Maldon sea salt

As I touched on in a previous post, salt is commonly obtained in one of two ways, from the sea or mined, and those methods go back millennia.  Rock salt occurs in vast beds of sedimentary minerals, the last reminder of dried up lakes and seas.  In the United States and Canada extensive underground beds.  In the United Kingdom underground beds are found in Cheshire and Droitwich.  Austria of course has Salzburg with the unsubtly named “the city of salt” for its mines.

Salt’s ability to preserve food was vital to civilization’s development as it eliminated dependence on the seasonal availability of food, and allowed people to travel over considerable distances.  Never mind that it was (and is) the most popular seasoning.   However, salt was difficult to obtain, and so it was a highly valued trade item, which followed the pull of economics along salt roads, some of which were established in the Bronze age.

Salts Mixed Use in History

Aside from being a contributing factor in the development of civilization, salt was valued by from the Romans and Greeks to the Hebrew and Chinese.  Salt was included in the funeral offerings found in ancient Egyptian tombs.  The Romans, for example, controlled the price of salt, they raised it to support wars, and lowered it to allow the poor to easily afford this vital addition to their diet.  In Rome’s early years, roads were built to easily transport salt to the capital city.  An example was the Via Salaria (originally a Sabine trail), leading from Rome to the Adriatic Sea.  The Adriatic Sea was a better source of salt due to a high salinity due to its shallow depth, and consequently more productive solar ponds that the Tyrrhenian Sea, despite its proximity to Rome.

Hallstatt gave its name to the Celtic archaeological culture that began mining for salt in the vicinity back around 800 BC. Around 400 BC, the Hallstatt Celts, switched to open pan salt making. During the first millennium BC, Celtic communities grew rich trading salt and salted meat to Ancient Greece and Rome in exchange for wine and other luxuries.

Cities and wars

Salt has played a prominent role in determining the power and location of the world’s great cities. Liverpool grew from an insignificant English port to a prime exporting port for the salt dug in the great Cheshire salt mines.

Salt created and destroyed empires. The salt mines of Poland led to a vast kingdom in the 1500s, only to be toppled when Germans countered with sea salt. Venice won a war with Genoa over salt.  Salt was also used in the retaliatory practice of salting the earth of a destroyed city as a curse on the population, or against a traitor on his lands.

Cities, states and duchies along the salt roads exacted heavy duties and taxes for the salt passing through their territories. This practice led to the formation of cities, such as the city of Munich in 1158, when a bridge was built, near a monastery, on a salt route to extract a toll.

The gabelle — a despised French salt tax — was enacted in 1286 and maintained until 1790. Because of the gabelles, common salt was of such a high value that it caused mass population shifts and exodus, attracted invaders and caused wars.

During many wars in American history, salt has been a major factor in the outcome. In the Revolutionary War, the British intercepted the rebels’ salt supply to destroy their ability to preserve food.  This history is covered in fascinating detail in the book:  McIlhenny’s Gold – How a Louisiana Family Built the Tabasco Empire, by Jeffery Rothfeder.  [The island that housed the Tabasco empire started life as a salt works.]

English “wich” towns

Mark Kurlansky in his book, Salt – A World History, gives a quick lesson on why English towns often ended in “wich” and “wych”.  They were names used to denote brine springs or wells in England. Originally derived from the Latin vicus, meaning place, by the 11th century use of the ‘wich’ suffix in placenames was associated with towns with salt production.  Several English places carry the suffix and are historically related to salt, including the four Cheshire ‘wiches’ of Middlewich, Nantwich, Northwich and Leftwich (a small village south of Northwich), and Droitwich in Worcestershire.  Middlewich, Nantwich, Northwich and Droitwich were all mentioned in the Domesday Book, as “an indication of the significance of the salt-working towns in the economy of the region, and indeed of the country”.

Salt trade

Shrewd businessmen determined it was more profitable to sell salted food than pure salt. The food source and salt making were intertwined, for example, the British controlled saltworks in the Bahamas and North American cod fisheries so salted cod was a natural product offering.  As described in the sea salt section – having a complimentary industry near by was a criteria for success in determining where to set up shop to produce sea salt.

Earth Salt or Mined Salt

A salt mine is a set up to extract salt from the earth. Early endeavors were extremely dangerous and consequently left to prisoners or slaves.  In the second half of the 19th century the internal combustion engine was introduced, allowing new drilling techniques to discover more deposits, thereby increasing earth salt’s share of the market, compared to sea salt. Although mining salt was generally more expensive than the solar extraction of seawater, the introduction of this new source reduced the price of salt due to a reduction of monopolization.

Areas known for their salt mines include Kilroot, Ireland, Khewra in Pakistan, Tuzla in Bosnia, Wieliczka and Bochnia in Poland, Hallstatt and Salzkammergut in Austria, Rheinberg in Germany, Slănic in Romania, Provadiya in Bulgaria, Avery Island in Louisiana (home of Tabacso Sauce), United States, the “wich” towns in England, and the Detroit Salt Company’s 1,500-acre subterranean complex beneath the city of Detroit – its “City Under the City“.   The Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich, Ontario, Canada is one of the largest salt mines in the world, measuring 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide and 2 miles (3.2 km) long. Today most salt mines are operated by large multi-national companies like Cargill and Compass Minerals.

An example of one such mine is the Wieliczka Salt Mine, located in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland, near Kraków. The mine continuously produced table salt from the 13th century until 2007 as one of the world’s oldest operating salt mines.   The mine’s attractions for tourists include dozens of statues and an entire cathedral that have been carved out of the rock salt by the miners.

The Wieliczka is open for tourist, and along the part they can access are historic statues and mythical figures, all carved of salt.  Even the crystals of the chandeliers are made from rock salt that was dissolved and reconstituted to achieve a clear, glass-like appearance. The rock salt is naturally grey in various shades, so that the carvings resemble unpolished granite rather than the white, crystalline appearance that may have been expected.  Also found within the mine is a large cathedral and reception room that can be reserved for private functions (imagine having a wedding here).  The Wieliczka mine is often referred to as “the Underground Salt Cathedral of Poland.”  During World War II, the salt mine was used by the occupying Germans as facilities for war-related industries, and in 1978 the Wieliczka salt mine was placed on the original UNESCO list of the World Heritage Sites.

Sea Salt

a final product

Where mineral salt has been readily obtainable it has long been mined. The salt mines of Hallstatt go back at least to the Iron Age. If no salt mines were available, coastal sources were considered suitable alternatives and have been exploited for thousands of years. The principle of the production is the evaporation of the water from the brine of the sea. In warm and dry climates this may be done entirely by solar energy, but in other climates, fuel is required, consequently production was pushed primarily to the Mediterranean and other warm, dry climates, as solar power is the cheapest fuel source compared to fire or other alternative measures. These arrangements are called salt works, formerly “salterns”. Typically, three criteria (better yet, all four) were met before an ancient saltern was established:

1. Access to a market to sell the salt.
2. A gently-shelving coast, protected from exposure to the open sea.
3. A cheap and easily worked fuel supply; preferably, the sun.
4. Preferably, another trade could form a symbiotic relationship such as cattle raising and tanning – two industries that required salt to make leather or salted meat.

The dilute brine of the sea was largely evaporated by the sun, and the concentrated slurry of salt and mud was scraped up. The slurry was washed with clean sea water so that the impurities settled out of the now concentrated brine. This was poured into shallow pans lightly baked from the local marine clay, which were set on fist-sized clay pillars over a peat fire for the final evaporation. The dried salt was then scraped out and sold.

Solar evaporation

In the correct climate (one for which the ratio of evaporation to rainfall is suitably high) it is possible to use solar evaporation of sea water to produce salt. Brine is evaporated in a linked set of ponds until the solution is sufficiently concentrated that the salt crystallises on the pond’s floor.

Open pan production

One of the traditional methods of salt production in more temperate climates involves open pans, in which the brine is heated in large, shallow open pans.  These pans were initially made of ceramics known as briquetage, or lead, and then moved to lead (known as “leddes”.   This change coincided with a change from wood to coal for the purpose of heating the brine.  Brine was pumped into the pans, and concentrated by the heat of the fire burning beneath. As crystals of salt formed these would be raked out and more brine added. Subsequently, the open pan salt works was replaced with a closed pan system where the brine solution is evaporated under a partial vacuum.

Salt in religion

The use of salt in numerous religious ceremonies further highlights the esteem to which it was held.

The number of biblical references indicates the esteem in which salt was held – forty-one references in the King James version of the bible.  For example:

In the Old Testament, Mosaic law called for salt to be added to all burnt animal sacrifices (Lev. 2:13).

The Book of Ezra (550 BC to 450 BC) associated accepting salt from a person with being in that person’s service. In Ezra 4:14, the servants of Artaxerxes I of Persia explain their loyalty to the King. When translated, it is either stated literally as “because we have eaten the salt of the palace” or more figuratively as “because we have maintenance from the king.”

In the New Testament, Matthew 5:13 Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.”

The apostle Paul also encouraged Christians to “let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6).

In a Hadith recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said that: “Salt is the master of your food. God sent down four blessings from the sky – fire, water, iron and salt”.  He also recommended beginning and ending each meal with a pinch of salt.  “From the one who begins a meal with salt, Allah wards off three hundred and thirty kinds of diseases, the least of which are lunacy, leprosy, bowel troubles, and toothache…”

In the native Japanese religion Shinto, salt is used for ritual purification of locations and people.  A small pile of mori shio (mound of salt) is left by the door so that people are purified as they pass through.

In Aztec mythology, Huixtocihuatl was a fertility goddess who presided over salt and salt water.

To appreciate the value salt had placed on it, one has only to consider the myriad of expressions containing salt. In ancient Rome, salt on the table signaled a rich patron (and those who shared the host’s table were “above the salt”,  while servants sat at a lower trestle table and were “below the salt”).   So if someone tells you that you are “worth your weight in salt” or you are “salt of the earth” take it as the compliment it surely is.

To show salts versatility, this recipe for Salted Caramel Frosting shall do the trick.  Its my new favorite “go to” frosting and goes well, with every sort of cake you can imagine.  As I am a chocolate lover, I’m partial to a dark fudgey cake topped with this frosting.

Salted Caramel Frosting

Ingredients

¼ cup granulated sugar
2 T water
1/3 c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp kosher salt
1 c powdered sugar

Directions

Stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber in color, about 6 to 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until completely smooth. Set aside until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.

Combine butter and salt and beat until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add powdered sugar, and mix until completely incorporated.  Add caramel. Beat frosting on medium-high speed until airy and thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until stiff, about 45 minutes, before using.

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Post tags: history, salt, sea salt

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Union Street Fair

If there was one word that guarantees an animated discussion for food lovers here in the good ole’ United States, that word is “barbecue (BBQ)”.  Everyone has an opinion – charcoal or gas, what kind of briquets, how to start the fire, the kind of wood to use, and we haven’t even gotten to the meat, let alone its treatment.  Apologies to the vegetarians but the focus has always been the meat.

