Saccharin - an artificial sweetener

Companies use saccharin as a non-nutritive or artificial sweetener. Saccharin is one of the oldest artificial sweeteners on the market. In fact, it has been used to sweeten foods and drinks for over 100 years.

Saccharin is about 300–500 times as sweet as sucrose, depending upon its concentration and the type of food medium in which it is used. It is commercially available in four forms: acid saccharin, sodium saccharin, potassium saccharin and calcium saccharin. Sodium saccharin is the most commonly used form because of its high solubility, stability, and low production costs.

Saccharin is made in a laboratory by oxidizing the chemicals o-toluene sulfonamide or phthalic anhydride. It looks like white, crystalline powder.

Saccharin is commonly used as a sugar substitute because it doesn’t contain calories or carbs. It’s popular as a zero-calorie substitute for sugar in cooking. In addition to carbonated diet drinks it is also used as a sweetener in low-calorie processed foods such as fruit juices, candies, jams, jellies, and cookies.

Food manufacturers often use saccharin because it’s fairly stable and has a long shelf life. It’s safe to consume even after years of storage.
Saccharin - an artificial sweetener

Molasses

Molasses is a by-product of sugar industry. It is a general term for concentrated juice from sugarcane or sugarbeet, or raw cane sugar in concentrated solution after varying amounts of sucrose have been removed.

Different types of molasses are: integral or unclarified molasses, high-test molasses, A molasses, B molasses, C (final) molasses and syrup-off.

Sugarcane is a good source of iron, containing around 0.7% of iron by weight in clarified sugarcane juice. Bioavailability of iron available in molasses is around 85% of the total iron and can provide around 6.2 mg of iron/100 gm of molasses.

Molasses is a multipurpose waste used in the production of glycerine, alcohol, glutamic acid, betaine, distillation gases, aconitic acid, stock feed, and natural sweetener in food. Molasses is used basically as source of energy; it is free of fat and fiber with a low nitrogen content. It is allowing to be a food supplement in the diets of animals. Molasses also can completely replace cereals in a beef feedlot operation.

Molasses has been used as raw material for the production of alcohol, and biochemicals, e.g., monosodium glutamate by fermentation, for the production of yeast and in livestock and poultry feeds.
Molasses

Anchovies: Highly Nutritious Food

One species of small size and it is a very important capture of fishermen is anchovies. Anchovy is a coastal pelagic species inhabiting all tropical and subtropical waters.

Anchovies are highly nutritious food and particularly valuable for providing high quality protein. Anchovies are one of the most perishable of all the foods because their suitable medium for growth of micro-organisms after death.

By preservation method of drying, the problem of fish spoilage can be solved and the shelf life can be extended. Sun drying is one of the traditional simple and economical methods employed to preserve fish, particularly small pelagic fish.

Drying process will reduce moisture content from raw food products in order to prevent quality deterioration. Lowering water activity of the products will maintain food quality by reducing microbial growth and undesired chemical reaction.

Anchovies’ characteristics from the consumers’ point of view for selection:
*Size — the smaller the better;
*Presence of head preferred;
*High flesh content;
*Absence of sand and other impurities;
*Light color; and
*Free from pests and insects.

Anchovy can be consumed as deep-fried snacks, garnish in Korea rich soups, cooking together with pasta or dried anchovies eating with rice. Anchovies also used as appetizers, as a garnish and for sauces and relishes.
Anchovies: Highly Nutritious Food

Dairy product: Butter

Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. Conversion of milk fat into butter is a very old way of preserving milk fat.

Definition of butter: It is essentially a water-in-oil emulsion, comprising of more than 80%milk fat, but also containing water in the form of tiny droplets, perhaps some milk SNF, with or without salt. The continuous fat phase in the butter is a complex matrix of liquid butter oil and fat crystals forming a network which entraps the water droplets and to a limited extent small air bobbles.

Butter accounts for a major portion of the nutritive value of milk. Butter is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying.

Butter consists of butterfat, water, and milk proteins. Butter should have a uniform color, be dense and taste clean. The water content should be dispersed in fine droplets so that the butter looks dry. The consistency should be smooth so that the butter is easy to spread and melts readily on the tongue.

The largest butter-producing countries are the United States, Germany, France, New Zealand, and Russia. In the dairy industry today the majority of the butter is produced on continuous butter making machines using the so-called Fritz method. Initially, the milk is concentrated to cream followed by a pasteurization process.

Dairy product: Butter

What are the provolone cheese characteristics?

With a subtle flavor and a pale yellow color, provolone is widely used in Italian cooking. Young provolone is dolce, or sweet, aged up to two three months. After it ages and becomes spicier and more granular, the cheese is called picante.

