tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84339068554716780982024-03-13T10:15:37.492-05:00Midnight RosewaterEat. Share. LearnUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-91452059861182311862016-04-30T19:53:00.001-05:002021-04-29T14:42:08.407-05:00Chef Says: Zaw's One-Pot Burmese Shrimp Curry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We gave you an "appetizer" of Burmese curry in our <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2016/02/chef-says-burmese-101.html" target="_blank">last issue</a> of Chef Says. So without further adieu, here's how to make our own member Zaw's famous one-pot Burmese shrimp curry. Also, after this article, Midnight Rosewater will be on break for a while, as two of the members will be working hard to try to get their PhDs. We will keep you updated on when we will be coming back!<br />
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Recap: What is Burmese Curry?</h3>
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When you think of curry, you probably think of Indian or Thai, and that's absolutely okay. Indian curry gets its taste from a special mixture of spices (called masala) including the one that gave this dish its name: curry powder. It is also the most influential type of curry, as it was spread throughout South Asia and Southeast Asia by Indian immigrants over the past several centuries.<br />
Thai curry expands on the Indian curry by adding locally grown ingredients and herbs, and one signature ingredient of Thai curry is coconut cream, which is the origin of the sweet flavor in Thai curry dishes.<br />
There's also Japanese curry, a lesser known type of curry. It expands on Indian curry by adding onions, carrots, and potatoes. It is similar to Indian curry, but less spicy.<br />
Annnnnd there's our Burmese curry. As we talked about in our last issue, it is an onion/oil based curry, missing the "key" curry ingredient: curry powder. To compensate for the loss of flavors from the spices, the Burmese add fresh seafood ingredients, as seafood usually contains a good amount of natural umami flavor. We will teach you a variation on the shrimp curry that is traditional in Burmese cuisine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://secure.i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02557/foodcurry_2557247b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="620" src="https://secure.i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02557/foodcurry_2557247b.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/10044068/Aung-San-Suu-Kyis-Burmese-tomato-fish-curry-recipe.html" target="_blank">Philip Webb</a></span></div>
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Step-by-Step Guide to Making One-Pot Shrimp Curry</h3>
<b>What you will need:</b><br />
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<b>Onion</b>: half of one medium sized, while or yellow, sliced/diced.</div>
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<b>Tomato: </b>half of one medium sized, not too ripe.</div>
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<b>Cilantro: </b>a handful, optional. </div>
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<b>Togarashi: </b>Also known as Shichimi. This is a Japanese spice blend, basically a combination of dried chili peppers, sesame seeds and seaweed. You can substitute this out with paprika or simply just chili powder. </div>
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<b>Not in pictures: </b></div>
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<b>Fish sauce</b>: you can probably get away with using soy sauce or simply salt. </div>
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<b>Lime</b>: optional. </div>
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<b>Shrimp: </b>~one pound, remove head*.</div>
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<b>*This is a key step: </b></div>
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When you peel the shell and carapace, save the guts inside the heads aka shrimp mustard (or crab butter or lobster tamale in the case of other crustaceans). The shrimp mustard is extremely flavorful, and your curry will taste a lot more bland without it. </div>
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Also, you can save the shells of the peeled shrimp and boil them to make shrimp broth (which you can use later).</div>
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Because shrimp is heavily utilized, the quality of the shrimp makes or breaks this dish. We recommend that you buy fresh shrimp from trusted and sustainable sources. </div>
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Take the seeds out of the half tomato and slice/dice it. </div>
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Add the sliced half onion into a pan.</div>
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Sautée on medium head until browned. </div>
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Add the diced tomatoes.</div>
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Add togarashi to spice it up! </div>
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Now this is where that shrimp broth comes in handy (1/2 cup): </div>
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Of course you can use water, or chicken/vegetable broth, but the flavor won't be as pure as shrimp broth itself. You already have those peeled shrimp shells lying around, so instead of throwing them away, why not use them to add more flavor to the dish?</div>
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Add 1 tsp of fish sauce. The purpose is to add more saltiness and umami into the dish. As said, you can substitute fish sauce with soy sauce or salt, to taste. Because the quantity we add here is very small, it won't make a big difference!</div>
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Let the curry simmer until all the onions are softened and almost "dissolving," you can do this step on low heat or medium-high heat if you are in a rush. </div>
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Add the shrimp and watch it turn red!</div>
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Why do crustaceans turn red when cooked, you may ask? You can check out <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/31483/why-do-crabs-and-lobsters-turn-red-when-you-cook-them" target="_blank">this article</a>. </div>
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When the shrimp is fully cooked, add the chopped cilantros and squeeze some lime juice!</div>
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Stir and serve. Your one-pot Burmese shrimp curry is ready for you!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-68627531950918425762016-03-28T17:58:00.000-05:002017-06-15T17:47:16.663-05:00#LEARNABOUT: VOL 8.2. Four Things You Should Know About Smell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Smell is one of the earliest-evolved senses, directly linked to our memories and emotions, and crucial to our perception of flavor. Smell, or olfaction, is often given less than deserved attention when it comes to food. In this issue of #LEARNABOUT, we will continue the topic of smell+taste from <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2016/01/learnabout-vol-81-science-of-taste-smell.html">last issue</a>, and offer you some additional scientific information on why smell is so important to us. <br />
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Olfaction and Emotion/Memory</h4>
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The thalamus in the brain is often viewed as a “relay center”-- every other sense must first go to the thalamus, where it must be filtered, and then is relayed to other parts of the brain. However, olfaction has the choice of both relaying through the thalamus or skipping this step altogether and going straight to brain areas such as the amygdala and hypothalamus, which both process memories and their affiliated emotions. The entire perfume industry is built upon this: a certain scent will trigger desires of wanting and pleasant memories. This is why when you smell the scent of your old teddy bear, all of your childhood memories flood back, and you likely would experience a déjà vu of that bright midday summer sun shining through the leaves while you are on a picnic with your grandma. <br />
This is why we are so inclined to treasure grandma's recipes, because the taste means something more than just the flavors. There are only 8 types of olfaction receptors, but we can smell up to 10,000 scents with training. Emotions affiliated with a certain smell is highly selective and therefore can only be triggered by a very specific type of smell. This is why that flavor has to be "exactly" right for you to experience the same emotional satisfaction as before. Also, unpleasant odors are remembered more than pleasant ones, and that's why you will probably never smell that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og5e6wLIU18" target="_blank">durian</a> once again.<br />
Below is a picture of a transition zone between the human olfactory epithelium (bottom) and the respiratory epithelium (top).</div>
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Olfaction and Sleep</h4>
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Our brain is not completely restless during sleep. In fact, it's almost the complete opposite: some areas of the brain are more active during sleep than during the waking state. Such areas include the olfactory cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala; and one thing that the brain is always doing during sleeping/dreaming is <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/315/5817/1426.short">memory consolidation</a>, where new synapses form in the hippocampus to associate a form of event (or odor) with a certain memory. <br />
Scientists also <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/315/5817/1426">discovered</a> that if something is learned in the context of an odor, and if the odor is presented again during slow wave sleep, there is improved retention of the memory. This is why if you sleep with a scented candle or a slow-cooking crockpot of food, you will be more likely to perceive this odor as "familiar" and "memorable." <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982209018570">In addition</a>, olfactory memory activates unique areas in the hippocampus that is not activated by auditory memory, showing that the strong connection again between olfaction and memory. <br />
Scents can be used to change the emotional aspects of dreams. Negative olfactory stimulus (a rotten egg smell) leads to more negative dreams, while a positive stimulus, like roses, leads to more positive toned dreams. You can read <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2009.00737.x/full">this paper</a> for more details.<br />
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Sex differences in Olfaction</h4>
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Ever wonder how your mom (or girlfriend) is able to pick out that one dirty sock that was tucked away in the corner of your room? Yes, women might have be better at smelling than men! However, the previous sentence should come with two huge disclaimers: 1. There are huuuuuge individual differences in the ability to smell, and 2. The ability of smell can be <a href="http://phys.org/news/2011-03-super-innate.html" target="_blank">trained to improve</a>. But in general, women <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0028393285900673" target="_blank">outperform</a> men in odor discrimination tasks, and this is true across cultures. So what this probably means is that women, in general, have a head start when it comes to wine tasting and telling wines apart. I am sure my sommelier friend is very happy to hear this. </div>
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Olfaction and Damage</h4>
Loss of smell, or anosmia, can be partial or complete, temporary or permanent, depending on the cause. Usually, anosmia isn't a concern if the cause is simply a congested nose, as it will only cause loss of appetite, or in an extreme cases, weight loss/malnutrition. However, in some cases, anosmia can also be an early warning sign of many neurodegenerative disorders, including <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3429117/">Parkinson's Disease</a> and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19593181">Alzheimer's Disease</a>. So don't overlook any symptom of anosmia, especially when one is elder in age. <br />
Olfaction abnormalities can also be a result of head trauma, as the olfactory nerve is very fragile. So the symptoms can occur even after minimal head trauma and can begin months after the moment of injury. The abnormalities often include decreased taste acuity (hypogeusia), distortion of taste acuity (dysgeusia), decreased smell acuity (hyposmia), and a distortion of smell acuity (dysosmia), and they are diagnosed with the University of Pennsylvania's Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), which is comprised of four booklets of “scratch-and-sniff” odorants, which subjects must identify from a list of alternatives, and this is the same test researchers performed on the sex differences in olfaction study. </div>
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<span id="goog_479492172"></span><span id="goog_479492173"></span>So now that you have learned a lot about the human olfaction system, we hope that you have a better understanding and appreciation of your sense of smell. Really, it's hard to appreciate what you have until you no longer have it. So take a good sniff of that glass of wine or the flower around the street corner, and enjoy what you have!<br />
Special thanks to UMN neuroscience PhD student Amy Nippert on the help with this article (for doing all of the scientific literature search). For the next issue of #LEARNABOUT, we will get back to food, and okra is coming up!<br />
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(image credits: smell and emotions:https://daks2k3a4ib2z.cloudfront.net/580e5333bd9da8b9577709ec/583d7e29783f64f67f5d39ac_smell-sense-olfactory-image.jpg (© Dianka | Dreamstime.com); olfactory epithelium: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3429117/; smell and sleep: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/28/science/study-shows-learning-of-smells-and-sounds-in-sleep.html (© Chris Cash ); gender differences in smell: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2617977/You-smell-persons-SEX-Humans-subconsciously-identify-gender-using-subtle-odour-pheromones.html; UPSIT: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3429117/)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-72812563270593386962016-02-27T16:34:00.002-06:002016-03-30T13:32:00.247-05:00Chef Says: Burmese 101<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi all, it's been a while! The reason that we didn't publish as often as we would like to is because (insert excuses here). Haha, really, we are all a bunch of grad students/young workers here, so gotta work hard to impress the boss sometimes, and sometimes real life also gets in the way.<br />
But here we are, bringing you another issue of Chef Says.<br />
In this issue, we will discover a very special kind of food (that is not well known but has a huge potential to become popular world wide) -- Burmese food. In the subsequent issues of Chef Says, we will explore this very special class of food more extensively. One of our staff members, <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/p/about-us.html" target="_blank">Zaw</a>, is a well-respected and superbly knowledgable Burmese food expert, so we would be very glad to share his wisdom with you all. <br />
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"Of all the fruit, the mango's the best; of all the meat, the pork's the best; and of all the leaves, laphet’s the best."</h4>
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-- traditional Burmese rhyme </h4>
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What makes Burmese food special?</h2>
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A lot of people are familiar with Thai and Vietnamese food since they are the two most popular Southeast Asian cuisines in the western world. However, not many know about this unique and hidden gem of Southeast Asian food that we are about to talk about today: Burmese. <br />
The geography plays a large role in the cuisine. Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) is bordered by Thailand, India, and China, so you can easily see their influence on the Burmese cuisine. In the cities, you’re just as likely to find shops selling Chinese dishes such as congee or chow mein next to a shop specializing in Indian dishes such as biryani. <br />
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<img alt="Myanmar/Burma" border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IZBiCDbXvhw/VtIk9v_RbRI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/k5mkh1g9_m8/s640/myanmar-map.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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Like other Southeast Asian countries, Burmese cuisine uses plenty of fish sauce, dried shrimp, and fermented shrimp paste. All three ingredients are often combined to be used in cooking soups, stews and curries.<br />
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<img alt="fish sauce with chickpea powder" border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nZY3e4_HOIk/VtId9EE4bbI/AAAAAAAAD5w/0tlEaXrsi6E/s640/IMG_3205.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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In addition, a good Burmese kitchen pantry has many other condiments including garlic oil, crispy shallots, garlic chips, toasted chickpea powder, tamarind dressing, etc. Often the condiments serve to add texture, spiciness, or as palate cleansers. The food is not spicy but usually there is a side of chilies served at most meals to taste. Below is a picture of crispy garlic chips.<br />
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<img alt="crispy garlic chips" border="0" height="430" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ssBpuWY2s0U/VtIhoCU27AI/AAAAAAAAD6I/iFUG9XdB4zk/s640/Untitled%2B2.tiff" title="" width="640" /></div>
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A Burmese meal is centered around rice with many side dishes, including curries, vegetable dishes, and broths. A good Burmese meal should be balanced.<br />
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5 things you should know about Burmese food</h2>
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1) Mohinga</h4>
Mohinga to Burmese food is like Pho to Vietnamese food, or Gyro to Greek food -- it is the national dish of Burma.<br />
Mohinga is a fish chowder thickened with ground rice powder. The soup is flavored with onions, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. It is an aromatic, rich and flavorful dish that exemplifies the taste of the ocean.<br />
We went to Friends Cafe in St Paul, MN for their Mohinga dish. We also ordered a noodle salad (right) to go with it!<br />
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<img alt="Mohinga from Friend's Cafe" border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3zee9dpYr50/VtId9NU2l6I/AAAAAAAAD58/oCnVLE_lq5Y/s640/IMG_3210.jpg" title="" width="640" /><br />
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Although considered a breakfast dish, there are roadside stalls and cafes that serve this all day long. It’s a perfect snack or meal any time of the day. The best part are all of the condiments that go with it, which are usually fried gourd or fried split peas. Chili powder and lime can also be added to taste.<br />
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<img alt="fried gourd" border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-birHjL9vQuQ/VtId9K8KDxI/AAAAAAAAD58/X7TzAJmV0vY/s640/IMG_3209.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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2) Curry</h4>
Burmese curries are a very unique thing. Whenever you hear the word curry, you immediately think of spices as a base. However, Burmese curries are mainly onion and oil based. Chopped onions are cooked with oil with some garlic, ginger, turmeric, or masala. The Burmese word for curry is “sipyan,” translated to “oil returns,” which gives a hint as to how it is cooked. The onions are cooked in lots of oil at a low heat, where at first the onions absorb the oil, then afterwards the onions are softened and caramelized enough that the oil is released and forms a sort of thick emulsion with the oil. There are signature curry recipes for almost every meat or seafood. Seafood curries with shrimp or fish generally have a tomato based sauce.<br />
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In the next issue of Chef Says, we will teach you to make a Burmese shrimp curry. Stay tuned! But here's a sneak peak!<br />
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<img alt="Burmese shrimp curry " border="0" height="406" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aHVhBNsThf4/VtIhoAh1BUI/AAAAAAAAD6M/KHmEHXM0RpI/s640/Untitled.tiff" title="" width="640" /></div>
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3) Tea leaves</h4>
In Burma, we not only drink tea but we also eat it! Fermented tea leaves are used in salads with crunchies (roasted peanuts, lentils, beans, sesame seeds, garlic chips) and sometimes veggies (lettuce, cabbage, tomato). If you have ever eaten grape leaves, the flavors and textures are similar but imagine a way more intense astringency and bitter flavor. Below is a picture of a Burmese tea<br />
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<img alt="Burmese tea leaf salad" border="0" src="http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server100/jl3t5tg/templates/__custom/images/general/Burmese-Tea-Salad.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></div>
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4) Roselle leaves</h4>
Another staple of Burmese cuisine are roselle leaves, which are cooked on their own as a vegetable dish or used in soups. Tart and refreshing, it pairs very well with the rich curries or spicy foods. We have already covered this in <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/08/learnabout-vol51-roselle-leaves.html" target="_blank">#LEARNABOUT Vol 5.1</a>. Make sure to check it out!<br />
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5) Salads </h4>
Another mainstay of Burmese cuisines are salads with lots of textures served at room temperature. One common dressing is tamarind dressing. Many noodle salads also include toasted chickpea powder, which give them a nutty flavor. The key with salads is textures--there is often some sort of crunchy deep fried item or crunchy vegetables in the salad.<br />
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<img alt="Burmese noodle salads" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2528/4080050064_8a3dbe61ab.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></div>
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So who's ready for some Burmese food?!<br />
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(images: Burma:http://www.mapsofworld.com/myanmar/maps/myanmar-map.jpg; tea leave salad: http://www.arborteas.com/burmese-tea-leaf-salad/; Burmese noodle salad: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2528/4080050064_8a3dbe61ab.jpg )<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-30208694872844106032016-01-15T17:50:00.001-06:002016-04-14T11:49:38.207-05:00#LEARNABOUT: VOL 8.1. The Science of Taste & Smell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Happy 2016 everyone! To start off another year of food, culture and learning at Midnight Rosewater, we decided to teach you something very different today: SCIENCE!<br />
To be more specific, we want to explain how our bodies sense, perceive and process taste and smell. Hopefully we can offer you a glimpse into your perception world, and show you what makes the things you eat and drink so diverse and great, and explain the mechanism behind your ever changing experience of food. We will hopefully all learn to appreciate the food we eat more!<br />
Before we start, I like to thank Dr. Anastasia Zink (Ph.D. in Neuroscience) again for all the help with this article. Couldn’t have done it without you!<br />
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Let’s first clear out some terminology.<br />
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Sensation vs. Perception </h4>
There is a difference between sensation and perception. To summarize the difference in one sentence, <u>sensation </u>is your body interacting with the environment and turning the interaction into information that could be relayed through the body; <u>perception </u>is your brain interpreting the sensory information.<br />
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Taste (Gustation) vs. Smell (Olfaction) </h4>
At their core, taste (gustation) and smell (olfaction) are <u>more similar than different</u>. Both involve detection of environmental chemicals, both contribute to flavor, both have strong and direct connections to our most basic needs such as thirst, hunger, emotion, sex, and certain forms of memory. The true difference between taste and smell are the receptors used to sense (tongue or nose) and the neural pathways involved for your brain to perceive the information.<br />
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Clear? Ok. Moving on.<br />
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What do we taste?</h3>
Anything you taste, from a ripe apple to a perfectly seared steak, can be broken down to 5 fundamental taste categories: <b>sweet</b>, <b>sour</b>, <b>bitter</b>, <b>salty</b>, and <b>umami</b>.<br />
You are probably familiar with the first four, umami is a Japanese word meaning “savory.” The umami class of taste usually refers to your tongue sensing the presence of amino acids and small peptides.<br />
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<img alt="five basic tastes" border="0" src="http://truetomybody.com/myblog/wp-content/uploads/49dd3c1ed40a636fd84d101d6f963819.jpg" title="" /></div>
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Wait a second, why isn’t <b>spicy </b>on the list? We will get into this later, but the short answer to this burning question (pun intended) is that spicy is usually perceived as <u>a temperature or pain sensation</u> as opposed to a taste. <br />
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Why do we have taste?</h3>
We taste sweetness, saltiness and umami-ness because our bodies have an absolute requirement for carbohydrates (sugars etc.), sodium chloride (salt), and amino acids in our diet. We taste bitter and sour because most of the poisons are bitter and spoiled food usually goes sour: this is your body trying to protect itself.<br />
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What is flavor?</h3>
When you bite into that delicious salmon fillet and say “that tastes great!,” or when you take a sip of a freshly popped champagne (<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/11/chef-says-hydrosols-water-is-solution.html" target="_blank">hopefully with hydrosols added to it</a>) and say “emmmmm~delicious~” what you actually mean to say is that it has great flavor.<br />
<u>Flavor is a combination of taste and smell along a few other sensory inputs</u>, but mainly smell, and it is the perception of all of the sensations. Therefore, flavor is a creature of your brain.<br />
Here's a flavor wheel of commonly described flavors (all rooting from the five basic taste categories).<br />
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<img alt="flavor wheel" border="0" src="http://trifectaexperience.com/uploads/images/flavor%20wheel.jpg" height="640" title="" width="576" /></div>
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What affects flavor besides taste and smell?</h3>
Well, as said, most of the food’s flavor come from smell-- as much as 80-90% indeed. We know this because when you have a stuffy nose, your food always tastes extra bland. There are also some medical conditions in which patients lose their sense of smell (called anosmia). These patients eventually lose interest in food and often develop malnourishment and depression.<br />
However, several other factors also influence taste and smell heavily:<br />
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temperature</h4>
At higher temperatures, molecules are more active and bump into things more frequently. What does this mean to a foodie? Higher temps increase the chance that a taste-y molecule, let’s say, a sugar molecule, bumps into it’s matching taste receptor. Every notice a mixed drink or soda get sweeter as it warms up? Yep. That’s because when it was cold, the sugar molecules were moving around less and interacted with fewer sugar receptors.<br />