The more I travel the more I realize that the barbecues of my youth were not everyone else’s idea of a good grill, and I’m not just talking about differences between say American and Asian grills, or American and South American meaty feasts, but the regional differences within the borders of the US that  threaten to strain allegiances, never mind North versus South.  I’m referring to the smack talk between the Texas BBQ lover and the Kansas City chef – this is serious stuff.

Before focusing on what makes these styles different, I want to point out that nothing brings people together faster than good food cooked over an open flame.  Is there something about it that appeals to our primitive brain?  That seductive aroma that makes Chanel #5 take a back seat, for starters gets me salivating in eager anticipation.  Barbecues have been used since before America was America as a way to bring people together and build community.  Today it still is, I have only to walk to my neighborhood park to see birthdays and other celebrations set up around the grill.  Many barbecue aficionados would even disagree with the following dictionary definition which seemed perfectly functional to me:

bar·be·cue |ˈbärbiˌkyoō|noun

a meal or gathering at which meat, fish, or other food is cooked out of doors on a rack over an open fire or on a portable grill.

• a portable grill used for the preparation of food at a barbecue, or a brick fireplace containing a grill.
• food cooked in such a way.

Here’s how said aficionados define a barbecue (this fellow is from South Carolina):

“Another casualty of American television is the confusion over just what barbeque is. Hints to its true nature, however, can sometimes be found in the use of the word “barbeque” in the language. It has become popular to say that barbeque is a noun and not a verb. Well, barbecue is, most properly, used as a noun that refers to a specific thing but sometimes it can also be used as a transitive verb.

Unfortunately, most Americans who live outside of the South in general and North and South Carolina in particular, use it as a verb or, if they use it as a noun, use it incorrectly. Midwesterners or Yankees will say to friends, “I’m going to barbecue some hamburgers tonight.” Or they will say, “Let’s put some brats on the barbecue and break out some beer.” And while everyone will be having a great time sitting around in the smoke, the use of the word in that way is incorrect. That neighbor is going to grill some hamburgers, not barbecue them. The cooker he is going to cook them on should be called a grill, not a barbecue.

The second proper use of the word, the transitive verb usage, can sometimes be seen in such usage as the term “barbecued chicken” or “barbecued beef.” It is common to barbecue various meats with beef and chicken being probably the most usual but real barbecue can including lamb, turkey, goat and even possum and other exotic creatures. But those animals are termed “barbecued (insert the name of the animal)” where the term “barbecued” in that usage is a transitive verb describing the way the animal was cooked.

The incorrect use of the term barbecue on television, in movies and in magazines which is, more often than not, written or spoken by people who know nothing about real barbecue, has led to the misconception, for instance, that beef is barbecue. It’s not. Don’t forget, barbecue is more specifically a noun, a specific thing, and that specific thing is pork, not beef or fish, or beaver, or shrimp or anything else. It’s quite possible to barbecue beef; tens of thousands of people out west do it all the time. And it’s oftentimes delicious. But it’s “barbecued beef” not barbecue. The term barbecue is always properly reserved for pork.” – Lake High, President of the South Carolina Barbecue Association

photo from ilovebbq.com

As you can see some regional boundaries of north and south are established, but does that does not make it any easier to define what constitutes a Southern barbecue – it only gets more complicated, because within the broad brush of Southern barbecue, there are raging purist of sub-regional styles.  Heat is critical to a barbecue, and only a fine line distinguishes a barbecue from smoked meat.  Smoking meat occurs at a lower temperature than a barbecue and the cooking time is longer.  In barbecuing, temperature plays a larger role, and requires a temperature of between 210 to 250º F.

This technique of slowly (or painstakingly, as in painful for me to wait) cooking the meat in indirect heat at low temperatures achieves a few significant advantages over their bonfire prone brethren.  The long exposure to low heat renders the fat from the meat, and the collagens and connective tissues breakdown making the meat more tender, and finally the meat can develop a nice flavorful crust as its surface caramelizes capturing the wonderful natural juices.  Attempting to circumvent this process has led to many a dry, chewy as shoe leather, that no amount of sauce will disguise.  There is a this food is lip smacking, finger licking good.

So if people’s definitions were not alignedbefore, it only gets more extreme.  Most people agree that there are four distinct regional styles of BBQ, and I’ll refer to them as the primary styles (Carolina BBQ, Memphis BBQ, Kansas City BBQ, and Texas BBQ), but they can be further divided almost to the level of neighborhood. A few other styles that are no slouches include St Louis BBQ and Santa Maria BBQ, and each region of course puts its own spin on it based on the resources available (Kentucky BBQ which favors mutton) and the cultural influences added to the mix (Hawaii with its Asian influences or the Northwest with Native American input).

Much of the variation in barbecue methodology and saucing in Southern barbecue is explained by its geographical migrations.  Originally appearing on the East Coast, barbecue traveled West, picking up permutations along the way with new cooking techniques and regional agriculture contributing its own terroir twist.  The simple vinegar sauces of the East Coast were supplanted by the sweet tomato sauce of Memphis and the fiery red Texas swab. In western Kentucky, mutton was substituted for pork, and the cattle ranchers of Texas used barbecue techniques for slow-cooking beef.

Carolina BBQ

If you had to take a trip anywhere in the US to sample BBQ –  South Carolina might give you the most bang for the buck as the inquisitive eater can find representation of all four types of sauce here.  That said, North Carolina is no slouch showcasing three of the four types of sauce.

Pork is the meat of choice in a Carolina-style BBQ be it shredded or pulled. Once cooked and tender, the pork is pulled into shreds, sauced and served in a sandwich topped with coleslaw. While both North and South Carolina can agree on pulled pork, they disagree when it comes to the bbq sauce. Eastern North Carolina BBQ uses a vinegar-based sauce. In Western Northern Carolina, their bbq sauce is tomato or ketchup-based while South Carolina bbq sauce is mustard-based.

In North Carolina, there are two regional barbecue traditions:

In eastern part of the state, typically the whole hog is used, and the dominant ingredients in the ’sauce’ are vinegar and hot peppers.

In western North Carolina, Lexington-style (or “Western”) barbecue is the norm.It is prepared from primarily pork shoulder and served with a sauce that contains tomato sauce in addition to vinegar. The tomato-based sauce, commonly “dip”, can be made with ketchup and is thinner and less sweet than most bottled barbecue sauces.

Common side dishes include hushpuppies, coleslaw, french fries, boiled potatoes or potato salad, green beans, corn sticks, Brunswick stew, fried okra, plantains, and collard greens.

Its all about the sauces

There are generally considered to be four types of barbeque in the country and they are largely divided by sauce used.  Those four sauces, in order of historical emergence, are vinegar + pepper, mustard, light tomato and heavy tomato. And while there is always disagreement on the varieties of preparation, such as whether one should use a dry rub or a wet rub, type of marinade and other culinary arguments, all of the many sauces used in America generally fall into one of these groups. CarolinaQCup has a map of the distribution of the sauces in the American south.

The “original” barbeque sauce of vinegar and pepper dates back hundreds of years, and is the simplest of the four. It owes its existence to the Scottish families that primarily settled in South Carolina’s low country.  Today, it is found on the coastal plains of both North and South Carolina and to some extent in Virginia and Georgia.

Between the 1730s to 1750s, the British colony of South Carolina actively recruited thousands of German farming families to call South Carolina home.  Their farming style was intensive family-farm type of agriculture, as opposed to the plantation system favored by the English settlers. In addition to their European farming techniques and the Lutheran Church, they brought mustard.  South Carolina mustard sauce “Carolina Gold” can be clearly traced to those German settlers and remains popular, in the names of the families who sell mustard based sauces and mustard based barbecue.  That sauce commonly contains mustard, apple cider, brown sugar plus other cook secret ingredients.  The original version often used beer instead of the apple cider.

The third type of sauce found in South Carolina, in terms of the evolution of sauces, is light tomato sauce. This sauce started as little more than vinegar + pepper with a dash of ketchup, and came to be when tomato ketchup became a readily available condiment around 1900.

The fourth sauce in South Carolina and, probably the most popular for the rest of the US is the heavy tomato based sauce. This youngster of a sauce evolved and quickly gained popularity – when most people think of barbecue sauce, this is the one that comes to mind.

Key Carolina BBQ Attributes

• Pork is king – shredded or pulled
• All 4 sauces: mustard, vinegar and pepper, and tomato (light and heavy) based
• Traditional sides may include coleslaw, hush puppies, cracklins and potato salad
• South Carolina BBQ can be served over rice

Memphis BBQ

When it comes to quintessential Memphis barbecue, it’s all about pork ribs, and they are commonly slow-cooked in the smoke of a wood fire. Memphis style BBQ ribs are served “dry” (just as they come out of the smoker or off the grill) or “wet” (slathered with some sort of BBQ sauce before serving)

A traditional Memphis barbecue is usually smoked pork served as either ribs on a slab or pulled.  Memphis is probably best known for its dry barbecue. Most frequently used on ribs, the dry style is highly flavorful and is less messy than its saucy sibling. In the dry process, the ribs are coated with a rub made from a variety of spices. They are then cooked in a smoker until they are very tender.  The sauce is not ignored, but it is served on the side.  Memphis barbecue sauce has its own distinctive flavor, but this varies by the chef, and is usually made with tomatoes, vinegar, and a host of spices. It is generally thin, tangy, and somewhat sweet.

Because Memphis is a port city, the creators of barbecue sauces in this area had a larger repertoire of ingredients from which to choose, for example molasses was shipped up-river, and became a popular seasoning.  Memphis-style barbecue is known for wet ribs, made with a mild, sweet barbecue sauce that’s basted on the ribs before and after smoking; dry-rub crusted ribs, made with a spice rub that forms a crust on the surface, applied during or right after they’ve been cooked; and pulled or chopped pork sandwich topped with sweet, finely chopped coleslaw and served on hamburger buns, which some locals insist is Memphis barbecue’s highest form.

Key Memphis BBQ Attributes

• Pork, pork, pork is the primary meat served as ribs, on a slab or pulled
• Dry rubs are a defining feature
• Tomato based sauce – thin, tangy and on the sweet side

Kansas City BBQ

Kansas City, Missouri claims to have more barbecue restaurants per capita than any city in the country, and the barbecuers have their own society, they adopt names like “Sir Loin”.  No single meat predominates; the style is typified by a rather sweet sauce, but even here differences prevail from neighborhood to neighborhood and restaurant to restaurant. These sauces are rarely used on beef dishes but are common in pork and poultry dishes; therefore, Kansas City is ften associated with dishes like BBQ chicken or sticky smoked ribs.  The Great American BBQ Festival

Kansas City barbecue refers to the specific inner city style of barbecue that evolved in the early 1900s in Kansas City, Missouri.  Kansas City is renowned for barbecue with more than 100 barbecue restaurants, and is characterized by its use of different types of meat (including pulled pork, pork ribs, burnt ends, smoked sausage, beef brisket, beef ribs, smoked/grilled chicken, smoked turkey, and sometimes fish) along with its sweet and tangy sauces which are liberally used.  Ribs are mostly pork, but also come in beef varieties and can come in a number of different cuts.  Kansas City barbecue is also known for its many side dishes, including baked beans, french fries, and cole slaw.

