size, often varying by country.

Tin Cans, Nesquik, Bundle, Metal, Homebrand, Ten Random Facts, Select, Fruit,, Invention

  • Tin cans are typically made by forming a piece of sheet metal into a cylinder, and the edges if there are any, are welded, soldered, or adhered together, while the lid and top edge is often folded into place by a machine, to seal the can.
  • Around 50 to 75 percent of tin cans are recycled, causing the can to be the most recycled packaging product in the world.
  • After lengthy storage periods, tin cans can corrode and toxins spread into foods, thus causing poisoning, with symptoms like vomiting and dizziness; although corrosion is minimised by the application of a special lacquer coating to the interior of the can.
  • In 1809, Frenchman Nicholas Appert, a chef, developed a method of preserving food in sealed containers, for which he won a prize, and Philippe de Girard, an inventor also from France soon used this idea with tin cans, and after the patent was sold by Englishman Peter Durand to Bryan Donkin and John Hall, the idea was further refined and the two commenced mass production of canned food, in 1813.
  • The opening of tin cans usually requires the use of a cutting tool, such as a can opener, or a lever mechanism such as a pull tab.
Bibliography:
Geoghegon T, The story of how the tin can nearly wasn’t, 2013, BBC News Magazine, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21689069
History of the Can – Timeline, 2015, Quality by Vision, http://www.qbyv.com/en/canhistory
Tin can, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_can

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Sherbet Powder

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Sherbet Powder

Your mouth will burst with flavour with sherbet powder.

  • Sherbet powder is confectionery in a powder form, and is notable for the fizzing effect it has, on contact with saliva.
  • ‘Sherbet powder ‘ is also known as ‘keli’, ‘kali’, and ‘sherbet’, and the word originates from the Arabic ‘sharba’, which, when translated, means ‘a drink’.
  • Sherbet powder is commonly eaten by using a small spoon, a finger, or a stick item, such as a lollipop, to collect the powder.
  • Sherbet poweder can come in a wide variation of colours, including white, green, yellow, red and blue; and flavours, that are often fruit-based.
  • Sherbet powder was invented around the 1800s by chemists in Europe, when the reaction of carbonate and acid was discovered.

Sherbet Powder, Straw, Rainbow, Blue, Yellow, Bowl, White, Reaction, Ten Random Facts, Chemical

  • Sherbet powder is most commonly packaged in straws or small packets, but it can also be found in glass jars or plastic containers, and can be found surrounding the exterior of some confectionery, or in the interior of others.
  • The acid and carbonate of sherbet powder reacts by fizzing on contact with a liquid, such as water or saliva.
  • Sherbet powder was originally used to make a fizzy drink, before carbonated drinks became common, after which time, it became a popular sweet.
  • Sugar is the main ingredient in sherbet powder, and this is mixed with an acid, a carbonate, and flavourings.
  • Sherbet powder became very popular after it was invented, due to its inexpensive price and easy accessibility.
Bibliography:
Sherbet Powder, n.d, ifood.tv, http://ifood.tv/asian/sherbet-powder/about
Sherbet (Powder), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherbet_(powder)

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Stick Blender

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Stick Blender

Blend… with the stick blender.

  • Stick blenders are inventions used in cooking, to purée or mix food ingredients.
  • A ‘stick blender’ is also known as a ‘hand blender’, ‘wand blender’, ‘immersion blender’, ‘boat motor’, ‘Bamix’ and ‘Bermixer’.
  • Stick blenders are roughly cylindrical in shape, and are usually held by one’s hand on the upper section, which is generally made from plastic, while the blades at the base are usually made from stainless steel.
  • Stick blenders are portable tools that blend food, especially soup, in the container that it was cooked or made in, and as such, they do not require large or special mixing bowls.
  • A stick blender differs from a mixer, in that due to its small fine blades, it performs a cutting action, rather than beaters that just mix the ingredients, however, some hand blenders can be purchased with extra attachments to make the appliance more versatile.