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The compound capsaicin, found in peppers, stimulates the heat receptor in the same way actual heat does, therefore, spiciness is more of a temperature sensation, and in extreme cases, just like extreme heat, will cause pain.<br />
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texture</h4>
In 2012, the company Cadbury received many complaints about its change of recipe, despite that the recipe hadn't been changed at all. What actually happened was that Cadbury changed its milk chocolate bars to a rounder shape, and that produced more-than-expected differences in taste among the consumers. Texture has a huge impact on how you perceive flavor mainly because that the geometric shapes of the food influence the release rate of the chemical compounds and aroma.<br />
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color </h4>
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Color (or as far as packaging) also influences how you perceive flavor (it's all in your mind!). Ketchup tried to release a green version of its product (with the exact same recipe) years ago, and it wasn't successful because people reported that the green ketchup tasted more sour. If they close their eyes, however, they can't taste the differences.<br />
Think green ketchup is weird? How does this black burger from Japan make you feel?<br />
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<img alt="black burger" border="0" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54202a65ecad041006be14e0-1024-512/black-burger-burger-king-1.jpg" height="320" title="" width="640" /></div>
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noise (ambiance) </h4>
We all know that music affects your mood, it turns out that it affects your food too! People tend to enjoy their meals more in quieter and more organized settings, and perhaps that is why there was never Kanye playing in the background when you go to a upper-scale steakhouse (nothing against Kanye though).<br />
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pressure and humidity </h4>
There is a scientific reason that your airplane food tastes so blah (aside from the fact that it's probably not very good to start with). At low pressure and low humidity, people's smell and taste actually becomes less sensitive, therefore we tend to enjoy our food much less. Not to mention that it's usually cold in the cabin. </div>
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<img alt="plane food usually tastes bland" border="0" height="492" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2510/3956382954_6051393c64_b.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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ASAPThought had an experiment video that's very interesting. You can check it out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvT2K6Dz6UQ&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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How do taste and smell actually work? </h3>
With taste and smell, most of the sensing is done by taste and smell receptors in the nose and mouth called <b>chemoreceptors</b>. These chemoreceptors are responsible for detecting volatile molecules that are dissolved in food and drink as tastes or suspended in the air as smells. Other sensory qualities like temperature and texture are detected by special receptors that respond to heat and pressure. The brain then interprets the sensory information it received from your skin, tongue, and nose and creates a cohesive representation.<br />
Recognizing what something is and whether you’ve had it before (and if you like it!) requires multiple parts of your nervous system work together. Some parts of the nervous system recognize the :what" and assign a label; while others recall previous encounters and add an important emotional component to the experience (more on that in the next issue!).<br />
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How does the perceived information reach the brain? </h3>
Sensory information from the face (the nose, tongue, or skin) is carried to the brain by cranial nerves. There are 12 (or 13 if you are a shark) cranial nerves; each with a special job. To keep track of them, they are referred to by number or roman numerals. They also have special medical names but we will stick with the numbers today.<br />
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<img alt="cranial nerves" border="0" src="http://www.aboutcancer.com/cranial_nerves_081909.jpg" height="388" title="" width="640" /></div>
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Smell is detected by Cranial Nerve I. Tastes and textures are picked up by sensory nerves in the tongue and mouth by Cranial Nerves V, VII, and IX. Other nerves, including V, VII, X, and XII are responsible for chewing, producing saliva, and swallowing properly.<br />
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<img alt="olfaction pathway" border="0" src="http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/brain/gfx/smell-pathway.jpg" title="" /><a href="https://wine4soul.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/gustatory-pathway-cortex-in-insula-facial-and-glossopharyngeal-nerve-in-medulla-oblongata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="gustatory pathway" border="0" height="320" src="https://wine4soul.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/gustatory-pathway-cortex-in-insula-facial-and-glossopharyngeal-nerve-in-medulla-oblongata.jpg" title="" width="223" /></a></div>
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The sensory information detected by cranial nerves is sent to the brain stem and then to an area called the thalamus before going to the cortex. The information can be accessed by other areas of the brain, including those for memory and emotion. Any previous experiences you’ve had with that food, good or bad, can influence the way you perceive it today.<br />
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Does our taste change over time? </h3>
The chemoreceptors in your nose and mouth are exposed to some pretty nasty stuff on the daily, including air pollutants. They are regularly bathed in acid and salt and other molecules that might be tasty but can be tough for a cell to take. Our body anticipates this turnover and produces a steady supply of taste and smell cells. Depending how quickly these cell die and are replaced contributes to variations in taste over time, including changes in flavor sensitivity. We probably all know someone who loves eating spicy foods enough to use chili sauce like a midwesterner uses ketchup. It’s partly because they have simply gotten used to it.<br />
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This is it for this issue. We will explore the relationship between smell/taste and memory next time in details!<br />
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(images: basic tastes:http://truetomybody.com/traveling-tongue-vitality-tip-35/; flavor wheel: http://trifectaexperience.com/BaristaBanterPost.aspx?id=30; plane food: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrmystery/3956382954; cranial nerves:http://www.aboutcancer.com/cranial_nerves_081909.jpg; olfaction pathway: http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/brain/smell-pathway.html; gustatory pathway: https://wine4soul.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/gustatory-pathway-cortex-in-insula-facial-and-glossopharyngeal-nerve-in-medulla-oblongata.jpg; black burger: http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54202a65ecad041006be14e0-1024-512/black-burger-burger-king-1.jpg)<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-32072770643471181922015-12-30T17:27:00.000-06:002017-06-16T10:25:54.066-05:002015 with Midnight Rosewater<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's the end of 2015! Midnight Rosewater is half a year old! In this last post of the year, I would like to take a moment to summarize what we have talked about this year and give you a sneak peak of what's to come in 2016.<br />
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As you probably already know, Midnight Rosewater is divided into 2 major sections: #LEARNABOUT and Chef Says.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/search/label/%23LEARNABOUT" target="_blank">#LEARNABOUT</a> sections are like the chapters in a textbook, focused mainly on offering accurate and interesting information, and it contains a broader range of topics: anywhere from food to science to art.<br />
<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2014/12/learnabout-rosewater.html" target="_blank">Vol 1</a>. We talked about what this blog title is named after: <b>rosewater</b>, and introduced a class of water soluble "essential oils" called <b>hydrosols</b>.<br />
<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/01/learnabout-vol-2-water-spinach.html" target="_blank">Vol 2</a>. We talked about my favorite vegetable: <b>water spinach</b>, which has more to do with morning glories and sweet potatoes rather than spinach.<br />
<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/05/learnabout-vol-3-serviceberry.html" target="_blank">Vol 3</a>. We talked about <b>serviceberries</b>, which are also called juneberries, saskatoon berries, and a native berry to North America.<br />
<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/07/learnabout-vol4-mulberry.html" target="_blank">Vol 4</a>. We talked about <b>mulberries</b>, which are silk worms' favorite food (leaves), and a delicious wild berry that could be found anywhere form the Americans to Asia.<br />
<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/08/learnabout-vol51-roselle-leaves.html" target="_blank">Vol 5.1</a>. We talked about <b>roselle leaves</b>, which are heavily used in Indian and Burmese cuisines.<br />
<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/09/learnabout-vol52-roselle-calyces.html" target="_blank">Vol 5.2</a>. We talked about <b>roselle calyces</b>, which are used to make jams and tea.<br />
<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/10/learnabout-vol61-ground-cherrytomatillo.html" target="_blank">Vol 6.1</a>. We talked about <b>ground cherries and tomatillos,</b> which are two highly related plants belong to the nightshade family <i>Solanaceae</i>.<br />
<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/11/learnabout-vol-62-gifts-of-nightshades.html" target="_blank">Vol 6.2</a>. We went bigger and talked about <b>all of the edible species in the nightshade family</b>.<br />
<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/11/learnabout-vol-63-curses-and-gifts-of.html" target="_blank">Vol 6.3</a>. We turned to the darker side and talked about <b>all of the poisonous and hallucinogenic species in the nightshade family</b>.<br />
<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/11/learnabout-vol-7-ginkgo-all-way.html" target="_blank">Vol 7</a>. We talked about <b>ginkgo</b> seeds and ginkgo trees.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/search/label/CHEFSAYS" target="_blank">Chef Says </a>sections are more like the examples and exercises at the end of each chapter, where we teach you how to apply the knowledge you learned into cooking.<br />
In the issue "<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/09/chef-says-takoyaki-not-tacos.html" target="_blank">Takoyaki, not tacos.</a>" We taught you how to make the most staple Osaka Japanese street food <b>takoyaki</b>, a delicious savory octopus (or cheese) pancake ball.<br />
In the issue "<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/10/chef-says-kombucha-is-served.html" target="_blank">Kombucha is served!</a>" We interviewed Chef Dan Prentice of Unideli in Minneapolis, MN about his house made <b>kombucha</b> and the science behind it. They recently got featured in the Piggin' Out episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on food network! Check it out!<br />
In the issue "<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/10/chef-says-wonderful-little-green-tomato.html" target="_blank">The wonderful little 'green tomato'.</a>" We taught you how to make<b> salsa verde</b> with tomatillos.<br />
In the issue "<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/11/chef-says-jiaozi-dumplings.html" target="_blank">Jiaozi = dumplings.</a>" We taught you how to make the most staple Chinese food: <b>jiaozi</b> in the most traditional way.<br />
In the issue "<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/11/chef-says-hydrosols-water-is-solution.html" target="_blank">Hydrosols -- Water Is the Solution.</a>" We taught you how incorporate <b>hydrosols</b> into holiday/everyday cocktails.<br />
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Looking into 2016, we have many many exciting materials for you!!!<br />
In the #LEARNABOUT section, we will talk about how your smell/taste/memory work together to create a unique and forgettable dining experience for you. We will also talk about other hallucinogenic plants and dreams, and these are just some of the examples of what's to come.<br />
In the Chef Says section, we will continue to apply what we learned into actions: we will make quiche, and Burnese curry, and we will bring you more exciting interviews!<br />
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Meanwhile, we continue to make improvements on the much-loved <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/p/price-vs-value.html" target="_blank">Price vs. Value</a> section: where we offer you an interactive guide to all the coolest restaurants to eat out at in Minneapolis St Paul. Let us know how we can make it better!<br />
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On behalf the whole team, I would like to thank you all for your support, and thanks to all the friends who have contributed to Midnight Rosewater. See you all in 2016!<br />
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David</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-55062912320953568772015-11-30T10:56:00.000-06:002017-06-16T11:59:36.481-05:00#LEARNABOUT: Vol 7. Ginkgo All the Way<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You probably know the ginkgo. Maybe you’ve seen its fan-like leaves on streets of North American cities, smelled its pungent odor in the fall, or heard about it as a brain-boosting, memory-enhancing herbal supplement. In Chinese cuisine, you’ll see ginkgo nuts in congee and desserts, called the “white fruit” (白果). However, this “living fossil” was widely planted for its tolerance of pollution, compact soil, dry conditions, and other hardships of city life, rather than its uses in food and medicine, much to the surprise of many immigrants familiar with the taste and value of the nuts lying unwanted on the sidewalks. This bounty has led to the common spectacle of older men and women with bags and gloves (to avoid irritating chemicals in the flesh surrounding the nut) collecting the fallen nuts each autumn, some harvesting for home, some for selling to herb shops and at street stands.<br />
From supplementing family income with nuts gleaned in public parks to providing stress relief the night before a thesis defense, ginkgo can help maintain ties between people, culture, and nature in cities.<br />
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Ginkgo is one of many “Urban Foraged” species. Another very popular street edible is the mulberry covered in <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/07/learnabout-vol4-mulberry.html" target="_blank">an earlier post</a>. Both are among the top three mentioned in a recent study within NYC’s Chinese American community, followed closely by mugwort and dandelion, and we also talked about serviceberry in <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/05/learnabout-vol-3-serviceberry.html" target="_blank">Vol. 3</a> of #LEARNABOUT.<br />
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Gymnosperms </h3>
Calling ginkgo “living fossil” is no exaggeration. Fossils dating back more than 270 million years from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permian" target="_blank">Permian</a> period have been found that are recognisably related to modern ginkgo, and that’s 40 million years before dinosaurs even existed.<br />
Because ginkgo is such an ancient species, it is not at the ultimate form in plant evolution. Ginkgos, along with pines, yews, firs, conifers, spruces, cedars/junipers, cycads and palms, belong to a group of plants called gymnosperms.<br />
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Gymnosperm means “naked seed,” and it has gained a significant evolutionary advantage over its predecessor, ferns, which uses actual mobile sperms to reproduce and whose fertilization is dependent on water.<br />
By using seeds to reproduce, gymnosperms eliminated the dependency of water in its reproduction cycle, and therefore adapted better to dry climates.<br />
However, at this point in evolution, one important organ has not emerged yet: flower. Furthermore, a part of the flower, called ovary, which usually <i>encloses</i> the ovules (that develop into seeds), hasn’t emerged either. Therefore, gymnosperms also lack fruits.<br />
The group of plant that reached the summit of plant evolution is called <b>angiosperms</b>. They are also called flowering plants for the very reason. All angiosperms have flowers and fruits, despite whether you have seen them or not. Have you seen the flower of figs or wheat? Maybe not, but trust us, they exist.<br />
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Ginkgo biloba the survivor</h3>
“Biloba” means two-lobes, and you will know exactly what it means if you have ever seen a ginkgo leaf.<br />
#insert ginkgo leaf here<br />
Ginkgo biloba is the only species left out of the once existing dozen ginkgo species. Fossil records have been discovered of some ancient species that are very very similar to modern ginkgo leaves, and some not so similar at all.<br />
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We do not know how all of the other ginkgo species have gone extinct, but we do know how ginkgo biloba survived, and we have to thank the monks in northern China.<br />
Ginkgo was (re)discovered by Engelbert Kaempfer, who was with the Dutch East India Company at their trading station in southern Japan in 1692. The tree had a Chinese origin, and it was later discovered that the Chinese monks in China have preserved these trees for more than 1000 years for their symbol of longevity, the beautiful leaves, and the medicinal utilities of the seeds.<br />
The other reason of ginkgo’s survival is due to its extreme resilience to harsh environments. After the atomic bombing on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945, a ginkgo tree was found located 1.1km away from the epicenter, next to a temple, and had begun to bud despite the blast a few months later. The temple, however, was completely destroyed and had to be rebuilt in 1994.<br />
Ginkgo trees now grow all over the world as "street trees" for their ornamental look and its ability to tolerate urban environments, absorb pollutants, and increase air quality.<br />
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Aril (not your little mermaid)</h3>
We told you that gymnosperms don’t have fruits, so you may ask: what the heck is the orange-yellowish flesh surrounding the seed then?!<br />
The flesh that surrounds the ginkgo seed, as well as the red flesh surrounding the common yew, is biologically called an “aril,” or “arillus,” which derives from the stem, not the ovary. Since it resembles a fruit so much, it is sometimes called “false fruit.”<br />
There are a few cases of angiosperms that have arils too. The common examples are: longan, lychee, nutmeg, even dandelions.<br />
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It is no secret that the fleshy aril of the ginkgo smell bad. It smells like vomit of some half-digested pungent cheese.<br />
The foul smell comes from a compound called <b>butyric acid</b>, also known as butanoic acid. Butyric acid is present in, and is the main distinctive smell of, human vomit, and I guess that explains why ginkgo arils smell so. However, butyric acid is known to have numerous beneficial effects in humans on energy homeostasis and related diseases (e.g., diabetes and obesity), immune function, and inflammation, which mediate its antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic properties.<br />
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Sexism not, dioecy</h3>
Curiously, ginkgo trees actually have genders. Such phenomenon is called dioecy (meaning “two households”) in plants, which male and female trees grow on separate plants. The male ginkgo bears no fruit, and therefore no smell (and therefore recommended by many states and cities to grow instead of femails). The female ginkgo trees will fruit every fall, flauting its acrid and malodorous “fruit” of its reproductive success.<br />
Dioecy also exists in angiosperms. Willows and cannabis are some notable examples.<br />
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Leaf art</h3>
The leaves of ginkgo leaves turn bright yellow at fall, and both the green leaves and yellow leaves dry very well, which make them prime candidates for making pressed leaf art. Experiment with the compositions and lovely fan shapes to make a collage!<br />
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Identification </h3>
As unique as ginkgo is, here are some extra identification tips to make sure you’ve got the right tree:<br />
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<li>Fan- or fishtail-shaped leaves that turn golden yellow in autumn and have parallel (rather than branched) veins</li>
<li>Often a straight/centralized branching structure with branches forming near right angles with the main trunk</li>
<li>Branches with short nubs where leaves emerge</li>
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Word of warning</h3>
Besides congee and desserts, the football-shaped nut has to be roasted to a beautiful jade green for snacking, though many a wary forager has warned and been warned not to eat more than ten in a day. Seeds and leaves of the ginkgo both contain ginkgotoxin, a compound that in excess can cause seizures (and even death) by disrupting vitamin B6 metabolism and creating imbalance between inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters. Ginkgotoxin can be about six times more concentrated in seeds than in leaves.<br />
However, if you’ve already devoured your harvest and are now panicking about your mortality, no need to call your loved ones to say farewell! Reactions to ginkgotoxin vary widely and any sign of poisoning can be relieved by taking B6 supplements.<br />
It is also advised that you eat the ginkgo seeds when fully ripe, you can identify fully ripe sees by judging if the aril turns orange/yellow and emit that pungent smell.<br />
If the aril of the seed is still green, do not eat the seed. The picture below shows unripe ginkgo seeds and arils.<br />
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Where can I buy them?</h3>
If you don't know a local forager and you aren't up for dealing with the foul smell on your own, you can also buy ginkgo seeds from Asian grocery markets. They usually are labeled "ginkgo nuts" and come in either raw forms, or shelled shrink-wrap packages, or cans. The raw ginkgo seeds look like unopened pistachios. <br />
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<img alt="canned ginkgo nuts" border="0" src="http://victor.iwi.com.sg/gjh/product_image/Mili_GingkoNuts.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" /><br />
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How to eat ginkgo seeds</h3>
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<li>Eat them on their own, but make sure to roast/boil them, or pop them in the microwave oven </li>
<li>Add the cooked ginkgo seeds to salads, congee, soup, porridge, rice, or wherever you would want some fantastic nutty flavor </li>
<li>Traditionally goes in porridge with longan, jujube, lotus seeds, silver ear mushroom. I know, lots of foreign names, but don't worry, we will cover them all someday. </li>
<li>It goes extremely well with poultry. </li>
<li>Here's a picture of Matsutake Gohan (mushroom rice) with ginkgo seeds from <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/cooking-japanese-matsutake-goh-108656" target="_blank">the kitchn</a>. </li>
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Flavor Index</h3>
Ginkgo seeds have a nutty bittersweet flavor and a soft starchy texture reminiscent of jelly beans (minus the stickiness).<br />
<img alt="ginkgo seed flavor index" border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wGoQh2vyt5c/Vln6MlUlhtI/AAAAAAAAD2A/owDfD15a__0/s640/Flavor%2BIndex.001.jpeg" title="" width="640" /><br />
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(image sources: fossilized ginkgo leafs: http://smithsonianscience.si.edu/; ancient ginkgo tree: http://www.yicai.com/images/2015/11/4715614.html; ginkgo nut raw: http://www.smc360.com/Product/ProductDetails.aspx?id=1623; ginkgo nut shrink wrap: http://nkit.org/Cookbooks/CoreanCookbook/glossary.htm; ginkgo nut can: http://victor.iwi.com.sg/gjh/Products.aspx?productCatId=22; Matsutake Gohan: http://www.thekitchn.com/cooking-japanese-matsutake-goh-108656 )</div>
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You might remember them from our <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2014/12/learnabout-rosewater.html" target="_blank">first ever</a> #LEARNABOUT article, or you can be reminded by what this blog is actually named after (rosewater), hydrosol is a class of water-soluble herbal distillates, usually hidden under the shadows of essential oils. Not today! In this issue of Chef Says, Neuroscientist/University of Minnesota Medical Device Center Innovation Fellow, Dr. Anastasia Zink, will teach you how to incorporate hydrosols in your holiday and daily mixology!<br />
Dr. Zink is a hydrosol/cocktail enthusiast/expert and she will guide you through the usage of three hydrosols that she frequents:rosewater, orange blossom water, and wild sage water. Check out the recipes she created just for you! (Remember in our <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/05/welcome.html" target="_blank">guide</a> article where we said that we don’t often offer recipes? This is one of the rare cases that we are going to! Make sure that you treat them like treasure ;) ) <br />
This article is written by Dr. Zink, and photographed by me.<br />
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--David<br />
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Let’s Drink (Hydrosols)! </span></h3>
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Using hydrosols is an easy way to introduce subtle or bold flavors into your cocktails. By their nature, the water-soluble flavor components dissolved in the hydrosol will easily mix into the water portion of your drink. I’ll walk you through my thought process of building the perfect champagne brunch cocktail. </div>
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When drinking hydrosols, it’s easy to go from aromatic compliment to perfume-y punch in the nose. Luckily, I’ve done the systematic testing (so you don’t have to!) and found a nice balance in the recipes below. </div>
I keep a few different hydrosols on hand so I started by narrowing down my selection. When I test recipe ingredients, I like to compare each side by side, with the same ingredients in order to reduce variability that could be introduced from tasting each one at different times or with different ingredients (In a future #LEARNABOUT article, we will explore how our senses and perceptions of taste and smell can change with time, temperature, and experience!).<br />
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The Vehicle: Which Wine? </span></h4>
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You can choose any kind of sparkling white wine or Champagne (depending on your palate and pocketbook, of course). I prefer a nicely chilled Cava for this application but any semi-dry effervescent liquid will do. Try spritzing up plain soda water in a pinch!<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Rosewater or Orange Blossom Water? </span></h4>
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Rosewater hydrosol is much more forward in the nose than orange blossom water. To adjust, I use half the amount compared to orange blossom water. The goal is to compliment the flavor of the wine without overwhelming it. I find the floral notes of the hydrosol are prominent, like a nice bouquet.<br />
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Rose-scented Champagne Cocktail</span></h4>
¼ tsp rosewater hydrosol <br />
4oz chilled Cava or Semi-Dry Sparkling White Wine<br />
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Pour the hydrosol into the bottom of a champagne flute or tall stemmed glass followed by the sparkling white wine. Give one stir around the glass, careful not to disturb too much of the carbonation. Serve immediately. <br />
