Wednesday, October 30, 2013

4 Types of Acids in Wine


Titrable acidity is the method of measuring the amount of the acid content in wine. Acidity is measured by pH with most wines showing a pH of 2.9 to 3.9

Acidity in wine making measures the sourness of the wine relative to the sweet taste  and to the amount of tannins it contains.

There are 4 types of acids in wine that influences its taste and color:

1. Tartaric acid

Tartaric acid  helps make the chemical content of the wine stable under changing conditions. It has a significant influence on wine color, taste and distinct flavor. This same acid is also present in tamarind, bananas and grapes. It imparts the sour taste to wine in combination with other types of acids. The level of acidity of tartaric acid does not vary a lot as the berries mature.

2. Malic acid

Malic acid is another important acid that imparts sour taste to wine. It is present in all types of berries and fruits but is historically associated with green apples. The level of acidity of malic acid varies a lot as the berries mature and ripen.

3. Lactic acid is responsible for giving wine a smoother flavor due to its ability to reduce the acidity of wines.
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4. Citric acid gives wine an acidic flavor, it complements another present in the wine and removes the iron taste from the wine.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Oenology - The Science of Wine Making


Oenology is the process of making wines starting from choosing the grapes up to the last step of bottling the processed wine.

In wine making, the important thing that dictates the quality of the wine is the quality of grapes used.

Oenology is the science of making wines and the person who makes wine is called a winemaker or a vintner.

Factors that affect the quality of wine: 

  • soil acidity
  • mineral content
  • the kind of weather when the grapes were grown
  • the time the grapes were harvested, and;
  • the manner the fruits were pruned

In the northern hemisphere, grapes are harvested starting from the early part of September and the early part of November 

In the southern hemisphere harvest time starts in the middle part of February up to the early part of March.

Vitis vinifera is the most common species of wine which include practically all species coming from the Europen region.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Mustard To Spice Up Your Hotdogs, Salads and Burgers


Mustard is a type of condiment that is added to hotdogs, hamburgers, salads, sandwiches, soups, and sauces to further enhance their flavor and taste.

As a condiment, mustard comes in many flavors. The typical taste of the mustard most everyone is familiar with, and what foodies call the "heat" from the taste of the mustard depends much on the type of seeds and ingredients used, and the manner it was prepared.

There are several varieties of mustard available in the market and if you look at their labels, you will notice that some of them were named based on the places they were first manufactured. Some of these mustard preparations are: Dijon mustard, which is a popular French brand together withe Meaux; Norwich and Tewkesbury from the United Kingdom; and Dusseldorf and Bavaria from Germany.

The different categories of mustard are the yellow mustard which is the most widely used in Canada and the US, Dijon mustard, honey mustard, beer mustard, whole-grain mustard, spicy brown mustard usually used in delis, hot mustard, fruit mustard, sweet mustard, and spirited mustard.


Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Types of Cheeses that Any Cheese Lover Should Know About




There are hundred types of cheeses in the market today that that the ordinary cheese lover will have a hard time choosing which type of cheese to buy.

Cheeses are usually classified according to the age when they were processed. They can also be classified according to their moisture content which would identify them as semi-soft cheese, medium hard and semi-hard or hard cheese.

They can also be classified by the type of animal from where the milk was obtained - cow, goat or sheep.

The type of mold that has accumulated in the cheese during fermentation is also used to identify cheeses as soft-rind, wash-rind, smear-ripened or blue.

Brined cheeses are those processed in salt solution. These are cheeses available in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. Examples are feta, sirene, haroumi and telemea cheese.

Processed cheeses are those made with milk, more salt added, food color, and emulsifying salts and sold either sliced or unsliced. It is packed in cans in some countries



Thursday, February 28, 2013

Salads and Cold Hors-D'Ouevres

 

Salads and cold hors-d'ouevres have the same purpose in a meal. They are served at the start of a meal to stimulate appetite and excite the palate for more food that is going to be served.