Like mozzarella, provolone is also a pasta filata or stretched-crud-type cheese. It has less moisture than mozzarella and is additionally cured by suspending in ropes or plastic mesh at 85% humidity.

It has a stringy texture. The minimum milk fat content is 45% by weight of the solids, and the maximum moisture content is 45%.

Like reduced-fat mozzarella, reduced fat provolone - which works in both cooked and cold dishes - will save up to 5 percent of fat per ounce when compared with the full-fat product.

For cooking, Provolone is multipurpose. It can be used on pizzas, in lasagnas and for flavorful casseroles. It goes well with tomatoes and fruits such as pears, grapes and figs.
What are the provolone cheese characteristics?

Mustard oil

Mustard oil is a spicy oil made from mustard seeds. Mustard oil is produced by steam distillation of the residue (press-cakes) obtained after expressing the seeds of the oil The essential oil forms upon maceration of the comminuted seeds in warm water that releases sinigrin, a β –glucopyranoside.

The essential consists of more than 90% allyl isothiocyanate the remainder is chiefly allyl cyanate and carbon disulfide.

Mustard oil is used in mustard paste and other dishes that need the pungent, volatile flavor of mustard or horseradish. Many Japanese food products use mustard oil. It is also used for cooking in northern and northeastern India and as an ingredient in making different kinds of pickles.

Many processed meat preparations such as bologna, frankfurters and salami require mustard flavor. It is useful in salad dressing, condiments and soups.

The ideal mustard oil attributed were
*Good mustard flavor/smell, pungent aroma and taste
*Smell should be strong
*Golden yellow
*Light
*No impurities
*No foam, no smoke
*No burning of throat

Mustard oil is highly volatile, pungent and therefore hazardous. It needs special packaging such as aluminium bottles, placed inside a mild steel jacket.
Mustard oil 

Sweetener of thaumatin

The number for this sweetener: E 957.  It is a naturally sweet protein approximately 2000 times sweeter than sugar which is used at very low levels, typically 0.5-3 ppm.

Thaumatins are a group of intensity sweet basic proteins isolate from the fruit of Thaumatococcus danielli Bennett, which grows in West Africa. Fruits are harvested and part processed to remove the section known to contain thaumatin.

In practical terms, it is perhaps one of the least important of the permitted sweeteners in terms of use in soft drinks in that its taste quality makes it unsuitable for use as a sweetener except in products where a lingering licorice aftertaste can be tolerate.

It was recognized early on that if thaumatin contributed more than 50% of the sweetness, then the aftertaste became markedly noticeable.

Thaumatin was first permitted as a natural food in Japan in June 1979. In the UK it has been permitted as a sweetener for use in foods since 1983. It is an appropriate component in soft drinks when used at low levels in combination with sweeteners with rapid sweetness development.
Sweetener of thaumatin 

High fructose corn syrup in food industry

High fructose corn syrup had been invented and had been manufactured for use in processed foods starting in the mid 1970s. It is a thick liquid sweetener made from corn syrup.

In many cases, HFCS has replaced sucrose, or table sugar, for sweetening –HFCS is easier to handle than sucrose since it is a liquid and it is also cheaper to use.

Major users of HFCS- 42 (i.e. 42 percent fructose) include some segments of the beverage industry, instant breakfast drink, cereal and bakery producers, multiple-use food manufacturers, the dairy industry, chocolate syrup, cocoa and dessert toppings and the confectionery industry.

Sugar is used in cream in combination with HFCS for sweetening and to control freezing point. In commercial baking industry HFCS is to sweeten biscuits and cakes.

Very little is used in the confectionary industry because of its resistance to crystallization, a primary sweetener requirements, However, its tendency to develop color is useful in the manufacture of fudge, caramel and toffee.

The advantages of using HFCS including:
*extra-sweetness
*Solubility
*Inexpensive
*Transportability
*Contribution to food consistency
*Stability at various temperatures
*Longer shellfire
*Humectants properties

Food manufacturers love HFCS because it tastes much sweeter than sugar, this means they can use less of it and save on their manufacturing costs.
High fructose corn syrup in food industry 

Chestnuts

Chestnut is a genus of Castanea. The chestnut has been eaten since prehistoric times in both Mediterranean basin and Asia Minor as well as in China.

The nuts are harvest by hand once they have fallen from the burr, the name for the spiny outer covering.

Chestnuts can range in size from a half inch to more than an inch, depending on the variety. They have one rounded side and one flat side and one rounded end and one pointed end.

Chestnuts are usually roasted boiled or ground into flour.  They have the consistency of thick, mashed sweet patties; in the United States, they are best known as a treat added to poultry stuffing for festive Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. The roasted kernel is soft meaty and sweet.

