Polyphenols In Rosemary Can Remove Fishy Odors, Study Says
Image Source: Adam Rhodes
Fishy smells can overpower and persist in a dish, a room, or even a pan. A new study in the Journal of Food Science has found a potential solution: rosemary. Researchers tested the deodorizing effects of rosemary, ginger, garlic, angelica, fennel, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, and bay leaf. Rosemary was the most effective, reducing fish aromas by 58%. The scientists isolated three phenolic compounds in rosemary responsible for neutralizing fishy aromas: rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, and carnosol. All three will be in my dinner tonight.
Psychologist Explains Why Food Is The Root Of All Human Disgust
Image Source: Maisie Cousins
Maggots. Roaches. Pus. What is it that makes them so repulsive? According to food psychologist Paul Rozin, it's part survival instinct. We perceive feces and rotting meat as disgusting so that we don't eat them and get sick or die. But dogs didn't get the memo that shit smells bad. And that's where things get interesting. Disgust is more than a biological reaction. It's a fungible human emotion related to cultural norms of purity, propriety, and even politics. What's disgusting to some is delicious food to others. Does that mean you should eat maggots? Chacun son goût!
Rheology And Mouthfeel: Science Explains Why Loud Food Tastes Better
Image Source: Alex Lau
Research suggests our brains are hardwired to love eating crunchy foods. But texture preferences can be highly subjective. Some people crave the slippery, gelatinous texture of sea cucumber, while others find it revolting. Science helps explain why creamy, crispy, sticky, chewy, soggy, lumpy, powdery, and chewy textures elicit both positive and negative reactions after food hits our taste receptors.
Biophysicist Transforms Apples And Other Produce Into Medical Implants
Image Source: Andrew Pelling
University of Ottawa professor Andrew Pelling has turned an apple into a viable mammalian ear and asparagus into a functioning spinal-cord implant. Pelling's team spent two years decellularizing fruits and vegetables and growing mammalian cells onto them. “It just kept working," he says. They implanted decellularized asparagus into lab rats with severed spinal cords and within weeks the rats could walk again. Pelling now believes the future of “augmented biology” lies in the supermarket produce aisle.
Meat Scientists Reveal The Complex Chemistry Of Beef Flavors
Image Source: Cris Cantón/Getty Images
Many cooks know that searing and browning (the Maillard reactions) create the flavors we love in cooked beef. But are you aware of fat's importance? According to meat scientist Jerrad Legako, prime cuts with more marbling are richer in oleic acid, "the one fatty acid that frequently correlates with positive eating experience." Legako points out that grain-fed beef is higher in oleic acid than grass-fed. This article features an extensive chart of beef aromas and their related chemical compounds.
Aroma Science Explains Why Coriander Intensifies The Flavor Of Blueberries
Image Source: Joseph De Leo
Making blueberry pancakes or pie? You can boost the blueberry flavor by adding a pinch of ground coriander. It sounds counterintuitive, but coriander seeds and blueberries contain the same aroma compound, a terpene called linalool. In fact, when laboratories manufacture artificial blueberry flavor, linalool is the key terpene in the mix. Coriander seeds contain up to 85% linalool, which gives both ground coriander and blueberries their floral, citrusy aromas. For your next batch of blueberry muffins or pancakes, try bumping up the blueberry flavor by adding a half teaspoon or so of ground coriander. It works.
