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Issue 00269 www.tidbitsvancouver.com
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by Janet Spencer In the year 1918 the average North American used about half a pound (.2 kg) of various spices in a single year. That’s the first year that the Department of Agriculture began tracking spice consumption. Today Americans eat about 3 ½ pounds (1.5 kg) of flavorings each year. Come along with Tidbits as we take a taste of spices, seasonings, and flavorings! TASTE AND THE TONGUE • The average human tongue has about 10,000 taste buds. You may have seen a diagram of the human tongue which maps out what areas of the tongue are responsible for tasting what sorts of things, whether salty, sweet, bitter and so forth. This map of the human tongue has since been disproved. Every taste bud on the tongue is equipped with five different receptors and each is capable of detecting all of the five basic tastes. • The five basic tastes are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and ‘unami,’ a Japanese word meaning savory or meaty. • Each taste bud in the mouth dies off and is replaced about once every 14 days. • You can’t see your taste buds. The bumps you can see on your tongue are called papillae and the tiny taste buds rest on top of these projections. • There are eight muscles in the tongue.
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TASTE TEST • In the year 1930, an accident in the laboratory led to an amazing discovery. One scientist was tinkering with the formula for a blue dye in a lab owned by DuPont Chemical Company. As he was pouring a container of white powder into another container, he fumbled and the chemical powder puffed into the air. He accidentally inhaled some of the powder, as did the scientist standing next to him. He was surprised when the scientist next to him started to gag because the powder was so bitter. He had tasted nothing whatsoever. Each of the scientists put a tiny dab of the powder onto their tongue. The scientist who had bobbled the formula tasted nothing whatsoever. His coworker grimaced because it tasted very bitter to him. They went throughout the department testing other people to see if they could taste the bitter powder or not. Some could, some could not. This was the first realization and the first proof that people’s sense of taste varies from person to person and is not at all uniform. Since then a marker in DNA has been identified which determines whether a particular human is sensitive to the taste of the bitterness or not.
HOLLYWOOD -- Jake Gyllenhaal has only one film slated for release this year, “Nocturnal Animals,” with Amy Adams and Michael Shannon. But he has five projects slated for 2017: “Okja,” with Tilda Swinton (for Netflix); “Stronger” (about the Boston marathon victim who led police to the killers); the sci-fi thriller “Life,” with Ryan Reynolds and Rebecca Ferguson; “The Current War,” which has Jake playing George Westinghouse to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Thomas Edison; and “The Man Who Made It Snow,” about Max Mermelstein, an American in the inner circles of the Columbian Cartel in the 1980s. And in his spare time ... ? *** In the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, studios had marketresearch companies phoning people and stopping them on the street and while exiting movie theaters to learn which actors they recognized and liked. It was called the Q (Quotient) Score. When the studios were
Call Today (250) 832-3361 threatened because this practice was wrong, they denied ever using it. Today we have an Internet service called IMDB and IMDB Pro. Anyone can use IMDB to find information on movies, actors and companies. IMDB Pro is for show folk who pay to subscribe to get inside info on actors, movies and production companies. It offers a list called The IMDB Starmeter that ranks actors on how many hits they get on the IMDB websites, and their popularity. For instance, Alicia Vikander, Oscar winner this year for “The Danish Girl,” is ranked No. 18, “Superman” Henry Cavill is No. 16, Jennifer Lawrence is No. 15, and Gal Gadot, the new “Wonder Woman,” is No. 11. Despite his Oscar win for “The Revenant,” Leonardo DiCaprio could only hit No. 10. Melissa Benoit (“Supergirl” and “Whiplash” star) is next, followed by Margot Robbie (“Wolf of Wall Street” and “Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot,” which bombed) and Shailene Woodley (“The Divergent” series). At No. 6 is Tom Hardy (“The Revenant” and “Mad Max: Fury Road”), followed by Robin Wright (“Princess Bride” and “House of Cards”) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“Final Destination 3”). No. 3 is Tom Holland (“The Impossible”), No. 2 is Alexandra Daddario (“San Andreas” and the upcoming “Baywatch”) and No. 1 is Alicia Witt (Cybill Shepard’s daughter on “Cybill” and “The Bronx Bull” about Jake LaMotta, a film that was shot two years ago and is just being released). No offense to Witt, Daddario, Holland or any of the others, but should they be ranked before Leonardo DiCaprio? There are sites online that claim they can help you manipulate the Starmeter, and other sites that say your Starmeter won’t get you interviews. The question is, why is it there? The best actor doesn’t always get the job; maybe the one with the biggest social media gets it instead. No joke this week, this is (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc. not a laughing matter.
