My Science School

Where it all began

The story of sushi began in southeast Asia as a fish preservation method. Sushi is the Japanese word for “sour rice”. Some of the earliest documentations of sushi comes from 3rd Century China. Fish caught from the river was then preserved in layers of salt and cooked rice and stored in barrels for about a year. This method helped prevent the fish from spoiling and also gave it a pungent odour and savoury flavour. Chinese people ate just the fish and threw away the rice.

During the 8th Century, this preservation method spread to Japan, where the rice used in the fermentation process began to be eaten with the fish. In the Edo period (between 1603 and 1868), as rice vinegar was invented, people began picking the rice with the vinegar to shorten the fermentation period. This also made the rice much more palatable. Sheet seaweed was also invented around this time and eventually allowed contemporary sushi roll to take form. Sushi then began to be consumed as fast food in Japan. Stalls were set up and people grabbed a few sushi rolls going to work.

As refrigeration became popular, raw fish began to be used instead of fermented ones, making the process much quicker.

In the late 19th Century, when the Japanese began migrating to the U.S., they introduced sushi to the western, world. And by the late 20th Century, this Japanese fast food became popular across the world.

Chemistry behind the taste

In the earliest-known sushi preparations, fermentation occurred as the good bacteria in the rice converted sugar in rice into lactic acid. This lactic acid prevents harmful bacteria such as botulinum to grow and ensures the fish doesn’t spoil. Today, a professional sushi chef trains for years to perfect the art. Every component is given equal importance and the chemical components are studies in detail by sushi chefs. For instance, it takes over two years to master the art of cooking sushi rice. The rice is expected to be in a consistency where it just sticks together without being over-mashed. Each grain of sushi rice consists of a starch known as amylopectin. Therefore while cooking, chefs tend to break open most individual grains using a spatula, releasing the starch and allowing the rice to stick together.

Varieties

There are many types of traditional sushis and the most famous ones include nigirizushi, makizushi, sashimi, tempura and temaki.

After sushi was introduced in the U.S., it took on many diverse forms to appeal more to the western palate. For instance, the Philadelphia roll is makizushi made with smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber; and California roll consists of avocados and faux crab meat.

There are many other quirky varieties such as sushi burritos, deep-fried sushis, sushi burgers, ice-cream sushi and Canadian sushi pizza.

 

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Happy Brownie Day!

Born in the U.S., chocolate brownie is one of the most favourite desserts for those in America and the country is one of the highest consumers of this rich and chocolaty treat. The country celebrates National Brownie Day each year on December 8.

The birth of brownies

There are a few legends on the invention of the chocolate brownie. For instance, some believe the first brownie was invented by accident, when the home chef didn’t have enough flour.

A few say that a woman in Bangor, Maine, the U.S., forget to add baking powder to her chocolate cake and that resulted in the birth of the first brownie.

However, the most common story behind the origin of brownies lead to Bertha Palmer, owner of Palmer House Hotel, Chicago, the U.S. Palmer was the president of the Ladies Board for Managers for the World Columbian Exposition of 1893. Incharge of making desserts for the event, she instructed her chefs to create a dessert easier to eat than a piece of pie and ones that could be carried in boxes. Herchefs made fuddy cakes with chocolates, walnuts and apricot glaze. They became a huge hit at the event, and are believed to be the first-ever brownies to be made.

Palmer;s chocolate dessert was not known as brownies when they were made.

The very first mention of the word brownies was seen in the 1896 version of the “Boston Cooking-School Cook Book” by American culinary expert Fannie Farmer. However, this recepie reportedly did not include chocolate. Food historians suggest that the first evidence of chocolate brownies with a recepie similar to today’s can be found in a few American cookbooks in the early 1900s.

How is it different from a chocolate cake?

Brownies and chocolate cake are not the same. Change in proportions of sugar, flour and butter gives the variation between the two. Usually, cakes consist of twice the amount of flour required to make brownies. Another notable difference between cakes and fuddy brownies is the usage of leavening agents such as baking powder or baking soda. These ingredients are hardly used in the preparation of brownies. This makes brownies denser than cakes. Most brownies also make use of more chocolate than a regular chocolate cake.

Brownies for all

Brownies can also be made without chocolate. These are known as blondies. These are several new adaptations of brownies for those with dietary restrictions. For instance, vegan brownie bars without eggs, glueten-free, keto, paleo and sugar-free brownies.

There are also many quirky varieties of brownies such as red velvet, pumpkins, sweet potato, salted caramel, ginger, peanut butter, mint and avocado.

So, what are brownie points?

