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Tzatziki

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Tzatziki

Tzatziki is the perfect way to hide those greens.

  • Tzatziki is a condiment that is often eaten with a variety of meats or breads, or used as dipping sauce.
  • Typically tzatziki is made of Greek yoghurt, cucumber, and garlic, with various additions which can include mint, dill, other herbs, pepper, salt, lemon juice, vinegar, and oil.
  • The term ‘tzatziki’ sometimes has the spelling ‘tzatsiki’ or ‘tsatsiki’, and the word is believed to have come from the Turkish ‘cacık’, which has the possible meaning ‘chutney’.
  • Tzatziki was popularised by, and is normally attributed to Greece, although the condiment is virtually the same as the Turkish cacık, and is similar to recipes from other nearby countries.
  • Tzatziki is traditionally eaten as part of an entrée with pita bread as its accompaniment, or on gyros or souvlaki.

Tzatziki, Dip, Condiment, Green, Greek Yoghurt, Food, Culinary, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Invention

  • The colour of tzatzki ranges from a white to a light mint green depending on the quantity or processing of the cucumber.
  • Tzatziki is high in calcium, fat, sodium, protein and vitamin K, and contains many other vitamins and minerals.
  • Generally tzatziki is served cold, and it is sometimes used as a salad dressing.
  • The flavour of tzatziki is often strong and tangy, and it has a creamy texture, due to the yoghurt content.
  • To make tzatziki, the yoghurt is typically strained for a period of time to remove excess water; the cucumber is grated or finely chopped and often squeezed or salted to draw out the moisture; and the garlic crushed or chopped; after which, all ingredients are mixed together.
Bibliography:
Cloake H,  How to Make the Perfect Tzatziki, 2015, The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/aug/06/how-to-make-perfect-tzatziki-felicity-cloake
How Old is the Greek Recipe for Tzatziki?, 2009, Yahoo!, https://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100312001655AAhVcIe
Tzatziki, 2007, Why Go Greece, http://www.greecelogue.com/tzatziki.html
Tzatziki, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzatziki
What is Tzatziki?, 2015, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-tzatziki.htm

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Phi Phi Islands

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Phi Phi Islands

The Phi Phi Islands are some of the most beautiful on earth.

  • The Phi Phi Islands is a small group of islands located in Thailand, almost midway between the tip of Phuket and the mainland, in the Malacca Strait.
  • The largest island of the Phi Phi Islands is Ko Phi Phi Don, which covers 9.7 square kilometres (3.7 square miles) of a total surface area of 12.25 square kilometres (4.7 square miles).
  • There are six primary islands in the Phi Phi Islands collective group, although a couple are simply large limestone formations, while the other main island is Ko Phi Phi Ley (or Lee or Leh).
  • Phi Phi Islands has become a very popular tourist destination, attractive for its activities like diving, snorkelling and kayaking to explore the notable and colourful aquatic fauna and flora.
  • The Phi Phi Islands were tragically hit by a tsunami in 2004, a day after Christmas, destroying around 70% of the area’s infrastructure and much of the islands’ population.
Phi Phi Islands, Bay, Water, Thailand, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Water, Rock, Place, NaturePart of the Phi Phi Islands
Image courtesy of Every Stock Photo
  • Notably, Phi Phi Islands was the filming site of The Beach (2000), which is said to have resulted in a massive tourism boom.
  • In 2013, the local population of Phi Phi Islands consisted of 2000 to 3000 individuals, and walking and cycling are the main forms of transport, as the number of four wheeled motor vehicles on the islands is very limited.
  • ‘Phi Phi Islands’ were originally known as ‘Palau Api-Api’, translatable as ‘Fiery Island’ after certain trees that are said to grow on the islands.
  • Ferries or speedboats are typically used to reach Phi Phi Islands from the mainland, taking about 45 to 90 minutes in travel time.
  • Tourists in the thousands visit Phi Phi Islands daily, although such tourism has caused notable disturbance in the surrounding ecosystem, while lobbying for visitor numbers to be capped to reduce the threat, has been carried out.
Bibliography:
About Phi Phi Island, 2011, Zeavola, http://www.zeavola.com/aboutPhiPhiIsland-en.html
Phi Phi Islands, 2007, Gokoh Phi Phi, http://www.gokohphiphi.com/
Phi Phi Islands, 2015, Hotels.com, http://www.phiphi.phuket.com/#
Phi Phi Islands, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phi_Phi_Islands

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Match

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Match

Strike a flame with a match.