Flavors (continued): • When a human tastes something bitter, the result will usually be a scrunched-up face: the mouth will frown, the nose is wrinkled up, and the tongue sticks out. Even babies make this face when they taste something bitter. Amazingly, animals do too. VANILLA • Vanilla comes from the seeds of an orchid flower. It takes 18 months for a blossom on an orchid plant to be turned into vanilla extract. Madagascar, an island nation off the coast of Africa, is one place where vanilla grows in abundance. A NEW VANILLA • In 1975 officials in Madagascar deliberately destroyed much of their vanilla crop in order to create scarcity to make the price go higher. One of their major buyers was McCormick, one of the biggest spice companies in the world. When the price of vanilla spiraled out of control,
Over 2,500 years ago, the Chinese made a sauce out of fermented fish. When Buddhism became popular, vegetarianism became the norm. Reluctant to give up their tasty fish sauce, Buddhists tried making it out of soybeans instead. The result was soy sauce, still relished today.
N N N M O I AC 1. Black pepper is the most popular spice in America, followed by cinnamon. 2. Ketchup is America’s most popular condiment.
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1. True or False: The same ginger that goes into gingerbread also makes ginger ale. 2. True or False: Poisonous mustard gas is made from mustard. 3. How many different flavors of Doritos are sold in the US? 4. Does a man or a woman typically have a longer tongue? 5. True or False: Taste buds are found only on the tongue.
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IT’S A FACT • In the years between 1949 and 1959, chemists invented over 400 additives to help preserve and process food. researchers at McCormick discovered how to make imitation vanilla out of pine cones, and then how to make it out of cloves. The result ORIGINS OF SPICES is called vanillin, more commonly known as ‘artificial vanilla flavoring.’ Vanillin still counts • Cinnamon is made from dried tree bark. as a ‘natural’ flavor because there’s nothing • Cloves are dried flower buds from a tree that grows in Indonesia. unnatural about pine cones or cloves. • Nutmeg is made from the pit of a sweet fruit, similar to the pit inside a peach. Mace is ARTIFICIAL FLAVORING the lacy covering of a nutmeg, slightly more In 1965 there were fewer than 700 chemicals pungent in taste. that imitated flavors. Today there are over 2,200. • Peppercorns are the dried berries of a tropical It’s been estimated that every person in America eats about 2 pounds (.9 kg) of chemical flavorings every year. vine. Chemical flavorings are even added to livestock • Today, saffron is the most expensive spice, feeds to encourage animals to eat more so they nearly worth its weight in gold. It takes 14,000 get fat more quickly in order to turn a higher dried stigmas of a certain crocus flower to profit. make one ounce (26 g) of saffron. It cannot be harvested by machine but must be harvested by When given nothing but straw to eat, livestock hand. In Bavaria in 1444 it was the law that any will eat more of it and thus gain weight faster if merchant found selling adulterated saffron was the straw has been treated with various artificial to be burned alive. flavors making it taste like clover or rye grass. These are the same sorts of artificial flavorings • In the 1800’s, Catholic priests wandered among used in human food as well. A child might not the Indians in California to spread their religion. want to drink a glass of nothing but sugar water, but add some artificial flavorings to make it taste like fruit juice and they will drink every drop.
1. What is the most popular spice in the U.S.? 2. What condiment is America’s most popular?
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Amazing Animals
PRIMATE COMMUNICATION
Origins of Spices (continued): It is said that as they travelled, they would drop mustard seeds behind them. Later they could find their way back by following the trail of bright yellow mustard blossoms. • Coriander helps inhibit inflammation in the human body. Ginger can relieve nausea and vomiting. Dill helps skin become more elastic. Basil kills viruses and lowers cholesterol. Cinnamon helps decrease blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes. Black pepper has antidepressant properties and stimulates digestion. Turmeric can increase cognitive function. • Allspice is a berry, not a blend of spices. It was named because it tastes like a blend of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. • Herbs are derived from a plant’s leaves whereas spices come from the bark, buds, roots and seeds of a plant.
