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Lobster has Always Been a Luxury
Lobster is one of those food that is considered “fancy eating” by many people, and the prices sure bear that out! But it has not always been that way. In the 18th century, lobsters were so plentiful along the Massachusetts coast that they would wash ashore in large piles. They were called “cockroach of the sea” and were considered the “poor man’s chicken.” Looked down on as low class food, lobsters were mainly used as fertilizer, bait, or fed to prisoners and indentured servants. In fact, there’s a story about prisoners rioting over being fed too lobster too often. It’s a nice story, but almost surely yet another myth (see here).
As the American rail transportation system expanded, rail companies realized they could serve lobster to passengers who were unaware of it’s lowly status. It was presented as a decadent luxury item, and creative chefs created new dishes to highlight lobster’s virtues. People liked it and began requesting lobster even away from the dining car.
This shift in perception transformed lobster from a lowly food to a luxurious delicacy. It’s amazing how perspectives can change when economic opportunities arise!
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Yellow and White Peaches are the Same
Well the color is different, duh! But what about kitchen uses? Peaches come in yellow and white varieties, and some cooks think they are equivalent when it comes to culinary uses. But nay, this is yet another kitchen myth! There are subtle but important differences between yellow and white peaches.
Yellow peaches have a distinct “peachy” flavor and a hint of tartness that nicely balances their sweetness. The flesh is relatively firm, so they hold up well when baked or canned. White peaches have a more delicate flavor, almost floral in nature, and essentially no tartness. The flesh is softer than yellow peaches and they do not do as well in pies, cobblers, and the like. They are great in jams and syrups. Both kinds are, of course, great when simply eaten out-of-hand.
On a safety note, the lack of tartness, or acidity, in white peaches, means that they cannot safely be canned using the hot water bath method but should be frozen. The acidity of yellow peaches makes them safe for hot water bath canning. Learn more about acidity and safe canning here.
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Prisoners Once Rioted Over Being Fed too Much Lobster
It is true that in coastal areas of New England, lobster used to be very abundant and was considered “poor people’s food.” Being cheap it was an obvious choice to be fed to prisoners, and a legend developed over the years that prisoners rioted to demand that they be served lobster less often. This story claims that lobster was so plentiful and detested that it was seen as cruel and unusual punishment to serve it too frequently.
Cute story, particularly given today’s astronomical lobster prices! But alas, there is no evidence supporting it. Experts have examined colonial historical and food records and there is no mention of prisoners ever rioting or even petitioning over lobster. They surely got it now and then, but apparently not too often!
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Heavy Cream and Whipping Cream are the Same
I was quite surprised to find out that this is not only false, but it is defined by US Government regulations. Whipping cream must contain at least 30% butterfat but no more than 36%. In contrast, heavy cream must contain at least 36% butterfat. What does this mean to you, the cook?
When making whipped cream, heavy cream takes longer to whip but lasts longer once prepared (before losing its peaks and becoming watery). In contrast, whipping cream whips faster but does not last as long. Both kinds can be used for cooking.
You will sometimes see light cream, and this contains 18-30% butterfat. It is not suitable for whipping.
A more important difference exists between creams that are pasteurized vs. those that are ultra-pasteurized. Both treatments kill bacteria and extend the shelf life of the cream, but the ultra procedure uses a much higher temperature. The result is cream that lasts longer (in the unopened container) but does not whip as well or taste as good. Look for local, pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized) heavy cream that is free of additives.
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Saffron is Never Adulterated
You might think that saffron, with its distinct little threads, would be hard to fake. But where there is money to be made, people are always creative with some new scam! And given the price of saffron, it is wise to be careful.
Corn silk! Yep, the scoundrels will dye corn silk to look like saffron and mix it with some real saffron. Corn silk has no flavor, of course, so you are being ripped off. In the worst case there is no real saffron included, so in cooking you get no saffron taste at all!
A good way to avoid adulterated/fake saffron is to buy it from a reputable source. You can also test at home:
- Put a few threads in cold water. Genuine saffron will release a rich, golden hue gradually, without losing its vibrant red color. Fake saffron typically bleeds color rapidly and turns pale, indicating the use of artificial dyes.
- Mix a small amount of baking soda in water, then add the saffron threads. Genuine saffron will lead to a yellowish tinge due to the natural coloring agents interacting with baking soda. Fake ones may not cause any significant change or might even turn an unusual color.
You can learn more about saffron here.
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Sushi Means Raw Fish
Many people think that “sushi” is synonymous with raw fish. Not so – the term actually refers to the vinegared rice that is an essential part of sushi meals. This rice is made by dissolving sugar and maybe a touch of salt in rice vinegar and then tossing this liquid with the hot, just-cooked rice. This rice is used to make the rolls and other items that you typically order at a sushi restaurant.