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Orange Blossom-scented Champagne Cocktail</span></h4>
½ tsp orange blossom water hydrosol<br />
4oz chilled Cava or Semi-Dry Sparkling White Wine<br />
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Just like the rosewater champagne cocktail, pour the hydrosol into the bottom of a champagne glass followed by the sparkling white wine. Give one stir around the glass.<br />
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Both are sure hits on a chic brunch menu. I love the rose scent on its own with the fruity notes of the wine. But… not quite the show stopper I was looking for as my brunch’s feature cocktail. I need a base to build on, so I went with the orange blossom water. There was a chance the rosewater’s strong presence would be difficult to pair well with other flavor components. The orange blossom water also opened the possibility of replacing a traditional orange or citrus ingredient in a classic cocktail with something more soft and subtle, as orange blossom water lacks the signature citrusy zestiness, but has a more prominent bittersweet nuttiness.<br />
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Update an Old Classic</span></h4>
One of my favorite champagne cocktails is credited to the in/famous writer, Earnest Hemingway. At its inception, it consisted simply of roughly 1 part Absinthe to 3 parts iced Champagne, or “until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness” (Sterling North’s 1935 book So Red the Nose, or, Breath in the Afternoon; http://www.kitchenriffs.com/2014/01/the-death-in-afternoon-cocktail.html).</div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-d7240813-328f-1af0-d571-6ac523f95e01"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Absinthe ‘opalescent milkiness’</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-d7240813-328f-1af0-d571-6ac523f95e01"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">Louching is the process of molecules precipitating out of a clear liquid or solution that has changed composition, typically, when water dilutes the alcohol content. Some molecules dissolve better in alcohol than in water. When the alcohol percentage drops, the alcohol-preferring molecules are no longer able to stay dissolved and turn from liquid into small crystals. These crystals scatter the light traveling through the solution, which gives off a milky or opaque appearance.</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-d7240813-328f-1af0-d571-6ac523f95e01">Absinthe is an anise-flavored liqueur that, much like the author </span>mentioned above, has garnered a less-than-dignified reputation over the years. In the case of the liqueur, it was mostly unwarranted. Absinthe’s primary fault being that the candy-like deliciousness is enough to fool any unsuspecting drinker into forgetting the 80-100 proof alcohol content. History aside, absinthe and related liqueurs (e.g. Pastis and Herbsaint) provide a wonderful herbal licorice flavor that is unlike any of the sticky black candies your auntie tried to give you as a kid.<br />
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Midnight Rosewater’s Death in the Afternoon (aka Hemingway Champagne)</span></h4>
¾ tsp orange blossom water hydrosol<br />
2 Tbsp Herbsaint (Absinthe or Pastis)<br />
4oz chilled Cava or Semi-Dry Sparkling White Wine<br />
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Pour the hydrosol and anise liqueur into the bottom of a glass followed by the sparkling white wine. Give one stir around the glass, careful not to disturb too much of the carbonation. Serve immediately.<br />
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You needn’t fear the green fairy will make a visit. Just sit back with your guests and enjoy the flavors and aromas that play on your palate.<br />
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Sweet and Savory </span></h4>
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I've walked you through some cocktail recipes that tend toward the sweet side. What about a beverage for the savory palate? Gin offers a distinct herbaceousness and is known for its punchy, peppery bite. Gin at its most basic is an alcoholic distillate infused with juniper berries and aromatics. Some styles of gin use lots of juniper and have much stronger pepper notes, while others emphasize the herbal or aromatic components and typically have more mild, earthy flavor profiles. The recipe below incorporates multiple sage sources, both from the hydrosol and from the spirit. <br />
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Midnight Rosewater’s Sage Scented Gin & Tonic</span></h4>
½ tsp wild sage hydrosol <br />
1 ½ oz mild or herbaceous gin (we used <a href="http://www.artintheage.com/our-spirits/sage/">Art in the Age’s Sage</a>)<br />
1 ½ - 3 oz tonic water <br />
1-2 cubes ice<br />
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Put ice in a low ball glass (the short, squat kind your grandpa likes for his scotch). Pour in the hydrosol and gin. Give one stir around the glass. Add one or two shots of tonic water (depending on how strong you like your drink). Serve immediately.<br />
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These cocktails offer an easy way to infuse fantastic tastes and aromas into your party menu. Give your guests the sense of walking through flowering orchards or earthen sage brush. When planning a menu and testing recipes, the goal is to create a sensory memory. These certainly deliver. Cheers!</div>
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Chef Says </h3>
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"Life is one long experiment. Keep testing new things!"<br />
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Dr, Anastasia Zink is a Minneapolis neuroscientist turned inventor with strong foodie roots. She completed her PhD in 2015 from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Zink relishes her free time, spending her evenings enjoying the arts, music, food, and drink. She has been hosting cocktail parties in her home for years, taking pleasure in creating custom cocktail menus to serve her guests. She’s no stranger to experimenting in the lab, the kitchen, and the bar, bringing a touch of creativity to all. You can follow her on twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/anastasiazink" target="_blank">@anastasiazink</a>.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-86870725562166356772015-11-20T11:00:00.000-06:002015-11-25T00:22:25.435-06:00MR news, developments, and new promo art!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Introduce Rena, our new blog member!</h3>
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I don't know how I convinced such a brilliant, talented and kind human being to join us on this tortuous path (just kidding) of public education, but we are so proud to announce that Rena is now officially a member of the Midnight Rosewater family. </div>
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Rena works in communications at Urban Green Council, one of the most impactful nonprofits in NYC's building industry. She also has experience in public art and transportation planning, but her first love is urban ecology. She studied environmental studies/sustainable design, and thinks about starting a wild herb farm almost daily. </div>
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To convey her passion and knowledge, we gave her a section to explore the wonderful world of wild herbs/vegetables and urban foraging. </div>
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You can learn something interesting (or strange) about Rena in the <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/p/about-us.html" target="_blank">About Us</a> section. </div>
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Urban Foraged </h3>
You have probably heard of urban foraging: an activity in which the denizens of the cities salvage/collect plants or edible species from urban environments and turn into food. You may ask why would one want to do that? Well, to start, many edible species that grow wild do not make it to your local supermarkets for one reason or another (less demand, short shelf life etc.); and nature has gifted us with both abundance and diversity that will add nutrition and variety to your diet, so why not?<br />
Also, urban foraging doesn’t have to be urban at all. You might find this exact species that we talk about here at the corner of your backyard/farm. Who knows?<br />
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Therefore, with the help of Rena, we opened up a new section for you. We hope to give you the knowledge and the curiosity to try new things and appreciate nature.<br />
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All the foraging articles will still be in #LEARNABOUT section, but will carry their own label "Urban Foraged". You can locate them on the homepage under the LABELS section. </div>
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New Promo Art!</h3>
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Here's the winter edition of the MR promo art! Hand drawn by the talented Gabrielle Sacha.<br />
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Thank you all for supporting us so far!<br />
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Love and cheers,<br />
David + Heather + Zaw + Rena </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-45603815477143243912015-11-13T11:15:00.000-06:002016-04-14T11:50:43.633-05:00Chef Says: Jiaozi = dumplings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In this issue of Chef Says, our friend and former sushi chef Daniel Lu (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tastyfoodwithdaniellu/">@tastyfoodwithdaniellu</a>) teaches us how to make one of the most common staple Chinese dishes there is: jiaozi.<br />
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(photo: <a href="https://instagram.com/p/9KkVr2JDc9/">https://instagram.com/p/9KkVr2JDc9/</a>)<br />
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Dumplings, Buns, Wontons…..What’s the difference!? </h3>
Jiaozi (饺子) was thought to have been invented sometime during the Eastern Han dynasty (around 220 AD), but its origins may even trace further back to the Zhou dynasty (1,056-256 BCE) where a penned recipe for something similar to jiaozi was first discovered. <br />
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The dish itself is a Chinese type of dumpling in which ground meat (generally pork) mixed with some sort of vegetable filling is wrapped inside thinly rolled dough. There are many variations and similar items to the jiaozi including: 1) baozi (包子), which has bun based wrappers (airy, yeast-based dough wrappers) that are steamed; 2) wonton/huntun (馄饨), which is generally made of a wheat flour dough and has a thinner wrapper than the traditional jiaozi; and 3) Goutie (锅贴), which is simply a pan-fried version of jiaozi.<br />
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To summarize: <br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pinyin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yeast in Dough?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cooking Method</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jiaozi </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">dumplings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">饺子</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guotie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pan-fried dumplings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hundun</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">馄饨</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">boil</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>For a more comprehensive list, check out this informative <a href="http://luckypeach.com/the-guide-to-chinese-dumplings/" target="_blank">guide</a> on lucky peach!<br />
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Jiaozi can also be found in many other Asian cultures. For example, pan-fried jiaozi (or guotie) has been adapted to Japanese cuisine in the form of the gyoza (ギョーザ, ギョウザ). These differ from their Chinese counterparts through a richer garlic flavor and thinner dumpling wrappers. In Korean cuisine, dumplings (known as mandu) are served in either: 1) grilled/fried variations known as gunmandu (군만두), 2) steamed variations known as jjinmandu (찐만두), or 3) boiled variations known as mulmandu (물만두). In western cuisine, dumplings are found in the form of ravioli (Italian), pelmeni (Russian), and many more.<br />
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<h3>
A Family Affair</h3>
During Chinese New Year (especially at midnight on Chinese New Year’s Eve), Jiaozi IS the food for families. One common tradition is for the entire family to gather around the kitchen and make the dumplings together. <br />
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Traditionally, the Chinese families stick to a certain combination of ingredients to form the more "classic" flavors. Such combinations include: chives and pork, cabbage and pork, zucchini and eggs, and chives and eggs. The ground pork is often also substituted with diced shrimp. There has also been numerous classic flavors made with wild vegetables and fungus, such as purslane, shepherd's purse, wooden ear mushrooms, etc. In future issues of #LEARNABOUT and Chef Says, we will introduce more wild vegetables to you.</div>
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Step-by-Step Guide to Making Jiaozi</h3>
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Now we’re going to show you how to make a classic flavor combination: the pork and cabbage jiaozi. To make these delicious dumplings, let's start out with the necessary ingredients for the pork/cabbage filling.</div>
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<b>Cabbage</b>: Napa (also known as Chinese Cabbage). You can generally find these in any major supermarket.<br />
<b>Ground Pork</b>: 1 pound (usually enough for 6-8 people). Feel free to scale this amount down. <br />
<b>Ginger</b>: One of the cornerstones of Chinese aromatics (along with scallions and garlic). Ginger itself is a rhizome, having a flavor profile that is sharp and intense while being light and floral at the same time. It is also great at cleansing strong odors from the other ingredients. <br />
<b>Scallions/Green Onions</b>: Another cornerstone of Chinese aromatics. It’s rare that any savory Chinese dish to not use at least two of these three cornerstones. For our jiaozi today, we’ll be using scallions and ginger as our main aromatics.</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="" height="416px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/e_C9cXTfyl2Rp-NyxN-2upSeJMWUTFUOzuedPdVzyxQ9totAI_Z1XqVqpjxgKzSJx_xcC70uO3fQuKxoRjP1kGyHhR_SUFyw7M8d_WNAzjwmbN-AVDpOT2rJC_X-20Zdib0avGI7" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" title="" width="624px;" /></span></div>
<b>Salt</b>: Self-explanatory.<br />
<b>Soy Sauce</b>: Many different types of soy sauce exist out there. Japanese soy sauce and Chinese soy sauce also have variations among them that can impact the flavor profile we’re looking for with the dumplings. Perhaps the biggest variation among the different types of soy sauce is light vs dark soy sauce. As the name suggests, dark soy sauce is darker in color and tends to be more viscous, but is often lighter in saltiness. Light soy sauce is the most common type of soy sauce; however, and it is what we’ll be using today for this article.<br />
<b>Vegetable Oil</b>: Any oil will do.<br />
<b>Sesame Oil</b>: This is an optional ingredient (adds a complex sesame flavor), but we highly highly recommend adding it.<br />
<b>Alcohol</b>: Any kind of colorless cooking wine will do (generally Chinese Shaoxing cooking wine is used), but today we’ll be using sake (Japanese rice wine) in its place.<br />
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Now let’s make the dough/wrappers! Of course you can purchase pre-made dumpling wrappers (if you do, make sure you get the round wrappers and not the square wonton wrappers), but what’s the fun in that? Making the dough is very simple and only requires two ingredients: flour and hot/boiling water.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="" height="416px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/kbhcVuKU36NgLQ9QFUerIGmnFx3uQysY7D0Y-IJYm02N4U2xg2ZsuqhIsj74WRaGihp3XhZ6RQkzvY4ueI68xIk5oBEhS9FH2gUlvNgD2TWi84RaJLgJ4UNLHmzGAZIfx38d5fU3" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" title="" width="624px;" /></span></div>
<b>All-Purpose Flour</b>: (2 cups) Flour is the base for most dough out there (both western and eastern cuisines). This recipe makes enough dough to use up roughly ⅓ of the pork/cabbage filling, so feel free to scale this up or down to suit your needs!<br />
<b>Near-Boiling Water</b>: (¾ cups) One of the biggest differentiators of eastern style dough is the usage of hot water. Hot water dough behaves drastically different from cold water/western doughs. Adding hot, near-boiling water to the dough denatures many of the proteins found inside of the flour, and results in a significantly decreased amount of gluten found in the dough. Hot water dough are not nearly as elastic or springy as western dough (such as pizza dough). <br />
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To make the jiaozi wrappers:<br />
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline;">First add the hot/near-boiling water to the flour in a large mixing bowl.<br /><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-width: initial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="" height="545px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/pRgkMqAQXGzp6k8U4ouAw2uzZ0JGKpZjyAXQALQf64nkRb9cIlS4-h-y5q7jBrSDs_4Tz0xfJf_RtX_Y9_A40bLwOdNqub7hQl5Qz4ZLfwkE-Z42-3m7kqlSoLXfp72AnAQi72Ok" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="363px;" /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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Knead the dough until it comes together (roughly 2-5 minutes).<br />
<span style="border-color: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-width: initial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad);"><img alt="" height="416px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/r32kTR5pRZWj4629h98A01RCOeVF01bFAYdW7PoVv1zTiAIfuTHC9lzSpBOFDvXS5tqmsX99zVOFBwXV0Z53K3-frAH9Xy9Majbsi8XAtiC8wdnD9cukVSl4nqKHLPSztPSNC4OF" style="border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="" height="416px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bm5g6dDUcPbUSb2FUYUdurspqeKsK56h1trcQY8l37YJHHFQk2tVBFKrGJ7E5tLqxiyUjU6cybHbQF5x0-DMCCUwZIy0wI9xOk4ZHQOwm3AVZdyml-vM7sbwtfsY2oLFWTgwYU6I" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.08px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.08px;">After the dough comes together, cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least half an hour.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zNoNugjvoNtdmFe6q9vLgsu5CBclLjRqm1kdB75q83HkIxTufoHfOHud92uMwkdon8pc27ooCu5nZ8SERQpCqZVzNZMa-09mAJx7kwLRTUTM1K5xbXKS9a9edZBLbZct-v25tp85" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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As the dough is sitting and resting, we’re going to make the pork/cabbage filling. First, cut up the cabba<span style="line-height: 1.38;">ge to the smallest chunks that you can.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/O_aNgyI5GCq_-TTELm1K6UMC-KBW7h0l8zbFX3aJl6uY2j-O_CPHkdR3Bsn-zBRPtuLwJHWG4qNB3IimN89zabPlEUxhXULqVFWe79XYSTYx2rqCpgEwRywmijNSBMbbMUdkJgU7" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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To cut the cabbage, Chinese cleavers work really well. Their large surface allows you to easily pick up and move the cabbage chunks into optimal positions for dicing. Note that the cabbage itself will release a lot of water. This is okay! Leave the water in, especially with the pork later. This allows you to have a wonderfully juicy dumpling filling in the end.</div>
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Add the diced up cabbage to your ground pork. In our case, we cut up roughly 7 large cabbage leaves and added it to roughly a pound of ground pork. Remember that the cabbage also is used as a contrasting textural element, so feel free to add more or less cabbage to your fillings.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qd-JVX9cPl5DHBIdVPDbbuyIi_IVEPI4wUWNyP1qz8w9mQn1RwxdB9xmaWSXDOLdF5NViBN14OZZ8n3qayACNIUBZW8FwagWrDJWhVqhAJTNTUhflZQCpRMxmsvf66xsy9XVut0a" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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Add salt (roughly a teaspoon and a teaspoon only -- we’re adding soy sauce later to help season the filling too), ginger, scallion and mix well. The added salt helps draw out a lot of the liquid from the cabbage leaves via a process known as osmosis. This helps greatly with keeping the filing moist and juicy.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/A0lIvN7psTXZUvjuRMhz-zDvC6ZstrlMRwK72ghN0MuQ4Fc7qw0oufnqmPY3P-aqqvNFZRIl8WeOxdG6X1-VU2EcUXjrbF1x0eAzML9BPjgJBR4byLr20e0iqviaNaOK3HelXv29" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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For everything else, we’re going to be adding roughly half a tablespoon of the rest of the filling ingredients. The exception is soy sauce. Add roughly 2 tablespoons of that.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="417px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/hp50f7_m_o_YxHn1B52MjtCIsSvXvc082xZsA4ZUoL3JAPcIsuBqLeDIkinBjchNq0aOzuHTvE8_7TIcrRFO_NonbSlrN2OVVIIGd3J78nSjvpqs8R07V86AFTrFARHvFmKl7cgD" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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One thing that you may have noticed with Chinese cuisine is that everything is cut up into small chunks. Because many foods are stir fried, the small chunks result in a larger surface area, cooking the food faster. In the case of our jiaozi, the small diced up chunks allow for better mixing and more efficient seasoning of the filling.<br />
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After you’ve made your pork/cabbage filling and the dough has been resting for at least 30 minutes, we’re going to roll the dough into a long cylinder (roughly a 1 or 1 ½-inch diameter).</div>
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First up, flour your working surface!</div>
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<img height="416px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4dTRqco6aBnYwF_8PyJAby-6ppCvv40lW1HEdy8CcS6YgRms5zaG7J3aR4zJ0S5OoAadqjlrMo2-TI7g8XBdfWTqsiqBqH6rBs7GE9XGdG1oQDs3qXtHp0aEJx9UmbUVHw8EqxGk" style="border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;" width="624px;" /></div>
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If your dough is too sticky when you’re rolling it out, feel free to add more flour to your working surface and/or hands!<br />
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<img height="416px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/MSdZyVFYHvgJDzj6ipzDaE4KKC7wtlZs0otQiEFnI9f-V8gR7IFdb3sWIBn5Pm5NbNqcy40XhwyUqKv_LnQW2Q2sxdV6AdX6bQVunqf7mh2HQ2RlMQAWp3MbCF2SM2CabjY4fysf" style="border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;" width="624px;" /></div>
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After you’ve rolled out your dough, we’re going to cut the dough into small pieces. Start by cutting the dough cylinder into ½ to 1-inch pieces. While you’re cutting the dough, it helps to rotate the dough cylinder a quarter turn after each cut.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xzoiK9iBM4SsJJf3JiDf3DmseqngkvkDdVe8G0HCA3RyBIks393snMI4NG6V9UknpSujq9P95S6xAxBNmXlqHp_fYrwSnJ1cCFKtIugi9pHyE9NKaCj7pX2VO6rW4IHfxsEyEUnv" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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Once your dough pieces are cut, flatten them out with the palm of your hand to make small semi-flattened circles.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/V4AtFz2DU61cAxqpHyfuZDB9SRszpcfRTDWop2Zbu12CxQcx52YMtmRFJiLCQRBy3MFnulq2jUA9Oi-IHwluQuez0J0YZPpeHGAmpw7bFCYNtECSrMu8pgqc7sOgL5_gJIQ5lWAp" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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Roll each of your small circular dough pieces out to a larger, flatter circular wrapper. We made ours out to be roughly a 3 ½ inch to 4-inch diameter. <u>Very importantly:</u> make sure that you leave the center of the wrapper to be thicker than the edges, because when you fold the dumplings, the center will stretch, and if you leave it too thin, the dumplings will explode when you boil them.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/SMHSniDxYesbxiHaAjIImHpAMZI_qZOH_czZ2h-4-YZ9aP3qdu5snFThyLcntZJmZ5M_yPzKviWU9pLE1ds3oJvErKupKysYtucV55wtYZSV1qMt4MRTl4PQWgWJp3dpBxErwN15" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/dR7Hbl2Ui5dZ7LOxX7UXsIVuoayvmzk8n3QYn_HYmR9BXcMOp068Tf9iRAdMwnO5LEKsIJ6CwwFCAoX1j4HvVIEjdeNsPcP8SuYcTe_a21nH3L4QeUhg7hSTFb-rPlWWt0bQJMm7" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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Now that both your wrappers and your filling is made up, lets have some fun and wrap everything together!<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/5TwBqR8DeQIl3PWHkj0Ci-SCIcUnpnFdkLOGkIl0Rbkvp5qVInaOdR3nuI64gahmJsF5_5PdSUVHloxTIwpEpmRYstt1w9IplmVLRYrpwj4aRa5Ljlib20qNhHWzMZ1ZwDChFCGv" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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Start by taking one of your jiaozi wrappers and place it in your hand. Add a small amount of filling (only add enough filling to the point where you’re confident that you can create a complete seal. If this is your first time making jiaozi, start with a small amount of filling - size of a quarter or so).<br />
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To fold the wrapper around your filling and create the classic horn shaped jiaozi:<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0P3KjKsgZmhEGZrsxD8FbyGHgyNQhAOwxl5xsKwWWL9hRIAx6Rfmq-adLHgQMDVTbwcr2vvw8vTrd7zVXz9zV6qoGUManSKVblxjeMubJeBTPYJcmUF3Lbu1gHGUc3yngxY6bzQE" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
<b>Step 1</b>: Place filling on the wrapper. Again, only use as much filling as you’re comfortable with.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AZLqenyvCn_dL4O-MheZuZ9PRQgdGUbj_2bxx25iGUd0-y5uKkHiXNT-4Mo7doH1q3u19RX3MTGHxpQm6fpEFs7zBAORCcEUJU2Zz8zUOMuNDYjB9E7H8e50X0ySLgHlw5l2t2ty" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
<b>Step 2</b>: Take the bottom of the wrapper and pinch it up to the top of the wrapper. Be sure that no filling is oozing out of the sides.<br />
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<img height="416px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6IIkuC5sUxqiJEraX9jX6CMkupArj-WWkxUC127VCNn3meZMWgPZ_ttT_ukvzBNpAup8n76YKRezJEs3iXfcPwu6hZqOPgsc5WDCEU8paRRUQcebXRv-pfB16Ap5ksc-nM7JdU_" style="border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;" width="624px;" /><br />
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<b>Step 3</b>: Form two flaps/loops on the side, and pinch the one closer to your hands.</div>
<b>Step 4</b>: Press the other flap/loop inwards towards you.<br />
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<img height="416px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d2ulLhNM3N40DqYlkOkdWZREEldZlQVFLw6Lwk1fi9jOn0d309fgEUxuFryAJycE4W2tDAiYsZMwgV4gEePf4EgohSK-kHqqwygNIHBMly-USMdih2Xsmi9nkhjirebXs_doUaXx" style="border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;" width="624px;" /><br />
<b>Step 5</b>: Follow through with Step 4. You should have one side completely sealed up after Step 5.<br />
<b>Step 6</b>: Do the other side, press the opening to form 2 flaps just like Step 3.<br />
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<img height="416px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BA27J-Yt6pM_gnRk3uovE01lFU45HspddNdStk9QmBlHsLtmrbLQFTH_uClzUHHFWTNEhmnmBB0dIUp9-BKXO0GLOrFAHNj_Tmrk39qhkGrKRwJpHZgny_PjAUJFaOpwyH2dpulF" style="border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;" width="624px;" /><br />
<b>Step 6</b>: From a different angle.<br />
<b>Step 7</b>: Do the same as Step 3.<br />
<b>Step 8</b>: Do the same as Step 4 and follow through.<br />
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After all these steps, you will have a perfectly shaped jiaozi!<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/SwCpie38n4ZAUuJCUfO3fwqoCN7Nma1XapO8SThd8ojCAQsIoG34VUmREST-B8lLzHuRCeGJMj3SgvHz-pzOHcAqk8ZQK-D_NRPTbS-5DrD-qNYxyqlBDZKPOMra3-rb5tb3E78m" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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Its most important that all of the filling is sealed in. It doesn’t matter if the dumpling looks ugly or not! It’ll taste great either way :)<br />