• Vervets are small monkeys that live in small social groups and communicate by grunting. For years people thought their series of grunts were merely a way of keeping track of where each member of the troop was located. But then two researchers in Kenya began to record the grunts while at the same time videotaping the vervets. Their analysis of the monkeys’ grunting revealed some surprising things. • The vervets have three alarm calls signaling the presence of predators. One signifies eagle; one means leopard; and one designates snake. These three different calls were recorded and then played back to the monkeys on hidden loudspeakers. When the call for eagle was played, every monkey looked to the sky. When the cry for the leopard was played, they looked to the ground. When the warning for snake was played, they looked to the trees. • Next, the researchers studied the grunts vervets made when meeting other members of the group. They found the grunt a vervet makes when meeting a socially superior monkey is different from the grunt it makes when meeting an inferior. There is a different grunt altogether for a monkey from a different tribe. Researchers also isolated the grunt that means a monkey is moving into an open area. • They played a practical joke on one vervet by occasionally playing that monkey’s She can also understand about 2,000 words of “Stranger!” call on the loudspeakers when spoken language. Like Washoe, Koko is also no stranger was present. The other members capable of making up her own signs for things she soon learned the monkey was unreliable does not know the word for. She made the signs because he was always “crying wolf.” They for “finger” and “bracelet” indicating a ring. soon learned to ignore him, not only when • A bonobo (pygmy chimpanzee) named Kanzi he legitimately gave his “stranger” call, but was being trained to communicate in a lab by also whenever he gave his other calls. using a computer and typing in symbols. Kanzi • In an experiment in 1962, researchers was shown videos of Koko the gorilla using sign recorded the sounds a group of baboons language. Kanzi’s handler was surprised when made in the wild while storm clouds were Kanzi began using sign language after viewing the gathering. Later the tape was played to a videos in spite of the fact that sign language had group of captive apes in a zoo. Even though not been part of the curriculum. the day was perfectly clear, the apes rushed • An ape named Chantek was learning sign to shelter as if a storm had been imminent. language when his handler gave him a bunch of • Washoe, a chimp at the University of Nevada, grapes and indicated that she wanted the ape to learned about 350 words using American share them with her. Chantek ate all the grapes, Sign Language. She was able to use these and handed the empty stem back to his handler. words to make up her own terms, such as “drink-fruit” for watermelon; “water-bird” HOT PEPPERS for swan; “white-tiger” for zebra; and “fooddrink” for refrigerator. She even taught her • Columbus was looking for a shorter route to the black pepper supply of India when he discovered adopted chimp son some sign language the New World. Because he was so desperate to before she died at the age of 42 in 2007. find pepper, everything that he came across which • Koko, a gorilla taught to use sign language, had a hot taste was dubbed ‘pepper.’ That’s why learned 645 signs by the time she was seven today we have green peppers and chili peppers. years old and now knows over 1,000 signs. These are fruits rather than berries, and their ‘hot’ taste is caused by a chemical called capsaicin. Capsaicin isn’t really a taste; it’s a pain. Capsaicin stimulates the pain-sensing neurons inside the mouth. • There are 30 species of pepper plants and all belong to the genus Capsicum, which comes from the Greek ‘kapto’ meaning bite or gulp. • The Scoville test for measuring the amount of heat in a hot pepper was developed by Wilbur Scoville. He was working for a pharmaceutical
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or capsaicin to the seed to prevent squirrels and deer from eating the food intended for the birds. • One researcher did everything he could to try to condition a set of laboratory rats to like hot peppers. Some rats were fed a hot pepper diet from the moment of their birth. Others had chili powder gradually added into their feed. Sometimes the researcher spiked the nonpeppery food with a substance that would make the rats feel sick so that they would choose the peppery food instead. Sometimes he fed them a diet that contained no vitamin C hoping they would naturally go for their vitamin C-laden peppers. But no matter what he did, he could not train rats to like hot peppers. company, trying to make different uses out of plant alkaloids including capsaicin. A rating of 1 million Scoville units means that the extract from that plant must be diluted to a concentration of 1 part per million before its heat dissipates. • A pepper called the Carolina Reaper comes in at 2.2 million Scoville heat units, which ranks it as the world’s hottest pepper. By comparison, police-grade pepper spray rates about 5 million Scoville units, which causes temporary blindness, difficulty in breathing, and total incapacitation. • If a hot sauce is too hot for you, don’t try to cool your mouth with water or tea. They just spread the volatile oils around more. Instead, try soaking up the peppery oils with milk, fatty foods, or high-alcohol drinks. • Red peppers are high in vitamin C, and fresh paprika made from newly dried chili peppers contains more vitamin C by weight than lemon juice.
