Food Archives - Page 5 of 8

21Aug 2017 by Vincent Summers 19 Comments

How Coffee Aroma Relates to Skunk Stench

animals, Food

Curiously, the aroma chemicals in coffee closely resemble the stench-producing chemicals in the abominable skunk spray! They are similar, but they are not identical, and they do not occur in proportionate quantities. Skunk Stench The chemicals that primarily give skunk spray its stench are thiol derivatives—in particular, derivatives of the sulfur alcohol n-butyl mercaptan (CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-SH). The portion of this compound responsible for its smell is the -SH group, a sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom, which is similar to the -OH or alcohol group. Common derivatives modify the carbon chain. Another variation chemically modifies the -SH group, using acetic acid (CH3-COOH) to form the corresponding thioacetate. Two of the most odoriferous skunk spray mercaptans are (E)-2-buten-1-thiol and 3-methyl-butanethiol. Other than its prevalence (it makes up approximately 2/5 of skunk…

05Jun 2017 by Vincent Summers 7 Comments

Lemon Chemistry: Flavor and Aroma Profiles

Chemistry, Food

To detect aroma, airborne chemicals must enter into our nasal passages. Volatile aromatic oils carried in when we breathe, interact with receptors located along those passages. Though flavor is somewhat influenced by our sense of smell, flavor primarily requires substance solubility in order to reach the different kinds of receptors located in various parts of the tongue. Let's explore a little lemon chemistry. Lemon Chemistry: Flavor The tongue detects four, perhaps five, flavors. They are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Some add savory1. There can be no doubt the primary taste of lemon is sour. Mention sour and the organic chemist thinks of organic acids. Lemons are rich in three organic acids: citric, malic, and ascorbic (AKA Vitamin C). Citric acid predominates. Suck on citric acid and you’ll think of…

25Apr 2017 by Vincent Summers 3 Comments

Is Fish Really Brain Food?

Food, People

[caption id="attachment_17712" align="alignright" width="440"] A lovely, healthful salmon dinner. Maybe add a small baked potato.[/caption] It’s been years since I’ve heard anyone describe fish as brain food. But they did. And there was no disproof that the saying was correct. So what’s the verdict? Is there any validity to the idea that fish is good for the central nervous system and specifically for the brain? Fat and Cholesterol Fish is low in calories. Fish is low in fat, especially saturated fat. The varieties of food fish highest in fat contain no more than about 15% fat. In fact, fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Most fish are relatively low in cholesterol. The overall conclusion is that fish is a suitable dietary addition for those who wish to reduce their…

06Mar 2017 by Vincent Summers 3 Comments

Short, Medium, and Long Grain Rice Vary in Use and Starch Profile

Chemistry, Food

Rice is, technically, grass seed! It is the most widely consumed food staple in the world. Rice is a dietary starch, as are maize and potatoes. There are nearly innumerable commercially available rice varieties—more than 40,000. One means of classifying rice varieties is by grain length. Rice of varying grain lengths vary also in starch profiles. Perhaps the most popular rice in the Western World is long grain rice. Starch Profile versus Grain Length L.G. rice features grains about four to five times as long as they are wide. It is sometimes sold as brown rice. However, frequently it is milled or polished to remove the bran. It is then sold as white rice. What is the starch profile of this form of rice? The two most important starches are…

28Jan 2017 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

White Wheat Bread is Different from Ordinary White Bread

Food, Plants

[caption id="attachment_16014" align="alignright" width="480"] Wheat in the field.[/caption] In the bread section of the local grocery store you notice a moderately new product called white wheat bread. It’s not called just bread, or even white bread, but white wheat bread. Is it somehow different from ordinary white bread? If that is so, in what way is it different? Is it a cause for concern? White wheat bread is a form of whole wheat bread. How can that be? Let’s look at the structure of wheat. Wheat Berries [caption id="attachment_16017" align="alignright" width="228"] Wheat berry cross-section. - NIH Senior Health[/caption] The cereal grain wheat is classified as a berry, variety caryopsis. As an ear of corn does not include the husk, a single wheat berry is the entire grain minus the husk.…

23Jan 2017 by Vincent Summers 6 Comments

What Gives Boiled Eggs Sulfur Smell? Is Sulfur Bad for You?