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Now that you’ve made one of these jiaozi, let’s continue by making lots of them!<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZYpExEIRGYtePdjG0H5ER8pKU9QZPJGKPF6g13o2KFIg3zAPyXVz-A-ut6TuSSpYHWIXwchJD9T-JdqPgdubbB_-yYtQNfPiDrONZ8cP0OPTI1Zq-hq7ITD1uNiInmBGSnyyDr60" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
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Once all of your wrappers and/or filling has been used up, you have two options. Freeze them down in a freezer ziploc bag (they’ll last a few months in the freezer this way), or cook them and eat them now! The classic way to cook these dumpling is by using a boiling method. You could of course make guotie (potstickers) as well if you’d like, but we’re going to be traditional today and show you the boiling process.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/e4EA70zIAg1YsGZIr_MPebtBCxhyLLaP9Njfp8kjElX5uealeaR_-PqP_faQp1IpzdlqWFUa9H04NMgP92XYYZLg8V_unBx8386F1adsfypJEOoN8Ja60_qyiBPYzXSFtGpyijPy" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
<b>Step 1</b>: Bring water to a boil in a large sauce pot on high heat.<br />
<b>Step 2</b>: Once the water is boiling, add enough jiaozi to the pot (make sure you only add enough to cover the bottom of the pot--you don't want to add too much jiaozi at once).<br />
<b>Step 3</b>: Cover the pot and wait until the water comes back up to a boil.<br />
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<img height="673px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/1i7yU4TbUF6kAfhgmqmJU79r5dW8yfyYdCtSk0sx654tZdPig4k1gq0B5FXCy8hWDXzpijjf1JT9LsxcHxP9RloKLZREJ3om-pbFZwqqe9MdykV3kqRaCRnb8LhU3iKMNmcVPboW" style="border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;" width="448px;" /><br />
<b>Step 4</b>: Once the jiaozi/water has reached a boil, add a cup of cold water to the pot, stir with a wooden spoon, and then cover the pot and wait until it reaches a boil again. <br />
<b>Step 5</b>: Repeat the process outlined in step 4 two more times.<br />
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Throughout the whole process, it's good to keep stirring the pot with a wooden spoon, especially when you first put the dumplings into the boiling water. This keeps the dumplings from sticking to each other. <br />
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A good check to see whether the dumplings are fully cooked or not is to look at whether the dumplings are floating in the water or not. Uncooked dumplings will always sink to the bottom of the pot, whereas cooked dumplings will float. This process happens due to a change in the density of the dumplings as it is being cooked. <br />
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Once the dumplings are cooked, strain them out of the boiling liquid and onto a plate. We used a soup skimmer spoon to do this (it works amazingly well).</div>
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<img height="416px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/mku5ehUvQ6JqC1w8_AGIO7m9mj4xCYbELdNYlwiIjYdpAI5u9GlTFhwp8KRZkwTewxAWwyXayV5AuIyvIVSs5w11oS75yVKSZZVAi8n9i0laqO4yAA2ysBkuPSzYrsItezCpnabx" style="border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;" width="624px;" /><br />
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Now, as far as a dipping sauce goes for the dumplings, many different regions across China will use different things. Here, let's focus on one that involves three simple ingredients (two of which we’ve already used to make the jiaozi filling).<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="416px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/krZi0TWEiS9gCU6F5--7WLXhHrSeGDpp1LChJzTCNSSVHkrUxG4w370WCPdJbi3GwC-dHUv-YvOjOJs1vzV2G6TXPPQuP5cDPu9rxek9tOyegJmOs8dSqHqyseMXL-h9PXq6mimr" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="624px;" /></span></div>
<b>Chengkiang/Zhenjiang Vinegar</b>: THE ingredient used traditionally in jiaozi dipping sauces.<br />
<b>Sesame Oil</b><br />
<b>Soy Sauce (Light)</b><br />
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Mix these ingredients at a 8:1:1 ratio to complete your dipping sauce! Your jiaozi are ready to eat :)<br />
<img height="416px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/EAJgEtnlzmeFN6MWJdzrC0xDzFC9OdxhGwtMfctfb0VWt-Po5n9ATHmPK_BQvjjDyRYN87lXxOf7bE4rw5mgnIJ5q_PSb5TwGa1zgy6vrTjDOTiXlOcamfqNGmhHhivMz7UzpYgn" style="border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;" width="624px;" /><br />
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<b>Optional Bonus</b></div>
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Though we are not sure why, a lot of Chinese will also drink the liquid that the jiaozi were boiled in. It's a hot, slightly thick, flour-y liquid that you add a bit of vinegar to and drink. Great for the soul I hear.<b><br /></b><img height="416px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/k9HG4vk5J1Q4A6qSx9NZzlKVC6YCtPyMzNNBEZWiGHsPa3A_6MSF1CeY1ENhrFHhlokvj4ASdIgTs_H1Tgyxc6nrP7bHcCyQxC_HAXJyei1sJ0IZdbVFdzIvk7sPjZ-VgaiaJM8D" style="border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; transform: rotate(0rad); white-space: pre-wrap;" width="624px;" /><br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Chef Says</h3>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJwIBkOK7S0/VkN_8bxINdI/AAAAAAAADwE/VgIT_bYe-2M/s1600/280840EB-77F4-42E2-98EA-1ECB7AA164674F3CF3BF-586C-4ADB-B768-E9F1B5DD272B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJwIBkOK7S0/VkN_8bxINdI/AAAAAAAADwE/VgIT_bYe-2M/s200/280840EB-77F4-42E2-98EA-1ECB7AA164674F3CF3BF-586C-4ADB-B768-E9F1B5DD272B.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
“Cooking and food in general is an amazing way to combine aspects of both science and art into a single dish (like jiaozi) that's both beautiful to look at and delicious to eat. Not only is cooking just like a complex science experiment, it is also a canvas for artists to paint and illustrate.”<br />
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Daniel is currently a PhD student at the University of Minnesota studying the mechanics of blood flow in artificial blood vessels. His cooking roots stem all the way back to when he was a kid working in his parents' Japanese sushi restaurants in his hometown of Indianapolis, IN. Growing up around the restaurant meant that there was no way Daniel wouldn’t end up as a chef (in fact, he’s even made sushi for former Indianapolis Colts football players). Nowadays, Daniel likes to combine his scientific background with his cooking history to creative visually stunning and delicious dishes. You can follow him on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/epicureaperture/">@epicureaperture</a>. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-78734635097269748332015-11-09T11:00:00.000-06:002016-03-28T17:18:06.010-05:00#LEARNABOUT: Vol 6.3. Curses (and Gifts) of the Nightshades<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the previous two issues of #LEARNABOUT, we told you all about the edible species of the <i>Solanaceae</i> family. Now it's time to turn to the dark side.<br />
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The Latin word Solanum means “quieting,” and the <i>Solanaceae</i> family got its name because of the once-thought narcotic properties of some members of the family. As our understanding of the family grew, people discovered that the <i>Solanaceae</i> family not only produces narcotics, but also stimulants, poisons, pain relievers, etc.<br />
In this last issue of the three-part series about <i>Solanaceae</i>, we will look at a few plants that are highly poisonous, and the chemicals that make them so.<br />
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<i>Atropa</i><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </i>: Deadly Quiescence of the Evening Beauty </h3>
The plant <i>Atropa belladonna</i>, known as <b>deadly nightshade</b>,<i> </i>is how the <i>Solanaceae </i>family got its common name.<br />
The genus name <i>Atropa</i> comes from Atropos, one of the Three Fates in Greek mythology, also called "daughters of the night." The name "bella donna" is Italian, meaning "pretty woman," because the plant extract was once used in eye drops by women to dilate their pupils to make them appear more attractive and seductive.<br />
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Deadly nightshade is one of the most toxic plants found in the Eastern Hemisphere, and the major chemicals that cause it are what we call <u>tropane alkaloids</u>.<br />
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms, and tropane alkaloids are a class of bicyclic alkaloids that contain a tropane ring. A tropane ring looks like this:<br />
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There are three major tropane alkaloids: <u>scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine</u>, all of which are present in the deadly nightshade. The consumption of two to five berries, or a few leaves by an adult human can be lethal, and those aren't even the most poisonous parts of the plant: the root of the deadly nightshade contains the most tropane alkaloids, and therefore most deadly.<br />
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The tropane alkaloids act on the human nervous system as cholinergic receptor antagonists (generally speaking, because there are always exceptions). The nervous system uses the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (that act upon cholinergic receptors) to control muscle movements. Tropane alkaloids, as antagonists, will disrupt this process, making muscles unable to contract.<br />
More specifically, the tropane alkaloids act on the human body's parasympathetic nervous system, which regulates involuntary movements such as pupillary restriction/dilation, breathing, gastrointestinal movements, and heart rate. So tropane alkaloids will stop most of your muscles from working, <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">from dilating your pupils, to stopping you from breathing.</span><br />
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In addition, central nervous system effects of tropane alkaloids include memory disruption, which may lead to severe confusion.<br />
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The deadly nightshade is also toxic to many domestic animals such as dogs and cats; however, cattle, rabbits, birds and deer eat the plant seemingly without suffering any harmful effects.<br />
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<i>Datura</i> : Devils and Angels Under the Moon</h3>
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All of the plants in the <i>Datura</i> genus take on common names such as <b>angel's trumpets</b> or <b>moonflowers</b>. Notably, <i>Datura stramonium</i>, commonly known as<b> </b><b>thornapple</b>, <b>Jimson weed</b>, and sometimes <b>Devil's snare</b>,<b> </b>is the most common species.</div>
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The reason that it's called the thornapple is because of its <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/09/learnabout-vol52-roselle-calyces.html#calyx" target="_blank">calyx</a>: long and tubular, swollen at the bottom, sharply angled, and surmounted by sharp teeth (thorns). The flowers of the thornapple open at night, emitting a pleasant fragrance, and are fed upon by nocturnal moths.</div>
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All parts of <i>Datura</i> plants contain dangerous levels of the tropane alkaloids. Despite the danger of the plant, thornapple sometimes has been used as a recreational drug because of the vivid hallucinations and delirium they produce. However, these hallucinations are most commonly described as very unpleasant. My grandma used to tell me a story about how one of her aunts experienced delirium when she accidentally ingested the seeds (mistaking it as the plant <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abutilon_theophrasti" target="_blank">Abutilon theophrasti</a></i>) and took her plow out to the field in the middle of the night and couldn't find home.<br />
More curiously, modern researchers have been finding links between mythologies in ancient literature and this hallucinogenic plant. One example is Homer's <i>Odyssey</i>. In one episode in the <i>Odyssey</i>, Odysseus has to rescue his followers from a sorcerer, who turned them into animals, and he was able to do so with a majestic plant he ingested that prevented the sorcerer's spill from working on him.<br />
Recent research suggests that the sorcerer actually used Jimson weed/thornapple to cause severe confusion and hallucinations of Odysseus's followers, and the herb that Odysseues ingested was snowdrop (<i>Galanthus nivalis</i>), which has anti-hallucinogenic properties.<br />
TED-Ed has a nice animated video on this topic. You can watch it here.<br />
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<i>Brugmansia</i> : Brass Symphony in the Backyard</h3>
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<i>Brugmansia</i> is a genus of seven species of flowering plants closely related to <i>Datura</i>, and are sometimes classified under the <i>Datura</i> genus. All seven species are extinct in the wild, but are still grown as ornamental plants. They also take on the common name <b>Angel's trumpet</b> or sometimes <b>Devil's trumpet</b>. Devil or Angel? We do not know. </div>
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All parts of <i>Brugmansia</i> are poisonous, with the seeds and leaves being especially dangerous. There have also been reports of ingesting <i>Brugmansia</i> for recreational use. However, just like Datura, the hallucinogenic effects of <i>Brugmansia</i> were described as "violent and unpleasant" and causes "sickening aftereffects and temporary insanity."</div>
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<i>Mandragora</i> : The Little Man that Grows Underground</h3>
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If you are a Harry Potter fan, you are probably no stranger to <b>mandrake</b>. In <i>Harry Potter and the</i> <i>Chamber of Secrets</i>, mandrake is described to look like a human and when mature, its cry can be fatal to any person who hears it. </div>
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In real life, the genus <i>Mandragora</i> does produce roots (known as mandrakes) that sometimes take on a human body form, and therefore has been incorporated in numerous folklores, literature, and witcheries. </div>
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One particular folklore states that mandrakes are like humans, and once removed from earth, it will unleash a sharp scream that will kill the collector. So the right way to collect mandrakes is to use a rope, a hunting horn, a starving dog, and a rope. The dog is lured away from the plant<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">, which is tied to the dog's body via the rope. The moment the mandrake is pulled from earth, it will scream. The collector has to cover the scream using the horn, but the dog is too close to the plant and it usually dies. Cruel, isn't it? </span></div>
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In medieval times, mandrakes are highly sought after as amulets and potions, and the more resemblance it has to a human figure, the more expensive it gets. </div>
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Mandrake in Hebrew means “love plant,” used as a cure to sterility. However, there is no evidence that mandrakes affect fertilization. </div>
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Just like all the other plants we talked about so far, mandrakes contain a large quantity of tropane alkaloids.<br />
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<i>Hyoscyamus</i> : Dreams of a Flying Fairy</h3>
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The species <i>Hyoscyamus niger</i>, commonly known as <b>henbane</b>, was historically used in combination with mandrake, deadly nightshade, and datura as an anesthetic potion. It was also known for its psychoactive properties that induce visual hallucinations and a sensation of flight. The name in English means “hen killer,” and in Chinese, the common name translates to "the seeds of Godly fairies." </div>
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Henbane is so poisonous that the mere smell of the flowers produces giddiness. The cause, of course, is the tropane alkaloids that the plant contains. </div>
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If you would like to read more about henbanes, here is a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4224707/" target="_blank">scientific review</a> that summarizes the history, description, pharmacology, and toxicology of the plant.<br />
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<i>Nicotiana</i> : "Thank You" for smoking </h3>
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We already met the most important member of this genus in <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/11/learnabout-vol-62-gifts-of-nightshades.html" target="_blank">Vol 6.2</a>: <b>tobacco</b>, and nicotine is what gives this genus its name. </div>
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Nicotine is a potent alkaloid and a stimulant drug. Nicotine's stimulant property is a result of being a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist in the brain, which is completely opposite to tropane alkaloids, which are antagonists. Upon reaching the blood stream and the brain, nicotine causes the brain to release acetylcholine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, vasopressin, serotonin, dopamine, and endorphin, and dopamine acts on the limbic system, the brain's reward center, and causes long-term increase in nicotine demands, which is why nicotine is so highly addictive. It also acts on the liver to release glucose, and on the adrenal medulla to release epinephrine, causing the stimulative effect.</div>
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We believe that we don't have to tell you all the consequences that comes with nicotine addiction. Even the cigarette packaging says that smoking causes cardiovascular disease, potential birth defects, cancer, and shortened life span. So, one conclusion: you should really quit smoking. </div>
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<i>Capsicum</i> : It Hurts So Good </h3>
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We also met this genus in <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/11/learnabout-vol-62-gifts-of-nightshades.html" target="_blank">Vol 6.2</a>. <b>Chili peppers</b>, which contain the compound capsaicin, is what gives this genus its name.</div>
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Capsaicin is structurally unrelated to nicotine and the tropanes.</div>
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The compound is not appreciably toxic to animals. However, it stimulates specific heat/pain receptors on the tongue in most mammals. This causes a sensation of burning like an actual heat or chemical burn, and that's why spiciness is not a taste but rather a temperature and pain sensation. </div>
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The "hotness" of capsaicin actually has a unit, and it's called the Scoville units. A Scoville unit is the factor by which the capsaicin-containing substance must be diluted to render the resulting solution imperceptible to a tester. Basically, the more Scoville units there are, the spicier the chili pepper gets. </div>
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Here's a chart of the common peppers and their corresponding Scoville units:</div>
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<img alt="Scoville units in different chillies" border="0" src="http://www.eatmorechiles.com/images/chilitemp.jpg" title="" /></div>
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It is no secret that milk helps alleviate the burn caused by capsaicin. Why doesn't water help? The short answer is that capsaicin doesn't dissolve in water, but if you want a more detailed answer, check out this <a href="http://www.iflscience.com/brain/why-does-chilli-burn-and-why-does-milk-help-soothe-pain" target="_blank">article</a> on IFLSCIENCE. </div>
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Saponins and Lectins: Truths and Myths of Nightshade Sensitivity</h3>
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Let's come back to the edible nightshades described in our last issue for a moment.</div>
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It is acclaimed that "Many people are intolerant to nightshades, especially Caucasians, but the results are often delayed weeks, months, or years, making them difficult connect to the true cause. Other symptoms of nightshade intolerance are depression, anxiety, constipation, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, joint pain, headaches, nausea, bloating, flatulence, IBS, anemia, and poor food absorption. Symptoms of nightshade intolerance often overlap with those of gluten or dairy intolerance." (http://janeshealthykitchen.com/beware-of-nightshades/)</div>
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I actually couldn't find any evidence to support these claims. There has been no scientific evidence to show that edible plants in the nightshade family cause osteoporosis, migraines, depression, or worsen arthritis pain. (http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-eats/nutrition/4-myths-about-nightshade-vegetables)</div>
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However, there is probably truth in the digestive-related disorders, as nightshade sensitivity is definitely real (I have met a few people who are sensitive to nightshades myself). </div>
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We repeatedly met a chemical called "<b>solanine</b>" in our <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/11/learnabout-vol-62-gifts-of-nightshades.html" target="_blank">last issue</a>, and solanine belongs to a larger chemical class called "<b>saponins</b>." Saponins in large doses can cause poisoning, and symptoms are largely displayed by gastrointestinal and neurological disorders such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, burning of the throat, cardiac dysrhythmia, nightmare, headache and dizziness. </div>
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Another disorder is what's called a "leaky gut," which allows microbes and toxins to enter the blood stream to compromise the immune system, caused by the chemical <b>lectin</b>. It is true that lectins can cause gastrointestinal distress through interaction of the lectins with the epithelial cells of the gut; however, lectin is also abundant in beans, cereal grains, seeds, nuts. So it's a bit unfair to blame the nightshades for this disorder. </div>
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Modern cultivars of all the edible nightshades contain very little of saponins and lectins. There hasn't been a single case of solanine poisoning due to eating potatoes in the United States for more than 50 years, as the solanine is mostly concentrated in the green leaves and fruits of the potato plant, not the tuber (which is btw the answer to our last issue's <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/11/learnabout-vol-62-gifts-of-nightshades.html#game" target="_blank">guessing game</a>!). There is also an alkaloid called <b>tomatine</b> in tomatoes, and a toxic dose of tomatine for an adult human would require eating at least one pound of tomato leaves.</div>
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Conclusion: Unless you are one of the very few who has a diagnosed nightshade sensitivity, nightshades are probably not harmful to you. If you find your nightshades in a grocery store, eat away! If you find them on the side of the road, be careful!</div>
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A Curse is also a Blessing </h3>
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There are two sides to every story. </div>
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The tropane alkaloid has gained a bad reputation in this issue. However, I would also like to point out, tropane alkaloid has provided many cheap and reliable medical applications. For example, atropine is used to dilate your pupils in your eye doc's office, and is also used in surgery to prevent bradycardia. Scopolamine is often used in treating spasm of the gastrointestinal tract and motion sickness. Capsaicin is often used as a natural and strong anti-inflammatory and natural antibacterial agent.</div>
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So you see, a curse can also be a gift if you treat it right!</div>
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(image credits: curses of the nightshades: http://sciencevibe.com/2015/07/14/is-it-reality-and-fantasy-relax-its-only-datura-hallucinations/; deadly nightshade flower: https://auntiedogmasgardenspot.wordpress.com/tag/nightshade/; deadly nightshade fruit: http://en.hortipedia.com/wiki/Atropa_belladonna; datura flower: http://www.missouriplants.com/Bluealt/Datura_stramonium_page.html; datura fruit: http://www.prota4u.org/protav8.asp?en=1&p=Datura+metel; angel's trumpet: http://boards.420chan.org/other/res/124447.php; mandrake form harry potter: http://goldenarmor.com/mandrake-root/2012/7/3/harry-potter-mandrake-root.html; mandrake roots: http://food52.com/blog/13224-7-members-of-the-nightshade-family-that-are-more-lovable-than-lethal; http://www.motherearthliving.com/natural-health/in-the-news-mandrake-root-combat-taxes.aspx; henbane: http://www.worldbotanical.com/hyoscyamus.htm; Scoville units: http://www.eatmorechiles.com/Scoville_Heat.html; </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-43789657597180252482015-11-02T10:31:00.000-06:002020-03-12T15:51:48.683-05:00#LEARNABOUT: Vol 6.2. Gifts of the Nightshades<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This issue of #LEARNABOUT is the second part of a three-part series featuring various plants from the nightshade family <i>Solanaceae</i>. In <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/10/learnabout-vol61-ground-cherrytomatillo.html" target="_blank">Vol. 6.1</a>, we already met two of them: tomatillo and ground cherry, and you will meet the rest of the family (pun intended) in this issue.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8aqmHgORcas/XmqfIRToaEI/AAAAAAAAf2Y/GPO0d5QMPOM9Gm_gbrzVBBS3xqYwuRJHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/garden-829341_960_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="colorful nightshades" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="537" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8aqmHgORcas/XmqfIRToaEI/AAAAAAAAf2Y/GPO0d5QMPOM9Gm_gbrzVBBS3xqYwuRJHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/garden-829341_960_720.jpg" title="" width="475" /></a></div>
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This article will also take on a slightly different format as the other #LEARNABOUT articles. Since we are talking about a lot of plants here, we will introduce them to you one by one (organized by Genus), followed by their biological facts/culinary usages.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Disclaimer: At Midnight Rosewater, we do our best to offer you truthful and accurate information on food ingredients, but sometimes the information alone might not be adequate for you to identify the plant. So please do not try to identify </span><i style="color: #cc0000;">Solanaceae </i><span style="color: #cc0000;">plants on the side of the road with the knowledge that you gained alone from this article. </span><i style="color: #cc0000;">Solanaceae</i><span style="color: #cc0000;"> has a notorious reputation for poisoning people who think that they know what they are dealing with. </span><br />
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<i>Solanum </i>: I say to-may-to, you say to-mah-to</h3>
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Under the Genus <i>Solanum</i>, there are a few edible plant species that call for our specific attention. We will start with the lesser known ones. </div>
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The first species is called <b>wonderberry or sunberry, </b>fruits of the plant <i>Solanum retroflexum.</i></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BPL32IZCsgs/Xmqg0MJMHkI/AAAAAAAAf2w/pKKHPCgTsVAUaBWDkSqNAjfQ9DMsS14ggCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/black-nightshade-fruit-seoul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wonderberries/sunberries" border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="910" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BPL32IZCsgs/Xmqg0MJMHkI/AAAAAAAAf2w/pKKHPCgTsVAUaBWDkSqNAjfQ9DMsS14ggCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/black-nightshade-fruit-seoul.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Wonderberry/sunberry fruits are usually as dark as the evening sky, so I don't understand why they are called sunberries. </div>