You might have heard the phrase “brownie points”. This is an informal and a humorous idiom used to praise or approve something someone has done. Here’s an example: ‘I hoped to score brownie points by helping her compose her album.”

 

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It all began at New York

All of the several accounts of how potato chips were invented lead to the Moon’s Lake House restaurant at Saratoga Springs, New York, the U.S. In 1853, George Crum was a chef at Moon’s Lake House, serving some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in New York. Well-respected but notorious for his crankiness and arrogance, the chef claimed that he could transform the most basic and meagre ingredients into food fit for royalty.

One night, business tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was dining at Moon’s Lake House, returned a plate of Crum’s fried potatoes saying they were cut too thick. In the next batch, Crum had cut the potatoes thinner but the guest sent those back too, saying they weren’t crisp and tasty enough. This was too much for Crum. To teach Vanderbilt a lesson, he fried wafer-thin potato slices, making them impossible to pick up with a fork, and seasoned them with extra salt. Picking up the food with fingers was unthinkable back then – the wafer-thin slices were Crum’s revenge: a way to embarrass his guest. Vanderbilt, however, loved the snack, lavishly complimented the chef and asked for more. Other diners ordered it too. Soon, potato chips became the signature dish for Moon’s Lake House, Saratoga. Although popular, this tale was refuted by Saratoga County historian, Violet B. Dunn. From her conversations with Crum’s contemporaries, she found no evidence that Crum had anything at all to do with inventing the potato chip.

A good accident!

A more credible version of the legend relates to a kitchen accident at Moon’s Lake House. Katie Speck Wicks, who worked alongside Crum, was frying crullers (a deep-fried pastry) and peeling potatoes at the same time. A thin slice of potato landed in the hot oil. By the time she fished it out, it had become crisp. Crum tasted it and called it “a good accident”.

The newly invented ‘Saratoga Chips’ remained confined to Saratoga for several decades – as no more than a side-dish served in baskets and paper cones – until Cleveland entrepreneur William Tappenden, judging its potential, took it out of the kitchen and into one of his barns: the first-ever potato chips started appearing in grocery stores, to be stored in barrels or glass cases and sold by weight. This was in 1895. By the 1900s, several large, medium and small potato chip factories opened up across America. Many of these are still in business albeit under different names.

The smart move

Laura Scudder, a lawyer, former restaurant owner and a strong-willed woman who had also started her potato chip factory in the 1900s, realised that both the grocer and the customer had to go through a lot of trouble, transferring the chips from their barrels and weighing them out into bags. Besides, the chips at the bottom of the barrel typically crumbled, staled and were wasted. Her solution was simple: She asked her employees, mainly women, to iron wax strips on top of the empty paper bags. The chips would be filled directly into the wax-lined paper bags, which could be sealed airtight by just ironing the top again, keeping the chips fresher for longer. The bags of chips would be displayed on shelves with ‘freshness dates’. With the invention and use of cellophane, truly air-tight packaging for potato chips was perfected.

And it evolves…

The potato chip industry continued to evolve. Farmers began cultivating and supplying chipping potatoes directly to potato chip factories. Chipping potatoes contains less water and are better suited for frying than the ones used in home kitchens. As markets expanded and demand increased, kettle cookers, which were used to make the chips in small batches, made way for continuous fryers. Huge amount of potato chips were available in only one flavour – plain salted. Then, technology made it possible to season the chips directly. The first flavoured chips were cheese and onion and salt ‘n vinegar.

The next time you visit a supermarket, just look at the potato chips shelf to appreciate how far potato chips have travelled from that accident in a kitchen in upstate in New York. It continued to spark the imagination of anyone wanting to experiment with exotic flavours.

 

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Instant noodles are popular among all age-groups across the globe as they are quick and extremely easy to be prepared.

Birth of instant noodles

In post-Second World War Japan (after1945), food ration was highly limited. People often waited in long queues to buy a bowl of hot ramen (pulled noodles). The Japanese government was given food aid by the U.S. government and this consisted of oil and wheat flour. Therefore, the Japanese officials urged the locals to use these products. Japanese businessman Momofuku Ando saw this as an opportunity and invented the instant noodles. Momofuku used flour, salt and water to make noodles and flash-fried them.

In 1958, the first batch of these dry blocks of noodles was sold for about 35 Yen per piece (in today’s money, that’s about Rs. 350) in supermarkets across Japan. Though they were expensive, they became a huge hit among the working class and students.

This invention is believed to have fuelled Japan’s modern post-war economic rise.

In 1971, Momofuku came up with another important invention – the cup noodles. Following this, instant noodles went global.

Japan most successful invention

Instant noodle is considered one of Japan’s greatest inventions of the 20th Century.