The term sushi therefore refers to vinegared rice (called shari or sushi-meshi) served with other ingredients. These ingredients may or may not include fish; egg and vegetable are popular, and of course many kinds of sushi include seasoned dried seaweed, or nori. The fish may be raw or cooked; eel and shrimp are always cooked in my experience.
Raw fish served by itself without the rice is called sashimi. Sashimi itself is not sushi, although it is typically available at sushi restaurants.
There are several kinds of sushi, or ways of serving it. Here is a quick run-down:
- Maki sushi: Rice and fillings are rolled into a cylinder inside a sheet of seaweed (nori) and then sliced into bite-size pieces.
- Nigiri sushi: Rice is hand-formed into small oval mounds and topped with sliced fish, egg, etc.
- Te-maki sushi: Hand rolled sushi provides sheets of nori, vinegared rice, and various fillings. Each diner then “hand rolls” the seaweed into a conical shape containing the rice and fillings. It is eaten sort of like an ice cream cone (see photo below).
- Chirashi zushi: A bowl or box of vinegared rice scattered with a variety of toppings such as raw fish, vegetables, and egg.
- Oshi sushi: Rice and other ingredients are pressed into a mold and then cut into blocks or rectangles.
- Inari sushi: Vinegared rice stuffed into pockets of seasoned fried tofu.
Te-maki sushi
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Green Tea Helps with Weight Loss
It’s the new craze, flooding TikTok and like sites with lavish claims and questionable testimonials. “It’s nature’s ozempic” some people claim. Others suggest you should “drink five cups a day.” But as you have likely already figured out, this is yet another kitchen myth!
The fuss about green tea started when it was suggested that green tea could stimulate the production of GLP-1 by the body. GLP-1 is a natural hormone that, among other things, suppresses appetite. The body releases GLP-1 when you eat and this is a major reason why your hunger decreases after eating. This is in fact how ozempic and similar drugs work, by mimicking the effects of GLP-1.
It has been shown, however, that the effect of green tea on GLP-1 is tiny at best and is way too small and short-lived to have any significant effect on your appetite. And remember that the body naturally produces GLP-1 when you eat or drink, so there’s nothing special about green tea.
Any GLP-1 effect aside, green tea also contains antioxidants and caffeine which in theory could aid with weight loss by speeding metabolism. But so does black tea! And coffee! As for antioxidants, try grape juice, hot chocolate, coconut water, beet juice … the list is as long as your arm. There is, yet again, nothing special about green tea.
What about green teat extracts? One capsule of extract equals about one cup of brewed tea, so the same caveats apply.
More important, any effect of green tea on GLP-1 is short lived, measured in minutes. Ozempic and similar drugs last for hours or days, which means they can have a major effect in reducing your food intake. So, enjoy green tea by all means, but don’t expect any effects on your weight.
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Baking Soda in the Fridge Absorbs Odors
I shudder to think of the thousands of tons of baking soda that have been wasted because of this myth. This was a very successful marketing ploy by you-know-who!
But let me back up for a moment. From a chemical point of view, baking soda can in fact neutralize some odors that might be found in your fridge. It works with some odors, such as rancid butter, fish, and decaying meat, but not on others (garlic, onion, mold and mildew). The problem is getting the odor to the baking soda.
Folks will just put an opened box of baking soda in the fridge. At best they will remove the entire lid. The odors will at best contact the top surface of the baking soda, which soon gets “used up.” The rest of the box is wasted and does you no good.
For baking soda to be effective at all you would have to spread it out in a thin layer on a large plate. But that’s a spill waiting to happen, and who has the space in their fridge?
Activated charcoal pellets are much better at absorbing odors than baking soda, but it is sort of pricey and again must be spread out in the fridge so that the odors can get to it, making it impractical for most people.
Bottom line? The only really effective way to prevent food odors in your fridge is to wrap smelly food, throw out stale stuff, and clean the fridge now and then. But you knew that all along, right?
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Real Chili Does Not Contain Beans or Tomatoes
You hear this on a regular basis, often from Texans. The fact is that many delicious traditional (and non-traditional) chilis are made with beans and/or tomatoes. There is in fact some basis for this myth. Traditional Texas-style chili is made with meat but without beans or tomatoes, and it can be great, but that’s just one regional variant.
What about “Cincinnati” chili? I used to think it was meant as a variant on southwestern chili, and a very poor one at that. I since learned that Cincinnati chili is actually a dish invented by Greek immigrants in Cincinnati and meant as a spaghetti sauce or hot dog topping. It has some chili powder in it, but the main flavor comes from traditional Mediterranean spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Learn more about Cincinnati Chili here.