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The plant can grow anywhere for 4 inches (100 mm) to 20 inches (500 mm), and the fruits cluster on the stem, usually round in shape, 1/6 inch (4 mm) in diameter, about the size of a red currant fruit. </div>
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The ripe fruits taste very much like tomatillo: minimally sweet, but more juicy in texture, with a more intense "grassy" flavor (which we talked about in our previous Chef Says article about <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/10/chef-says-wonderful-little-green-tomato.html" target="_blank">salsa verde</a>) and a surprising twist of nuttiness. My friend describes the taste of wonderberries "as if plum bitters were aged in dark chocolate."</div>
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The <i>Solanum retroflexum </i>plant is very commonly found in the wild and on the side of the road. If you manage to salvage the berries, they will make a great addition with an interesting twist to any dessert toppings. However, beware: <u>the unripe wonderberries, as well as the other parts of the plant, are poisonous. </u><br />
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<img alt="wonderberry flower" border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YHxzW2NxeCY/VjLgCIxEPcI/AAAAAAAADs4/7bEf37U2PmY/s640/IMG_9978.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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<img alt="wonderberry plant" border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9aIkTk6Kvhw/VjLgAPUPE3I/AAAAAAAADso/GNElrovuKKU/s640/IMG_9979.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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The second species is called <b>makoi/otricoli berries</b>, referring to the red and orange cultivar of the same plant <i>Solanum nigrum</i>, commonly known as the black nightshade, which itself produces black fruits very similar to wonderberries/sunberries mentioned above. </div>
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<img alt="makoi berries" border="0" height="480" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Makoi_or_Solanum_nigrum_berries.jpg/1280px-Makoi_or_Solanum_nigrum_berries.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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The berries of every <i>Solanum nigrum</i> cultivar are very edible. The fruits taste very much like an ultra flavorful cherry tomato, and mildly sweet. The thoroughly boiled leaves — although strong and slightly bitter flavored--are edible and used in many cuisines, especially Chinese, Indian, South African, Greek, and Indonesian.<br />
However, just like the previous talked about <i>Solanum retroflexum</i>, <u><i>Solanum nigrum </i>plants (except the ripe fruits), are all mildly poisonous</u>. Therefore, make sure that the fruits are ripe and the leaves are cooked before consumption.<br />
The picture below is an otricoli berry plant.<br />
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<img alt="otricoli berry plant" border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oaGYd0KsmjU/VjLgAo7E6rI/AAAAAAAADs0/xN8B-KJRdCg/s640/IMG_9981.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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The third species is called <b>litchi tomatoes</b>, sometimes referred to as Morelle de Balbis, fruits of the plant <i>Solanum sisymbriifolium</i>, commonly known as the sticky nightshade.<br />
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<img alt="Litchi tomatoes" border="0" height="428" src="https://www.growbetterveggies.com/.a/6a00d8346ffdca53ef0148c718be62970c-800wi" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="640" /></div>
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This plant is usually used as a trap plant to keep insects out of the field because of its thorny nature, as well as the fact that the stems and leaves contain the compound solasodine, which makes the plant resistant to pests and diseases. The ripe fruits are red, about the size of a cherry, are perfectly edible, and taste like a juicy tart cherry crossed with a tomato.<br />
<u>As far as all of the other parts of the plant--well, you guessed it--they are also poisonous,</u> due to the solasodine that it contains (if the bugs refuse to eat it, you probably shouldn't either).<br />
This plant is also very easily confused with another species, called <b>horsenettle</b>, or <i>Solanum carolinense</i>, from its flowers and leaves alone, and that's why you shouldn't automatically eat a fruit that you find in the wild. <u>The fruit of the horsenettle, usually yellow-orange, is deadly</u>. Luckily, you can tell them apart pretty easily from the fruits: the litchi tomatoes are usually covered in a thorny husk (<a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/09/learnabout-vol52-roselle-calyces.html#calyx">calyx</a>), whereas the horsenettle is, yes, also thorny, but it doesn't have husks (calyces) covering the fruits.<br />
<i>Eat The Weeds</i> has a wonderful <a href="http://www.eattheweeds.com/litchi-tomato/" target="_blank">guide</a> on a more detailed look into litchi tomatoes. You can find more pictures and identification guides there.<br />
Here are some pictures of the litchi tomato plant:<br />
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<img alt="litchi tomato flowers" border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xsxHRSV-GZY/VjLgFTHORjI/AAAAAAAADtM/YiC7xId-qKM/s640/IMG_9995.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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<img alt="litchi tomato thorns" border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rMqVqc49GGI/VjLgE21HY9I/AAAAAAAADtI/op5ZDdJTk5k/s640/IMG_9992.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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There are three <i>Solum</i> members that are lesser known to the Northern Americans. They are closely related, and also look somewhat similar.<br />
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<b>Tamarillo, </b>also known as the<b> tree tomato, tamamoro, </b>and<b> tomate de árbol</b>, is the fruit of the plant <i>Solanum betaceum</i>. It is not to be confused with tomatillos, which we talked about in the last issue and our last Chef Says section.<br />
It is a very common fruit in South America, and New Zealand, but lesser known in the US. The fruit can range from sour to tart to sweet, and more seedy than a tomato with a firmer texture. It could be used interchangeably with tomatoes. <br />
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<img alt="Tamarillo" border="0" height="426" src="https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/life/food_wine/2015/04/01/egg-shaped-tamarillos-are-a-great-easter-gift-for-foodies/tamarillo1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Naranjilla</b> is the fruit of the plant <i>Solanum quitoense</i>, native to South America. The fruit has a citrus flavor, sometimes described as a combination of rhubarb and lime. The juice of the naranjilla is green and is often used as a juice or for a drink called lulada or lulo.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WhPQgMII83w/Xmqf_e1dx9I/AAAAAAAAf2g/1KjD_yfpZ1MI52zEYftLBLoLu4AHVIAhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/618px-Lulo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Naranjilla or Lulo" border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="618" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WhPQgMII83w/Xmqf_e1dx9I/AAAAAAAAf2g/1KjD_yfpZ1MI52zEYftLBLoLu4AHVIAhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/618px-Lulo.jpg" title="" width="513" /></a></div>
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<b>Pepino</b> is the fruit of the plant <i>Solanum muricatum</i>, also native to South America. The pepino fruit has a melon (white/greenish) color, and its flavor resembles a mixture of honeydew and cucumber.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MkZIsJXerDI/XmqgNV9GhNI/AAAAAAAAf2k/7cEWjQL7a4kJjoVEf2Bfzw5RmM6x1UdKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/fruit-3808105_960_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pepino" border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="960" height="306" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MkZIsJXerDI/XmqgNV9GhNI/AAAAAAAAf2k/7cEWjQL7a4kJjoVEf2Bfzw5RmM6x1UdKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/fruit-3808105_960_720.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Eggplants, or aubergines,</b> are another species that is edible in the <i>Solanum</i> genus, fruits of the plant <i>Solanum melongena</i>.<br />
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<img alt="eggplant flower" border="0" height="480" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Eggplant_Flower_in_Hong_Kong.JPG" title="" width="640" /></div>
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<img alt="various eggplants" border="0" height="366" src="https://www.vegkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Eggplant-varieties1.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
Botanically classified as a berry, eggplants are a popular food across many cultures. Although you can eat an eggplant raw, it is not recommended because raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste, due to the nicotinoid alkaloids in the small and soft seeds. <u>It is also not ok to eat an unripe eggplant, as it contains a large amount of alkaloids and can be poisonous to humans.</u> When cooked, the eggplant becomes tender and develops a rich, complex flavor. However, what could be very surprising about eggplants is their water content: 92% by weight. That is more than blueberries, raspberries, oranges and peaches. In fact, the water content of eggplants is very comparable to watermelons. Therefore, when cooking eggplants, many recipes advise salting, rinsing and draining the sliced fruit (known as "degorging") to soften it, release water, and reduce the amount of fat absorbed during cooking.<br />
Here are some pictures of the pan-fried meat stuffed eggplants my grandma makes:<br />
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<img alt="pan fried stuffed eggplant 2" border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uvxK0U5BF2c/VjLhgSUcrBI/AAAAAAAADtU/RovIazK9F8s/s640/IMG_6392.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Tomatoes and potatoes </b>are probably the most well-known plants in the <i>Solanaceae</i> family. There are lots and lots of cultivars of tomatoes and potatoes out there, and many of them are very interesting.<br />
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<img alt="Tomato cultivars" border="0" height="316" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bkpFQSOpewI/VjLjiKbH5gI/AAAAAAAADt4/CmCBlxn7pEc/s640/tomato%2Barrangements.png" title="" width="640" /><br />
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In this issue, we won't focus on the specific cultivars, but rather, we will answer two questions that people might not know the answers to:<br />
1. Is tomato a fruit or vegetable?<br />
2. Is potato a root vegetable or stem vegetable?<br />
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The question of tomato being a fruit or vegetable goes all the way back to the United States Supreme Court in 1893 (for tax reasons, obviously), and the court ruled that, under U.S. customs regulations, the tomato should be classified as a vegetable rather than a fruit because they were usually eaten as a main course instead of being eaten as a dessert. However, the court also acknowledged that tomatoes are, botanically speaking, a fruit.<br />
Here's a fun picture of a tomato fruit under an MRI machine.<br />
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<img alt="tomato under MRI" border="0" height="640" src="https://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE0LzA0LzE4LzAwL3RvbWF0by41OWYxNC5naWYKcAl0aHVtYgk4NTB4ODUwPgplCWpwZw/385c63f4/0b9/tomato.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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For the second question, most people know that a potato is a tuber, but not many know that tubers can derive either from roots or stems. In the case of a potato, it is a stem tuber. So therefore, a potato is, botanically speaking, a stem.<br />
You also know that potato is a stem because if you put a potato in a moist and warm environment, you will find shoots/buds coming out of the dents on the surface, known as nodes. If you cut potatoes into small chunks each with a node, you can theoretically grow an entire plant out of just the parental tissue alone, without fertilization. This method of reproduction is called <u>asexual reproduction</u>, and this is how Matt Watney could survive on Mars in "The Marsian." <u>Unfortunately, when potatoes bud, they are no longer edible, because the tissues surrounding the bud secrete a large quantity of solanine, and hence become highly poisonous.</u><br />
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<img alt="potato cultivars" border="0" height="428" src="https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/Potatoes_L.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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So now you know. Botanically, tomatoes are fruits that grow above ground, and potatoes are stems that grow below ground. Since the two plants are closely related, there is actually such a thing called a "tomato potato plant," or what I prefer to call the "ketchup and fries plant." It is made possible by the ancient technique of grafting.<br />
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There is also the even stranger eggplant/aubergine potato plant.</div>
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<img alt="eggplant/aubergine potato plant" border="0" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/06/13/2FD5F0F900000578-0-The_Egg_and_Chips_plant_pictured_grows_aubergines_from_its_stem_-m-56_1452087022648.jpg" title="" /></div>
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<i>Lycium </i>: wolfberries/goji berries</h3>
<b>Wolfberries, or goji berries,</b> are the fruits of the genus <i>Lycium barbarum</i>. Chances are, you have probably heard of them because your health magazine of choice at some point has probably declared goji berries as being the next super food.<br />
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Wolfberries are bright orange-red ellipsoidal berries, 1–2 cm (1/3–2/3 inch) in diameter. Fresh wolfberries are edible, but they are not pleasant to consume because of an extreme bitter aftertaste (from the seeds). The berry itself has a sweet and tangy taste, and much more pleasant when dried <i>and</i> cooked, and this is the most popular and recommended form of consumption.<br />
China produces the most wolfberries in the world, and most of which come from the smallest province: Ningxia. The Chinese call them "gouqi," and they are a very special part of the Chinese cuisine, as they are often put in congee, wine, tea, juice, and/or cooked with meat.<br />
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<img alt="dried goji berries" border="0" height="426" src="https://www.naturescornernaturalmarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/goji.jpg" title="" width="640" /><br />
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You might have heard a lot of health claims about wolfberries/goji berries, anywhere from cancer prevention, to anti-aging, lowering blood sugar, improving immunity, fighting cardiovascular disease etc. However, there has been very weak evidence to support any of these claims. Sure, some health benefits of the goji berries are documented in ancient Chinese medicine books; however, we need more compelling scientific evidence to claim it as a useful medicine/super food.<br />
So why eati it? Because it tastes good! Especially with poultry.<br />
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<i>Nicotiana</i> : Bet you know what plant this Genus contains</h3>
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<i>Nicotiana tabacum</i>, or the <b>tobacco plant</b>, is the only Genus of <i>Solanaceae</i> that contains a large amount of the alkaloid nicotine. All of the <i>Solanaceae</i> family plants contain some amount of nicotine. Actually, more generally speaking, all of the <i>Solanaceae </i> family plants contain some sort of alkaloid. We will explore them more in the next issue of #LEARNABOUT.</div>
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<h3>
<i>Capsicum</i> : Chillies, Peppers, and Chili Peppers</h3>
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This Genus got its name because of the chemical capsaicin, which is what gives peppers their spiciness. In addition, the <i>Capsicum</i> genus also often contains another compound that's found in most of the species of <i>Solanaceae</i>, solanine, which we have mentioned multiple times in this article. Again, we will talk about it in the next issue.<br />
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c0/bf/b6/c0bfb69ad979be3984fb21107c213f27.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c0/bf/b6/c0bfb69ad979be3984fb21107c213f27.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's also a picture of a flower of a chili pepper. At this point, you probably realized that all species in the <i>Solanaceae</i> family have similar looking flowers. Indeed, all of the flowers in the Solanaceae family have 5 fused petals, 5 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamen" target="_blank">stamens</a>, and 1 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynoecium#Pistils" target="_blank">pistil</a>. In addition the sepals (or <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/09/learnabout-vol52-roselle-calyces.html#calyx" target="_blank">calyces</a>) often stay on the ripe fruits. </div>
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<img alt="chilli flower" border="0" height="414" src="https://www.thechilliking.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rocoto-Red-Chilli-Flower.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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Let's play a game!</h3>
Based on all the things you learned in this issue, what common plant do you think this fruit belongs to? The answer will be revealed in the next issue of #LEARNABOUT.<br />
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(image credits: colorful nightshades:https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/07/02/17/38/garden-829341_960_720.jpg; wonderberries: http://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/view_seed_item/1619;<br />
litchi tomatoes: http://www.growbetterveggies.com/growbetterveggies/2010/12/morelle-de-balb.html; Tamarillo: http://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2015/04/01/egg-shaped-tamarillos-are-a-great-easter-gift-for-foodies.html; eggplant cultivars: http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/eggplant-an-extravaganza-of-recipes/; tomato varieties: http://www.emilyblincoe.com/; tomato under MRI: http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/mesmerizing-gifs-of-mri-scanned-food-and-flowers; potato cultivars: http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2012/03/ode-to-the-potato.html; tomato potato plant: http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/grafted-tomato-potato-plant-yields-ketchup-n-fries; goji berries: http://www.chinesewolfberry.com/; dried goji berries: http://www.naturescornernaturalmarket.com/2015/08/07/superfood-spotlight-goji-berries/; tobacco plant: http://www.wired.com/2014/08/boeing-tobacco-jet-biofuel/; pepper varieties: http://www.emilyblincoe.com/; chilli flower: http://www.thechilliking.com/growing/growing-chilli-peppers-guide/)<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-19734182211894759052015-10-24T03:33:00.000-05:002015-10-24T13:02:11.330-05:00Chef Says: the wonderful little 'green tomato'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In this issue of Chef Says, our friend and wonderful cook Ben Fossen (<a href="https://instagram.com/fossenben/">@fossenben</a>) teaches us how to make one of the most signature salsas of the Latin American cuisine: salsa verde, using the one ingredient that we talked about from the previous #LEARNABOUT section: <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/10/learnabout-vol61-ground-cherrytomatillo.html">tomatillo</a>.<br />
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The mysterious origin of the "special" taste</h3>
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<span style="background-color: white;">If you ever tried a raw tomatillo, you will know that the flavor is extremely distinctive, described as "green and grassy". However, if you have also tasted a tomato/eggplant/wonderberry (which we will talk about in Vol.6.2 of #LEARNABOUT--stay tuned!), you will also notice that despite their largely different flavors, there seems to be some undertone commonality in flavors that is consistent across these plants of the <i>Solanaceae</i> family. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">It is actually no coincidence that all the <i>Solanaceae</i> plants share similar flavors. This is a result of some common volatile compounds that are found in these plants. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Specifically, some of the biggest players are:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">(Z)-3-hexenal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, nonanal, hexanal, hexanol and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">In this article, we won't go into details of what these compounds are, but we will talk about them in the near future. If you are interested in learning more, you can check out the following scientific articles and guides:</span><br />
<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/enhanced/doi/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01575.x" target="_blank">Comparison of Volatile Release in Tomatillo and Different Varieties of Tomato during Chewing</a><br />
<a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bk-2001-0794.ch007" target="_blank">Novel Aspects of Tomatillo Flavor</a><br />
<a href="http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/11/hexenal-grass-smell" target="_blank">Hexenal</a><br />
However, please keep a very important concept in mind (which we will revisit in a few issues of #LEARNABOUT): how we perceive taste is not only dependent on the flavor of the food alone, but also how it smells (olfaction), how it looks (color), and how it feels (texture+temperature).<br />
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Step-by-Step Guide to Making Salsa Verde</h3>
Traditionally, salsa verde is made by blending all the ingredients by hand, and to aid this maneuver, tomatillos are usually grilled for softening, then chopped finely. However, in these modern times, we are blessed with blenders and food processors, and that's the way we are going to do it in this article.<br />
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What you will need:<br />
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<b>Onion</b>: while or yellow.</div>
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<b>Tomatillo: </b>remove husks.</div>
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<b>Garlic</b>: peel.</div>
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<b>Salt</b>: to taste.</div>
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<b>Cumin</b>: this is optional. It is used to give the final product a little extra kick. </div>
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<b>Cilantro</b>: this is not optional. If you don't like the taste of cilantro, you can try to leave it out, but it SERIOUSLY won't taste the same.</div>
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<b>Serrano Peppers</b>: this pepper has the spiciness similar to Jalapeño. </div>
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<b>Oregano</b>: this is optional, but a very popular modern addition to salsa verde. </div>
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<b>How much of each ingredient do you need?</b></div>
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You can see the picture below. We just eyeballed it and used 6 tomatillos, half an onion, 2 cloves of garlic, a bunch cilantro, and a little oregano. Salt and cumin to taste. The more serrano peppers you add, the spicier the final product will be. </div>
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After you collect, chop, and prepare all of the ingredients, simply combine them all and blend!<br />
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The result is a super easy-to-make, delicious, and lovely looking sauce that you can pour over everything from enchiladas to burritos, or simply eat with chips!</div>
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In terms of flavor, salsa verde has a lot of similar flavors to one of the red versions of salsa called pico de gallo. The difference is that people don't typically put oregano and cumin in pico de gallo, and of course, that one ingredient that makes salsa verde stand apart: tomatillo. </div>
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<h3>
Chef Says</h3>
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"Latin American food is a lot about the sauce, and among the popular sauces, salsa verde has a flavor that is hard to describe in any language. It's a wonderful flavor that you would not expect out of a little green 'tomato'."<br />
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<b>About Ben:</b><br />
Ben went to school at the University of Minnesota to be a software engineer, but in his free time he enjoys cooking and likes experimenting with unique fusion recipes. He thinks that food presentation enhances the experience and therefore he likes to use creative plating with his food. You can follow him on instragram <a href="https://instagram.com/fossenben/">@fossenben</a>.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-88496692257530672132015-10-11T15:42:00.000-05:002015-11-20T14:29:02.672-06:00#LEARNABOUT: Vol 6.1. Ground Cherry/Tomatillo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This issue of #LEARNABOUT will be the first part of a three-part series featuring various plants from the nightshade/eggplant family <i>Solanaceae. </i>In this first issue, we will look into two fruits that are very closely related to each other: ground cherries and tomatillos. In the next issue, we will look into many other kinds of edible berries from the <i>Solanaceae </i>family. In the last issue, we will take a deeper look of the chemistry behind poisonous nature of the <i>Solanaceae</i> family.<br />
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Ground cherries and tomatillos are both from the genus <i>Physalis. </i>Ground cherries commonly refer to the species <i>Physalis peruviana,</i> and tomatillos commonly refer to the species <i>Physalis philadelphica. </i>However, keep in mind, these species are just two among the hundreds of species being grown worldwide.<br />
If you are confused about the family-genus-species Latin names, please visit Vol.5.1 where we talk about the <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/08/learnabout-vol51-roselle-leaves.html#botanical_nomenclature">botanical nomenclature</a>.<br />
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What are they?</h3>
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Ground cherries, despite how its name sounds, have nothing to do with cherries. In the US, ground cherries can go by a lot of different names: Cape gooseberry (surprisingly, it has nothing to do with gooseberries either), Inca berry, Pichuberry, and golden berry (which is dried ground cherries).<br />
Just like ground cherries, tomatillos also have a lot of different names: Mexican husk tomato, Mexican green tomato, and miltomate. </div>
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<img alt="goldenberries (dried groundcherries)" border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EGw6fHhwEpg/VhhweIdBspI/AAAAAAAADng/1baKBDOa1sU/s640/562.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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Tastewise, ground cherries and tomatillos are like the sweet and tart versions of each other -- and this is why we have decided to introduce both of them to you at once. Note that tomatillos are not really sour, but are very subtly tart.<br />
As previously mentioned, both ground cherries and tomatillos are from the <i>Physalis</i> genus, and one of the common traits of this genus is that the fruits are often always surrounded by a a large, papery husk derived from the <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/09/learnabout-vol52-roselle-calyces.html#calyx">calyx</a>, partly or fully enclosing the fruit.<br />
