The Subversive, Surprising History of Curry Powder

Spice blends were found to be in use almost 4000 years ago, with key ingredients like ginger, garlic, and turmeric, during the days of Indus Valley Civilization. The chili pepper, a ubiquitous ingredient in curry, was brought to the Indian subcontinent from the Americas through the Columbian Exchange in the 16th century.

Curry powder and the contemporary English use of the word "curry" are Western inventions and do not reflect any specific food from the Indian subcontinent, though a similar mixture of spices used in the Northern regions of the Indian subcontinent is called garam masala. Curry powder was used as an ingredient in 18th century British recipe books, and commercially available from the late 18th century. British traders introduced the powder to Meiji Japan, in the mid 19th century, where it became known as Japanese curry.

This week, a look at the subversive, surprising history of curry powder.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line." - Oscar Levant (American concert pianist, composer, music conductor, bestselling author, radio game show panelist and personality, television talk show host, and actor, 1906 - 1972) 

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The Century-Long Scientific Journey of the Affordable Grocery Store Orchid

The Orchidaceae are a diverse and widespread family of flowering plants, with blooms that are often colorful and fragrant, commonly known as the orchid family.

Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering plants. The Orchidaceae have about 28,000 currently accepted species, distributed in about 763 genera. The determination of which family is larger is still under debate, because verified data on the members of such enormous families are continually in flux. Regardless, the number of orchid species nearly equals the number of bony fishes and is more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species. 

The family encompasses about 6–11% of all seed plants. It also includes Vanilla – the genus of the vanilla plant, the type genus Orchis, and many commonly cultivated plants such as Phalaenopsis and Cattleya. Moreover, since the introduction of tropical species into cultivation in the 19th century, horticulturists have produced more than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars. 

This week, a look at the century-long scientific journey of the affordable grocery store orchid.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "[Memory is] a man's real possession...In nothing else is he rich, in nothing else is he poor." - Alexander Smith (Scottish essayist and poet, 1830 - 1867)
 
The Century-Long Scientific Journey of the Affordable Grocery Store Orchid by fredwine on Scribd

Why Is a 'Pepper' Different From 'Pepper'? Blame Christopher Columbus

Pepper properly refers to certain members of the genus Piper. There are several plants in this genus that produce berries that also produce a biting sensation, though not nearly as much as the capsicums. The berries of these plants contain piperine, a different chemical that is an irritant. Among the true peppers are black/white/green Piper nigrum, Cubeb, Long Pepper, and others.

Peppers are the broader classification. Capsicums, called bell peppers by some Americans, are sweet when ripe. The spicy hot ones, with capsaicin, are called chilies (or chili peppers)  and were so called because they came from the Spanish possession governed by the Viceroy of Chile. Actually, the spicy little peppers probably came from part of what is now Peru or Bolivia that was included in Chile. Cayenne peppers are another variety of hot pepper, named after the place in French Guiana on the northeast coast of South America.

Because of some geographic confusion when Columbus first reached the West Indies (he thought he was in Asia), the Spanish word for the Piper pepper was applied to the Capiscum pepper. The confusion continues today, with various parts of the world separating the two (or not!) according to their own ways of seeing things.

This week, a look at why Christopher Columbus is to blame for the confusion between peppers and pepper.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time." - Edith Wharton (US novelist, 1862 - 1937)

Why is a ‘Pepper’ Different From ‘Pepper’? Blame Christopher Columbus by fredwine on Scribd

The Tragic Roots of America’s Favorite Cherry

It is thought that sweet cherries originated in the region between the Black and the Caspian Seas. Cherries derive their name from the Turkish town of Cerasus, and Turkey remains the largest cherry producing region in the world. Like many things, cherries migrated with the colonists from Europe in the 1600’s.

Dark Sweet Cherry varieties include Chelan, Sweetheart, Lapin, Sunburst, Stella, and others. The most popular, the ever-present Bing, originated in Oregon. And who do we have to thank for Bings? That is a little fuzzy, and the exact truth may be lost to history, but we do know it involved Quakers, the Oregon Trail and Chinese laborers.

This week, a look at the tragic roots of America’s favorite cherry.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is 'thank you,' that would suffice" - Eckhart von Hochheim (commonly known as Meister Eckhart or Eckehart, a German theologian, philosopher and mystic, c. 1260 – c. 1328)

   The Tragic Roots of America’s Favorite Cherry by fredwine on Scribd

The Rigged Quiz Shows That Gave Birth to 'Jeopardy!'

The American quiz show scandals of the 1950s were a series of revelations that contestants of several popular television quiz shows were secretly given assistance by the show's producers to arrange the outcome of an ostensibly fair competition. The quiz show scandals were driven by a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons included the drive for financial gain, the willingness of contestants to "play along" with the assistance, and the lack of then-current regulations prohibiting the rigging of game shows.

This week, a look at the rigged quiz shows that gave birth to 'Jeopardy!'.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." - Anatole France (French novelist, 1844 - 1924) 

   The Rigged Quiz Shows That Gave Birth to 'Jeopardy!' by fredwine on Scribd

The Hidden History of the Nutmeg Island That Was Traded for Manhattan

Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus Myristica. Myristica fragrans (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, and mace, from the seed covering.

Until the mid-19th century, the small island group of the Banda Islands, which are also known under the name "Spice Islands," was the only location of the production of nutmeg and mace in the world. When something tends to be valuable, other people covet it, and nutmeg was no exception. How valuable, you may ask? Maybe not enough in today's dollars, but at the time it was worth Manhattan.

This week, a look at nutmeg and how the Dutch traded it for Manhattan Island.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Nothing is so awesomely unfamiliar as the familiar that discloses itself at the end of a journey." - Cynthia Ozick (American short story writer, novelist, and essayist, 1928 - )

   The Hidden History of the Nutmeg Island That Was Traded for Manhattan by fredwine on Scribd

Breaking Down the Physics of Wok Tossing

A wok is a versatile round-bottomed cooking vessel, originating in China. It is one of the most common cooking utensils in China and similar pans are also found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as becoming a popular niche cookware in all the world.

The main advantage of wok is its curved concave shape. The shape produces a small, hot area at the bottom which allows some of the food to be seared by intense heat while using relatively little fuel. The large sloped sides also make it easier for chefs to employ the tossing cooking technique on solid and thick liquid food with less spillage and a greater margin of safety. Curved sides also allows a person to cook without having to "chase the food around the pan" since bite-sized or finely chopped stir-fry ingredients usually tumble back to the center of the wok when agitated.

This week, a look at breaking down the physics of wok tossing.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." - John Albert Holmes Jr. (poet and critic, 1904 – 1962) 

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