According to a study conducted by the Fuji Research Institute, the Japanese people see instant noodles as the best Japanese invention. Many locals believe that instant noodles represent their country.

Though it was invented in Japan, the largest consumers of instant noodles are the Chinese. Japan stands at the third position with respect to the rate of instant noodle consumption, after Indonesia.

Ever-expanding varieties

One of the most iconic features of instant noodles is that they can be adapted to fit anyone’s taste buds. The traditional ramen noodles consists of wheat noodles served in a tangy, soupy broth and is topped with slices of meat or tofu.

Different countries have their own versions. In Thailand, green curry flavour is a hit. In Mexico, instant noodles are eaten with salsa and a dash of lime juice, and in India, desi masala flavour is a local favourite. Chefs and food experts have been experimenting on newer varieties of noodles. A few quirky types include sweet rose, pizza, ground seaweed, mustard and wasabi noodles.

The cup noodles museum

The cup noodles museum in Osaka, Japan, displays the story of the invention of instant noodles and the growth of this industry.

The museum, opened on November 21, 1999, allows visitors to make their own ramen concoctions and add customised naruto (fish cake) pieces on them. This museum comprises over 5,460 flavour combinations of ramen.

 

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Cheese fondue, a Swiss staple comprises gooey melted cheese served in a casserole called a caquelon, with appetisers such as cubs of bread, apple slices and diced vegetables. Today, Swiss cheese fondue is prepared across the world and is a favourite for many.

The fondue story

The exact origin of the cheese fondue is unknown. However, the first mention of the dish is believed to be in Homer’s ‘Iliad’ written between 800 and 725 BC. In the text, fondue is described as a mixture of cheese, wine and flour. Another significant reference of the dish is found in a late 17th Century Swiss cookbook.

Some food experts and historians believe that fondue was invented by peasants in the Swiss mountains. They claim the dish was created in order to make use of leftover bread and cheese during winter when fresh produce was scarce. This is, however, different from the fondue we make today.

The modern fondue is said to date back to the late 1800s and is believed to have roots in the Rhone-Alpes region, near the border of Geneva. However, this hot and gooey dish was not popular among the Swiss locals until the early 20th Century. In 1930, the Swiss Cheese Union, a former association that controlled the production and marketing of Swiss cheeses, declared cheese fondue and raclette (a lesser-known cheese dish), as the national dish. This move was reportedly an attempt to bolster cheese consumption and it managed to bring cheese fondue into the limelight. Fondue was sold in the U.S. at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. As it became popular in the region, other dishes served in a similar manner also came to be known as fondues. For instance, chocolate fondue served with appetisers such as chopped fruits, cake and marshmallows.

Hot and gooey

The flavour and the consistency of the fondue are dependent on the cheese selection. The age of the cheese will affect how the fondue melts.

Culinary chemists believe that well-ripened cheeses are best suited for making fondues. This is because the process of ageing increases the ability of enzymes called peptidase in the cheese to break up the proteins into small fragments in a shorter time span. The most popular cheese used for the preparation of fondue is the moitie-moitie, or half-and-half. This is made up of equal parts of gruyere (a hard yellow Swiss cheese) and a local creamy cheese called freiburger vacherin.

Varieties

There are several varieties of cheese fondues that vary according to the type of cheese and wine used in their preparation.

Apart from the traditional Swiss cheese fondue, there are several newer versions prepared today.

The most commonly prepared fondues include chocolate, broth, caramel and melted marshmallow.

A few quirky fondues include cake batter, matcha white chocolate, red velvet, cheesecake, pesto, French onion and pizza fondue.

Fairly recent Indian adaptations such as pav bhaji, dal makhani and butter chicken fondue can be found in a few niche restaurants in the country.

Largest in the world

The largest fondue set in the world consisted of a caquelon with a diameter of 8 ft 6 in and a depth of 5 ft 3 in. The two forks were 8 ft 6 in long. This was created by the Football Club Semsales (Switzerland) for their 75th anniversary celebration, in Semsales, Switzerland on, June 26, 2010. The fondue made use of 922.5 kg cheese.

 

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Eaten as an entire with ketchup, mayonnaise or salsa or as part of the main course along with burgers, steaks or flavoured rice, French fries are one of the most popular dishes prepared across the world. The origin of this deep-fried snack is murky as both France and Belgium claim it to be their own.

