This week, its all about food
1 / 10 |
On July 7, 1928, Iowa-born jeweller Otto Frederick Rohwedder sold this item for the first time. Others resisted this idea because they were certain the product would fall apart and quickly go stale. It soon became a hit and was advertised as the greatest step forward in that industry. What did Rohwedder sell, which from then on became the standard against which all inventions are measured, according to a popular idiom?
2 / 10 |
This process was recorded for the first time in an ancient Egyptian text from 2500 BCE. The process uses an ingredient that can reach much higher temperatures than water, at normal atmospheric pressure. Through this process, one can sear or carbonise foods and also caramelise sugars. This leads to a characteristic crispness and texture. What process is this and what ingredient is required for it?
3 / 10 |
This simple process was first documented by the Chinese around 1000 BCE. It is the removal of energy using artificial means to prolong the life of foods. This process enabled the rise and expansion of large cities in so-called inhospitable areas. Developed countries are heavily dependent on this process to ensure that the population gets its daily quota of food. What is this process we take for granted?
4 / 10 |
This is a method of preserving which increases the shelf life of food dramatically. Nicolas Appert was awarded 12,000 francs for his invention whereby he was able to store food for the marching armies of Napoleon. After the wars, the same method was used but instead of glass, a thin metal became the norm. Although the name referenced a particular element, these products were made from various metals such as aluminium and steel. What is this product in which you’d usually see soup or marinated food items?
5 / 10 |
The oldest known evidence of this item is from Central Europe where one example dates to 29000 BCE, and it was used to cook a mammoth. In Indus Valley and ancient Egypt, multiple examples of this product have been found. The Greeks then developed it into the common item we now use today. The product is basically a closed chamber which is well insulated to trap heat inside. What product is this that is used in cooking, pottery and metalworking?
6 / 10 |
This process has been used by humans for thousands of years to obtain the correct type of food. It is done to selectively develop a particular trait which will benefit humans. This has been done in plants and animals too. The very first chapter of Charles Darwin’s seminal book on evolution is about how the human race is indebted to this process. What is it?
7 / 10 |
The primary use of this invention was to loosen or turn over the upper layer of soil, and in the process bring fresh nutrients to the surface. Initially, they were human-powered but, over centuries, animals and now machines have taken over the process. The earliest evidence of one of these is from 2800 BCE Indus Valley civilisation. What is this invention?
8 / 10 |
The earliest archaeological evidence of this process is from a cave in Israel where 13,000-year-old residues were found. In China, a concoction made from fruit, rice, and honey which underwent this process in 7000 BCE was found. Only in 1856 did Louis Pasteur discover the secret behind this process enabling it to become a technology that developed by leaps and bounds. What process is this that is basically conversion of carbohydrates to organic acids by micro-organisms?
9 / 10 |
This process removes the water content in the food article by lowering the temperature and pressure and then by sublimation, where the liquid turns directly into gas. The earliest recorded use of this technology is by the indigenous people of the Andes who would take squashed potatoes to high altitudes and leave it overnight. This enabled them to be stored for a long time. Nowadays, this process is responsible for most powdered packet food, powdered milk and instant coffee available in the market. What process is this?
10 / 10 |
This is an impermeable, hydrophobic, buoyant material which is obtained from the bark of the Quercus suber tree. It is naturally water and fire retardant and also elastic. This makes it the perfect candidate to stop a certain expensive commodity from losing its taste and texture. This material was also the very first to be seen through a microscope by Robert Hooke, which lead to the discovery of the cell in biology. What is this material?