The Juicy Bits
With Memorial Day come and gone, it's officially BBQ season. And time for a little quiz: What destination in China is sometimes more crowded than the Great Wall? Answer: Zibo, China's self-proclaimed "Barbecue Experiential Ground". Check it out if you're a die-hard BBQ lover. Question #2: How much water should you add to whisky to "open up the flavors"? Answer: <20%, according to the latest research. Question #3: What is the best bar in America? Answer: Double Chicken Please in NYC. Question #4: Where are those wonders of food science known as MREs developed? Answer: A fascinating military lab in Natick, Massachusetts. Question #5: Who holds the Guinness World Record for longest cooking session ever? Answer: Nigerian chef Hilda Bassey just cooked for 100 hours straight, setting a new record. Bonus Question: In US restaurants over the past year, how much change has there been in QR-code menu use? Answer: minus 27%. Thank you for playing—and hope you enjoy this month's food news!
—Dave Joachim
Correction: In the last issue, I hastily referred to Czechia as Czechoslovakia, which it hasn't been since 1993. 🤦‍♂️ Thanks to Jakub Lutter for catching the error.
Cooking
Nigerian Chef Hilda Bassey Breaks World Record In 100-Hour Cooking Marathon
Image Source: Peoples Gazette
In 2019, Indian chef Lata Tondon set a world record by cooking for 87 hours and 45 minutes nonstop. Last month, chef Hilda Bassey broke that record in Lagos by cooking for 100 hours. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and others congratulated the 27-year-old Bassey (known as Hilda Baci on social media) for preparing local and international dishes ranging from jollof rice to pasta to akara. Bassey hopes her effort shines more light on Nigerian cuisine and the women cooking it. Guinness World Record officials are currently certifying the win.
Restaurants
Michelin Guide Nods To San Francisco, Miami, New York, and Philadelphia
Image Source: Ariana Zhang/Lion Dance Cafe
It's Michelin season, just in time for summer travel. Last month, the Michelin Guide added 19 new restaurants to its California guide, all in the San Francisco Bay Area. Actual stars are yet to be revealed there, but the additions hint at what's to come. Meanwhile, in Florida, Michelin inspectors added four new one-star spots to that city's guide, all in Miami. In New York, 17 additional restaurants were announced, and in Philadelphia, which has never been recognized with Michelin stars, a new Michelin Green Guide was issued, featuring can’t-miss destinations such as tourist sites, parks, restaurants, and hotels. The guides are worth a look if you're traveling this summer.
More Restaurant News
Restaurants Embrace Premium Reservations To Attract Big Spenders
FDA Issues Guidance On Dog-Friendly Dining Spaces
QR-Code Menu Use Drops 27% At US Restaurants
Taco Bell Challenges Rivals' Trademark On 'Taco Tuesday'
James Beard Foundation Disqualifies Award-Nominated Chef Due To Ethical Violations
Beverages
More Than 20% Water Homogenizes Whisky's Flavor, Study Finds
Image Source: Pixabay
"Add some water to open up the flavors" goes the scotch adage. But how much is too much? Thank God we have scientists to quantify the answers to such questions. Researchers at Washington State University chemically analyzed how volatile compounds in 25 whiskies from aged bourbon to single-malt scotch responded to added water. A trained sensory panel found that up to 20% added water produced characteristically different smells in the whiskies. However, adding more than 20% water reduced the number of smells to just a familiar few. Something to keep in mind as the ice melts in your summer cocktail.
Supply Chain
Supreme Court Upholds California Ban On Inhumane Pork Sales
Image Source: Reuters/Daniel Acker
In 2021, California passed a law (Proposition 12) banning the sale of pork products derived from sows that don’t have at least 24 square feet of space and the ability to stand up and turn around in their pens. The National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation sued, arguing that increased costs for pig farmers violate the "Commerce Clause," which prevents states from passing laws discriminating against commerce in other states. The case went to the Supreme Court, and last month, federal judges upheld the California law: no more gestation crates for California pork. Score 1 for this little piggy.
Health
World Health Organization Warns Against Using Artificial Sweeteners
Image Source: Jenny Kane/Associated Press
Looking to lose weight? Skip the sugar substitutes, says the World Health Organization. Following a systematic review of available evidence, WHO concludes that using non-sugar sweeteners "does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children." International researchers also found that continued consumption of artificial sweeteners may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults. Black coffee anyone?
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Last Bite
Zibo Becomes China's Busiest BBQ City
Image Source: Qilai Shen/New York Times
Beijing gets all the economic headlines. But BBQ? That honor goes squarely to Zibo, in central China's Shandong province. A self-proclaimed "Barbecue Experiential Ground," Zibo welcomes hungry visitors under a huge archway that flickers neon blue and red flames. The city often has more tourists than residents (4 million+) and in peak season gets more traffic than the Great Wall. The local BBQ is so popular that Zibo lawmakers set up 21 buses from the train station directly to barbecue restaurants, which sprawl across an open-air market the size of 12 football fields. There, diners grill their own skewers on tabletop charcoal stoves, and wrap them in tortilla-like shells with hot sauce and green onion. At 15 cents a pop, these local DIY skewers might be worth a try if you happen to be in China.
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