Key KC BBQ Attributes:

• Sweet tangy tomato based sauce (heavy tomato)
• Diversity of meat
• Multiple side dishes

Santa Maria BBQ

Santa Maria Style Barbecue is a regional culinary tradition rooted in the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County on the Central Coast of California. This method of barbecuing dates back to the mid 1800s and is regarded as a “mainstay of California’s culinary heritage.”  Unlike some of the other barbecues the meat here is primarily beef, with the preferred cuts top block sirloin and tri-tip.  Before cooking, the meat is seasoned with salt, black pepper and garlic salt, and an occasional hint of parsley. The meat is then grilled over coals of red oak, a wood that is native to the region, giving the meat a hearty, smoky flavor. The traditional accompaniments are pinquito beans, fresh salsa, tossed green salad and grilled French bread dipped in melted butter.

Some cooks soak their tri-tip in a flat beer marinade the night before grilling, while others use a red wine vinegar, tomato, and oil  sauce during the cooking.  Homemade concoctions have been supplanted by a commercial blend, Susie Q’s. It is usually liberally applied and rubbed deep into the meat to assist in the searing process.

Santa Maria BBQ Attributes

• Beef is the primary protein
• Simple treatment of salt, black pepper, garlic
• Piquinto beans as a side along with salsa, salad and French bread with butter

St Louis BBQ

In Missouri, beef is a popular meat for barbecue, especially in the Ozarks. Often the beef is sliced and a tomato-based sauce is added after cooking.  Given that about half of the supply of charcoal briquets in the USA are from Ozark forests (e.g., Kingsford brand), its no surprised that this method is popular. St. Louis-style beef ribs, cut from spare ribs, are a good example of such recipes.  Another staple of St. Louis-style barbecue is often a cut from the shoulder of the hog.  There are two divisions of St. Louis-style pork.

1. One St. Louis method involves slow open grilling until done, then simmering in a pan of barbecue sauce that is placed on the grill, sometimes including horseradish or other piquant flavorings. Beer is often used to thin the sauce. This preparation is especially popular in south St. Louis.
2. Another technique is to quickly sear the steaks over high heat, then place on a covered grill or smoker and cook over low heat (170-200ºF) for several hours. When the steaks are done, they are coated with sauce and returned to the grill for caramelizing. This step may be repeated numerous times before serving. The low heat causes the protein in this usually tough cut of meat to break down, while the fat dissolves.

Other meat based products that can be found include:

• “Crispy snoots” are yet another St. Louis barbecue offering of barbecued pig cheeks and nostrils, which are a fat-rich cut of pork. These are usually cooked over an open grill until crisp, then served with barbecue sauce for dipping.
• A spicy bratwurst or salsiccia sausage marinated in beer, then grilled, covered in sauce and carmelized.  The enterprising folks keep a pan of saurkraut on the back of the grill to serve with the sausage.

St. Louis-style barbecue sauce is generally tomato-based, thinned slightly with vinegar, sweet and spicy. It is not as sweet and thick as the Kansas City version, nor as spicy and thin as Texas barbecue sauce. A St. Louis-style barbecue is not complete without copious amounts of sauce – which is apparently the reason it leads the world in per capita consumption of the sticky good stuff.

A typical menu at a St. Louis-style barbecue includes slow-cooked barbecue-flavored baked beans, corn on the cob (prepared by wrapping the ears in foil and cooking over the grill), coleslaw (‘creamy’ or ‘vinegar’ slaw is still up for debate).

Key St. Louis BBQ Attributes:

• Pork – ribs
• Crispy snoots
• Brats and Salsiccia
• Spicy, sweet tomato based sauce, served on the thin side
• Multiple sides included baked beans, corn on the cob, coleslaw

Texas BBQ

Texas has four distinct regional styles of barbecue:

East Texas barbecue is an extension of traditional southern barbecue,  which makes sense given its location, and it is primarily pork-based, cooked indirectly slow smoked over primarily hickory wood. The sauce is heavy tomato-based, sweet, and thick. This is the most common urban barbecue in Texas, and can be found in cities like Houston and Dallas.  It is also rapidly replacing the other versions.

Generally, there’s a distinct German and Czech influence in the Central Texas style barbecue as reflected in its inclusion of foods like smoked sausages, and not in the sauces as in mustard based.  Brisket, which can be tough in the wrong hands, is elevated to a work of art in a Texan style barbeque – it is the preferred cut for this style, and a clear departure from the porcine focus. Texas-style barbecue brisket involves just the right rub (a mixture of sugar, salt, and spices that is rubbed into the meat before smoking), a good smoker and up to 20 hours of cooking time. The beef brisket is never sauced during the cooking process, with the sauce usually reserved as a condiment.  When it is served, Texas bbq sauce is tomato based and leans towards being spicy and tangy; yet, moderately sweet.  Debate rages over preferences between the lean and fatty cuts, but thankfully given the large sections cooked both are an option.

The border area between Texas and Mexico offers up a Mexican influenced barbecue.  The area was the birthplace of the Texas ranching tradition, and the Mexican farmhands were often partially paid for their work in meat, such as the diaphragm, from which fajitas are made, and the cow’s head. It is the cow’s head which defines South Texas barbecue, called barbacoa. They wrapped the head in wet maguey leaves and buried it in a pit with hot coals for several hours, and then pull off the meat for barbacoa tacos; the tongue reserved for lengua tacos.

The last style of Texas Barbecue also originated from Texas ranching traditions, but was developed in the western third of the state. This “Cowboy” barbecue, cooked with direct heat over an open pit using mesquite, is most closely associated with Texas barbecue in popular imagination. The meat is primarily beef, but mutton and goat are also often found.

Key Texas BBQ Attributes:

• Beef – specifically the brisket
• Sausages added to the menu
• Dry rub is a treatment
• Sauce is an accompaniment, not used in the cooking
• Texas sauce is a spicy, tangy tomato based sauce

Florida BBQ

There are three variants of barbecue in Florida, based on the parts of the state – one common denominator is that hints of citrus are pervasive.

In northern and inland Florida, the southeastern pulled pork style of barbecue extends from Georgia into Florida with minor variations. Texas, Tennessee, and Louisiana barbecue styles, and Native American (Seminoles for example) cooking styles. In addition to pulled pork, baby back ribs, sausage patties, chicken, steak, brisket, burgers, string sausages, shish kebabs, and even spam.  Smoked mullet, a type of fish, is very popular.  Other fish and shell fish are also routinely grilled over direct heat or baked with both direct and indirect heat. Barbecue sauces tend to blend tomato and vinegar bases, drawing influences from its neighbors and snow birds from the north.  In some cases, the meats may also be cooked by combining a dry heat charbroil grill with a broth-filled pot for moist heat to braise, a technique known as barbecue-braising.

Along the central and southern coasts of Florida, the local style mixes traits of northern, inland Floridian (Southern and Native American) barbecue with traits of Indo/Afro-Caribbean barbecue, particularly from Jamaica and the Bahamas, given their proximities to the Florida coasts.   Cajuns and Australians, upon moving in, added  their influence mixing tropical flavors. The meat may also be marinated with an olive oil and citrus juice mixture, and also garnished with persillade or other spice mixtures.

In southern Florida, the influx of Cuban immigrants contributed a style of cooking pork shoulder outdoors in which the pork is marinated in mojo, a marinade including sour orange juice and garlic, and then placed in a caja china, (literally “Chinese box”), a wooden box lined in metal sheeting, and with hot coals placed in a tray on the top.  The finished pork’s texture is reminiscent to Deep Southern American-style pulled pork, and the meat is smothered with barbecue sauce. In addition, Mexican immigrants have also introduced fajitas and barbacoa tacos, similar to their Texas counterparts, and Argentinian chimichurri, an herb and spice mixture similar to persillade, is also sometimes added as a garnish. Rodizios are also common in this region’s barbecue style.

Other States and regions have their own variations, but differences appear to be due to location – they neighbor  regions of different barbecues so multiple styles can be found with some tweets to give them a local flavor.

Other resources:

BBQ Tours Map

BBQ Festival Map

BBQ Atlas

This post is the first in a series, future topics include grills around the world, and the history of BBQ in the US.

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Post tags: barbecue, BBQ, Carolina BBQ, grill, Kansas City BBQ, smoked meat, Texas BBQ, United States

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Goat Rock Beach

If I took one of those psychological word pairing tests and the first word was seaweed, hands down my response as a match would be sushi.  I suspect I am not alone that since my first introduction to eating seaweed involved this wonderful finger food, it would be a life long association.  However I’ve come to realize through my travels, meeting people and general nosiness of what is on the other person’s dish that seaweed is found well beyond the confines of sushi restaurants and  I’ve been selling the versatility of this wonderful foodstuff short, for example, in England – laver, in Ireland – dulse, in Latin America – carola, and karengo in New Zealand.  In fact, its uses like so many ingredients, are limited only by the imagination of the cook, and I felt the need to expand my wings a bit.

A bit about seaweed

If your idea of seaweed is similar to mine was, that dried sheet that tasted briny, and if you were not careful could stick to the roof of your mouth like glue.  Well there’s more, many more, to the tune of 7,000 varieties although only 160 are commonly used as food – with about 25 varieties being green, 81 are of the red-seaweed persuasion and the remaining 54 fall under the brown seaweed category.

Seaweeds are a food staple for many countries. For some, conventional land farming failed to address the needs of people, so they turn to sea-farming.  India for example, has a long coast line, stretching some 7,000 km with more than 624 species of seaweeds found in its coastal waters.  Research on increasing consumption of seaweed is underway.

Japanese beach - photo courtesy of R-G

For centuries, folks from China, Japan and Korea have smartly incorporated seaweed into their cuisine, and as  these people migrate around the world, this custom has spread with them.  Recently, France is attempting to introduce seaweed into the European cuisine, with some success, although it is still regarded as an exotic component of the menu. It has gained more acceptance in regions like California and Hawaii, with large Japanese communities creating a built in demand, and inquisitive food lovers, like myself either find the stuff on grocery shelves or in restaurants and give it a try.  In addition to their versatility and umami flavor, they are incredible rich in nutrients.