Stick Blender, White, Electric, Ten Random Facts, Hand, Appliance, Kitchen, Culinary,

  • The invention of the first stick blender, known as a ‘Bamix’, made from the French words ‘battre et mixer’ (beat and mix), is attributed to Roger Perrinjaquet, an inventor from Switzerland, who patented the idea in 1950.
  • Stick blenders are commonly used to make well-blended and puréed soups, beverages, and sauces, and they are also often used to make home-made puréed baby food.
  • Stick blenders became increasingly popular as people were made aware of them, and various companies now produce this handy kitchen tool, and the price of the blenders is determined by brand, quality, features and power.
  • The length of stick blenders can range from 25.5 to 30.5 centimetres (10 to 12 inches), up to 90 centimetres (35 inches) in length, and the long ones are usually used in commercial kitchens where large quantities of food are cooked.
  • Stick blenders are usually powered by electricity, although they may be cordless, in which case they will generally have a charging station included.
Bibliography:
Alfaro D, Immersion Blender, 2015, About Food, http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/glossary/g/Immersion-Blender.htm
Historical Past of the Best Immersion Blender, 2013, slideshare, http://www.slideshare.net/cirrusspoon2/historical-past-of-the-best-immersion-blender
Immersion Blender, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_blender

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Squash (Beverage)

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Squash (Beverage)

Enjoy a cup of squash!

  • Squash is a beverage, and syrup, made primarily of fruit juices, sugar and liquids, and it normally excludes alcohol.
  • ‘Squash’, originally ‘lemon squash’, is also known as ‘cordial’ and ‘dilute juice’, although the substances may have slight differences.
  • Colouring and flavourings are commonly added to squash, as well as a number of preservatives.
  • Typically, squash is diluted in another liquid, normally water for child-friendliness, and sometimes carbonated liquid is used.
  • ‘Squash’, being a British drink, is common across much of the Commonwealth, although it is rarely seen in an American environment, and it is said to be expensive there.

Squash, Cordial, Yellow, Drink, Beverage, Ten Random Facts, Glass, Food, Sweet,

  • Squash syrup is generally diluted to a ratio of syrup to water, at either 1:4 or 1:5, depending on how condensed the syrup is, and it is also sometimes used in alcoholic cocktails to give flavour.
  • Squash can be made from many different fruits, although it is most commonly made from a combination of various berries or citrus fruit.
  • Squash can be purchased from supermarkets or made at home, and is able to be stored in both a cupboard or a refrigerator for long time periods, due to the high quantity of sugar and preservatives in the liquid.
  • Squash can contain a low sugar content, although in that case it is usually sweetened and flavoured by artificial processes, and as such will generally contain more chemicals.
  • Squash is most prominently consumed at parties, functions, road trips and preschools, in the United Kingdom.
Bibliography:
Consider squash and cordial, 2015, The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/sep/07/consider-squash-cordial
Squash (Drink), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_(drink)

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Instant Coffee

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Instant Coffee

Add the water and add the instant coffee… and voilà!

  • Instant coffee is a substance that is placed into a liquid to instantly make a coffee beverage, and it used for convenience, due to the lack of equipment required and the speed of which one can make a drink.
  • ‘Instant coffee’ is also known as ‘soluble coffee’ and ‘coffee powder’, and while it is convenient, it is often said it has an inferior taste to the equivalent freshly ground beverage.
  • The invention of instant coffee began in the 1770s in Britain, when a soluble compound was made, and the substance was further developed by various people in different countries throughout the 1800s, while David Strang, from New Zealand’s Invercargill, is said to have patented a soluble formula in 1890; and there have been notable improvements since.
  • Generally, instant coffee starts out as roasted and ground coffee beans, then hot water is added and the grounds go through an extracting and filtering process, after which they are dried either by freezing or spraying.
  • Instant coffee is available at supermarkets and other stores, and is most often sold in a airtight bag, tin or jar.

Instant Coffee, Brown, Chunky, Powder, Ten Random Facts, Australia, Nescafe

  • Instant coffee is generally brown in colour, and can be purchased in both finely powdered or slightly chunky forms, and it can also be bought as a liquid.
  • Instant coffee beverages are generally made by adding boiling water to a teaspoon of grounds or powder, and then stirred with a spoon so that the grounds quickly dissolve; and depending on taste, sugar and milk is sometimes added.
  • It is possible that instant coffee can increase the likelihood of bladder cancer developing, and decrease the chance of getting type 2 diabetes.
  • Depending on the water to instant coffee ratio, the drink can be strong or quite a diluted beverage.
  • A typical instant coffee beverage contains small levels of potassium, niacin, manganese and magnesium.
Bibliography:
Instant Coffee, 2015, How Products Are Made, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Instant-Coffee.html
Instant Coffee, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_coffee

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