Ground cherries are usually smaller in size compared to tomatillos, and the ripe fruits also appear to be yellow (tomatillos commonly appear to be green), but they can also be yellow, red, or even purple.<br />
The texture of both ground cherries and tomatillos resembles closely to tomatoes, and they have many little seeds, which is a common feature of the <i>Solanaceae </i>family. Fortunately, these seeds don't have a very hard shell, so you can eat them without any problem, and they actually add some more interesting textures to the fruits.<br />
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<u><strike><img alt="Cross sections of groundcherries and tomatillos" border="0" height="296" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ghs4I1A7rtk/VhhwnK1QsUI/AAAAAAAADpM/xAemgXZh73k/s640/tomatillo-groundcherry-crosssection.png" title="" width="640" /></strike></u></div>
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Why should I eat them?</h3>
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I guess that us telling you ground cherries are sweet and tomatillos are tart has not convinced you to try them out yet. Indeed, ground cherries and tomatillos are much more complicated than just sweet and tart.<br />
The taste of ground cherries is sweet, aromatic, and has a surprising twist of savoriness. People who have eaten ground cherries will describe it as tomatoes+melons, and occasionally the taste of grilled filet mignon.<br />
The taste of tomatillos is tart, a little savory, and when grilled, tastes like grilled tomato+pepper (which unsurprisingly both belong to the <i>Solanaceae </i>family). <br />
So if you want to add a little twist to your regular tomato salad, give ground cherries/tomatillos a shot. It will for sure intrigue your guest who is guaranteed to ask you about that one fruit that they taste and can't identify.<br />
Nutrition wise, these fruits have are very comparable to tomatoes: low in calories but high in nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and pectin.<br />
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Where can I find them? </h3>
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Ground cherries are usually ripe at around this time of the year, late September to late October. You are most likely to find them fresh in your local farmer's markets.<br />
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If you are looking for the dried golden berries, you might want to try your luck at some organic grocery stores and your local co-ops.<br />
Tomatillos can be easily found in most grocery stores, as it is a very common ingredient in hispanic cuisines.<br />
If you go to farmer's markets often, you might even stumble upon another species of the <i>Physalis </i>genus: <i>Physalis alkekengi. </i>The common name of this plant is called Chinese/Japanese lantern. This species does not produce edible fruits, but it produces bright orange husks/calyces and fruits. It is often used as an ornamental plant for flower arrangements in the fall/winter.<br />
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Because it's shaped like a lantern, and lanterns are important cultural symbols in both Japanese and Chinese cultures, this plant is often used in rituals as offerings to guide the souls of the deceased.<br />
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How to eat ground cherries/tomatillos</h3>
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<li>Tomatillos are a key ingredient in green sauce/salsa (salsa verde) in Latin American food. However, you can, of course, substitute tomatillos with ground cherries. You will get a sweeter version of the salsa. Our next Chef Says section will feature salsa verde. Stay tuned!<br /><span id="goog_79990729"></span><img alt="salsa verde" border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FHKHNkurcdI/Vhhwkg6rSDI/AAAAAAAADoI/UzyKKGI4uZI/s400/Salsa-Verde-500.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /><span id="goog_79990730"></span></li>
<li>Eat ground cherries raw. They are delicious. Just pop them out of the husks/calyces. </li>
<li>Eat them in salads. Substitute cherry tomatoes with either of ground cherries/tomatillos. </li>
<li>Ground cherries/tomatillos can stay fresh up to several months in the fridge if you leave the husks/calyces intact. They also freeze very well. </li>
<li>Make jam out of ground cherries!<br /><img alt="ground cherry jam" border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XYL5bt-lX9k/VhhwmEHZuTI/AAAAAAAADow/NELTNzw5lq8/s400/ground-cherry-jam-0062.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /></li>
<li>The healthiness of the husks/calyces is a key indicator to the health of the fruit. If the husks/calyces seem robust and seals well and are not too translucent, then you got yourself a healthy fruit. The ground cherry husks usually appear yellow to brown-yellow, and the tomatillo husks usually appear green to yellow-brown. </li>
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How not to eat ground cherries/tomatillos</h3>
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<li>The green tomatillos are not often consumed raw. Try grilling them, they will taste much better. Or in a salad, accompanied by many other tastes, tomatillo will probably take much better.</li>
<li>Tomatillos, after peeling off the calyces, are often very sticky. Wash them thoroughly before cooking/serving. </li>
<li>Do not eat the fruits if the fruits seem too soft (this means that they might be overripe and starts rotting). They should have the integrity of cherry tomatoes at touch. Also, if the fruit appears more brown than yellow, don't eat them (same reason as above).</li>
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Flavor Indexes</h3>
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(image credits: groundcherry/tomatillo photos: http://www.neoseeds.cz/ | http://www.naturespride.eu/; goldenberries:http://www.tastyhealthproducts.com/organic-golden-berry.html; cross sections: http://countryfruits.com.co/about-us | http://slicethin.com/2013/05/02/tomatillos-are-not-tomatoes/; salsa verde: https://baileyfarmsinc.com/salsa-verde/; groundcherry jam: http://www.laughingduckgardens.com/ldblog.php/tag/ground-cherry/)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-66938826306633947152015-10-03T10:52:00.001-05:002015-10-05T22:53:53.746-05:00Chef Says: Kombucha is served!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you ask your friends from Eastern Asia or your fellow Asian food lovers about Asian markets, it is no secret that they will probably tell you about a market called "United Noodles."<br />
Tucked away in the corner of a busy street in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis, United Noodles has been serving the community for years. However, it is not until recent years that United Noodles has gained itself a new status: a cult. Specifically, Unideli, the deli inside of United Noodles, gathered a cult following for its good quality ramen, BBQ pork, and house-brewed kombucha.<br />
In this issue of Chef Says, we interviewed the chef of Unideli, Dan Prentice, for his house-brewed kombucha.<br />
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kombucha ≠ kombu + cha </h3>
If you recall from our <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/09/chef-says-takoyaki-not-tacos.html">last issue</a>, we told you that takoyaki = tako + yaki, which means octopus + grill. You can probably infer that kombucha, another word with japanese etymology = kombu (which means kelp) + cha (which means tea). You would be right 100%, except kombucha actually has nothing to do with kombu at all, and even more strangely, no one knows where the name kombucha comes from.<br />
So what is kombucha?<br />
Kombucha is actually a form of fermented tea, and just like anything fermented, such as yogurt or vinegar, it is done so with the help of microbes. In kombucha's case, the microbes used is called SCOBY.<br />
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SCOBY dooby doo</h3>
SCOBY stands for "Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast," and like how it sounds, it's a symbiotic culture where bacteria (mostly <i>Gluconacetobacter xylinus</i>) and yeast work together to bring you the final product of a fizzy, slightly sour beverage. Here's SCOBY under a microscope.<br />
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<img alt="SCOBY under microscope" border="0" src="http://microbialfoods.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/SCOBY_100x_annotated.jpg" height="569" title="" width="640" /></div>
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The SCOBY kind of looks like an alien mushroom. Two major chemical reactions take place in the SCOBY culture between the yeast and bacteria:<br />
1. Yeast aerobic reaction: Glucose => Ethanol + Carbon Dioxide + Energy<br />
2. Bacteria aerobic reaction: Ethanol + Water => Acetic Acid + other byproducts (amino acids, vitamins etc.)<br />
The dissolved carbon dioxide is what gives kombucha the fizzy property (just like carbonated soda).<br />
The acetic acid is what gives kombucha the sour taste (just like vinegar). Occasionally, you will taste some alcohol, and that is due to the incomplete digestion of the ethanol by the bacteria.<br />
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You can learn to make your own SCOBY <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-kombucha-scoby-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-202596">here</a>. Or, if you are a loyal fan, Chef Dan will probably give you his SCOBY culture.<br />
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Health claims of kombucha: what's real and what's not? </h3>
There have been many health claims for kombucha, ranging from stimulating the immune system to preventing cancer to improving digestion and liver function. However, there's no scientific evidence to support these health claims.<br />
What kombucha is rich with is nutritional benefits. Because remember, quite simply, the base ingredient of kombucha is tea. Therefore, it has all the health benefits that comes with drinking tea. It is also loaded with vitamins and minerals as a result of fermentation. It also contains live probiotic cultures, so it's likely to aid digestion. As Chef Dan put it: "It tastes good, and I feel good drinking it." Kombucha has gained spotlight in the recent years and is becoming a household name of a healthy and delicious mealtime beverage.<br />
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Kombucha Q+A with Chef Dan</h3>
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1. What kind of tea do you use when you make your kombucha? </h4>
Dan: I use different kinds of tea for different flavors. For example, for our lychee watermelon flavor, I used lychee infused black tea; and for the Thai chilly cucumber, I use oolong tea and genmaicha (), which is a Japanese green tea combined with roasted brown rice. I try not to use herbal tea because the oils in herbal tea usually don't mix well with the SCOBY.<br />
<img alt="Genmaicha" border="0" height="426" src="https://japaneseteasommelier.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/p1240236.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="640" /><br />
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2. How do you make your kombucha so it's so perfectly balanced with sweetness from the fruit flavors and the sourness?</h4>
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Dan: It's about timing and following the right steps. I usually start everything off with just tea+sugar in the fermentation tank. The SCOBY will turn that into a raw flavored kombucha, then I will add the fruits and flavor it. I usually do 1/3 tea plus 2/3 fruits+flavorings. To control the sourness, timing has to be right. For example, if you pull the kombucha out of the fermentation tank and bottle it and let it sit for a while, it will become more sour as the CO2 increases. Therefore after bottling, I will try to serve the fresh kombucha right away. I try to contain the pH of my kombucha between 5-6, which is slightly acidic.</div>
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3. What's usually the alcohol content in the kombucha?</h4>
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Dan: Kombucha usually is around 0.5% in alcohol content. However, if you let it sit in the bottle for too long, the alcohol content can increase to 1%. </div>
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4. How long does it take usually to brew one batch of kombucha?</h4>
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Dan: Usually 12 days, and we usually sell out very quickly, so I have to keep a schedule to make sure that we have a continuous kombucha supply. </div>
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5. How much sugar do you use to start with?</h4>
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Dan:1 cup of sugar per gallon to start with. I am trying to brew with some organic honey; however, raw honey won't work because it is antiseptic, which means it will kill the SCOBY bacteria. </div>
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6. What's the brewing condition? </h4>
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Dan: I use sanitized glass/clay containers because I am afraid that plastic containers could react with the acid. The SCOBY usually sits on top of the tank because it's lighter than water, and therefore it serves as a protective layer against all of the other bacteria. I cover the container using a breathable cloth because all chemical reactions are aerobic. I also keep everything room temperature and away from sunlight, because the UV in sunlight will also kill off the bacteria.<br />
<img alt="kombucha brewing in tanks" border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cT990oMtt8I/Vg_2b1_e5LI/AAAAAAAADlQ/0eNaFFnzudk/s640/IMG_2149.jpg" title="" width="640" /><br />
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7. Where do you get your ingredients from for kombucha and for the restaurant? </h4>
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Dan: We source our materials from all over the place. Some of the materials I use for the kombucha are directly flown in from Japan and others are from United Noodles or other wholesalers. The noodles and tantanman on the menu are produced by a local company. We always try to source sustainable and healthy materials from companies that are responsible and humane. </div>
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8. Could you tell us what inspired you to cook and became the chef at Unideli? </h4>
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Dan: I grew up in the Minneapolis suburbs and pursued a psychiatry degree in college. After graduation, I worked at group homes for 10 years. Sometimes the house would be short on staff so I would help with the cooking process and started cooking for everyone. </div>
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As time went by, people liked the food I cooked. There was this one client who was extremely stubborn about what he ate, so you'd imagine what kind of a shock it is for his parents to come visit one day and find him eating seafood payiya instead of PB and J for lunch. I then became manager for the house. After working there for a decade, I wanted something different, so I decided to pursue my passion for cooking. I started working as a line cook and demonstrated some quick learning skills. So when the position of the chef at Unideli opened up, I gladly stepped into this leadership role. </div>
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9. What other changes are coming to Unideli?</h4>
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Dan: The kombucha flavors will change now that fall is upon us. I would like to experiment with pumpkin flavor that's made out of real pumpkins, as opposed to the pumpkin spice that most people use. I would also like to bring more Thai inspired dishes into Unideli. </div>
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Chef Says</h3>
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<img alt="Chef Dan Prentice" border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dFgPn4lD4oU/Vg_5NxF2TDI/AAAAAAAADl0/FDfwMCw-gv8/s320/IMG_2171.jpg" title="" width="200" /></div>
"Trying new food is definitely a learning experience and I hope that your experience at Unideli is positive. If you are curious, don't be shy to inquire about ingredients that you don't know about in your dishes. I would be glad to tell you what they are, and if you want to try them out on your own, you can buy most from United Noodles."</div>
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(image credits: SCOBY under microscope:http://microbialfoods.org/science-digested-microbial-diversity-kombucha/; genmaicha: https://japaneseteasommelier.wordpress.com/2014/12/26/genmaicha-from-hon-yama/)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-43133097189199101462015-09-18T12:23:00.000-05:002016-04-21T09:55:59.052-05:00#LEARNABOUT: Vol 5.2. Roselle Calyces<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This issue of #LEARNABOUT is the second part of a two-part series featuring the roselle plant. In this issue, we will learn about the fruit/calyx. You can find the first issue, talking about the leaves, <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/08/learnabout-vol51-roselle-leaves.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Before we begin, we have to throw a special thank you to our wonderful friend Deepa at <a href="http://www.paticheri.com/">Pâticheri</a>, for letting us use the images and the knowledge from her original article "<a href="http://www.paticheri.com/2013/01/19/rosellejelly/" target="_blank">That which we call a Roselle</a>."<br />
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<img alt="Roselle fruit/calyces" border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8213/8386844550_fc6d93f81d_z.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></div>
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What is a Calyx?</h3>
To understand what a calyx is, we have to first talk about sepals.<br />
A sepal is a part of a flower, usually green, that surrounds and supports the petals of the flower. A flower usually has 3-5 sepals, and collectively, the sepals are called the calyx (plural calyces).<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Petal-sepal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="septal of a flower" border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Petal-sepal.jpg" title="" width="187" /></a></div>
In most species of plants, the calyces usually fall off after fruiting, but that's not always the case. In some species of plants, the calyces remain on the fruits, and aside from roselle, the eggplant family <i>Solanaceae</i> also are filled with fruits whose calyces will remain after fruiting.<br />
Both eggplants and tomatoes belong to the <i>Solanaceae</i> family, and we will talk about many other fruits in the <i>Solanaceae</i> family in the future issues of #LEARNABOUT.<br />
So next time when you pop off the green calyces when you wash your tomatoes, I hope that you can be reminded of roselles.<br />
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Fruit or not fruit? </h3>
There could be major confusion to what you call a roselle fruit.<br />
What most people call a roselle fruit is actually a roselle fruit + a roselle calyx.<br />
<img alt="Roselle fruit+calyces" border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8386841366_3bf56ff8b4_n.jpg" height="266" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /><br />
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The green olive-looking thing in the center is technically the biological fruit, which we don't eat.<br />
<img alt="biological Roselle fruit" border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8378/8386815684_bc726b77ff.jpg" height="377" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /><br />
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The pink-looking thing is the calyx, which is what we are talking about here.<br />
<img alt="Roselle calyces" border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8464/8385726901_80e3469703.jpg" height="300" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /><br />
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To confuse you even more, some people also would call the pink calyx of the roselle plant a "roselle fruit," and they aren't 100% wrong either. A roselle calyx can be classified as an <u>accessory fruit (or false fruit, pseudofruit)</u>, in which some of the flesh is derived not from the ovary but from some adjacent tissue exterior to the carpel.<br />
So by now, we have met our third category of atypical fruits. If you recall from <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/07/learnabout-vol4-mulberry.html" target="_blank">Vol. 4</a> talking about mulberries, we already talked about two of them:<br />
"...neither mulberries nor blackberries are typical fruits. Blackberries are what botanists call an <u>aggregate fruit</u>, which develops from the merger of several ovaries that were separate in <i>a single flower</i>. Other examples include strawberries and raspberries. Mulberries are what botanists call a <u>multiple fruit (or compound fruit)</u>, which develops not from one single flower but from <i>a cluster of flowers</i>. Other examples include pineapple, jackfruit, and guava."<br />
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What makes roselle calyces special? </h3>
Roselle calyces contain high levels of <b>flavonoids</b>, which has shown antioxidative activity, free-radical scavenging capacity, coronary heart disease prevention, anticancer activity, even anti-HIV functions in various researches (Here's a scientific <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15678717" target="_blank">review</a> article). Flavonoids are also by a large part what gave tea and wine their healthy acclaims.<br />
Upon those benefits mentioned above, in India, Africa, Eastern Asia and Latin America, infusions of the leaves or calyces are regarded as diuretic, cholerectic, febrifugal and hypotensive, decreasing the viscosity of the blood and stimulating intestinal peristalsis.<br />
Therefore, the most common use for roselle calyces is infusion in tea, in which the dried calyces are commonly used.<br />
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<img alt="dried roselle calyces" border="0" src="http://www.chengwoh.com/sites/default/files/Roselle.jpg" height="524" title="" width="640" /></div>
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Where can I find roselle calyces?</h3>
You might have learned from our previous issue that the roselle plant likes warmer climates. In fact, the plant won't even fruit if the temperature fall below 10 °C (50 °F). Therefore, you are more likely to find the fresh calyces in the southern states in the US, or in tropical parts of the world.<br />
<img alt="Roselle flowers and fruits" border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8504/8386814418_bc1ab8ceca.jpg" height="400" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="300" /><img alt="Roselle fruits on a branch" border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8515/8392199674_da99f57fa8.jpg" height="400" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="300" /><br />
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However, the dried calyces could be easily accessible in any tea market/Asian market. They might be under the Chinese name "Luo Shen Hua Cha (洛神花茶)".<br />
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How to use roselle calyces</h3>
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<img alt="roselle tea" border="0" src="http://www.freshop.com.tw/freshop_img/article_img/DSC_7373-2(4).jpg" height="428" title="" width="640" /></div>
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<li>If you are one of the lucky ones to find fresh roselle calyces in a local market, make sure to make some jam out of them! Our friend Deepa's <a href="http://www.paticheri.com/2013/01/19/rosellejelly/" target="_blank">article</a> is a wonderful guide to make roselle jam. </li>
<li>If you decide to make tea out of dried roselle calyces, you can simply soak the dried calyces in hot water, and watch the water turn into a vibrant red/ruby-colored goodness! There is even a Chinese myth about how the color is from the tears and blood of an ancient goddess.</li>
<li>If you are in a Latin American restaurant and see "agua de Flor de Jamaica," "agua de Jamaica," or "rosa de Jamaica," (or commonly referred to as hibiscus tea), this is made with roselle calyces! Make sure to try some. </li>
<li>Because the calyces themselves have only a tart/sour cranberry-like flavor, make sure to add some honey/sugar to your roselle tea, or mix the tea with other fruits.</li>
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How not to use roselle calyces</h3>
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<li>Generally, you don't want to eat the green olive-looking roselle fruit (pictured above), because they are hairy and rather unfriendly to touch and feel. However, they dry relatively quickly and burst open to release seeds, which makes cultivation super easy. </li>
<li>It's not recommended to eat the fresh calyces raw either, with the same reason why you might not want to eat a raw cranberry.</li>
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Flavor Index</h3>
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<img alt="Roselle flavor index" border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3l9RSSxVzrU/VfTWiL0IZFI/AAAAAAAADjY/e-5nZrnJa3k/s640/Flavor%2BIndex.001.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="640" /></div>
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(Image sources: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8: http://www.paticheri.com/2013/01/19/rosellejelly; 2.wikipedia.org; 6.http://www.chengwoh.com/sites/default/files/Roselle.jpg; 9. http://www.freshop.com.tw/freshop_img/article_img/DSC_7373-2(4).jpg)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-80793171022174814612015-09-06T23:45:00.002-05:002015-10-20T15:28:06.510-05:00Chef Says: Takoyaki, not tacos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hello everyone!<br />
As promised, here's our first installment of the <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/search/label/CHEFSAYS" target="_blank">Chef Says</a> section. In this article, our friend and expert Japanese cook Xindi Liu will teach you how to make an Osaka staple: takoyaki.<br />
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Tako what?</h3>
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The word takoyaki (<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">たこ焼き or</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> 蛸焼) </span><span style="background-color: white;">is comprised of two parts: "tako" and "yaki." "Tako" in Japanese means octopus, and "yaki" is a cooking method, which means "to fry/grill." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Btw, did you all of a sudden just realize that the "teriyaki," "teppanyaki," or "</span>okonomiyaki<span style="background-color: white;">" you've been eating all end with "yaki"? This is because they are all cooked in a similar way. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Takoyaki originated from Osaka, Japan and still remains the most popular street food in Osaka, and it has become very popular among American audiences, who might describe it as "octopus pancake balls." I know that it sounds very weird if you put it that way, but Xindi guaranteed that if you at least try it once, you won't be able to get it out of your mind. </span></div>
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Step-by-Step Guide to Making Takoyaki</h3>
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If you want to make takoyaki at home, you will need a takoyaki pan:</div>
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The pan can be easily found in any Japanese market since takoyaki is such a popular dish to make. Sometimes you can even find an electric version. </div>
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Now let's prepare the ingredients that you need for takoyaki:</div>
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<b>Bonito flakes</b>: also called Katsuobushi. Dried, fermented, smoked and shaved skipjack tuna.</div>
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<b>Aonori powder</b>: dried and powdered edible green seaweed.</div>
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<b>Takoyaki powder mix</b>: premixed/prepackaged takoyaki flour.</div>