On the east coast of United States of America and Canada, around Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, companies are cultivating seaweeds onshore, in tanks, specifically for human consumption, and their markets are growing, both in those two countries and with exports to Japan.  Ireland and Northern Ireland are showing a renewed interest in seaweeds that were once part of the traditional diet.

Seaweed or sea vegetables fall into three basic categories, or color coding:

• Green – These sea veggies most resemble their surface dwelling kin, so for the beginner seaweed eater, this group might be a good place to start.
• Red – These fair weather beauties do not fare as well in the colder climate so they are found in the tropical and subtropical water.  According to Harold McGee, in his book, On Food and Cooking, they owe their color to special pigment, protein complexes that are sensitive to heat.  Consequently, when cooked their colors can change dramatically from red to green.  Because of the way they store their energy in the form of starch, this group provides gelling properties found in Agar-agar and carrageen.
• Brown – These fellas like the temperate waters and can be pretty aggressive in staking their claim (wakame)

Types of Sea Veggies

Nori or laver (Porphyra)

This is the purplish-black seaweed often seen disappearing into  sushi connoisseurs mouth comes mostly from Japan, Korea and China.  In Japan’s list of products from marine culture, ranks nori the highest, followed by oysters, yellowtails and wakame.  Nori grows as a very thin, flat, reddish blade, and is found in most temperate zones around the world.

nori doing its thing

While Porphyra can be collected from natural sources, most is now derived from cultivation. Porphyra has an unusual life cycle that was not understood until the early 1950s. Until then no one knew where the spores came from, so there was little control over the cultivation process.  The seaweed, as we know it, sheds spores that settled on neighboring mollusk shells.  In the controlled cultivation these spores are deliberately placed beneath the blades of the seaweed.

Processing of wet Porphyra into dried sheets of nori is highly mechanized, rather like the paper-making process. The wet Porphyra is rinsed, chopped into small pieces and stirred in a slurry. It is then poured onto mats or frames, most of the water drained off, and the mats ran through a dryer. The sheets are peeled from the mats and packed for sale.  This product is called hoshi-nori, as opposed to yaki-nori, which is toasted to bring out the flavor.

Nori is often a sushi wrap, or after a short baking or toasting, cut into pieces and sprinkled over rice or noodles. In China it is mostly used in soups and for seasoning fried foods.

Hijiki or Hiziki (Sargassum fusiforme)

This brown sea vegetable growing wild on rocky coastlines around Japan, Korea, and China. It is a traditional food and part of the Japanese diet for centuries.

Hijiki is green to brown in colour when found in the wild.  The seaweed is processed by first boiling and then drying which turns hijiki black.  Dried hijiki is prepared for cooking by first soaking it in water then cooked with ingredients like soy sauce and sugar to make a dish.  Hijiki is normally eaten with other foods such as vegetables or fish.

Cooking idea:  Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Nori Butter via 5 Star Foodie.

Aonori or green laver (Monostroma and Enteromorpha)

These two green seaweed genera are cultivated in Japan. Enteromorpha cultivation has also been attempted in the Republic of Korea but with limited success.

Monostroma latissimum occurs naturally in southern Japan where it is cultivated in shallow, calm waters, such as are found in bays and estuaries.

It can then either be processed into sheets and dried, as described for Porphyra, for sale, or dried and boiled with sugar, soy sauce and other ingredients to make “nori-jam”.

Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca)

photo from sustainableseafood.com.au

“Sea lettuce” describes a thin green seaweed, collected from the wild and often added to the above two seaweeds as part of aonori.  Several species are considered food in Scandinavia, Great Britain, Ireland, China, and Japan (where it is known as “aosa”).

Kombu or haidai (Laminaria japonica)

Kombu is the Japanese name for the dried brown algae derived from a mix of Laminaria species harvested mainly on Hokkaido.  The Japanese have eaten kombu for several centuries.  The naturally growing plants are biennial and are harvested after 20 months.  As demand grew in the 1960s, attempts were made to develop artificial cultivation methods, but the two-year cycle meant the costs were too high. In the 1970s, forced cultivation was introduced, reducing the cultivation period to one year, similar to the system developed in China in the early 1950s. Today, about one-third of Japan’s requirements come from cultivation, with the remaining two-thirds filled from natural resources.

Haidai is the Chinese name for Laminaria japonica, that was accidentally introduced to China by the Japanese in the late 1920s.  Prior to that time, China had imported it from Japan and Korea.  China had no natural sources of Laminaria but it magically appeared in the northern city of Dalian in 1927 with the importation of logs from Hokkaido.  The Japanese, who then occupied that part of China, tried to increase the growth.  In China, haidai is regarded as a health vegetable because of its mineral and vitamin content, especially in the north, where green vegetables are scarce in winter months. It is usually cooked in soups with other ingredients. In Japan, it is used in daily with fish. Kombu tea is like green kombu but shaved a second time so the shavings are like tea leaves. Other variations are used to produce different kombu types. In cooking, green kombu is boiled with meat, fish and soups. Powdered kombu is added to sauces and soups, and to rice. Green kombu and tea kombu are used to make a tea-like beverage.

Wakame, quandai-cai (Undaria pinnatifida)

wakame and agar salad - photo courtesy of R-G

Undaria pinnatifida, a brown seaweed, occurs on rocky shores and bays in the temperate zones of Japan, Korea and China. It has been spread, probably via ship ballast water, to France, New Zealand and Australia.  Korea is the largest producer of wakame.  It is both loved and reviled at the same time.  Loved – it is widely used in miso soup – hated as it has been nominated as one of the top 100 most invasive species, according to the Global Invasive Species Database.  In 2009, it was found in the San Francisco Bay and agressive efforts are underway to remove it before it spreads.

Hiziki (Hizikia fusiforme)

Hizikia fusiforme is a brown seaweed with a finer frond (leaf) than wakame and kombu. It is collected from the wild in Japan and cultivated in Korea, and is on the southern shore of Hokkaido. About 90% of Korean production is exported to Japan.

Em offers these wonderful tofu hijiki squares recipe.  If you have not checked out Kitchen M, I strongly encourage you – wonderfully inventive food from a Bay Area dietician coupled with incredible photography.

Mozuku or Makusa (Cladosiphon okamuranus)

Mozuku is a brown seaweed harvested from natural populations in the tropical climate of Japan’s southern islands – mainly around Okinawa.  After washing to remove the salt, it is used as a fresh vegetable, eaten with soy sauce and in seaweed salads.

Sea grapes or green caviar (Caulerpa lentillifera, Caulerpa racemos)

photo courtesy of Robert-Gilles

There are many species of the genus Caulerpa, but Caulerpa lentillifera and C. racemosa are the most popular edible ones. Both have a grape-like appearance and are used in fresh salads. They are commonly found on sandy or muddy sea bottoms in shallow protected areas.

Dulse (Palmaria palmata)

Dulse, a red algae with leathery fronds (leaves) also goes by the names sea parsley, dilsk, creathnach and söl (Iceland). It is collected by hand by harvesters plucking it from the rocks at low tide. It is perennial and when either plucked or cut, new growth appears from the edge of the previous season’s leaf. It is harvested mainly in Ireland and the shores of the Bay of Fundy in eastern Canada. Inferior dulse, usually because of poor drying, is broken into flakes or ground into powder for use as a seasoning; sometimes it is added to corn chips. In Nova Scotia and Maine, dried dulse is often served as a salty cocktail snack by bar owners as it induces thirst.

In Ireland, it is sold in packages and looks like dark-red bundles of flat leaves. It is eaten raw, like chewing tobacco, or is cooked with potatoes, in soups and fish dishes. Fresh dulse can be eaten directly off the rocks before sun drying.  It can be panfried into chips, baked in an oven covered with cheese or salsa.  Finely diced it can act as a flavor enhancer in place of MSG.   Dulse has been harvested for over 1,400 years

Irish moss or carrageenan moss (Chondrus crispus)

Irish Moss has a long history of use in foods in Ireland and parts of Europe. It is not eaten on its own, but used as a thickening agent when boiled in water.  Blancmange, a traditional vanilla-flavored pudding, is a happy consequence of this chemistry.  It is used in seaweed salads, sashimi garnishes and as a soup ingredient.

Winged kelp (Alaria esculenta)

This large brown kelp grows in areas such as Ireland, Scotland (United Kingdom), Iceland, Brittany (France), Norway, Nova Scotia (Canada), Sakhalin (Russia) and northern Hokkaido (Japan).  Eaten in Ireland, Scotland (United Kingdom) and Iceland either fresh or cooked, it is said to have the best protein among the kelps and is also rich in trace metals and vitamins, especially niacin. It is usually collected from the wild and eaten by local people, and while it has been successfully cultivated, this has not been extended to a commercial scale.

Ogo, ogonori or sea moss (Gracilaria)

ice cream toppers made with Agar-Agar

Fresh Gracilaria has been popular in Hawaii for several decades. The mixture of ethnic groups in Hawaii (Hawaiians, Filipinos, Koreans, Japanese, Chinese) creates an unusual demand and supply has at times been limited by the stocks available from natural sources.  Limu manauea and limu ogo are sold as fresh vegetables, the latter usually mixed with raw fish. In Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Viet Nam, species of Gracilaria are collected by coastal people for food. People used the extracted agar to make jellies.  A wonderful example of its use can be seen here.   In the West Indies, Gracilaria is sold as “sea moss”, and is reputed to have aphrodisiac properties.  It is also a base for a non-alcoholic drink, and has been successfully cultivated for this purpose in St Lucia and adjacent islands.

Persephone’s Tears – wonderfully inventive use of agar – again thanks to 5 Star Foodie.  Pham Fatale offers up some tasty Tet recipes including Vietnamese Jello cakes, Rau Cau

Callophyllis variegata

In Chile, the demand for edible seaweeds has increased and Callophyllis variegata (“carola”) is one of the most popular.  It is a member of the red algae family and also popular in other parts of South American including Per and the Falkland Islands.

Innovation, cultivation and niche markets: the combination of these three may lead to greater success for future investors, rather than attempts to break into the large markets for nori, kombu and wakame.

Along with my fixation on sea vegetables and sushi, I have a strong tendency to classify it as a savory dish.  I stumbled across this great recipe in the Irish Farmer’ Market Cookbook by Clodagh McKenna and it is delicious.  I am lucky enough to have a store that carries carrageen nearby.

Lemony Carrageen Moss Pots

Serves 6 (they called for 4-½ oz pots, I used ramekins)

Ingredients

8 g (¼ oz) carrageen moss + extra for garnish
1 ¼ pint milk
4 T caster sugar
6 lemon balm leaves or the zest of 3 lemons
1 vanilla pod
2 eggs, separated

Directions

Soak the carrageen in luke warm water for 15 minutes.  Drain and place in a sauce pan with the milk, 1 T of the sugar, lemon balm and vanilla pod.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain through a sieve into a bowl, pushing the natural gelatin from the carrageen through the sieve.