Many food historians claim that original potato fries originated in Namur, Belgium. According to lore, fried fish was their staple. In the 1680s, when the River Meuse froze, unable to catch any fish, the locals of Namur fried potatoes instead of fish. This is considered to be the birth of fries. It is believed that the American soldiers stationed in this francophone region during World War I, called these deep-fried potatoes “French Fries”. Belgium recently petitioned the UNESCO to endorse fries as an official icon of Belgian cultural heritage. While Belgium claims the fries to be its own. French culinary experts and historians believe the very first fries were sol by street vendors in the 1780s, on Paris’ oldest standing bridge, Pont Neuf.

In addition to this, they state that deep-frying of potatoes could not have been plausible for the peasants of Namur, considering their socio-economic conditions. Former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson is generally credited with introducing French Fries to the U.S. Jefferson is said to have encountered them while serving as American Minister to France from 1784 to 1789. In his manuscript written in the early 19th Century, he talks about “Pommes de terre frites en petites tranches”, which is french for “small slices of deep-fried potatoes”. The French fries, eventually came to be known as fries in the U.S. and it became extremely popular there by the 1900s. In the mid-1960s, American entrepreneur J.R. Simplot invented the frozen fries. This revolutionary invention paved the way for the fries to become a massive hit across the world.

Across the globe

Fries are prepared differently in each part of the world. In Canada, a form of fries, known as poutine, is considered the national dish. The combination of fries, cheese curds and gravy first appeared in rural Quebec, Canada, in the 1950s. In Britain, fish and chips (firies) is a staple. French classic steak-frites is a combination of fried potatoes with grilled meat. In South Africa, slap chips, a softer version of the fries are very famous. South Koreans enjoy eating a sweet type of French fries known as honey butter fries.

A museum just for fries

The first and only museum dedicated to potato fries is in Bruges, Belgium. Known as Frietmuseum, it explains the history of potatoes and fries. The museum is housed in the oldest building in Bruges – the Saaihaile – and is owned by entrepreneur Eddy Van Belle and his son Cedric.

Record-breaking fries

An Indian food expert, Chandresh Bayad holds the Guinness world records for the largest serving of chips (fries) and the largest molded potato chip (French fry). This serving of fries weighed 659 kg and was achieved at an event in Gujarat on September 22, 2018. Bayad prepared the molded potato chip weighing 11 kg in Gujarat, on October 7, 208.

Can fries be cooked in space?

In a 2014 study, a pair of Greek researchers teamed up with the European Space Agency to test how gravity affects deep frying. They attached a deep-fryer onto the arms of a Centrifuge at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands.

Using this device they found that as gravity gets stronger, fries get crispier. This means, fries cooked in zero gravity could end up soggy, with barely any crust.

 

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Origin

Pancake-like dishes have been around since pre-historic times, suggest a few studies. Researchers were able to trace starch grains on  30,000-year-old cooking tools suggesting the presence of hotcakes made from cattail (a perennial plant) and fern flour. Some also believe that traces of ground einkorn wheat was a part of Otzi the Iceman’s (5,300-year-old natural mummy) diet. Bits of charcoal were identified while studying his last meals and this reveal the flour was in the form of a pancake, cooked over an open fire.

Pancakes have been prepared across the globe in various forms to suit local preferences. For instance, ancient Greeks and Romans ate pancakes with honey, and the English people ate them with spices, rosewater, sherry and apples in the Elizabethan era. Pancakes were also made in American colonies and were known by various names such as hoe cakes, johnnycakes or flapjacks. Most of these American variants were made with buckwheat or cornmeal. Pancakes were famous not just in the western world, the now-trending Japanese soufflé pancake is believed to have been prepared since the 16th century.

Healthy choices

From gluten-free to vegan, there are pancakes for those who follow particular diets. There are many varieties of pancakes for those who prefer eating clean. Animals milk can be replaced with plant-based milk and mashed fruits such as bananas could also be added. Pancakes can be made without refined flour and eggs as well. A few alternative options would be almond flour, oatmeal, ground chickpeas or cotton cheese.

Flatter than a pancake?

The phrase “flatter than a pancake” has been in use since the 16th century. It is usually used to define flat terrains, where there are typically no hills. For example, Kansas, the U.S. In 2003, a recurrent comparison of Kansas and pancake led three geographers to attempt to determine the relative flatness of pancakes and Kansas. The observations of the study stated that Kansas is even flatter than a pancake.

Get set, flip!

Have you heard of pancakes races? These races have been popular for centuries and is an iconic event on Pancake Day, also known as the feast day of Shrove Tuesday. This occasion also has a religious significance, as it’s the final day before Lent begins. The pancake race is generally a relay where the team members run the length of a track, flipping their pancakes on a pan.

Get artistic

Pancake art is taking the Internet by storm. Pancake artists have been creating stunning artwork, with the frying pan as the canvas and coloured pancake batter as the medium. The artwork is created with the coloured batter laid down first, over which the non-coloured pancake batter is poured.