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<b>Tempura</b>: any tempura coating will do. The one shown in the picture is called <b>Agetama</b>. It adds crispiness to the texture.</div>
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<b>Takoyaki sauce</b>: self-explanatory.</div>
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<b>Japanese mayo</b>: or Japanese mayonnaise, the brand pictured here is Kenko. Compared to regular mayo/mayonnaise, the Japanese mayo is more salty and savory and it has a hint of fruitiness.</div>
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<b>Pickled ginger (red)</b>: there are two kinds: white and red. The white one is used as a palate cleanser while eating sushi--it is more sweet than the red one. The red one is spicier, which adds more flavor. Therefore, we must use red pickled ginger for takoyaki. Chop, chop, chop.</div>
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<b>Octopus</b>: Here's a question: what's the plural of octopus? Here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFyY2mK8pxk" target="_blank">video</a> to answer that burning question. It doesn't matter what part of the octopus you use here. We used part of a tentacle.</div>
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<b>Olive oil</b>: any kind of oil will do.</div>
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All the ingredients listed above can be found in any local Japanese store. For the octopus, check the frozen isle. </div>
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You will also need:<b> </b></div>
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<b>Dashi/Water:</b> dashi is a cooking stock that uses seaweed (kombu) and fish, therefore more flavorful. Water will do just as well. </div>
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<b>Chopped green onions:</b> FYI, green onions and scallions are the same thing.</div>
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<b>Eggs</b></div>
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Now let's mix the ingredients:<br />
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Add takoyaki powder mix to a mixing bowl. </div>
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Add eggs (usually 2), chopped pickled ginger, and chopped green onions to the powder. </div>
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Add water in steps. The ratio of the takoyaki mix to water ratio can be found in the instructions section on the back of the packaging. Don't add all of the water at once, otherwise you will have clumps. </div>
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Add the tempura (agetama, to taste) and mix well. You need to speed up the cooking process after you add the tempura because it will become soggier the longer you wait. </div>
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Cut the octopus into little chunks. </div>
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Now the actual cooking part: </div>
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Use a paper towel or a brush to coat the pan with olive oil over medium-low heat. Make sure that the entire surface of the pan is coated. Test the readiness of the oil with some droplets of the batter. If the batter starts sizzling, the oil is ready. </div>
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Fill the holes with batter and add a piece of octopus on top. </div>
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Now add more batter to hold the octopus pieces in. </div>
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It's time to flip the takoyaki halves upside down when the bottom is solidified. You know when it's ready for flipping when the edges are solidified. Use bamboo toothpicks or skewer sticks to flip. You can also use chopsticks, but be careful--if you poke the batter too hard, you will make holes. This step is somewhat time-sensitive. If you don't flip it fast enough, the bottom will burn, and if you flip it prematurely, the takoyaki halves will crumble. </div>
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Flip, flip, flip.</div>
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When the other half becomes solidified, your takoyaki is ready to serve! The final product should look crispy brown. Dress it with takoyaki sauce and aonori powder. </div>
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Last, add bonito flakes and Japanese mayo. Now that's what we call Takoyaki!!!</div>
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Get creative!</h3>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>You can substitute the octopus pieces with mozzarella cheese or sausage (or anything you like, really). It will taste equally as good! </li>
<li>If you want to try some new sauces other than takoyaki sauce, try melted cheese + salsa, or soy sauce + green onions + lemon juice. Takoyaki generally goes well with tangy sauces. </li>
<li>Pair takoyaki with lighter beers or your favorite white wine! </li>
<li>Takoyaki, coming fresh off of the pan, is very hot. Traditionally, you are supposed to put the entire ball into your mouth to show respect to the chef, but we wouldn't recommend you burning your mouth, so be careful! Take bites if you want to, no one will judge. </li>
<li>Eat them fresh. Microwaved leftover takoyaki doesn't taste very good.</li>
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Chef Says</h3>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dyg4LxA1vwQ/Ve0HAJFRijI/AAAAAAAADig/1aFVtM1VwRE/s1600/XINDI.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dyg4LxA1vwQ/Ve0HAJFRijI/AAAAAAAADig/1aFVtM1VwRE/s200/XINDI.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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"Takoyaki is one of my favorite Japanese foods, and it's not complicated to make at all. Sure, flipping the takoyaki takes practice and skill, but I also heard that even the elementary school kids in Osaka know how to do it ;)."</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-52155824968216783742015-08-30T00:46:00.003-05:002017-06-17T15:34:39.812-05:00#LEARNABOUT: Vol 5.1. Roselle Leaves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This issue of #LEARNABOUT will be the first part of a two-part series featuring a plant called Roselle. In this issue, we will learn about the leaves of the Roselle plant (<i>Hibiscus sabdariffa</i>).<br />
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<img alt="Roselle plant" border="0" src="http://www.rareseeds.com/assets/1/14/DimLarge/roselle-thai-red1.jpg" height="480" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="640" /><br />
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Maybe from just looking at the Latin name of the Roselle plant, you already know that it belongs to the Hibiscus genus, which in turn belongs to the Malvaceae family. Plants from the Malvaceae family are very important to the human society, as the family contains some of the most important economical plants to human agriculture: cotton, cacao; and some other vegetables and fruits, such as okra and durian; and obviously the hibiscus garden flower that we know and love. <br />
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Side note about the botanical nomenclature</h3>
Let's distract ourselves for a sec and learn about the botanical nomenclature. This section is called #LEARNABOUT for a reason ;).<br />
If you see a Latin name for a plant, it usually contains two parts, for example, <i>Hibiscus sabdariffa</i>, the first part of the name is the "genus," and the second part of is the "species." Sometimes, you will see a letter after the species, such as <i>Hibiscus sabdariffa L.</i>, and the last letter is the last-name initial of the discoverer/namer of the organism. This system is developed by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in his book <i>Species Plantarum</i> of 1753.<br />
Carl Linnaeus is a legend in the taxonomy field. He laid foundation of the modern biological naming scheme of binomial nomenclature, and therefore he is considered the father of modern taxonomy. His knowledge of plants is so extensive that he collected and classified more than 7300 species of plants in his book <i>Species Plantarum</i>. He is so good with plants that he once thought about planting a "flower clock garden," where species of plants would bloom in different times in a circle, and people will be able to tell time by just looking at what flowers are blooming at the time of day. His plan was executed by a few later botanist with mixed success, as the blooming time of a plant is affected by so many factors, but just the concept alone is enough to prove that Linnaeus can be considered a walking encyclopedia of plants.<br />
Here's a scheme of his proposed flower clock.<br />
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What are Roselle leaves?</h3>
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OK. Back to Roselle leaves.<br />
People might know Roselle leaves by different names. The most common ones are "gongura" and "sour leaves."<br />
The name "gongura" usually are used by people of regions of Andhra Pradesh of southeast India, and they use it mainly for a pretty famous "pickle" specialty called "gongura pachadi" (a staple of Andhra cuisine), and for other regular cooking such as steaming along with lentils and cooked with dal.<br />
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<img alt="gongura pachadi" border="0" src="http://sravscooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/andhra-gongura-pachadi.jpg" height="311" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /><br />
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The name "sour leaves" comes from the Burmese translation of "chin baung ywet," and is probably the most widely affordable and used vegetable of Burmese cooking.<br />
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<img alt="chin baung ywet" border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_H1Xc9YgUCU/T9SljkZXEpI/AAAAAAAAVl8/KVKSpUCoOW8/s1600/Fried+Roselle+Leaves+(Chin+Baung+Kyaw).jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /><br />
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Roselle leaves are also a very popular vegetable in Northern (Arab) African cuisine: they originated from West Africa and since have spread around the world.<br />
Roselle leaves are deeply three or five-lobed, 8–15 cm (3–6 in) long leaves arranged alternately on the stems (which is usually red-maroon colored).The leaves feel rough at touch, and the long stems could be very stiff.<br />
Here're some pictures showing the three and five-lobed leaves.<br />
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<img alt="three-lobed Roselle leaves" border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LEs2wzwYRMI/UEkBzA3TQ8I/AAAAAAAABfs/hy_4_fa4A4w/s1600/roselle+leaves.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /><br />
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<img alt="five-lobed Roselle leaves" border="0" src="http://eatingasia.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/sour_spinach_close.jpg" height="312" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /><br />
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What makes Roselle leaves special?</h3>
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Roselle leaves have a sour taste similar to 1/2 a cup of cooked spinach with 1 tbsp of lemon juice added. Some also say that the leaves taste like cranberry. You get the point though, the leaves are sour, therefore you can use it in substitution to the sourness sources of your dish, alone or in combination with other vegetables or with meat/fish.<br />
There's very limited information on the nutrition composition of the leaves. The Roselle calyces usually get the most attention for that, which we will discuss in the second installment of this article.<br />
The only nutritional composition of the Roselle leaves I can find is from a book titled "Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2: Vegetables". The nutritional composition of the Roselle leaves (100 g) is listed below, and to give you a better idea, I have put the nutritional composition of spinach next to it.<br />
Roselle leaves Spinach<br />
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Water 85.6 g 91.4 g </div>
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Calories 43 kCal (1.9% daily value) 23 kCal (1% daily value) </div>
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Protein 3.3 g (6.8% daily value) 2.9 g (6% daily value) </div>
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Fat 0.3 g (0.8% daily value) 0.4 g (1% daily value) </div>
Carbohydrate 9.2 g (2.6% daily value) 3.6 g (1% daily value) <br />
Dietary Fiber 1.6 g (6.5% daily value) 2.2 g (9% daily value) <br />
Calcium 213 mg (21.5% daily value) 99 mg (10% daily value) <br />
Phosphorous 93 mg (30.4% daily value) 49 mg (16% daily value) <br />
Iron 4.8 mg (26.7% daily value) 2.7 mg (15% daily value) <br />
Vitamin A 6892 IU (138.2% daily value) 9376 IU (188% daily value) <br />
Vitamin B1 0.2 mg (10% daily value) 0.1 mg (5% daily value) <br />
Vitamin B2 0.45 mg (24.8% daily value) 0.2 mg (11% daily value) <br />
Vitamin B3 1.2 mg (6.8% daily value) 0.7 mg (4% daily value) <br />
Vitamin C 54 mg (90.3% daily value) 28.1 mg (47% daily value) <br />
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Of course, many other nutrients aren't listed for Roselle leaves, so we can't compare them against spinach, but from the ones we see above, we can confidently conclude that Roselle leaves are very very nutritious and high in B and C vitamins.<br />
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Where can I find them? </h3>
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Roselle leaves like sunny and warm environments, and that's why they are much more common in warm and tropical regions, such as Africa, SE Asia, India, and the Southern part of the US.<br />
Luckily, in northern states like Minnesota, there are many Hmong farmers that grow it. In the summer time, the best places to get it are the farmers market and Hmong markets. <br />
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They are available throughout summer, and if you would like to preserve them for future use, the best way is to pick the leaves off the stem, blanch the leaves, shock them in ice, drain the excess water, and store in Ziploc bags in the freezer.<br />
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How to eat Roselle leaves </h3>
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<li>Pick the leaves off the stem and use them in place of green leafy vegetables in soups and stews. We would recommend to replace 1/5 of whatever green leafy vegetable you would normally use with roselle leaves. </li>
<li>Roselle leaves cook very similarly to spinach and have similar textures when they are cooked. After being exposed to heat, they quickly turn color from green to a more muddier green, then almost a dark purple-black color. Use them in place of spinach if you want to make a dish sour! </li>
<li>Just like spinach, they wilt and turn into only a few bites when cooked.</li>
<li>For the most simple version of a traditional Burmese dish, sautée them with some garlic and shrimp. Season with soy sauce or fish sauce to taste. </li>
<li>A traditional Indian preparation is to cool the roselle leaves in a dal curry or soup. Here's a recipe:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/geG2V2A_jsM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="499" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/geG2V2A_jsM?feature=player_embedded" width="600"></iframe></div>
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<li>Another Burmese preparation is to cook the leaves with equal parts bamboo shoots, some chili peppers, dried shrimp, and fish sauce to taste. This dish is very spicy and sour! It’s an affordable vegetable, so this is a staple in all homes. Here's a <a href="http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2013/09/04/how-to-eat-hibiscus-like-the-burmese" target="_blank">recipe</a>. </li>
<li>Here's another recipe our own Midnight Rosewater's blog member Zaw came up with: <br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img alt="Zaw" border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MGJTLQ7F1o/VeKTo8XcFMI/AAAAAAAADe0/xz3SXrjae0M/s200/zaw%2Bicon.png" title="" width="200" /></span><span style="text-align: right;">"I really like them in miso soups with some corn. Make some miso soup, add corn kernals, and a handful of roselle leaves and simmer for ~30 seconds until the leaves are wilted and the color changes. The sweetness of the corn, salty and umani from the miso, and tartness of the leaves, is for lack of a better description, 'a party in your mouth'."</span></div>
</li>
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How not to eat Roselle leaves </h3>
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<li>The leaves are tough when they are raw and have a mild sour flavor. They are safe to eat raw and can be used in salads but we wouldn’t recommend it, as the texture is too “rough.”</li>
<li>The stems are very fibrous so they are not edible.</li>
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Flavor Index</h3>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIGjPe2zOu4/VeKV4qOd9GI/AAAAAAAADfA/MAtDlC3VpbQ/s1600/Flavor%2BIndex.001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roselle leaves flavor index" border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIGjPe2zOu4/VeKV4qOd9GI/AAAAAAAADfA/MAtDlC3VpbQ/s640/Flavor%2BIndex.001.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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(image credits: roselle plant: http://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/roselle/; flower clocks: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/garden/planting-a-clock-that-tracks-hours-by-flowers.html; gongura pachadi: http://sravscooking.com/andhra-gongura-pachadi/; Chin Baung Kyaw: http://iims-asean-myanmar.blogspot.com/2012/06/myanmar-fried-roselle-leaves-chin-baung.html;three-lobed Roselle leaves: http://groweat.blogspot.com/2012/09/hibiscus-sabdariffa.html; five-lobed Roselle leaves: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/650042-im-still-looking-for-roselle-leaves-in-pattaya-thailand) </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-3606099190532728752015-08-11T14:20:00.000-05:002015-11-17T21:19:22.877-06:00New promo art and updates from Midnight Rosewater<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi all,<br />
<br />
it's been a while since our last article. You might be wondering what we've been up to.<br />
It turns out that we have been working diligently on a few things:<br />
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1. The next #LEARNABOUT article should be coming out soon!<br />
2. We have been interviewing local chefs and our cook friends! So expect the Chef Says section to be full of exciting new articles!<br />
3. We have been talking about how to make the Price vs. Value section better. Our friends from the Twin Cities have been loving this section so far.<br />
4. We finished our first promotional art for Midnight Rosewater! This will be part of an art series, please look forward to other ones! If our blog inspires you, and you want to contribute your art to Midnight Rosewater, please get in touch with us at midnightrosewater@gmail.com.<br />
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Thank you all for supporting us so far!<br />
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Love and cheers,<br />
David<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-15486974174253608012015-07-15T15:08:00.000-05:002020-03-12T15:52:16.238-05:00#LEARNABOUT: Vol.4. Mulberry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This berrylicious issue of #LEARNABOUT features another berry that ripens throughout summer. Mulberries grow around most US cities, and just like <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/05/learnabout-vol-3-serviceberry.html" target="_blank">serviceberries</a> that we talked about in Vol. 3, you might find them growing near your house, sidewalks, greenways, and public parks. We will soon talk about how to find them, but spoiler alert: they aren't hard to find at all!<br />
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What are mulberries?</h3>
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Often mistaken as blackberries, mulberries somewhat resemble blackberries. Pictured below are mulberries on the top and blackberries on the bottom. Very similar, huh?</div>
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<a href="https://www.organicfacts.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/blackberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="blackberries" border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="480" src="https://www.organicfacts.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/blackberry.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a><br />
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So, how do you tell them apart? Well, you can taste them :p, but there're other ways too: mulberries are usually smaller than blackberries and usually grow on trees, while blackberries grow on bushes. However, the biggest difference between blackberries and mulberries is that blackberries have at the end of its fruits remains of <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/09/learnabout-vol52-roselle-calyces.html" target="_blank">sepals (or calyx)</a> that are attached to the fruits. Mulberries don't have this.</div>
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On a side note, neither mulberries nor blackberries are typical fruits. Blackberries are what botanists call an <u>aggregate fruit</u>, which develops from the merger of several ovaries that were separate in <i>a single flower</i>. Other examples include strawberries and raspberries. Mulberries are what botanists call a <u>multiple fruit (or compound fruit)</u>, which develops not from one single flower but from <i>a cluster of flowers</i>. Other examples include pineapple, jackfruit, and guava. What is a jackfruit? Stay tuned, we might have an issue on it later! </div>
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Mulberries belong in the <i>Moraceae </i>family, which also includes figs and the world's largest trees: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banyan" target="_blank">banyan trees</a>. A common feature for this family is a presence of laticifers and milky sap. Try breaking a stem or leaf on a mulberry or a fig tree and you will see white latex-like milky sap running out. </div>
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So far, we also encountered another family of plant that produces milky sap, do you remember what it was? If not, you can go back and review <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/2015/01/learnabout-vol-2-water-spinach.html" target="_blank">Vol. 2</a>.<br />
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What makes mulberries special?</h3>
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Mulberry plants have been around for a while -- the cultivation of this plant traces back almost 5000 years. Surprisingly, people started cultivating this plant not because of its fruits, but because of its leaves.<br />
Why?<br />
The answer might surprise you: mulberries underwent 5000 years of human cultivation because of these little guys:<br />
<img alt="Silkworms on Mulberry Leaves" border="0" height="212" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Bombyx_mori_001.JPG/800px-Bombyx_mori_001.JPG" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="320" /></div>
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Yes, you're looking at silkworms. Mulberry leaves are the only leaves silkworms eat. They specifically prefer the white mulberry leaves, which produce fruits that surprisingly resemble the worms themselves.<br />
<img alt="White mulberries" border="0" height="154" src="https://guidedoc.com/wp-content/uploads/white-mulberry-tea-benefits-fresh-mulberries1.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="320" /><br />
Silkworms and mulberry trees are like pandas and bamboo, or koalas and eucalyptus leaves -- they have been living collectively for thousands of years, producing silk and mulberry fruits this entire time for us to enjoy.<br />
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Nutritionally, mulberries resemble the nutritional content of blackberries/raspberries. In addition, the purple mulberry juice is used in traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate throat pain. Many argue that mulberries can fight against UTIs, arthritis, eye diseases, weakness of the body, and throat cancer. However, these health claims aren't yet backed by scientific research.<br />
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Where can I find them? </h3>
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Just like serviceberries, it is unlikely that you will find them in supermarkets. This is due to the extremely short shelf life of freshly picked mulberries -- on average, they'll only stay fresh for up to 3 days in the fridge. You might have some luck at your local farmer's markets, but you'd be better off finding a mulberry tree and picking the berries yourself.</div>
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Mulberries ripen in waves throughout late spring - summer. This means that not all berries ripen at the same time. Therefore, if you manage to locate one mulberry plant, you will have fruits to pick through the months of June - August. </div>
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How do you identify a mulberry tree? As I said at the very beginning, it's not a hard task at all.<br />
When the mulberry tree is not fruiting, you can spot them by their unique leaves that could take on one of the three forms: entire, mitten, and tri-lobed with sawtooth on the edges.<br />
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<img alt="mulberry leaves" border="0" height="480" src="https://tcpermaculture.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Mullberry_06.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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Black/purple/red mulberries contain some powerful anthocyanin pigments, which are very hard to get rid of when stained. This means that when you pick mulberries, you have to be very careful: they will stain your hands, your clothes if they fall on you, and most importantly, the ground, which will look like this: </div>
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<span id="goog_880648126"></span><img alt="Mulberry Puddles " border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xGjVOjYSY18/Tf_v4W26OII/AAAAAAAAD0s/I2ntSXteWoo/s1600/IMG_2580.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /><span id="goog_880648127"></span></div>
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I call them "mulberry puddles," and they're usually the easiest way for you to spot a mulberry tree. </div>
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After mulberries ripen, they will fall off the tree at the slightest touch, no matter what color it is. Therefore, a slight breeze or drizzle will send these fruits flying, and they will end up in the ground and get smashed and become mulberry puddles. </div>
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Hence when you pick mulberries, use very gentle pulls -- if you have to play tug of war with the branch, the fruits are not ready. </div>
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Now go pick lots and lots of them and enjoy a nice afternoon snack!</div>
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<img alt="Mulberries in bamboo baskets" border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E-RC4CzrlRY/VbhUa-_bnsI/AAAAAAAADZ8/waPmk1RL_w4/s640/10313584_10152022812516626_7423153243553822464_n.jpg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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<img alt="Mulberries in a bow" border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UpXytW2djo4/VbhiTz1GNuI/AAAAAAAADaw/1VkyQgQLuLs/s640/IMG_2051.JPG" title="" width="640" /></div>
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How to eat mulberries </h3>
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<li>Eat them raw!</li>
<li>Bake them into a pie. </li>
<li>Make jam out of them. </li>
<li>Add them to yogurt. </li>
<li>Try making mulberry sangria! </li>
<li>You might find dried mulberries from stores, but they come at at exorbitant prices, usually imported from Europe.</li>
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<li>You might also find dried mulberry leaf tea in stores for controlling blood sugar</li>
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Here's a picture of the mulberry jam I made last summer. Hint hint: you need a ton of them, and lots of sugar. </div>