Put the egg yolks in a bowl and beat in the 3 remaining tablespoons of sugar.  Whisk into the strained mixture.

Wish the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Fold them into the mixture with a metal spoon.  Using a figure eight movement to get rid of any blogs of egg white.  Fill the pots with the mixture and chill in the fridge for about an hour until set.  Serve topped with the extra carrageen.

Other Resources:

Michael Guiry’s Seaweed Site – focus on Irish uses. He is a professor at the University of Galway

From the LA Times – A Crop from the Ocean Floor

Seaweed Used as Human Food

Shizuoka Gourmet – Seaweed: The Vegetable of the Oceans! Several of the pictures on this site are thanks to the generosity of Robert-Gilles, the Shizouoka Gourmet – much appreciated.

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Post tags: England, food, Ireland, Japan, lavar, seaweed, United States

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a view along Highway 1

Given the name of this blog and the assumptions and expectations that some readers have regardings its content, I am keenly aware that its been lacking in coverage of certain areas – ahem, namely of its namesake.  I will attempt to correct this oversight in time, and the first step towards closing the content gap is this post.

A few weeks back on a meandering drive along Highway 1 on a rare sunny day, Mr Oyster and I were determined to take advantage of our proximity to the oyster farmers.  We soon learned we were not the only people with this idea, although I think we had the advantage as we were coming from the north instead of San Francisco and arrived at Hog Island Oysters in time to clam the last parking spot.

Trouble came in the form of making a selection.  The fellow helping out behind the counter was more than kind and offered us samples of the oysters we had managed to winnow down to a narrower selection.  We were like kids in a candy shop, each type of oyster looked better, richer, tastier than the last.  No other condiment would have improved that briny water that accompanied that gulp of oyster.  With a brief shrug of shoulders and a “How can we go wrong?” attitude we settled on the Sweetwaters.

making that critical selection

The intent had been to purchase the oysters and savor them with some wine while being lulled into a stupor while watching the ebb and flow of Tomales Bay.  Unfortunately, Hog Islands picnic area and grills were full.  Instead we took our treasures and returned to the decidedly chillier San Francisco.

Mr. Oyster grew up steaming his oysters, and that is how we served this batch.  He kept careful watch on the oyster and when the shells showed that hint of opening, they were snatched from their steamy confines, and I further prodded them open exposing the luscious treat that awaited us.  I’d like to tell you that we sat down and enjoyed this meal seated  at the diner table, but I’d be lying.  We stood next to the stove and as soon as an oyster was ready to eat, it disappeared into our gaping mouths.

Those Sweetwaters were truly delicious and needed little in the way of added flavors but we could not resist a bit of Sabemas Chilero: Salsa de Chile Picante.  Mr. Oyster purchased this sauce at a tiny market when he was in El Salvador, but its got such a nice fresh taste that its our new hot sauce favorite.  If anyone knows where we can find this sauce in the States, please let me know.  I’d hate to have to send him all the way back to El Salvador just to stock up.

Hog Island Oyster Company

pointing the way

Three marine biologists founded Hog Island in the Tomales Bay, a narrow twenty-two mile inlet off of the Pacific Ocean. The bay’s shallow water and rich plankton blooms are ideal for growing the oysters and hence the concentration of oyster farmers in this area.  They use the rack-and-bag cultivation system, a process invented in France, for the oysters they produce:

• French Hog
• Hog Island Kumamoto
• Hog Island Sweetwater
• Hog Island Virginica

The rack-and-bag cultivation process involves a various steps, one of which is called “dédoublement” in French.  The contents of a mesh bag full of oysters (“poche“) are removed and redistributed into a few new mesh bags (“poches”).  Over time, the oysters naturally expand and this mesh bag or pouche gets increasingly cramped.  This process encourages shell deformities and also compromises the oysters’ ability to feed.  Dédoublement or “parting out” gives the oysters the necessary “elbow room” to grow.

A “poche” is a synthetic mesh container that allows the oysters to expand. The “poches”, filled with oysters, are laid out on low steel racks in the tidal zone.  Apparently, an enterprising oysterman in Normandy used abandoned field bed frames after WW II as racks in the tidal zone and placed bags of oysters on them for grow out, and that was the tart of the “rack and bag” practice.  It is the dominant cultivation method in France, and is also practiced by oyster growers on the US and Canada (primarily West Coast).  Although the concept of the “rack and bag” method is simple, the execution is labor intensive and requires some knowledge to be successful.  [source: oysters.us]

Hog Island also adds a step, which I understand to be unique to the process, of holding its oysters in tanks after harvesting where they are purified with saltwater sterilized by ultraviolet light.  They also offer many tasty recipes and ideas for their oysters.

Sweetwater Oysters

Sweetwater

The Sweetwater, for reasons that quickly became obvious, is the signature oyster for Hog Island.  The Sweetwater’s taste, per an oyster expert, has a light salt up front with an appealingly creamy texture.  [Source: Consider the Oyster: A Shucker's Field Guide by Patrick McMurray] I’d add that it has a nice sweet finish that I did not find in the other oysters we sampled, and was a reason for our selection.  Another oyster connoisseur, Rowen Jacobsen,  describes the taste as “deliciously sweet, pleasantly briny…”   [Source: Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur's Guide to Oyster Eating in North America, by Rowen Jacobsen]  So its unanimous, these oysters are tasty.

Beyond the taste, these nicely shaped beauties have relatively evenly shaped shells that, per Rowen Jacobsen, is the result of “regular tumbling that keeps it from reaching harvest size until at least two years of age.”

Point Reyes

heading into Pointe Reyes Station

Point Reyes is a prominent cape along the Pacific coast of northern California.  Point Reyes was originally named Punto de los Reyes (“Kings’ Point”) by the Spanish explorer, Sebastian Vizcain,o as his ship anchored in Drake’s Bay on the Day of the Three Kings (Epiphany) in 1603.

Located in Marin County approximately 30 miles northwest of San Francisco, along Highway 1, Point Reyes is often a collective term for the Point Reyes Peninsula, the region bounded by Tomales Bay on the northeast and Bolinas Lagoon on the southeast.  The headland is part of Point Reyes National Seashore.  The scenery here is beautiful and can be hauntingly desolate, enticing the visitor to explore its terrain.

It can also be exceedingly windy and foggy, which is why the Point Reyes lighthouse plays such a vital part of its history.  The surreal feel that envelopes this area when the atmospheric forces are at work, perhaps explains why John Carpenter filmed portions of his aptly named horror flick “The Fog” around this area.  Exploring this portion of Marin County, reminds the visitor, that despite its overwhelming beauty and wildlife this area still has a strong agricultural base.  However, having grown up in the midwest, I can say its a bit disconcerting to see cows grazing on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific, with their pastures interspersed with goats and sheep.

Point Reyes Station is a small town here that owes its name to this cape.  This town is perfect for a weekend trip as its only 39 miles from San Francisco and a great ride to get there is along the beautiful meandering Highway 1 which hugs the coast.  This town may only have a population hovering at about 1,000 but you’d never know it when considering your options, from hiking to kayaking to a full workout climbing those 300 steps at the light house.  For the birdwatcher this area is paradise with about 500 varieties of avian species.

Cowgirl Creamery shop

Immediately apparent is that these folks love good local food, and they have it in abundance.  In addition to being blessed with those oysters, this area is a pasture land for all the milk producing animals that make those incredible milk by-products.  Point Reyes Station is the home of Cowgirl Creamery.  In addition to being able to watch the cheese makers work their magic by leaning on a window, or taking their walking tour, Cowgirl Creamery also has a shop serving an impressive selection of cheeses.  Cowgirl Creamery is located in a large barn like building with several other food related shops – its one of those symbiotic relationships where likeminded food vendors compliment each other, and the collection exceeds the sum of its parts for the hungry souls that wander in.  Point Reyes is also home to one of my favorite Blue Cheese, surprisingly called Point Reyes Blue.  This cheese opened my eyes to how good a blue cheese can be.

Hog Island Oysters with Bolinas Crabmeat

Recipe adapted from The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook and comes from Jeremiah Towers of Stars restaurant.

Serves 6

Ingredients

24 live oysters in their shells
rock salt
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/8″ slices
1 c half-and-half
¼ tsp salt
½ pound fresh crabmeat
1 sprig fresh tarragon, stemmed and chopped
pepper
lemon wedges for garnish

Directions

Tomales Bay

Preheat oven to 425 °F.

Open the oysters – cut the muscles and free the oysters from their shells and pour the juices into a small saucepan.  Keep each oyster in its shell, and arrange in a shallow backing pan filled with rock salt.

Add the potato, half-and-half, and salt to the saucepan with the oyster juices.  Simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Stir frequently.  Mix in the crabmeat, tarragon and pepper.  Mound on top of the oysters.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Serve  with the lemon.

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tasty stuff

One fortuitous discovery for me was that I learned I like dates.  Wait!…  make that I L-O-V-E dates!  You see before sampling the fresh succulent varieties available to me in California, I associated dates with that desiccated stuff that ended up in my tapioca pudding and annoyingly clung to my teeth.  It was sticky and sweet and as far as I could tell did not have much else going for it.  Then I moved to San Francisco and for reasons, I can never explain I was drawn to trying the varieties at the farmers market and my culinary life has improved substantially.  The closest experience I can compare this to is growing up believing Taco Bell equaled Mexican Food.  Whoa!  Its a wonder the heavens did not open up, and harps plucked when I sampled the real deal – that explosion of flavor, textures and color.  I felt the same about those dates!  Wow, why did I have to spend years eating only the dried, hardened stuff only to discover what an incredible treat the fresh stuff really was?  The years I’ve wasted, and it only makes me wonder what other misconceptions I yet to overturn.

A Bit About Dates

Phoenix dactylifera – you know the Date Palm, is extensively cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. How extensively?  Try to the tune of about 1500 varieties.  When I learned that fact, my thought of one day sampling every variety took a serious hit.  I realize I have my work cut out for me!  Dates have a long storied past having been a staple in the Middle East for over a millennia. They are believed to have originated around the Persian Gulf, and have been cultivated as early as 4000 BC.  Banish any thoughts that the palm tree is a small plant, a full grown beauty can exceed 80 feet or 25 meters.  They take 4 to 7 years after planted to bear fruit and then can produce a viable harvest for the next 7 to 10 years.  Not the most efficient of plants from a growers perspective as not all the fruit on a tree ripens at the same time so multiple harvests are required. In later times, this fruit was spread around South and South West Asia, northern Africa, and Spain and Italy. Dates were introduced into Mexico and California by the Spaniards by 1765, in the Missions.