  • Matches are disposable items useful for the convenient and inexpensive ability to quickly light a flame.
  • Typically matches are a wooden or cardboard stick with an end cap, called a ‘head’, that ignites under friction.
  • Heads of matches are commonly made of phosphorus sesquisulfide, potassium chlorate, or antimony (III) sulphide.
  • The term ‘match’ comes from the word ‘meiche’, meaning ‘candle wick’ in Old French.
  • There are two main variants of matches, ‘safety’ variants, which generally cannot alight unless stricken upon a specially made material; and those that can ignite using friction on a dry, rough surface, known as ‘strike-anywhere’ variants.

Matches, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Fire, Invention, Wooden, Redheads, Red Phosphorus, White

  • Simple matches originated from as early as the mid 950s in China as sulphur-dipped wooden sticks, although they were possibly used a few hundred years earlier.
  • A variety of matches were invented in the early 1800s, including the chemical match in 1805, by Jean Chancel of Paris, France, although most were not safe or economical.
  • The first practical match to light through friction was invented by the Englishman John Walker, a chemist, in 1826, and improvements were made to it in 1830, by Charles Sauria of France.
  • A striking surface especially made for matches originated in Sweden, invented by Gustaf Pasch in 1844, notably using red phosphorus, as opposed to the previously used white phosphorus heads, and this was the beginning of the ‘safety’ version.
  • Surfaces made for match striking typically contain red phosphorus, glass crystals, carbon black, a binder and a neutraliser.
Bibliography:
The Chemistry of Matches, 2015, Compound Interest, http://www.compoundchem.com/2014/11/20/matches/
A History of the Match, n.d, The Museum of Everyday Life, http://museumofeverydaylife.org/exhibitions-collections/current-exhibitions/history-of-the-match
Match, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match

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Amazon River Dolphin

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Amazon River Dolphin

Amazon River dolphins keep hidden but manage to keep curious at the same time.

  • Amazon River dolphins are a species of dolphin that thrives in the fresh waters of the Amazon River basin, Orinoco River basin and parts of  the Madeira River basin, in South America.
  • ‘Amazon River dolphins’ are also known as ‘boto dolphins’, ’boutu dolphins’, ‘bufeo dolphins’ and ‘pink river dolphins’.
  • The scientific name of the Amazon River dolphin is Inia geoffrensis and it is from the family Iniidae, a river dolphin family, and it is one of the few species in the family that is still in existence.
  • Amazon River dolphins generally grow to 2 to 2.8 metres (6.5 to 9.2 feet) in length and weigh between 72 to 161 kilograms (160 to 355 pounds).
  • Originally born a grey colour, the Amazon River dolphin’s skin becomes tinted with pink as it ages.
Amazon River Dolphin, Animal, Mammal, Aquatic, Water, Wild, Feeding, Grey
Amazon River Dolphin
Image courtesy of Zemlinki!/Flickr
  • The diet of Amazon River dolphins consists primarily of fish such as piranhas, croakers and tetras, as well as crabs and turtles.
  • Amazon River dolphins are threatened by habitat destruction and human fishing for food and bait, although there is insufficient data for an official conservation rating.
  • It is common for Amazon River dolphins to live with up to four other dolphins of the same species.
  • Amazon River dolphins are considered quite intelligent, as well as very curious, and they are able to turn their head from side to side.
  • Native folklore often describes the Amazon River dolphin as a mysterious animal, and those who kill or look at one in the eye, are said to be somewhat doomed.
Bibliography:
Amazon/Pink River Dolphin, 2015, WWF, http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/cetaceans/about/river_dolphins/pink_river_dolphin/
Amazon River Dolphin, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_river_dolphin
Pink Amazon River Dolphin, 2014, Dolphins-World, http://www.dolphins-world.com/pink-amazon-river-dolphin/

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Feta

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Feta

Things can’t get cheesier without feta.

