Sunday Quiz on spices and herbs
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On July 25, 1908, Kikunae Ikeda, a chemist at the Tokyo Imperial University discovered a key ingredient in dashi broth. His research started when suddenly one day the broth was more flavourful than usual and he realised it was because of the addition of a microalgae called kombu. He isolated brown crystals of glutamic acid, which conveyed the flavour. He named the characteristic taste ‘umami’, and patented a process for manufacturing it. What had Ikeda discovered that in Japanese means ‘essence of flavour’?
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One of the legends surrounding the characteristic shape of this bread is that it was invented in Vienna in 1683 to celebrate the failure of the Ottoman (now Turkish) army in trying to take over the city. The army apparently dug a tunnel to get into Vienna. This surfaced in a bakery, and the bakers had alerted the citizens and successfully kept the army at bay. The bread was supposed to have been shaped in reference to an entity on the Ottoman flag. Which bread is this that is light, fluffy and can be filled with cheese or chocolate?
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In 2012 Viator Travel Awards released a list of ‘10 Foods to try before you die’. Number one was Peking duck from China. The fourth item on the list was described as such: ‘The plate-covering, paper-thin pancake is made from rice and lentil, cooked to lacy perfection on a hot griddle. What creates the more-ish flavour is a spiced concoction of mashed cooked potatoes and fried onions, served with a liberal dose of garlicky chutney.’ What item is this?
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There are multiple theories for the origin of the name of this particular dish. The most popular theory was that Indian Army soldiers couldn’t read Tamil, so they referred to this dish by its number on the menu. Other theories claim that it refers to the number of chilli peppers in the mix, or that the chef who invented it had mastered that many cuisines before creating this dish. What very popular dish is this?
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This spice is the unopened sun-dried flower buds of the Syzygium aromaticum tree. It has an assertive, characteristic taste given by the essential oil eugenol, which allows it to accompany both savoury and sweet foods. In Britain, in the 17th and 18th centuries, this spice was worth its weight in gold, due to the high price of importing it. It was used as breath freshener by the Chinese and as an insect repellent. What spice is this that you’d find in spice tea as well as mouthwash?
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This spice has been known for thousands of years, but till a few hundred years ago, no one in the West knew where and how it was found. The name for it in Tamil is literally a description of what it is, the inner bark of the C.verum tree. In the 17th century, it was such a valuable commodity that the Portuguese and Dutch started a war in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) where this spice grew abundantly. What spice is this that adds much flavour in small quantities, but if you ate a spoonful would cause you to cry?
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There is a particular delicious food item that is known as ‘inky cap’ or ‘tippler’s bane’. The second name comes from the fact that under normal circumstances it is very tasty and nutritious when consumed, but if there was any alcohol in the system, it turns poisonous and induces a heart attack. What type of food item is this?
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Despite being synonymous with blandness, this is one of the most complex spices in the world and the second most expensive, next to saffron. For hundreds of years it was not feasible to grow it commercially as no one could figure out its pollination. In 1841, a 12-year-old slave boy called Edmond Albius discovered how to hand-pollinate this plant, and started a global revolution. What spice is this which is the most stocked ice-cream flavour in the world?
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Some people greatly dislike this aromatic herb, saying that it smells like soap and tastes like crushed bugs. This reaction has been linked to a particular set of genes in some people and has been jokingly called the ‘cilantrophobe genes’. This herb’s leaves are a key ingredient in many food items like chutneys and salads, and for garnishing. What herb is this?
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This spice isn’t actually spicy until it is crushed. Only when the plant’s cells are damaged can a harmless component called sinigrin produce allyl isothiocyanate, the compound responsible for the familiar pungent taste. In the West, the spice is mixed with vinegar, lemon juice and other spices to create a condiment that is used in fast food. What spice is this?