For that critical date sweet talk, knowing the three main cultivar groups is helpful:

1. soft (Barhee, Halawy, Khadrawy, Medjool)
2. semi-dry (e.g. Dayri, Deglet Noor, Zahidi)
3. dry (e.g. Thoory)

More sweet talk to consider to describe your date.  Dates ripen in four stages, which are known worldwide by their Arabic names kimri (unripe), khalal (full-size, crunchy), rutab (ripe, soft), tamr (ripe, sun-dried). Depending on the variety, the date may be high in natural sugars. As the date fruit dries, the sugars concentrate in the dense, moist flesh, ultimately forming sugar crystals on the date’s surface.  If a date has formed sugar crystals, it is usually less than ideal to eat, as the flesh will be dry and leathery.  Because dates contain little water, their size and flavors do not diminish upon drying.

Kinds of Dates, just to whet your appetite

Amir Hajj or ‘Amer Hajj’ — from Iraq, these are soft with a thin skin and thick flesh, sometimes called “the visitor’s date” because it is a delicacy served to guests.

Barhi or (barhee) (from Arabic barh, “a hot wind”) — these small fellas are nearly cylindrical, light amber to dark brown when ripe; soft, with thick extremely soft flesh and rich flavour.  One of the few varieties that are good in the khalal stage when they are yellow (like a fresh grape as opposed to dry, like a raisin).  Some date lovers like to eat these lovelies frozen like hard candy.

Deglet Noor (Arabic: ‘translucent’ or ‘date of light’) — so named because the center appears light or golden when held up to the sun. This is a leading date in Algeria, the USA, and Tunisia – it accounts for 75% of California’s crop.  It is semi-dry and not very sweet with a delicate and distinctive flavor.

Empress — developed by the DaVall Family in Indio California USA from a seedling of ‘Thoory’. It is large, and is softer and sweeter than ‘Thoory’ with a distinctive coloring with a light tan top half and brown bottom half.

Halawy (Halawi) (Arabic: ’sweet’) — these are soft, and extremely sweet, small to medium in size. With their caramel- and molasses-like flavor and pronounced sweetness, halawy, which were introduced from Iraq in 1902, are considered by many growers to have a classic date taste.

photos from hotgarden.net

Khadrawy (Arabic: ‘green’) — a cultivar favored in the Middle East, it is a soft, very dark date.  Usually reddish brown and slightly wrinkled, these dates have a good amount of flesh and a mild caramel flavor. Khalasah (Arabic: ‘quintessence’) — one of the most famous palm cultivars in Saudi Arabia, famous for its sweetness level that suits most people. Its fruit is called ‘Khlas’.

Khastawi (Khusatawi, Kustawy) — this is the leading soft date in Iraq; it is syrupy and small in size, prized for dessert.

Medjool or (Mujhoolah) — from Morocco, also grown in the USA, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the Palestinian territories and Israel is a large, sweet and succulent date with a golden brown to brown black skin and a rich tasting flesh with hints of molasses and caramel.  One of my favorites, and if you want to stuff a date with goat cheese – look no further.

Mozafati — from Iran, and often named “Bam (Mozafati) dates”, after a city in that province. They are medium sized dark, soft and sweet dates.  It is best for fresh consumption, because of its long shelf life.

Sayer (Sayir) (Arabic: ‘common’) — these dates are dark orange-brown, of medium size, soft and syrupy. Sekkeri — (literaly. sugary) Dark brown skin; distinctly sweet and soft flesh, from Saudi Arabia.

Thoory (Thuri) –  the “bull’s date” popular in Algeria, this dry date is brown-red or brown -yellow  when cured with a bluish bloom and very wrinkled skin. Its flesh is sometimes hard and brittle but the flavour described as sweet and nutty.  This date keeps well so is popular with travelers.

Zahidi — these medium sized, oblong, light golden-brown semi-dry dates are very sugary, and sold as soft, medium-hard and hard.  They have little flesh in proportion to their large pit.  They are often processed into date crystals and other food products.

I bolded the names of some of the dates that I recognized, and have eaten here in California so I’m going to go out on a limb and say you can probably find them in the US.  Native Food and Wine also has a great post on this dessert candy.

Top Ten Dates Producers [source: wikipedia]

• Egypt
• Iran
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Pakistan
• Algeria
• Iraq
• Sudan
• China
• Libya

Dates + Food

Dates have got to be some of the most versatile of foods.  They’re great in their raw form, perfect snack food.  Pitted and stuffed with goat cheese and nuts -they’re a sophisticated and simple snack.  Let them participate in the current porcine craze with a bit of bacon wrapped around them for that perfect combination of sweet savory.  You get the idea.

In addition to the fruit, other parts of the date palm are also edible:  young date leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable, as is the terminal bud or heart of the palm.  As it may have been suspected, eating anything called the “heart” of plant, kills it.  The finely ground seeds are mixed with flour to extend its usefulness in making bread. The flowers of the date palm are also edible.  The female flowers are used in such diverse dishes as salads or mixed with dried fish as a condiment.  Saveur Magazine has some great date ideas from date shakes, to date pie, to bacon wrapped dates with almonds to date honey.

I created the following jam and its quickly become a family favorite mostly because of its versatility.

the good stuff

My (OysterCulture’s) Date Jam/Spread

Makes 6 pint jars

Ingredients

2 (13oz) containers of date paste¹
2 – 3 Thai peppers, finely minced – depending on taste²
1 c brown sugar, honey or other sweetener of choice
2 c water
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp crushed cardamon seeds
¼ tsp star anise
½ tsp salt

Directions

In a heavy duty 2 -3 quart pot combine all ingredients and let simmer for about 20 minutes until the contents, except for the cinnamon stick,  is incorporated and resembles apple sauce.  You not can and it keeps well in the refrigerator, or you can follow canning instructions for extended preservation.

Notes:

date paste

¹You can use fresh dates, you just need to pit them and run them through a food processor.  I was lazy and have found these packets of date paste a great substitute.

² Two chilies added little heat but a nice depth to the flavor.  People are surprised to find them an ingredient, especially heat adverse folks.  Adjust as you like.

How I like to use it:

• Always good on toast
• Great with cheese (chevre)
• Nice on oatmeal
• Lovely in Greek yogurt
• Awesome on pork

© admin for Oyster Food and Culture, 2010. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: California, dates

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fields in China, photo from KK

As a child, I had an overwhelming curiosity about the (H)mong*.  For the life of me, I could not figure out why, of all the places in the world they chose to resettle, they picked Minnesota.  Frankly, I was a bit dumbfounded by this choice.  Nothing against Minnesota, I still am a Minnesota girl at heart, but growing up, this girl was keenly aware that there was a great big world that needed to be checked out, and was counting the days until she began that exploration.  Paris, I’d have understood, Los Angeles – ditto, heck even Sacramento sounded exotic to me as I’d never been there.  All I knew was it was in California and I imagined all Californians had wonderful tans, and lived on the beach.   I now know better, having experienced the fickle San Francisco climate.  Here I was excited to explore what lay beyond Minnesota’s borders, and simultaneously these people were just as anxious to get into Minnesota.

Growing up, I participated in 4-H – an activity seen as countrified to some people of the urban persuasion, but I disagree.  My participation allowed me to explore many of my interests: photography, art, gardening, and cooking, and started me on a rewarding path of volunteerism.   A vital component of 4-H involves community service.  Each year, every club must develop a community service project.  One year, we decided to adopt a (H)mong family, but then struggled to determine what that adoption meant, as we had no idea what activities would make a good project. Communication between us and our adopted family was a serious obstacle.

Paris

For our project, we settled on growing a garden, an idea that gained enthusiastic acceptance as we determined this activity might just succeed despite our limited verbal communication ability.  The ideas was to share with them some of the vegetables that grew in Minnesota, and perhaps we could find some seeds of vegetables that were favorites of theirs so they could reciprocate and perhaps show us some us something new – not just the produce but possibly some cooking and preservation techniques as well. I could have told you, but apparently it must be scientifically proven that genuine smiles universally mean the same thing regardless of culture. We all smile when we are happy.   I can say there was universal happiness when we saw the first buds, the fruits of our labor – no translation was needed – everyone’s face glowed.  I cannot remember all the vegetables we grew, but I do recall among our bounty were green beans, tomatoes, carrots, and squash.  To culminate a successful project, and with a garden full of produce, we produced an incredible pot luck.  I remember some tasty (H)mong dishes only further piqued my interest in traveling as they tasted nothing like I’d encountered before started a craving that needed to be addressed.  Looking back, I struggle to call it volunteering as I think we gained as much from the experience as our (H)mong family.  The memories of the share goals and and rewards has stuck with me.

more typical terrain

What brought on this renewed interest in (H)mong food and memories to the fore was the release of a (H)mong cookbook, the first one written in America.  The cookbook reminded me I had some unfinished business to attend to – I had some dishes to make and sample that I had been dreaming about for years.  The book, Cooking  From the Heart – The Hmong Kitchen in America by Sami Scripter and Seng Yang is a treasure of recipe and insights about (H)mong life in the US.  I’ve enjoyed leafing through the pages and having my questions answered after all this time, and I now realize I may not have been the only one.  Until the 1950s the Hmong had no written language so capturing recipes that had been previously handed down only by watching mothers and other relatives was not possible, until now.

So why Minnesota?

I confess that none of the (H)mongs that I met could not answer that question, their rudimentary English was limited to “please” and “thanks you” and my Hmong was non existent.  Our communictions were more a pantomime, which worked fine for the basics like “do we need to water” or “weed the garden”? but lacked something for meaningful conversation.  As I wrote this post, I discovered this article of why people migrate, which offered some interesting insights.  I once had a great conversation once with a cab driver in Washington, DC who was far more educated than me – a medical doctor from Eritrea and I asked him, “Why DC?”.  Again not a place I would have thought as their first choice.  He explained that the community sprang up with support staff that worked at the Embassy and were joined by family and friends.  I suspect something similar happened in the Midwest, possibly some (H)mong found work and were joined by members of their clans.

A Bit About the (H)mong

photo from KK

The (H)mong are of the Miao ethnicity in southern China, and have been around for thousands of years.  Around the 18th century, the (H)mong gradually migration due to political unrest and a desire for arable land.  They settled in Laos and some of the surrounding countries and established themselves as farmers.  About this time the word “Hmong” came into use which means “freeman”. In Laos, around 1975, as a result of many (H)mong having supported the US and fought against the communist-nationalist Pathet Lao in Laos, they were singled out for retribution when the Pathet Lao took over the government.  Tens of thousands fled to Thailand seeking political asylum, and from there many of those refugees continued migration to the United States, Australia, France, French Guiana, and Canada.  Today they continue to struggle with immigration, and their situation is further complicated by the fact, that under the Patriot Act and Real ID Act because the (H)mong helped American, they are now classified as terrorists further complicating their ability to settle.