Chestnuts are also dried on racks and made into nutrient-rich flour that is used in a variety of recipes, from soups to breads to desserts.

The French refer to larger chestnuts which is better for cooking, as marrons and to ordinary chestnuts as chataignes.

Chestnuts are an excellent source of manganese, molybdenum, and copper and a good source of magnesium. In addition, they are a good source of vitamin C as well as vitamins B1, B2 and B6 and folic acid.
Chestnuts

Worcestershire sauce

Worcestershire sauce takes its name from the English county - or shore of Worcestershire, the home of the condiment’s inventor Sir Marcus Sandys.

Created in the 19th century by the British during their rule of India, Worcestershire sauce became a commercial success when branded and marketed by Lea & Perrins in 1838.

The original recipe of Worcestershire sauce but basically consist of anchovies layered in brine, tamarinds, in molasses, garlic in vinegar, chilies, cloves, shallots and sugar.

After sitting for two years with periodic stirrings, the mixture is sifted of the solids and bottled.

Worcestershire sauce is used to flavor in almost any dish: soups, fish, shellfish, meat and poultry, eggs, cheese, salad dressing and sauces. It is an ingredient in the dressing for Caesar salad and in the Bloody Mary cocktail, as well as many Middle Eastern dishes.
Worcestershire sauce

Usage of Cocoa Powder

Consumption has increased more than tenfold since the turn of the twentieth century, commercial cacao cultivation having spread around the world in a belt within twenty degrees of the equator and the varieties of chocolate flavored confections having proliferated worldly.

The cocoa powder is made into a drink and can be added to milk, cakes and ice cream. The beans contain the stimulant alkaloid, theobromine (about 2.5 percent) and about 0.8 percent caffeine, but these quantities are reduced after processing.

Confections such as nougats, pastes and pralines often use coca as a flavoring material.

Cocoa differs from the other common beverages (coffee and tea) in that it has a marked nutritional composition, for example cocoa powder contains about 25 percent fat (saturated), 16 percent protein and 12 percent carbohydrate (about half are sugars).

Natural cocoa powder also known as non-alkalized cocoa powder is the classics American cocoa used of making chocolate cakes and brownies.
Usage of Cocoa Powder

Ginger

Ginger
Fresh ginger can be bought almost everywhere in the shop, it should feel form and look healthy, with its suave, suede-textured skin.

Buy a little at a time so that it does not go stale in storage. In fact, ginger freezes very well and can be grated from frozen with great case.

For most dishes, it is peeled and then is either chopped or sliced thinly, or put in the blender along with other ingredients for a paste.

Vary amount of ginger to suit your own taste. If you only want a hint of it to flavour the food, cut it in two or three large pieces which can be found and removed before the dish is served.

Dried and pickled ginger are also good for cooking, but avoid the powdered variety which loses what little flavour it has very rapidly.

Ginger helps the digestion by reducing flatulence and promoting that pleasant feeling of relaxed well-being that the stomach expects after a good meal. It is also said to stimulate the circulation.

To make ginger juice: peel a good sized piece of ginger, and put it into a blender with 1 tablespoon of warm water, then pass it through a fine sieve. It may then be frozen in ice cube trays.

Small amounts of ginger juice can be obtained quickly by crushing chunks of ginger in a garlic press.
Ginger

Acetylated Monoglyceride

Acetylated Monoglyceride
An emulsifier manufactured by the interesterification of edible fats with triacetin in the presence of catalysts or by the direct acetylation of edible monoglycerides with acetic anhydride without the use of catalysts.

It is characterized by sharp melting point, stability to oxidative rancidity, film forming, stabilizing and lubricating properties.

It is used as a protective coating for meat products, nuts and fruits to improve their appearance, texture and shelf life. The coatings are applied by spraying, panning and dipping.

It is used in cake shortening and fats for whipped topping to enhance the aeration and improve foam stabilization. It is found in dry-mix whipped topping.
Acetylated Monoglyceride

Vinegar

Food Ingredient
The world's oldest cooking ingredient may just be vinegar. According to The Vinegar Institute, vinegar's history can be traced back over 10,000 years.

In fact, flavored vinegars have been manufactured and sold for almost 5,000 years. And the wide variety of vinegars available today is nothing new. The Babylonians were making and selling gourmet vinegars flavored with fruit, honey, malt, and more.

Vinegar is the result of a conversion by bacteria of alcoholic solutions in acetic acid. The word is derived from the French vin ("wine") and aigre ("sour"). Of course, vinegar is much more than "wine gone bad."