  • Feta is a variant of cheese made from the milk of either sheep or goats, or most commonly both, although sometimes cow’s milk is substituted.
  • The term ‘feta’ comes from the Greek word with the same spelling, or alternatively ‘pheta’, and can be translated as ‘slice’.
  • Feta is a white pickled cheese, made from curd that has been drained, cut and salted, immersed in brine and aged for a period of time.
  • Feta was made and consumed in Ancient Greece, and the cheese was mentioned in the 700s BC famous poem of the era, Odyssey.
  • It can take three months or more for feta to fully age, in a combination of refrigerated and room temperatures, and it needs to be stored in a mild brine solution so that it does not dry out.

Feta, Cheese, Dairy, Food, Packaged, Yellow, Light, Ten Random Facts, Variant, Type

  • The flavour of feta is typically a mix of sour, tangy and salty, and it is sometimes flavoured with oil, herbs and spices, or other ingredients.
  • There are regulations in place for commercial feta as a ‘protected designation of origin’ product, and to be called such in the European Union, it must be made of at least 70 percent sheep’s milk, and made from animals raised in particular areas of Greece.’
  • Feta can come in both soft and firm varieties, with the former generally more inexpensive but of a lesser quality, and the firmer cheese usually has more holes and a crumblier texture.
  • Feta is commonly added to a dish for flavour, and it is eaten in salads; served with olives and oil; cooked in pies, grills, and omelettes; and also used in sandwiches.
  • Feta is very high in riboflavin, sodium, calcium, phosphorus and fat, and is a good source of vitamin B12 and protein.
Bibliography:
Feta, 2015, Cheese.com, http://www.cheese.com/feta/
Feta, 2015, New England Cheese Making, http://www.cheesemaking.com/Feta.html
Feta, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feta

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Křivoklát Castle

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Křivoklát Castle

You don’t ever want to get trapped in Křivoklát Castle.

  • Křivoklát Castle is a castle of Gothic style, found in the western Czech Republic in Central Europe, and it was originally a royal residence.
  • Currently Křivoklát Castle has been adapted as a museum featuring sculpture, weaponry, hunting trophies, and paintings.
  • Křivoklát Castle is said to have existed in 1110 AD, most likely on a different site, while construction on the current site began in the 1200s under orders of the kings of Bohemia.
  • Křivoklát Castle is situated in an elevated position, in a highly lush environment set among forests, and there are plenty of walking tracks available to explore the area.
  • Among other things, Křivoklát Castle features a chapel, an extensive library with 52,000 books, a large cylindrical tower, and a grand hall.
 Křivoklát Castle, Krivoklat, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Castle, Building, Construction, Czech Republic, Europe
Křivoklát Castle
Image courtesy of Elena Pleskevich/Flickr
  • At an annual tourist rate of 250,000 people, Křivoklát Castle is ranked second among the most popular castles in its homeland.
  • Křivoklát Castle has undergone many additions and repairs over the centuries, and some parts were rebuilt due to damage from fires, and attacks.
  • Křivoklát Castle was notorious for its status as an unforgiving prison from the 1500s to 1600s, and as such, tools used for torture purposes are on display in the castle.
  • In 1826, a fire raged through Křivoklát Castle, although the castle was renovated and repaired in the 1800s and 1900s; and the castle was bought by the Czech government in 1929.
  • An entrance fee is payable at Křivoklát Castle and a variety of guided tours are available, as well as exhibitions and festivals at various times in the year.
Bibliography:
Hrad Křivoklát, 2015, Hrad Křivoklát, http://www.krivoklat.cz/
Křivoklát Castle, 2011, Prague Guide, http://www.prague.fm/6826/krivoklat-castle/
Křivoklát Castle, 2015, Czech Tourism, http://www.czechtourism.com/c/krivoklat-castle/
Křivoklát Castle, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%99ivokl%C3%A1t_Castle
Prague to Krivoklat – Krivoklat Castle Tours, 2015, Private Prague Guide, https://www.private-prague-guide.com/krivoklat-prague/

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