The (H)mong people have their own subgroups, with “White Hmong” (Hmong Der) and “Green” (Mong Leng) being the largest groups.  The word “Hmong” often refers to both groups, but because the name really only applies to one subgroup, and does not mention the Mong, some people believe it marginalizes this group.  Both speak their own dialects of the (H)mong language with some differences in pronunciation and vocabulary.  One solution offered to address this perceived oversight, is what I’ve used here and that is the term “(H)mong”. Some traditional (H)mong gatherings include:

Weddings (Tshob) – typically last several days once the wedding contract is negotiated between the clans.  A unique feature of the (H)mong wedding is that sometimes the bride and groom elope ahead of time and come back to make arrangements for the wedding.

“Calling in the Soul” of a New Baby (Hu Plig) – Three days after the birth of a child an elder calls the soul to enter the body.  This rite can be compared to a Christening since the child is bestowed his or her name at this time.  A cow or pig is typically slaughtered and fed to the guests.

Recognition of Achievements – an big event such as a graduation is celebrated with food, drink and fellowship.

Bestowing an Adult Name on a Man After He Has His First Son (Npe Laus) – [I love this recognition of the responsibility of having a child] A man gets a “mature” name after becoming a father, that is bestowed upon him by his in-laws.

Funerals (Kev Ploh Tuag) - A funeral typically lasts at least three days and involved the extended family and friends.  The funeral rites are intended to allow the deceased soul to travel back to his birthplace before continuing on to the otherworld, and for the non-Christian (H)mongs, to be reincarnated as a member of the same clan.

Welcoming Visitors (Tuaj Los) – Food and welcome are extended to guests.

Healing Rituals (Ua Need Ua Yaig) – Traditional (H)mongs believe that physical and mental illness is the result of the loss of soul.  Healing rituals are intended to return the soul to the body.  These sacrifices are usually a family affair, where a pig, cow or farm animal is sacrificed in part to thank the shaman (txiv neeb), but also to feed the family which has gathered to lend support.

Honoring and Protecting the Family Spirit (Ua Neeb Kab Plig) – A kind of cleaning ritual to honor the family ancestors, rid the house of bad spirits and bring prosperity in the future.  Family is very important for this event so the extended family collects and the day culminates with a feast.

New Year (Xyoo Tshiab) - A large public gathering, complete with music, food, cultural displaces, costumes.

Tying Strings on Wrists to Protect Loved Ones (Khi Tes) – Traditional food is provided to family and friends as they gather to ties strings to loved ones about to have surgery or embark on a journey. A red string guards the soul and protects against health concerns and a white string binds the soul to the body and keeps the person safe as they travel.  White string also signifies good wishes.  (Source: Cooking from the Heart]

When Reality Does Not Align with Dreams in the Promised Land

The Hmong like many people abruptly transplanted to a new and foreign country had trouble assimilating, some of the problems, to varying degrees their troubles are shared by other immigrants and citizens.  Some of the problems include traditions related to:

CLans and Strong Family Ties

Family is vital in (H)mong culture, and extensive family is the norm, with large networks of cousins and other relatives working and residing together.  Eighteen clans are recognized with lineage carried through the male bloodlines.  It is common to find the grandparents, children and grandchildren under one roof.  Given that sometimes there is no equivalent for family names, some people outside of the (H)mong culture do not understand that references to “cousins” and “uncles” are associated with distant relatives. Each clan has a unique surname; there is the Vang clan, the Lee clan, the Moua clan, etc. The clans address the needs of their members and form a network that brings many families together.  Marriage within a clan is forbidden, so a Lee cannot marry a Lee.  Marriages are intended not only to bring couples together, but strengthen the bonds between clans.  When a woman marries into a clan she retains the name of her birth clan, but is fully accepted into the new clan.

Marriage

Random question, did you know the average age to marry around the world is 17?  Like many developing countries with shorter lifespans, the average age to marry is earlier that advanced nations, in (H)mong culture it is even earlier, where girls are marriage about 13 to 14 and they often marry older men with a proven means of support.  Given the legal age of marriage is around 16 years or later, a cultural conflict is created for (H)mong living in the United States.  While family ties are quite strong in (H)mong culture, there are some aspects to family life that cause conflict and even serious legal problems for some (H)mong people in the United States.  Further, (H)mong marriage is mainly performed under (H)mong law and so is not legally sanctioned so they can have a hard time asserting their rights. Some of  the problems include:

• Legal issues with marriage at such a young age
• Marriage not recognized outside of (H)mong society
• Girls miss career opportunities by marrying so young
• Other cultures frown upon marriage arrangements and marginalize (H)mong

Not all marriages take place this early and as the (H)mong assimilate into American culture they are learning the advantages of waiting.

Teenage Responsibility

In (H)mong culture, the oldest girl has tremendous responsibilities, much more adult responsibility than a lot of similarly aged girls.  This disparity when they compare their lives to their American friends can lead to conflict.  As about any girl who spent her teenage years growing up in the US, its hard enough feeling like you fit in without the added complexity of having grownup responsibilities when your parents work.

Housing

Despite the sometimes pervasive American sentiment that more is good, this one does not apply to Americans and rental tenants; unfortunately it does for many (H)mong.  Given their close familial relationships they are accustomed to large groups living together and their natural desire to continue that living pattern can put them at odds with landlords and neighbors.

Property Rights

Prior to coming to the US, the (H)mong understood that the wilderness usually belonged to everyone. The idea that open land might be private property is a foreign concept.  On the other hand, private property and personal freedom are essential to (H)mong culture, which was a reason why they opposed the Communist in Laos.

The American Dream

• Greater opportunities for (H)mong girls such as an education.
• A new life in a country where they have more freedom and opportunity.
• Better living conditions.
• Freedom from retaliation.

Great reads on the Hmong culture:

Hmong Oral History Project at Concordia University

Gary Yia Lee - Hmong Anthropologist

Building Bridges Program

Orphans of History

Many Fear Hmong Culture Fading Away

Suab Hmong Radio

Hmong: Their History and Culture (pdf)

Taking Root – Hmong bring centuries old agrarian wisdom to California’s Central Valley from Andrea Nguyen in Saveur

Hmong Food and Recipes

(H)mong for “Let’s Eat” is peb noj mov - literally “let’s eat the rice” in case you cannot guess what is the most important staple of their meal.  (H)mong cooking is typically very lean and healthy.  Most of the meat and vegetables are usually boiled and served in the cooking liquid.  Few items are fried because the oil to fry the food came from rendering fat from the farm animals and that was both costly and rare.  Beef was not common, and so neither was dairy.  Food was livened up with the addition of herbs such as mint, basil, cilantro and lemon grass.  They also made a version of fish sauce to spice up the flavor.

Coconut Lemon Chicken Soup - Nqaij Qaib Hau Xyaw Kua Mav Phaub Quab

This recipe adapted from Cooking  From the Heart – The Hmong Kitchen in America Serves 4 Ingredients ½ boneless, skinless chicken breast 2 c cubed chayote squash 1 lemon 2½ c chicken broth 1″ fresh ginger root, sliced 3T fish sauce 3T minced lemongrass (just the tender parts, please) 1 c coconut milk Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish Directions Cut the chicken and squash into 1/2″ cubes and set aside.  Cut the lemon in half, and take one half and divide into eight wedges.  Share thin strips of the lemon peel from the other half and cut them into matchstick size slices for garnish.  In a 3-quart sauce pan heat the chicken broth, lemon wedges, ginger, and fish sauce.  Turn the temperature to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Strain the soup and return it to the pan.  Discard the solids.  Return the mixture to a simmer and add the squash and lemongrass.  Cook for 10 minutes until the squash is soft but not mushy.  Add the chicken and coconut milk, cook for about 3 more minutes until the chicken is cooked.  Serve with cilantro and lemon peel as garnish. peb noj mov – Let’s Eat! Other recipes from the book:

Fiery Hmong Tomato, Chile and Cilantro Salsa

A Stir Fried Chicken with Tomatoes

Hmong Sausages

* For the sake of simplicity, as developed by ethnologist Jacques Lemoine, I used the term (H)mong to refer to both the Hmong and Mong. ______________________________________________________________________________________

I would never trade my years in 4-H for a million bucks.  I learned to be more self reliant learning new skills (the fundamentals of landscape architecture), tackled new challenges (sewing without drawing blood), learned about healthy competition (taking the blue ribbon for my jam), and tried things that I never would have done otherwise (acting in a play, studying rocketry).  Now they even have programs on clean tech and other scientific areas for kids to explore.  Many people associate 4-H with that photograph of the prize winning pig or calf shown with pride at the county fair, but stopping there, sells this wonderful organization short.  Durning much of my formative years, this club made a lasting, positive impact on me that I wish others could experience.  Here’s a simplistic look at this organization and what it stands for [source: 4-H website]: The 4-H emblem is a four-leaf clover with an “H” in every leaf.

The letters stand for HEAD, HEART, HANDS, and HEALTH; the foundation of all 4-H programs. Through 4-H programs youth develop:

HEAD - clearer thinking and decision making, knowledge useful through life;

HEART - greater loyalty, strong personal values, positive self-concept, concern for others;

HANDS - larger service, workforce preparedness, useful skills, science and technology literacy;

HEALTH – better living, healthy lifestyles.

© admin for Oyster Food and Culture, 2010. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: California, Hmong, Laos, Minnesota, wisconsin

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sea salt in a salt cellar

I love salt.  As I child I considered pretzels mini salt licks and would suck on them until all the salt coating the outside disappeared, and only then would I consider eating those pretzels, or not.  But, I have to say when the salt mania struck the culinary world with a vengeance, I stood on the outside feeling confused.  Everyone had their favorite type of salt and raved how it improved whatever they put it on.  I even saw folks in restaurants whip out their mini salt cellars, and after considerable contemplation apply the perfect amount of the  appropriate salt with a grater.  To me, that action had crossed some threshold, to where I was not certain, but a line had been crossed.  ”Huh”, was all I could think to say.  Salt is salt after all; simply sodium and calcium, an acid + a basic combined to form a neutral compound: sodium chloride (Sorry, my high school chemistry haunts me)  et voila NaCl – the salt that we know and eat.  How, if you add one salt our another to a soup or dish will it change the taste if at its elemental self it is all the same? What the heck is “artisanal” salt? Organic salt?!  I sneered in disgust, “Suckers, you fell for the marketing”.  To be perfectly honest, I did not sneer, but I was certainly perplexed at how the most ordinary of seasonings was thrust into the realm of extraordinary.  My curiosity was piqued, and you know what that means.

First, lets get those annoying mea culpas out of the way.  I was right in my beliefs, and I was wrong.  Salt is salt, but its shape and texture plays a role in its taste, as does the minerals attached to it (consider the pink Hawaiian salt), the spices coupled with it, or other processes such as smoking that affected its taste.  To understand what those differences are some detective work was required:

Types of Salt

Salt is a dietary mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride that is essential for animal life by aiding it in regulating its water content. Salt due to its ubiquity is the oldest food seasoning.  Edible salt is produced in various forms including unrefined salt (such as sea salt), refined salt (table salt), and iodized salt. It is a crystalline solid of various colors and hues that is mostly obtained from sea water or rock deposits.  Chemically, little separates the various kitchen salts: kosher, sea salt and table salt (all are at least 97 ½% NaCl).  However, significant differences exist in the provenance and processing of these salts.