There are three methods of making vinegar: the slow process, the generator process, and the submerged process. Homemade vinegar uses a starter called "mother of vinegar."

Vinegar varieties vary greatly from country to country. These are some of the most popular: Balsamic vinegar is brown in color with a sweet-sour flavor. It is made from the white Trebbiano grape and aged in barrels of various woods. Some gourmet Balsamic vinegars are over 100 years old.

Cane vinegar is made from fermented sugarcane and has a very mild, rich-sweet flavor. It is most commonly used in Philippine cooking.

Champagne vinegar has no bubbles. It's made from a still, dry white wine made from Chardonnay or Pinot Noir grapes (both of which are used to make Champagne).

Cider vinegar is made from apples and is the most popular vinegar used for cooking in the United States.

Coconut vinegar is low in acidity, with a musty flavor and a unique aftertaste. It is used in many Thai dishes.

Distilled vinegar is a harsh vinegar made from grains and is usually colorless. It is best used only for pickling.

Malt vinegar is very popular in England. It's made from fermented barley and grain mash, and flavored with woods such as beech or birch. It has a hearty flavor and is often served with fish and chips.

Rice wine vinegar has been made by the Chinese for over 5,000 years. There are three kinds of rice wine vinegar: red (used as a dip for foods and as a condiment in soups), white (used mostly in sweet and sour dishes), and black (common in stir-fries and dressings).

Sherry vinegar is aged under the full heat of the sun in wooden barrels and has a nutty-sweet taste. Wine vinegar can be made from white, red, or rose wine. These vinegars make the best salad dressings.

There are many other types of vinegar, including those made from honey, potato, date, various fruits and berries, nuts, and more. You may want to purchase small amounts of these and try them for the fun of it.
Food Ingredient

Variety of flour

Food Ingredient
An ingredient used in many foods, flour is a fine powder made from cereals or other starchy food sources. It is most commonly made from wheat, but also maize (aka corn), rye, barley and rice, amongst many other grasses and non-grain plants (including many Australian species of acacia).

The vast majority of today's flour consumption is wheat flour. Wheat varieties are typically known as "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content, and "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low.

Hard flour, or "bread" flour, is high in gluten and so forms a certain toughness which holds its shape well once baked.

Soft flour is comparatively low in gluten and so results in a finer texture. Soft flour is usually divided into "cake" flour, which is the lowest in gluten, and "pastry" flour, which has slightly more gluten than cake flour.


Corn flour is very popular in the southern United States and in Mexico. Coarse whole-grain corn flour is usually called corn meal. Corn meal which has been leached with lye is called masa harina and is used to make tortillas and tamales in Mexican cooking.

Corn flour should never be confused with cornstarch, which is known as cornflour in British English.


100% Rye flour is used to bake the traditional sourdough breads of Germany and Scandinavia. Most rye breads use a mix of rye and wheat flours because rye has a low gluten content. Pumpernickel bread is usually made exclusively of rye, and contains a mixture of rye flour and rye meal.

Rice flour is of great importance in Southeast Asian cuisine. Also edible rice paper can be made from it. Most rice flour is made from white rice, thus is essentially a pure starch, but whole-grain brown rice flour is commercially available.

Chestnut flour is popular in Corsica, the Périgord and Lunigiana. In Corsica, it is used to cook the local variety of polenta. In Italy, it is mainly used for desserts.

Chickpea flour (besan) is of great importance in Indian cuisine, and in Italy, where it is used for the Ligurian farinata.

Flour can also be made from soy beans, arrowroot, potatoes, taro, cattail and other non-grain foodstuffs.

Tang flour is a kind of wheat flour used in Chinese cooking that is suitable for making outer layer of dumplings and buns. It is also called wheat starch. You can find it in any Chinese supermarket.

Bread, pasta, crackers, many cakes, amongst many other foods, are made using flour. Wheat flour is also used to make a roux as a base for gravy and sauces.

White wheat flour is the traditional base for wallpaper paste. It is also the base for papier-mâché. Cornstarch is a principal ingredient of many puddings.
Variety of flour

Cinnamon

Food Ingredient
Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of various evergreen trees belonging to the genus Cinnamomum. At harvest, the bark is stripped off and put in the sun, where it curls into the familiar form called "quills."

Cinnamon in the ground form is used in baked dishes, with fruits, and in confections. Cassia is predominant in the spice blends of the East and Southeast Asia. Cinnamon is used in moles, garam masala, and berbere

The color of cinnamon is about reddish and brown. It produces sweet and pungent flavor. Cinnamon is characteristically woody, musty and earthy in flavor and aroma.

It is warming to taste. The finer the grind, the more quickly the Cinnamon is perceived by the taste buds.
Food Ingredient