Why does a moon rock taste better than an Earth rock? Because it’s a little meteor.
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WHY SO HOT? • Chili plants pump their fruits full of capsaicin, but why? According to an article in Discover magazine, a researcher found that mammals such as mice and pack rats think that capsaicin tastes horrible. Therefore, they do not eat hot peppers. Rodents will readily eat peppers that are capsaicin-free (such as bell peppers) but they stay away from the hot stuff. The researcher also found that the digestive system of mammals such as mice and rats destroys the seeds of the chili pepper plant. However, birds can’t taste capsaicin, and they eat chili peppers - and the seeds inside them - all the time. Chili seeds that have been eaten by birds and then expelled are three times more likely to germinate than those that haven’t been eaten by birds. Due to the bird’s flight range, the seeds are deposited far from the original plant where they can grow without competition. Therefore, the presence of capsaicin in a hot chili pepper is a survival strategy for the species. • Some bird seed manufacturers add chili powder
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* You can keep little office items like paperclips, push pins, etc., organized in a drawer by using an ice-cube tray. It makes a great organizer for different sizes of nails, too. * When shopping around for electronic equipment -- especially computer-related items and such -- make sure you factor in the cost of necessary accessories. Many products don’t come with all the cords, batteries, memory chips, etc., that you’ll need. Oftentimes, these can make a big difference in what seems like a really good deal. * “Baking soda is good for so many uses in the home -- especially the kitchen. Here’s another you might not have considered: If you have a glass-top range, fill an empty Parmesan cheese container (the shaker kind, with large holes) with baking soda to keep by the stove. Use the baking soda to clean burned-on spills with a damp sponge. If you have a pan fire, it’s a great way to put that out, too.” -- R.E. in Florida * When choosing your campsite, here are some helpful things to note: The wind direction, so that you aren’t downwind of a neighboring site’s fire; where the sun will rise and set, so that you can be prepared for the early morning light and enjoy the sunset; and whether there are any healthy trees affording some cover, in case of a rainstorm. * “I love chocolate-covered popcorn, but it goes stale quickly and is pretty costly. Now I make my own. Line a tray or cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pop about 6 cups of popcorn, and season with salt and butter to your liking. Then melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave. Toss the popcorn and the melted chocolate together in a large bowl, and arrange on the parchment. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and break into pieces. Enjoy!” -- C.E. in Ohio (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Some Dog Owners Need Training, Too DEAR PAW’S CORNER: When I’m out at the dog park, I see so many people who are ignored by their dogs. No matter how much they scream or shout, their pets just do whatever they want. I’ve tried to tell them that yelling only goes so far, but they don’t listen. What else can I do? -- Clarisse G., Cartersville, Georgia DEAR CLARISSE: One of the hardest subjects to broach with other owners is how to handle their pets. Particularly with dogs, owners have relationships akin to their own child, and the results of well-intentioned advice tend to be ineffectual. Owners may even snap back at you. However, a badly behaved dog in a public area can have a lot of repercussions. An unruly dog may be attacked by another dog, or a human may be injured by a dog bite -- events like that just add fuel to arguments against dog parks or dogs in public areas. To get a dog to behave on command, two key factors can make a difference in training: A calm, confident voice when giving commands, and consequences. If a dog won’t follow a command, corrective action must be given as soon as possible -- putting it back on the leash, leaving the dog park, whatever. Not surprisingly, dog owners who aren’t controlling their dogs respond to the same factors. If a dog is disrupting the other pets’ enjoyment of the park, tell its owner -- with confidence! -- that their dog has to act within the park’s rules, or leave. If they don’t respond, then bring the consequences: report the owner and dog to the city, or to the group -- if the dog park has an organized group of other owners. Send your questions or pet care tips to ask@pawscorner.com. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.