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<img alt="Mulberries for 2 cans of jam" border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1pF1eHGsKoE/VbhUa_ia__I/AAAAAAAADaA/13P_TIIBWGc/s640/10325230_10152022812606626_8589293140720810890_n.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="640" /></div>
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<img alt="Mulberry jam" border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yhqomv2zdJU/VbhUa3lJRAI/AAAAAAAADaE/rvbfMAjzceY/s640/10406924_10152022816436626_5505669847098674931_n.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="640" /></div>
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How not to eat mulberries </h3>
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<li>Do not eat the unripened fruit and leaves (especially the white sap), because they are hallucinogenic and will cause a violent upset stomach and nervousness.</li>
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Flavor Index</h3>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TltU-mlqJns/VbhXciJ1DII/AAAAAAAADaU/py7KtUI5ACk/s1600/mulberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mulberry flavor index" border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TltU-mlqJns/VbhXciJ1DII/AAAAAAAADaU/py7KtUI5ACk/s640/mulberry.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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(image credits: mulberries- http://www.secretlyhealthy.com/mulberry/, blackberries- http://store.isons.com/berry-plants/blackberry-plant, silkworms- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bombyx_mori_001.JPG, white mulberries- http://guidedoc.com/white-mulberry-tea-benefits, mulberry leaves- http://tcpermaculture.com/, mulberry puddles- http://www.gardenbytes.com/2011/06/whats-ripe-this-week.html) </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-28242007427590532162015-07-01T18:02:00.000-05:002015-11-22T22:12:41.669-06:00#LEARNABOUT: Vol 3. Serviceberry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This issue of #LEARNABOUT features a unique berry that ripens around this time of the year (late spring to early summer). It grows around most cities, but few even know about its existence, let alone know that it's actually edible and delicious.<br />
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What are serviceberries?</h3>
The name of this mysterious berry is called serviceberry, but it takes on many other common names, including juneberry, saskatoon berry, and amelanchier.<br />
So let's clarify them first:<br />
The field of fruit classification (if such a field even exists) can't seem to agree on what to call it, partially because different regions have different preferences to its name. Canadians tend to call it serviceberry, the U.S. regions of the Midwest (such as us Minnesotans) and the Northeast tend to call it juneberry, and saskatoon berry is the weird name that the fruit market chose to brand it when it eventually made its way to the grocery store.<br />
However, I am going to tell you, with the best of my knowledge, how these names actually came about.<br />
First of all, there are many many species of serviceberries, all under the genus <i>Amelanchier, </i>under the family <i>Roseaceae. </i>Among these berries, some grow on trees, some grow on shrubs, some ripen in late May, some ripen in June, and some ripen throughout July and August. Juneberry, as what the name indicates, refers to the specific Amalanchier species that ripens in June, and more often than not, the berries grow on trees. Serviceberry is just a categorical common name given to the rest of the fruits in this genus, and more often than not, they grow on shrubs. Now, lastly, the weird one: saskatoon berry. Saskatoon berry originally only referred to one species of Amalanchier: <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelanchier_alnifolia" target="_blank">Amelanchier alnifolia</a></i>, which grows mostly in the northern U.S. and most of Canada. However, when the U.S. fruit and vegetable administration (again I don't know if such an agency actually exists) decided to make money off of this fruit, they needed to come up with a more exotic name than serviceberry/juneberry (however, I do think juneberry sounds wayyyy more romantic, just like April showers and May flowers), hence they went with saskatoon (sounds sassy).<br />
All clear? Great! Moving on. First let me show you what they look like:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-waVuwtGl_7Q/VV-0sKRTUWI/AAAAAAAADVo/wMfOSR5K5-A/s1600/P1090040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Serviceberries" border="0" height="425" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-waVuwtGl_7Q/VV-0sKRTUWI/AAAAAAAADVo/wMfOSR5K5-A/s640/P1090040.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<img alt="Serviceberries closeup" border="0" height="425" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-By4edBzBZQ0/VV-0sTTghBI/AAAAAAAADVs/A7uagkomYn4/s640/P1090029.JPG" title="" width="640" /></div>
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What do they remind you of? If you say blueberries, you are my kind of guy/gal! </div>
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The size and texture of a serviceberry almost resembles a blueberry by 100%. Depending on the species, the taste ranges anywhere from apple to cherry. It is sweet and mild and with a hint of sourness and even nuttiness (which probably comes from the seeds). The seeds can be almost indistinguishable like those of a blueberry, or it could be harder like those of a raspberry. </div>
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There you have it: blueberry size and texture + raspberry seeds+ apple/cherry taste. That's what you call a serviceberry! </div>
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What makes serviceberries special?</h3>
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Serviceberries and blueberries were once like twins in North America. Early European settlers consumed both wild serviceberries and wild blueberries for thousands of years for its nutritional values and the vital vitamin C. In recent decades, the blueberry got discovered by the fruit industry and started its modern commercial cultivation, while the serviceberry became the forgotten child and wasn't given much love until very recently. The reason why blueberries became popular and not serviceberries is still a mystery to me, since both fruits are almost identical in nutritional values (high in vitamin C, fiber, and most importantly, vitamin B2 and biotin), according to a study called "Compositional and Functional Properties of Saskatoon Berry and Blueberry" published in <i>International Journal of Fruit Science, </i>2005. </div>
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Another reason: they're delicious. So if you hate blueberries (how dare you), you might want to give serviceberries a try to eat a fruit that is just as nutritious but with a different taste. </div>
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Where can I find them? </h3>
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So far, I haven't seen many grocery stores or farmer's markets carry serviceberries (or juneberries or saskatoons). Your best bet is to walk around your neighborhood, an arboretum, or woods to forage them on your own. </div>
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Then the question becomes: how does one identify a serviceberry bush/tree? </div>
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Serviceberries are actually very easy to identify: you can do so by the shape of the leaves, the shape of the flowers (if you can catch them), and lastly the fruits, of course. </div>
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Here are some pictures of serviceberry flowers/leaves in different stages of their lives:</div>
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<img alt="serviceberry flowers" border="0" src="http://www.ontariowildflower.com/images/serviceberry.jpg" height="314" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="320" /></div>
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When the white flowers bloom, they take the shape of five elongated oval-shaped petals arranged in a single layer, and the leaves tend to fold.</div>
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<img alt="serviceberry leaf " border="0" src="http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/plantPhotos/amearb02.jpg" height="279" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="320" /></div>
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This is what the leaf of a serviceberry tree/shrub looks like in the summer. It looks very much like a rose, but without the glossy layer on top of the leaves, so if you feel it, it will be a matte texture and soft. </div>
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<img alt="serviceberry with fruits" border="0" src="http://eattheweeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/juneberry9.jpg" height="213" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="320" /></div>
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When the tree grows berries, it looks like this. You will know that the berries are ripened once you see that they turn burgundy or purple. The darker they are, the sweeter they are!</div>
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<img alt="serviceberry in Fall" border="0" src="http://www.rmilcsiklandscapearchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/amelanchier-autumn-color.jpg" height="240" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="320" /></div>
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In the fall, serviceberry leaves change in color, ranging from greenish-yellow to orange to red. You can collect the colorful leaves and make art out of them! Here's a card I made along with a poem I wrote for my friend's birthday in the fall (in Chinese). </div>
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<img alt="serviceberry leaf art" border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7k9w4dLRG54/VV_ASrOmnUI/AAAAAAAADWE/VxZ2n1l1MM8/s400/yoko%2Bbday.jpeg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="362" /></div>
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What can I do with serviceberries? </h3>
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The answer is simple: anything you can do with blueberries! Eat them raw, dry them for trail mixes, bake them in pies, make jam out of them, make serviceberry flavored tea... the list goes on and on!</div>
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Flavor Index</h3>
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<img alt="Serviceberry Flavor Index" border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n8zVUUb0G9E/VWgEjMRSDsI/AAAAAAAADXY/1gkWpH4ecrE/s640/Flavor%2BIndex.003.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="640" /></div>
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(image credits: serviceberry flowers- www.ontariowildflower.com, serviceberry leaf- www.hort.uconn.edu, serviceberry with fruits- www.eattheweeds.com, serviceberry in Fall- www.rmilcsiklandscapearchitect.com) </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433906855471678098.post-64253628030198514572015-06-15T21:42:00.000-05:002015-10-06T21:13:33.957-05:00#LEARNABOUT: Vol 2. Water Spinach<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This issue of #LEARNABOUT features a unique vegetable that many people have not heard about: water spinach!<br />
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<img alt="water spinach" border="0" src="http://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/img/mg_wspin08g.jpg" title="" /><br />
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What is water spinach?</h3>
Water spinach is spinach that grows in water, right? Actually, not quite. Water spinach (<i>Ipomoea aquatica</i>) is biologically unrelated to spinach. But, the name comes from the texture and mild taste of its leaves that resemble those of spinach.<br />
Water spinach belongs to the plant family Convolvulaceae, which means "bindweed" in Latin. Two common features you can use to identify plants from the Convolvulaceae family are: (1) all of its plants grow in forms of tender shoots or vines, and (2) if you snip the stems/shoots/vines, a white, milky liquid tends to run out of them.<br />
Morning glories and sweet potatoes also belong to the Convolvulaceae family, if you say that you will never believed that sweet potato is "a type of morning glory", here are the flowers of water spinach, morning glory and sweet potato in order (to blow your mind). And just like how water spinach is biologically unrelated to spinach, sweet potatoes are also biologically unrelated to potatoes.<br />
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<img alt="Water Spinach flower" border="0" height="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/N_Ipoa_D1600.JPG" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /><img alt="Morning Glory flower" border="0" height="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/White_morning_glory_(5731609336).jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="400" /><br />
<img alt="Sweet Potato flower" border="0" height="298" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Ipomoea_batatas_003.JPG" title="" width="400" /><br />
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So the next time when you encounter a "morning glory"-looking plant growing wild, think twice before you decide that it's just a morning glory bush. Also do try snapping the vines with your fingers. You'll see the white, milky fluid running out of them.<br />
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Here's another picture of sweet potato vines/greens sitting next to water spinach at a farmer's market.<br />
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<img alt="sweet potato vines + water spinach" border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q2cF28oT4-Q/VedJYL5jnyI/AAAAAAAADfs/4SrTAzkHi3A/s640/11992178_10153527702549477_960224401_n.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="640" /><br />
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Water spinach can be spotted in the supermarkets and farmer's markets from one distinguishable characteristic: the stem/shoot/vine is hollow in the center. This is the reason as to why the Chinese call it a "hollow-centered" vegetable, and you might also find them under the name "hollow greens", or "kang kong".<br />
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/gh-m6dxh4UmtJBPrJn0YAhDoku9tJqLhKTQRCStzJ6Q3avaVAWP-v0GsmI3P2Bv6LW4Y9udJnafOqnE27IEF9-UPAPCHFWwhGpINz8JFfy-Pn1sbOjiXkQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="hollow stems of water spinach" border="0" src="http://foodforfour.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/water-spinach1.jpg" height="425" title="" width="640" /></a>Lastly, water spinach is a very resilient plant and grows easily like weeds (consider how it earned itself an undeserved title of Class A "noxious weed" in the state of Florida). <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventitiousness" target="_blank">Adventitious roots</a> that branch from nodes on the stems/shoots/vines of water spinach (or, the plant family Convolvulaceae in general) make planting extremely easy. You simply cut a chunk of the stem with some roots and stick it in soil (or a water/soil mixture). Voila, you'll get yourself a water spinach bushel in no time!<br />
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What is so special about water spinach?</h3>
We can compare the taste and texture of water spinach to that of spinach. Water spinach is similar yet milder than spinach. Its leaves are smooth and soft like spinach, and the stems are chunky like bamboo shoots. This makes water spinach a tad more interesting to eat because it has multiple textures.<br />
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However, texture is not the reason as to why water spinach is on its way to becoming a fan favorite. Take a look at the nutrition facts of spinach and water spinach side by side:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ANP5YKgtJuI/VL8Zy6CcTvI/AAAAAAAADJg/Mhph1ARU5dU/s1600/spinach%2Bnutrition.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="spinach nutrition facts" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ANP5YKgtJuI/VL8Zy6CcTvI/AAAAAAAADJg/Mhph1ARU5dU/s1600/spinach%2Bnutrition.tiff" title="" /></a><img alt="water spinach nutrition facts" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2L9lQdCHnK0/VL8ZxOJitnI/AAAAAAAADJc/uHuUAR5G3-o/s1600/water%2Bspinach%2Bnutrition.tiff" title="" /><br />
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As you can see from these nutrition labels, water spinach is much richer in Vitamin A, C, magnesium, dietary fiber, and protein than spinach; while having a comparable amount of iron, Vitamin B-6, calcium, and potassium. So, when you consider making your next spinach dip or soup, give water spinach a shot instead!<br />
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Where can I buy it?</h3>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSv7890vS7onV5rPJKLvQiWnJvtK5gCp0rVsSYboTL-P2KC6cXE" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="garlic stir fried water spinach" border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSv7890vS7onV5rPJKLvQiWnJvtK5gCp0rVsSYboTL-P2KC6cXE" style="text-align: center;" title="" /></a></div>
Your best bet to finding water spinach is at your local farmer's or Asian market, as it is commonly used in Asian dishes. Upon buying it, make sure to take home two or three bushels at a time. Like spinach, the volume of the leaves drastically shrinks when cooked. One bushel usually makes a side dish for 2 people.</div>
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How to eat water spinach</h3>
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<li>Stir-fry it with chopped garlic and soy sauce. Indeed, this is the most common way of eating water spinach among Asian cuisine. (here's a <a href="http://www.chinasichuanfood.com/chinese-water-spinach-stir-fry/" target="_blank">recipe</a>)</li>
<li>While cooking, break the long stems/shoots/vines into thirds or quarters. This makes eating them much easier.</li>
<li>It goes well with everything spinach goes well with, like tomatoes, mushrooms, artichokes, eggs, etc.</li>
</ul>
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How not to eat water spinach</h3>
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<li>It doesn't go well in salads (because of its milder taste and variable texture).</li>
<li>Try not to overcook it. Water spinach is cooked when it turns vibrant green. If overcooked, the leaves turn into a yellow-green sludge, and the stems lose their integrity/texture. </li>
</ul>
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Flavor Index</h3>
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<img alt="Water Spinach Flavor Index" border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m2w_MZkWuC0/VWgEjKvijFI/AAAAAAAADXc/QIKWT-qe0Qw/s640/Flavor%2BIndex.002.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="640" /></div>
(Image credits 1: clovegarden.com; 2-4:wikipedia.org; 5: foodforfour.com; 6-7: google.com; 8: douguo.com)</div>
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What better way is there to kick off our #LEARNABOUT section than by exploring rosewater, after which this blog is named!<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/yeM-WU0SgZ4RWg2XnJ3QSb1vjbNRnDlr-0kfXbmZsKqsUEwo7LtTBmjCiFleGu_3XnF7ESvVSm4qh0aGnWK0SitnxpwksSiiPW-e27znspZ00zmBZg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Hand-crafted Rosewater" border="0" src="http://suzannerbanks.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/rose-water-1.jpg" height="513" title="" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/80ohp6S_3gDkO_of4C7u8fPSOJFuMummio8ibl1yS1SqP1c3sq4HfFKrTzBPJgYHloBAYCaIRAVw2yFC-lqeE37OYu5XjOD_Sjz9FrhzTpVS-y9ceeeZ211NsPRNZ4LGFTeEuUfqekkQWWmdmhDlWKzz3B5B" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Raspberry Rose Fizz" border="0" src="http://cdn.honestlyyum.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/raspberry.rose_.fizz_.brunch.cocktail.7.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a><br />
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What is rosewater? </h3>
Rosewater (as you may have guessed from its name) is simply just rose + water. You may have heard it being referred to as hydrosol. It really has no taste -- it's not sweet, sour, bitter, or tart. What makes this item so special, then? Nothing tastewise, really. However, imagine yourself walking through a sunken rose garden in the summertime, feeling the warmth of the midday sun and a light breeze, inhaling the fragrance of all the roses surrounding you. This is the sensation you'll get when you open a bottle of rosewater or if you bake with it.<br />
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Why does rosewater smell so good?</h3>
The smell of roses comes from a series of small, naturally occurring alcohol/monoterpenoid molecules like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geraniol" target="_blank">geraniol</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citronellol" target="_blank">citronellol</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenethyl_alcohol" target="_blank">phenylethyl alcohol</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerol" target="_blank">nerol</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linalool" target="_blank">linalool</a>. When combined, they are called rose oil, or rose essential oil. (Though, it should really be called rose essential alcohol because it is soluble in water). These oils are also used in the perfume industry to create rose fragrances.<br />
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To extract these oils from rose, it requires a lengthy process that involves boiling rose petals with water steam in a copper pot. The oil is then extracted from water through distillation processes. However, we can't extract all the oils from distillation. Thus, some of the essential oils (or essential alcohols) that remain in water is what comprises rosewater!<br />
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Where can I buy it?</h3>
Rosewater is used heavily and is sometimes required in Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine (especially in sweets like nougat, gumdrops, raahat, and baklava) in order to create a distinct taste. It can also be used in baking and in flavoring cocktails or beverages. Furthermore, rosewater used to be very expensive in ancient Persia and Greece and was reserved for the royal family or the privileged upper class. Yet, with the technology that we have today, rosewater is easily acquired at a low price.<br />
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The brand that I use is called Cortas (Lebanese). There are other brands, such as Al Wadi (also Lebanese) and Sadaf (Iranian). You can obtain a bottle for less than $4 at any Middle Eastern/Persian store in your area.<br />
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<img alt="CORTAS rosewater" border="0" height="212" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7108/7881546716_d9fdb5347f_z.jpg" title="" width="320" /><br />
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How to use rosewater</h3>
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<li>The aroma of rose is very strong, and only a little is needed at a time. (A bottle of rosewater has lasted me a year!).</li>
<li>Add a little to your tea</li>
<li>Mix it in cocktails. The next time when you make a cranberry vodka for your date, simply add a little rosewater. I promise you that s/he will be intrigued, and ask you what is it that s/he is tasting, then you can have a whole day-long discussion about how you learned this trick from Midnight Rosewater ;). (Here's a recipe for a <a href="http://honestlyyum.com/2896/raspberry-rose-fizz/" target="_blank">raspberry rose fizz</a>. But really, you can add it to any cocktail).</li>
<li>Add it to cake batter when baking.</li>
<li>Add it to your bath water ('cause why not!)</li>
</ul>
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How not to use rosewater </h3>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Try not to mix it with jasmine tea (because the floral taste can be too overwhelming).</li>
<li>For the same concern as with jasmine tea, try not to add it to an already floral cocktail.</li>
</ul>
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Flavor Index</h3>
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<img alt="Rosewater Flavor Index" border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UwWItlkJUa4/VWgEjCB2gwI/AAAAAAAADXU/OTfIhvMXJ8E/s640/Flavor%2BIndex.001.jpg" style="text-align: center;" title="" width="640" /></div>
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(Image credits 1: suzannerbanks.wordpress.com; 2: honestlyyum.com; 3: commanderzoft.com)</div>
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Hi!<br />
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Thank you for visiting Midnight Rosewater! We hope to use this blog as a platform for sharing our experience, knowledge, and love of food with you. In our first post ever, we would like to give you a brief overview of the structure and the philosophy of this blog. That way, you may understand our reasons for creating it and the kind of posts you can expect. Without further adieu, let's jump right into it!<br />
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Midnight Rosewater has two components: <i>education</i> and <i>review</i>.<br />
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The main goal for this blog is about food <i>education</i>. In this<i> </i>component of this blog, we want to offer you useful and interesting information about certain food items and ingredients that aren't normally part of the American diet. Under the <a href="http://midnightrosewater.blogspot.com/search/label/%23LEARNABOUT" target="_blank">#LEARNABOUT</a> menu (or, the "#LEARNABOUT" label), we highlight one food ingredient per issue, which could either be a spice, produce, or even a cooking technique. We teach you about the science, history, nutrition, or anything that we find interesting about this featured food item. So it's like an encyclopedia about food, except much more fun!<br />
Under the <a href="http://www.midnightrosewater.com/search/label/CHEFSAYS" target="_blank">CHEF SAYS</a> menu, we will periodically interview local chefs from the Twin Cities area, as well as our friends who are GREAT cooks, and have them teach you about the secret ingredients from their cookbook.<br />
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The <i>review </i>section serves as a bonus for this blog, as Midnight Rosewater is mainly a food education blog instead of restaurant review. However, once in a while there will be an article or two highlighting an unforgettable experience that we had at a restaurant, and maybe tell you about the unusual ingredient they used to achieve perfection.<br />
Another bonus for you: under the <a href="http://midnightrosewater.blogspot.com/p/price-vs-value.html" target="_blank">PRICE VS. VALUE</a> menu, we present an interactive scatter plot as well some tables. Here, we've critiqued some restaurants, and rated their value (based on our overall impression) versus the average price you pay for dining there. Hopefully this section will give you some starters' guidance to dining at restaurants around the Twin Cities area. Make sure to check it out!<br />
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Unlike most food blogs, we aren't a recipe-oriented blog (although it's not to say that we don't have some killer recipes of our own). The reason for this is that we would rather teach you about the most fundamental building blocks of any recipe: the food and ingredients themselves. This way, you can invent your own recipes using the knowledge you have learned! So next time when you go to a farmer's market, you don't have to shy away from trying new "veges of unknown origins", because you learned about them from us!<br />
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Regardless of how you found us, we would like to thank you for visiting Midnight Rosewater. Please keep checking back regularly!<br />
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Ciao~<br />
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update: the price vs value section is no longer active, maybe we will bring it back some day.<br />
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<a href="http://midnightrosewater.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Midnight Rosewater" border="0" height="135" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ne2WvOKEAwc/VSN4FtL5M8I/AAAAAAAADUE/ULF3_uz8jxo/s1600/logo.001.png" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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