Food, Health

[caption id="attachment_15992" align="alignright" width="440"] Hardboiling eggs.[/caption] Peel a boiled egg, break it open, and you will detect the distinct boiled eggs sulfur smell. Now foods do not contain sulfur (symbol S) in its elemental form. Rather, they contain compounds that include sulfur in their composition. What sulfur-containing compounds do we find in hen's fruit? In themselves, they are nutritious—even essential—compounds. Boiled Eggs Sulfur Smell: Amino Acids Eggs contain proteins such as albumin. Proteins are amino acids that have joined together. Amino acids are nutritious chemicals that contain nitrogen. Most amino acids do not contain sulfur. However, two do contain sulfur in addition to nitrogen—methionine and cysteine. In fact, they contain nitrogen and sulfur in equal amounts. The chemical formula of methionine is C5H11NO2S. Cysteine is C3H7NO2S. Boiled Eggs Sulfur Smell:…

19Sep 2016 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

What Is the Difference Between Table Salt and Other Salts?

Chemistry, Food

Nice try, but “s” is not the correct answer. There is a difference and there is no difference between them. Both are correct. There is a difference and there is not a difference between table salt and other salt(s). Difference Between Table Salt and Salts Table salt, chemical name sodium chloride, is written NaCl. Yes, we call it salt and we sprinkle it on our food. It enhances flavor to the palate. But to the chemist, it is merely one of thousands – millions of salts. So what is a salt to a chemist? It is one of two products (the other ordinarily water) of an acid-base reaction. Consider an example. An Example of a Salt Formation Calcium hydroxide plus sulfuric acid produces calcium sulfate plus water. Ca(OH)2 + H2SO4…

18Sep 2016 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Guadeloupe or Creeping Cucumber – Weed or Food?

Food, Plants

Perhaps you enjoy cucumbers in your garden salad, or in some other form, say dill or sweet pickles? If so, you may be surprised that one form of cucumber—the Guadeloupe or creeping cucumber is not considered by most to be a food item at all, but a weed. This 'cucumber' predominates in the southeastern quadrant of the United States, although it is also found elsewhere in the world. The Guadeloupe or Creeping Cucumber Some would beg to differ as to its being inedible. While it remains obviously green (resembling a small watermelon) they readily consume the tiny fruit. However, as it darkens, turning black, they avoid it, considering the creeping cucumber an intense laxative. [caption id="attachment_15504" align="alignright" width="300"] Melothria pendula flower - CC-by-SA2.0 by Jacopo Werther[/caption] The creeping cucumber is…

30Aug 2016 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Tongue Stuck to a Silver Spoon Eating Ice Cream?

Food, Physics

Ice cream consists of several ingredients. The best ice cream contains cream, milk, flavorings, and sweetener. Most of these ingredients contain water. Water provides fluidity unless the ice cream is frozen solid. Do you enjoy ice cream? You can eat ice cream with a plastic spoon, a stainless spoon, a silver plate spoon, or a sterling spoon. Sterling is solid silver, not a thin layer of plate. If the ice cream is very cold and you eat it with a sterling silver spoon, you may experience a tongue stuck to a silver spoon. With A Plastic Spoon Eat ice cream with a plastic spoon and you will never experience your tongue stuck to it. Most plastics are not only good electrical insulators—they are good thermal insulators as well. Heat is…

22Aug 2016 by Vincent Summers 5 Comments

Olive Oil and Peanut Oil Fat Composition and Percentages

Food, Health

[caption id="attachment_15332" align="alignright" width="480"] Peanuts fresh from the ground.[/caption] Two of the fats among the most recommended by health buffs are peanut oil and olive oil. Let’s check ‘em out to see what the chemistry is for each of these oils, what their reputed health benefits are, and how they perform in their cooking assignment. Yes, let’s compare individual substances found within peanut oil and olive oil. Peanut Oil Components There are three major components of peanut oil – triglycerides of oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids. A triglyceride is the combining of three fatty acid molecules with one molecule of glycerin. Approximate percentages are: 48% Monounsaturated [Oleic Acid] 34% Polyunsaturated [Linoleic Acid] 18% Saturated [Palmitic Acid] Oleic acid is an unsaturated, 9-omega, cis-fatty acid. Linoleic acid is an unsaturated 6-omega,…