Strawberry Jelly Roll Are you looking for something extra special to make Mom for Mother’s Day? Here is a creamy strawberry treat that should fit the bill. 4 eggs or equivalent in egg substitute 1 cup Splenda Granular 1/3 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup cake flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon table salt 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon strawberry spreadable fruit 1 cup Cool Whip Free 1. Heat oven to 375 F. Line a 10-by-15-inch jellyroll pan with aluminum foil. Lightly spray foil with butter-flavored cooking spray. 2. In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer on HIGH for 2 minutes or until thick and lemoncolored. Gradually beat in Splenda. Add water and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until blended. Gradually beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Continue beating on low until batter is smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan, being sure to spread into corners. 3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Loosen cake from pan and turn over onto a clean tea towel. Carefully remove foil. Roll cake and towel together from narrow end. Place rolled cake on a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. 4. Unroll cake and remove towel. In a small bowl, stir spreadable fruit with a spoon until softened. Stir in Cool Whip. Carefully spread mixture over cake. Re-roll cake and place on serving plate. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Cut into 8 servings. * Each serving equals: 138 calories, 2g fat, 4g protein, 26g carb., 154mg sodium, 41mg calcium, 1g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Fruit, 1 Starch/ Carb., 1/2 Meat, Carb Choices: 2. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.
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“Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” -Mark Twain
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Unfortunately the V.J.H Auxiliary has had to cancel their “Garden Fair’ which was to be held on May 7 in Polson Park. We are planning a “Huge Garage and Book Sale” on May 28 in the People Place parking lot. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Anyone having stuff they would like to donate, it would be gratefully accepted. For pickup please call Wanted: Purchasing old 250- 542-8844 Canadian & American or 778-475-1586 or 250-545-0313 coin collections & No large furniture, electronics accumulations. or clothing please. Old gold & sterling! Private, Prompt & Scooter for Seniors. In new confidential. condition. Asking $1000. 250-548-3670 Ergonomic Excercise Bike. (Shuswap) Barely used. Excelllent condition. $300. Call for Senior Hobbiest more details. (250) 832-2855 Buying Guns (Salmon Arm) (250) 832-2982
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LOST BRACELET – Downtown Vernon April 13, 2016 – has ¾” Diameter round discs which have gold on the back and enamel on the front. Design on enamel is a bullfight etched motif – part of a set – Reward Offered. Please call (250) 549-1932 (Vernon)
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1. True: The same ginger that goes into gingerbread also makes ginger ale. 2. False: Mustard gas, used in chemical warfare, merely smells like mustard. 3. There are 14 flavors of Doritos in the United States. 4. On average, men have longer tongues than women. 5. There are 10,000 taste buds in the mouth of which 8,000 are on the tongue and the remaining 2,000 are found on the inside of the cheeks, on lips, on the roof of the mouth and even under the tongue.
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1. Black pepper is the most popular spice in America, followed by cinnamon. 2. Ketchup is America’s most popular condiment.
CINNAMON 1. GAMES: How many dots are on a pair of standard dice? 2. GEOGRAPHY: The Tropic of Capricorn crosses three continents. What are they? 3. U.S. STATES: Which state capital is the only one that ends in the letter “x”? 4. MUSIC: The song “Getting to Know You” appears in what movie or play? 5. ASTRONOMY: Which planet is closest to the sun? 6. MYTHOLOGY: What village in Cornwall, England is said to be the birthplace of King Arthur? 7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What language is spoken by the Belgian people called Walloons?
8. HISTORY: What was the first country to recognize Mexico’s independence in 1821? 9. FOOD & DRINK: What kind of food is an aubergine? 10. MOVIES: What was the central theme of the 1945 movie “The Lost Weekend”? Answers 1. 42 2. Australia, South America and Africa 3. Phoenix, Arizona 4. “The King and I” 5. Mercury 6. Tintagel 7. French 8. The United States 9. Eggplant 10. Alcoholism (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.