Category: Tasting Lab

Tasting Lab: Spices and Salmon

Our second tasting lab was about spices, salmon, and politics. It correlated with Newmans chapter on spices.

We prepared salmon lox together, and I was in charge of preparing the sweet lox. I used two parts sugar, one part salt, star anise, nutmeg, and caradamom, and was enjoyed the next week at our class potluck.

I have never prepared salmon in this way, so it was exciting to participate in this process. It was also exciting to see the way Annie tied current political events, cultural norms, and spices together.

She asked us two questions on her handout:

1- Do you think the hearth still has a central role? What will a hearth look like in 2020? Kitchen talk?

I think the symbolism of hearth still has a very central role. Its stage time and physicality have changed over the years but there is still a source of heat that gathers everyone together. I believe the hearth still has its part, but its stage time is much shorter now. The microwave and stove have changed our paces.

I think a hearth will look similar to a microwave. Or maybe it will be some sort of nutrient reader that tells you what nutrients you need to eat.

Kitchen talk will probably revolve around the latest environmental disaster the affects our food. Food will probably start being used as currency, and the way we relate to food will change because of this.

2- What spices did you blend? Why?

I blended white peppercorn, salt, star anise, and clove. I wanted an astringent sweet mix that would be helpful with digestion.

 

We were all little eggs once

For our classes very first tasting lab with Annie we ate

A standard boiled egg

Boiled egg with salt

Marbled Eggs

Eggs boiled with radishes

And Salmon Roe

Annie had us taste each egg first, taking note of its appearance, the taste, and any other sensations that may have risen.

We did two rounds of this eating and reflecting and  there was one major difference.

The first time we simply ate the food.

The second time Annie shared stories with us, one for each egg. Some stories were about what city the eggs were laid in, some were about how they were prepared, and some stories were about the conditions of the chickens or how the salmon eggs are “harvested” from the female salmon.

Fig-6-salmon-female-mature-JW-_small

Its interesting to me, even now as I type this emotions are rising about the salmon. Even weeks after this tasting (this tasting was week one, and now we are in week eight) I am still finding knots being formed in my throat as a few tears make their way down my cheeks.

To say the least, eating after hearing the stories was a very different experience for me. I felt joy when I ate the traditional boiled egg, remembering the story that was shared about how women would carry on their moms recipe and how this tradition has been in the family for generations. I remember feeling ancient when enjoying the marbled eggs, imaging what it must have been like to celebrate the new year while eating these delicious and savory eggs that were boiled in black tea-they were definitely my favorite.

Image Source:

Chinese Tea Eggs, revamped!

Tea Speed Dating~Week four

On January 31, 2017 our dear classmate Kotomi guided our class through our first tea-tasting! As a part of Kotomis field study, she will be sharing with us the flavors and knowledge she finds while researching the history and chemistry of the popular beverage. During this tea tasting, we got to experience three different forms Camellia Sinensis during this first round.

The three teas we dated:

Matcha

ThAbout-Matcha-Imagee color of matcha tea was very striking to me. When it came to appearance, the periodt-mossy green had me the most intrigued out of all three. It was even more noticeable sitting next the dark colors of he pu-erh and oolong. How did it the green color come to be? When it was dry it had a sweet, fresh grass smell. When it was steeped it smelled more earthy, mossy, and astringent.

 

Pu-erh

Pu-erh-Shu-Classic

I have tried pu-erh in tea bags before, but I had never seen it outside of a bag. Which made me reflect on how far away Americans have strayed from the traditional practices and mediums of tea. Pu-erh had an earthy, full, and almost dull flavor the first round. It kind of smelled like animal when it was stepped, and a smell was not very noticeable at all to my senses when the leaves were still dry.

Oolong

A-scoop-of-Fushoushan-High-Mountain-Oolong-Tea

When I smelled the steeped oolong tea I exclaimed outloud, “I want to bathe in this!” The smell…is sweet and and floral. It is not overwhelming and yet it stands its ground.

It is also a protector of the human body. High mountain oolong, as well as green tea, has an amino acid called theanine which helps you feel elevated, calm, and clear. Which I imagine can help with cortizol levels in the body and the metabolism.

Images:

http://publications.nscds.org/science/2016/01/29/the-lady-drinking-tea/