Although hors-d'ouevres are served as an introduction to a meal, salads can be served at anytime during the meal. In some regions of France, a simple green salad is served after the main course to prepare the palate for the dessert and cheese that follow. In the US, that simple green salad can be served to accompany a sumptous grilled steak.

A large mixed salad prepared from a delightful mixed veggies makes for an excellent main course for a light lunch. A cold buffet of various molded dishes or mousses, smoked or marinated fish sliced roast meat accompanied by a coleslaw becomes a complete meal for an informal gathering of friends and family.

The word salad is taken after the Latin words herba salata which literally means salted herbs. Vegetables are still predominantly the main ingredients of salads but any kind of poultry or fish , cold meat which is dressed with some mind of a sauce can be considered a salad. 

Unlike salads, the term hors-d'ouevre has been used fairly recently. It was first used by the French in the 18th century to describe any dishes that include salads that were not eaten in the dining table. Nowadays, though, hors-d'ouevres are very much welcome and served in the dining table.


Sunday, February 10, 2013

What Is It About Chocolates That Makes Women Crave For More?


Valentine's Day is here. The ladies would love to receive chocolates or roses from their boyfriends or husbands.

But what really is about chocolates that women cannot seem to stop craving for them? 

An article published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association revealed that in a survey conducted, 40 percent of the women admitted to crave for chocolates and only 15 percent of the men craved for them, too.

Pharmacologists have an explanation for this phenomenon. Chocolates contain the substance anandamide, a neurotransmitter with very similar chemical content to marijuana which is when taken in significant amounts can give you a feeling of euphoria and temporary happiness. 

If you are looking for chocolates to give your girlfriend, wife, mom, or any special friend, you can purchase them at the Gourmet Food Store. They have a wide selection of irresistible and mouth-watering Belgian chocolates from which you can choose the one that will certainly delight your lady love this Valentine's Day!

 

Friday, February 8, 2013

The Basic Sauces - Vinaigrette, Lemon Cream Sauce and Mayonnaise


Vinaigrette is a mixture of vinegar, oil and seasonings and can be prepared in just a few seconds. You can vary the proportion of the mixture depending on the main ingredient. For example to enhance the bitter taste of chicory or to offset the sweet taste of beetroot you can add more vinegar.

Lemon cream sauce is a mixture of double cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper. The cream blends well with the lemon's acid content producing a thick consistency. To make the mixture fresh-smelling, you can add crashed mint leaves to the mixture then remove before the cream is added. 

Mayonnaise is a smooth mixture of egg yolks and olive oil and the successful outcome of the finished product depends on the manner of whisking. You have to make sure that the yolks and oil are both at room temperature because if these two ingredients are both cold or at different temperatures they will not blend smoothly.

For a wide selection of delicious gourmet food for your home or party needs, visit

Friday, January 25, 2013

Types of Caviar



 
Caviar is a type of gourmet food made from the salted eggs of the sturgeon species of fish. The sturgeon fish is cultured and raised for a period of 10 years before they are caught primarily to remove the roe from the fish.

Caviar is considered a food of luxury because it is very expensive and difficult to harvest.

The word "caviar" originally refers to the eggs of the sturgeon fish that can be found in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea.

4 Types of Caviar 

1. Beluga caviar: Beluga caviar is the most expensive type of caviar made from the eggs of the Beluga sturgeon calle Huso-Huso. The eggs are mainly harvested from the Caspian Sea and sometimes from the Black Sea and Adriatic Sea.

2. Ossetra caviar: The second most expensive caviar is the Ossetra caviar which is obtained from the Ossetra sturgeon. 

3. Sevruga caviar: The third most expensive caviar is the Sevruga caviar which is harvested from the Sevruga sturgeon fish

4. Sterlet caviar: The sterlet caviar is made from the smaller species of the sturgeon family and from the more domesticated kind of fish found in the waters of the United Kingdom and parts of Europe