Fun Facts: Specialty Foods

Almond Paste

• Almond paste is a mixture of blanched ground almonds, sugar and glycerin or other liquid.
• Almond paste is used in a variety of confections and is less sweet and slightly coarser than marzipan.
• Bitter-almond paste is used to flavor the famous amaretti cookies.

Balsamic Glaze

• Balsamic glaze is made by mixing balsamic vinegar with brown sugar over heat.
• Balsamic is aged in special barrels made of different wood – each type of wood imparts a different taste and even the order in which the vinegar is moved from barrel to barrel impacts the final flavor.
• The mirror test – you can tell that a balsamic vinegar is of a high quality if you can see your face in it.
• A good balsamic can be used not just as a condiment, but as a medicine to aid digestion, for colds and other health purposes.

Nori

• Typically nori is made of an edible species of red seaweed.
• Nori is made by washing the seaweed in clean water, cutting it into small pieces via a machine, mixing the pieces with water and pouring the mixture onto mats to create sheets, which are passed through a drier, after which the sheets may be toasted, a process comparable to that of paper-making.
• Nori is traditionally used as a wrapping around rice to make sushi, but may be used to flavor other rice dishes as well as soup and noodles.

Rice 

• Rice is the oldest known food that is still widely consumed today. Archaeologists can date its consumption back to 5000 BC.
• Rice is eaten by nearly half of the world’s population.
• Nishiki Rice is the standard rice used for making sushi.
• Arborio is a short grain Italian rice, named after a town in northwest Italy.
• White Arborio is the most popular rice for risotto.

Saffron

• The name saffron comes from the Arabic word,” zafaran ” which means yellow and it is the official color of Buddhist robes in India.
• The best quality saffron has a deep red color, a honey like aroma with a delicate taste but musky and earthy.
• Spain, India, and Iran are primary producers of commercial saffron.

Sesame Tahini

• Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds.
• Helps to maintain healthy skin and muscle tone.
• It has 20% complete protein, making it a higher protein source than most nuts.

Lentils

• Archaeologists found intact lentils in Pharaoh tombs in Egypt.
• Lentils come in various shapes and colors – most widely known are brown, yellow, red and black.
• Currently, Canada is the world’s leading producer and exporter of lentils.

Cous Cous

• The world’s first manufacturing plant for the production of couscous was established in Algeria in 1907.
• Couscous is not generally eaten on its own, but together with a variety of vegetables, meat, herbs and spices.
• Symbolizing luck, blessings and abundance according to North African tradition, couscous is prepared to celebrate a house warming or a holiday.

Olive Oil

• Greece is the world’s third largest producer of olive oil.
• Extra virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives with no chemicals used to extract the oil.
• The fresher the olive oil, the better the taste.  After a year or so, oil is best used for cooking and fresh oil used for salad dressings and other cold uses.
• Because oil flows from the olives naturally when they are crushed, the vitamins and natural ingredients are not destroyed with chemicals and preservatives.
• Greek people consume an average of 26 liters of olive oil each every year.