Howdy! Nameās Julian! Iām an aspiring Culinary Scientist and Technician, here to share my love of food with the internet! Feel free to request a food, show, or anything else you want to know more of!
food sensitivity test...since when is being ok with bleu cheese comparable to eating bread or jelly that has mold on it? the cheese mold is a domesticated creature that we care for and replicate in exchange for making us funny snacks. I know her and I trust her. mold on a fruit could be anybody
yeah I do get the feeling questions like this are looking for irrational fear of anything called a mold, even those that we specifically use to make food in a controlled environment.
however it will always bring me joy and humor to think about how humans form partnerships with literally anything that exists. sailing to a new country? don't forget the Friend Mold
My amazing friend from Japan has sent me some delicious goodies, so I figured I'd put my Culinary Science skills to the test.
Name: Caramel Corn
Brand: Tohato
Flavor: Flan/Caramel Custard
Location: Purchased from a Daiso in Japan
Snack Type: Flavored corn extrusion
Date: 3/24/2023
Bag Design: While the design itself is eye-catching (bright red), I wonder why the little bag is dreaming of eating a flan with a flan? Seems a little insensitive IMO, but then again I'm not the target audience.
Appearance: These corn puffs were relatively inoffensive in their appearance, which is always welcome when compared to the artificial coloring of Cheetos. A pale yellow color with a sugar coating isn't the most eye-catching, but definitely is appealing since it seems to emphasize a lack of artificial additives. The shape is a consistent curve, which was consistent throughout the snack. The texture appeared like a typical extruded snack, puffed with minor chips in them.
Aroma: A sugary-sweet scent, definitely from the sprayed-on flavorings. Has under notes of earthy caramel that smells almost burnt. Sweet to the point of bitter.
Flavor: Primary sweet notes, mostly sugar and a slight vanilla reminiscent of marshmallows. Then, it morphs into the main notes of caramel that was almost burnt. Definitely suffered from "artificial flavoring syndrome", but not as bad as some other products I've tried. Aftertaste of a slight earthiness that matched well with the caramel.
Texture: Firm outer shell with a soft and easily disintegrated interior. When held in the mouth it dissolves easily into small crystals, and has minimal mouthpack when chewed. After swallowing it felt my mouth feeling slightly dry.
Overall: A very satisfying quick and easy snack. The mouthfeel was very satisfying, with a good crunch and no excessive mouthpack, which is always a pain. However, the one thing that keeps me from coming back immediately is the slightly burnt flavoring on these puffs. While I understand that they were going for a flan flavor, it feels as though they emphasized the caramel portion. I would have liked to try a puff that was more emphasized on the pudding portion, with notes of egg and vanilla instead of overwhelming caramel. However, I found that this helped with portion control, as by the time I was done with them I was fully satisfied.
Rating: 4.5/5, so close to greatness! I just wish that the flavor was a little less burnt. However, with the satisfying mouthfeel and novel flavor, I would highly recommend if you have the opportunity.
Itās #NationalCherryDay š Hereās a look at the chemical differences between sweet and sour cherries: https://ift.tt/3eBvzuv https://ift.tt/3xPJVle
It might not be strawberry season in the Northern Hemisphere, yet, but apparently itās #NationalStrawberryDay anyway š¤·āāļø Hereās a graphic in C&EN looking at some of the chemistry behind their colour and aroma: https://ift.tt/2BUhPum https://ift.tt/37Tsjdh
Day 7 of #ChemAdvent looks at Brussels sprouts, and how if youāre not a fan of them you might have a genetic excuse! More detail here: https://ift.tt/33R42CN https://ift.tt/33RQ0R5
@magnumpicactus the sand is on top of really hot coal and is pretty much boiling. The dude is dragging the pot of coffee on it to boil it. Its a traditional turkish way to make turkish coffee and its really good.
Itās #NationalCabbageDay! Cabbages arenāt just good for eating ā you can make a colourful pH indicator from them, too š§Ŗ https://ift.tt/39JT2ro https://ift.tt/2LXZWTq
As the regular-person Queen Of Cocoa, I thought maybe I should share my tips for jazzing up instant hot chocolate mix with my followers!Ā
1. Use creamy milk only: Your liquid choice is going to have a high impact on the consistency and quality of your hot cocoa. I grew up using water for my cocoa, but now that I use 2% milk, I am a transformed person. Never use skim milk. In fact, if you ever buy skim milk, Iām sorry but I cannot allow you to see the rest of these tips. This is VIP content for individuals with taste.
2. Choose your hot chocolate mix carefully: Iāve tried endless cocoa mixes. Each one has a very distinct taste and depth (or lack thereof). Just like chocolate bars, some cocoa mixes are on the fruitier side, creamier side, etc. Pay attention to the notes you like in regular chocolate and test cocoas until you find one that somewhat matches them. Furthermore, note that the cocoa content of hot chocolate mixes vary greatly, similar to how different a white chocolate bar and an 80% dark chocolate bar are from one another. Most over-the-counter cocoa mixes have a relatively low cocoa content. You can āboostā your hot chocolate mix by adding a teaspoon or so of a different cocoa power/mix, such as Dutch processed cocoa powder (which can help deepen the flavor profile - just balance it out with a bit extra sugar if you add too much). I like my chocolate on the creamy but dark side. My preferences for ready-to-drink instant cocoa mixes are Good nā Gather (Target brand) and Starbucks. Swiss Miss will work in a pinch, but even if thatās your only option, I suggest their dark chocolate mix for a richer flavor.Ā
3. Add extra chocolate: So you donāt have time or energy to go all out with whisking up a whole vat of sipping chocolate. Thatās why youāre making instant cocoa, yes? However! Sipping chocolate is so good because itās literally melted chocolate in cream. At that point, itās almost like a velvety sauce. The cocoa butter fats plus cocoa solids in a finished chocolate give it that true decadence that instant cocoa mix just canāt replicate with powder alone. I like to place one square of a chocolate bar (I choose Cadbury ā it has a very soft easy-to-melt quality and light fruity notes) at the bottom of your mug before heating it up or adding your hot milk. Just be sure to heat it to a temperature that will actually melt your chocolate, then stir enough to make sure the cocoa dissolves fully. Still easier/faster than whisking sipping chocolate. As a bonus, this trick is a great way to change the primary notes of your cocoa! Have a favorite chocolate bar/candy? Keep some near your cocoa mixes, but make sure the chocolate doesnāt get stale in the meantime. I donāt have that problem because I am tough and I drink a cup of cocoa once or twice per day.Ā
4. Add flavorings yourself: So you chose your liquid, your mix and any extra chocolate you wanted. But youāre looking for something unique. You may at some point be tempted to fall for the traps of peppermint, raspberry, cinnamon or caramel flavored cocoa mixes. I am here to tell you not to let those harlots get you. Their flavors are stale and can undermine the base chocolate flavor. I highly recommend adding the right spice, herb or essence yourself. I donāt know about some of those flavors, but I find that using a caramel ice cream topping sauce or my Spice Island cinnamon powder (weirdly incredible btw) is so much more potent and fresh-tasting than the prepackaged flavors.Ā
This whole process should take about 3 minutes, from pouring the milk to stirring it fully. I like to heat the milk and chocolate square for a minute, then add the hot chocolate mix (plus flavorings), stir very well and give it another 15-30 seconds in the microwave, then a final stir. Donāt leave any little powder clumps floating at the top; you are sexy and deserve silky smooth cocoa.
Donāt forget the toppings! Are you a marshmallow or a whipped cream?