 

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Origin

The chocolate chip cookie was invented by American chef Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1930 at the Toll House Inn, a hotel owned by Wakefield and her husband. Ruth invented the chocolate chip cookie while she was baking a batch of ‘chocolate butter drop do cookies’, a popular colonial recipe.

Many food experts believe that the cookie was invented by accident when she added chopped-up bits from a Nestle semi-sweet chocolate bar hoping it would melt to give chocolate cookies. However, the chocolate bits did not blend entirely into the batter, it instead gave rise to the famous chocolate chip cookies. The customers loved the cookies and it became an instant hit. She called her invention the chocolate crunch cookie.

On the contrary, there are reports that suggest Wakefield knew the semi-sweet chocolate would not melt into the dough as she was an experienced baker. In an interview she herself had stated. “I was trying to give them something different. So i came up with the Toll House cookie,” suggesting that she was fully aware of the type of cookies being baked.

The recipe made the first appearance in print in the 1938 edition of Wakefield gave Nestle the right to use her cookie recipe and the name Toll House. In return, she was assured of free chocolate for life and was also a consultant of Nestle.

The popularity of the cookie rose during the Great Depression and World War II, as it was an inexpensive and tasty comfort food. The cookies were common constituent in packages shipped to American soldiers overseas.

Evolution

Once World War II came to an end, the chocolate chip cookie moved out of American households to become a mass-produced dessert. Apart from the cookies being sold in restaurants and cafes, its refrigerated dough was sold in supermarkets. Within a few years, the cookie became popular globally. Today, chocolate chip cookies are prepared in ways to suit local palates and choices. For instance, in certain west Asian countries, they are topped with chocolate sauce and eaten with a knife and fork.

What’s inside?

The traditional chocolate chip dough comprises butter, semi-sweet chocolate chips, vanilla extract, brown and white sugar. Chocolate chip cookies can also be made with other types of chocolate, nuts peanut butter, or oatmeal.

There are ingredient substitutions such as vegan chocolate chips and vegan margarine for those who do not consume dairy products.

World’s largest cookie

The largest cookie was made by the Immaculate Baking Company (U.S.) in North Carolina, the U.S. in 2003. This was a chocolate chip cookie and it measured 8,120 sq.ft. with a diameter of 101 ft. The total weight of the cookie was 18,000 kg.

Wide varieties

Chocolate chip cookies can be made in many flavours. Here are a few interesting ones: peanut butter banana, caramel pretzel, salted caramel, brownie and marshmallow, coconut, pumpkin and white chocolate.

Munching on cookie dough

The trend of eating cookie dough began in 2017 and has become a hit in many countries. There are stores that sell different flavours of cookie dough.

They are also prepared in a variety of ways, such as cookie dough, sandwiches, cones, sundaes and shakes.

 

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Origin & Evolution

The origins of biryani can be traced back to Persia (present-day Iran). The name biryani is derived from the Persian term ‘birinj birian’, which means ‘fried rice’. In Iran, biryani is traditionally made in a pot called deg. The rice and meat are slow-cooked in the latter’s own juices for several hours.

Biryani is believed to have been brought to India by the Mughals. There are various theories relating to the evolution of biryani in India. One such is that Timur, a Turk-Mongol conqueror, brought a variant of biryani with him when he came to India in 1398. Another theory suggests, the dish was brought to the Malabar cost in Kerala by Arab traders.

Ancient 2 A.D. Tamil texts have records of a rice dish known as ‘oon doru’, believed to be a predecessor of biryani. Oon soru, a food item consumed by soldiers, is said to have been made of rice, ghee, meat and spices.

Variations across India

Since its arrival, biryani has donned different forms to appeal to regional taste preferences. From the sweet and savoury Thalassery biryani to the famous Hyderabadi Dum biryani, there are several types of biryani prepared across the country. A few of these include Sindhi, Dindigul, Calcutta, Tahari, Beary, Awadhi, Bombay and Bhatkali biryanis.

Main ingredients

Rice, ghee, onions, tomatoes, meat, yoghurt, spices such as nutmeg, pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, saffron and bay leaves.

Quirky adaptations

Over the last few years, there have been several interesting adaptations of this rich Persian delicacy. Ever heard of bamboo, pot or potli (pockets made of dough) biryani? Instead of being served in a platter or a bowl, they are served in bamboo stems, earthen pots or pockets of dough. Biryani has also been very versatile in creating fusion recipes. There are several eateries that prepare offbeat biryani varieties such as biryani wraps, burgers, ice-creams and dimsum.

 

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