Refined Salt

Fancy Food Show

Refined salt is the most common type available mainly because it is the cheapest, is mostly sodium chloride (NaCl).  Of the refined salt, table salt is the one most frequently found in the kitchen. It usually comes from salt mines and once mined, it is refined and the majority most minerals are stripped out. Table salt often includes a small portion of calcium silicatesodium silicoaluminate, sodium ferrocynide (yellow prussiate of soda) or magnesium carbonate.  It possesses very fine crystals and a sharp taste. Because of its fine grain a single teaspoon of table salt contains more salt than a tablespoon of kosher or sea salt. As it is not derived from fresh sea water, it may also be referred to as Earth Salt to indicate that its origins.  Its also worth noting that those additives do not dissolve as readily as the salt, so substituting table salt for activities such as pickling is not recommended unless cloudy brines are acceptable.

Kosher Salt is a coarse grained salt where the grains have been compressed, forming a flake rather than a more three dimensional granule. It is lighter weight and clings better to food. It is not kosher because it conforms to Jewish dietary laws (all salts are pareve, neither animal nor dairy) but to its use in koshering meat. The coarse and rough surface readily adheres to the meat, draws the blood out, and thus the meat becomes koshered. Kosher salt contains no iodine as its original use was not for consumption. Also kosher salt can be sea salt, but that is not a requirement, so if sea salt is preferred, than Kosher is not your best option, although I have seen Kosher sea salt in stores. Margarita Salt is a coarse ground salt, frequently kosher salt, used that vital purpose of coating the rim of a margarita glass. It should provide an initial crunch and then dissolve quickly on the tongue.

Some Salt has Additives

Iodized salt is table salt mixed with potassium iodide, sodium iodide, or sodium iodate.  The intent of adding some sort of iodine compound to the most ubiquitous seasoning on earth, is to reduce iodine deficiency in humans.  Countries employing this program have seen significant reduction in iodine deficiency related illness.   The amount of iodine and the specific iodine compound added to salt varies by country.  Iodized salt is the most common in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

In some European countries where drinking water fluoridation is not practiced, fluorinated table salt is available. In France, 35% of the table salt contains either sodium fluoride or potassium fluoride.  Another additive, especially important for pregnant women, is folic acid (Vitamin B9), which gives the salt a yellow color.

Earth Salt

Earth Salt, or Mined Salt is a term to indicate that the salt is not sea salt, but this is also confusing.  All salt is basically sea salt.  The mined variety may come from seas that covered that area millions of years ago and as they receded the salt deposits remained.

What a beauty!

Not all earth salts are refined, such as Pink Himalayan Salt mined deep in the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet. This salt is found to contain over 84 trace elements. Often the salt is brought down from the mountains on the backs of yaks. It is available in a variety of grinds, as well as in small rocks with a grater. The unrefined and unpolluted pink transluscent crystals have a subtle, crunchy texture.  A Peruvian Pink Salt has similar properties and it too is a tasty souvenir from an ancient sea.

Black Salt (Kala Namak, Sanchal) is an unrefined mineral salt. It is actually a pearly pinkish gray rather than black, with a strong, sulfuric flavor thanks to its mineral components. Used in authentic Indian cooking.

Unrefined Sea Salt

Sea salt or solar salt is obtained by evaporating seawater, because of its additional mineral content, it tastes different than table salt.  Areas that produce specialized sea salt include the Cayman Islands, Greece, France, Ireland, South Korea, Colombia, Sicily, Italy, UK, and the United States.  Generally, this salt is more expensive than table salt, primarily because of labor but its reputation as a gourmet salt and marketing also contribute to the price.

Harvested by channeling ocean water into large clay trays and allowing the sun and wind to evaporate it.  Sea salt manufacturers typically do not refine sea salt as much as other kinds of salt, so it still contains traces of other minerals, including iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and iodine. Proponents of sea salt rave about its flavor, and the subtleties lent to it by those trace minerals.  Note that the additional minerals effect the flavor and mouthfeel of the salt, so it does tastes different than table salt.  The ratios of these minerals also change depending on where the salt water was taken hence the reference to terroir when speaking of sea salts.  The texture also adds a complexity to the taste that is removed if the salt is dissolved in the dish.  Most recipes are partial to sea salt, although distinguishing the difference in a batch of soup can be challenging when the salt is dissolved. In applications where sea salt’s coarser texture is retained, it can provide different mouthfeel and changes in flavor due to its inconsistent rates of dissolution. The minerals also affects the taste, and distinguishing sea salt from other untreated salts, such as pink Himalayan salt, or grey colored rock salt is no easy feat.

French Sea Salts

French Sea Salt retains many trace minerals, including some iodine, that naturally occur in seawater. In France, the harvesting of sea salt is done by ”Paludiers” (salt farmers)in polders (shallow clay pools) created to harvest the sea salt.  Much of the Fleur de Sel (French Sea Salt)  comes from the Guérande region of France.  Flavor and aroma profiles of this salt can vary, even within a single region like Guérande depending on the mineral content of the water from which the salt was extracted.  This is the impact terroir plays on the salt, and this feature is not exclusive to French sea salts.  Italy has its version called Fior di sale from the Trapani area of Sicily, where it can only be harvested on windless mornings, when the surface waters of the Mediterranean are unruffled.       Grey Salt or Sel Gris is a “moist” unrefined sea salt mainly found along France’s coastline, mainly near Brittany.  Its light grey, almost light purple color is credited to the clay found in the salt flats. The salt is collected by hand using traditional Celtic methods using wooden rakes so no metal touches the salt, as it adversely reacts with the salt and can negatively impact its flavor.

Grinder salts are typically large dry crystals intended for use in a salt mill or grinder. The white salt crystals are easily ground in the mills and the lower moisture content allows the salt to flow through with little hassle.

Hawaiian Sea Salts come in pink (Alaea, Alae, Hawaiian Red Salt, Red Volcanic Salt)  is a traditional Hawaiian table salt used to season and preserve.  A mineral called “Alaea” (volcanic baked red clay) obtained from Kauai’s rivers.   When this red ocean water is trapped in tidal pools, evaporation creates alaea sea salt.  The clay imparts a subtle flavor that makes this salt mellower than regular sea salt.  Alaea adds a subtle crunch to dishes.   According to Arnold Hirura in his book Kau Kau – Cuisine and Culture in the Hawaiian Islands only those of Hawaiian ancestry are permitted to cultivate their own salt plots.  The cultivation of salt usually extends from June through August following the rainy season.  The presence of tiny brine shrimp are thought to reduce the algae which might impact the taste of the shrimp.  Another type of seas salt called pa’akai is white because it lacks the alaea.  Some salt producers take the pa’akai and mix it with the alaea to make their own custom blends of alaea salt.  These salts are traditional seasoning in Hawaiian dishes such as Kalua Pig, Poke, and Hawaiian Jerky.  It can be used elsewhere in pork dishes, fish, prime rib and as a colorful accent on corn and potatoes.

the possibilities!

Another Black Sea Salt is a variety of unrefined mineral salts ranging from dark grey to black in color, including Hawaiian volcanic sea salt (black lava salt) This salt is the residual from evaporated sea water that was in pools with purified black lava rock or activated charcoal to add minerals.  Cyprus black sea salt would be another variation.  This salt is used primarily for its decorative appeal.

Coarse Salt (Gos Sel, Sale Grosso) is a larger grained sea salt crystal. Most recipes calling for salt intend using finely ground salt, however, many chefs prefer coarse salt because they can easily measure it with their fingers. It is less moisture sensitive so it resists caking and is easily stored. Uses: Salt crusts on meat or fish, potatoes (see recipe at the bottom of this post)  and flavoring for soups, stews and pasta.

Flake Salt  (finishing salt)

Maldon brand salt

Flake sea salt have light crystal reminiscent of snowflakes, and are a variety of sea salt.  Seawater is evaporated by the sun and wind to produce a salt brine that is fed into an open evaporating pan – almost like mining for salt. The brine is then slowly heated to the point where delicate pyramids shaped crystals of salt appear.  The finished product is light, flaky sea salt.  Given the time and labor involved, this salt is more expensive than your usual varieties.  Also, the best use for this salt is as a finisher, by that I mean on a loaf of bread, a pretzel is a classic example, where the texture lends interest to the food.  With the special emphasis on salty desserts – this sort of salt is increasingly common on chocolate truffles.  Adding it to a soup sacrifices the features that distinguish it from the cheaper table salt.  Flake salts are often referred to as finishing salts as they are the last thing added and its their texture, that adds interest to the food, once they dissolve there is no way to distinguish this salt from other varieties.

Etc.

Organic Salt

I confess that this name irked me, because organic by its definition involves life, and if you want to get technical, an organic compound (per my handy chemistry book) must contains carbon – this salt does not.  I thought this was another example of taking the marketing a bit too far.  But I digress, from the organic perspective of salt, the guidelines imply purity of the water, cleanliness of the salt beds and strict procedures on how the salt is harvested and packaged.  Many of the sea salts previously mentioned would fall under this category.

flavored salt from France

Flavored Salts run the gambit from fine herbs and spices added to the salt to the more mundane garlic salt and onion salt, which are common in most kitchens and a necessity for many a college cook.  Another example would be Smoked Salts which are typically naturally smoked over real wood fires to infuse the salt crystals with a smokey favor.  Almost anything can be smoked to impart the flavor: juniper, cherry, elm, oak – each adds a unique flavor to whatever food it is added to.

Other flavored salt variations include: Bamboo Salt, Parched Salt, Jukyum or Jook Yeom is a Korean salt made by roasting sea salt in bamboo cylinders plugged with yellow clay.  The salt absorbs minerals from the bamboo and mud that leach impurities from the salt.  It is used in dishes such as kimchi and grilled fish and for preserving abilities. Many Koreans use bamboo salt as an aid for indigestion.  Can’t find it in your local market?  Sea salt is probably the best substitute, but I must say, using bamboo salt sounds very intriguing.  A variation of this is nazuna sea salt made by crystallization in dishes made of Japanese cypress (hinoki).

flavored salts

Citric Salt, Sour Salt is not a salt but a substance derived from acidic citrus fruits, such as lemon and limes, that is dried and formed into a powder or crystal. When used as an ingredient to flavor foods, it provides a distinctively sour or tart taste. It is a common substance used in sausage making and in canning, to keep the color of fruits from darkening, and substitutes for lemon juice.

Curing Salt used in curing and preserving food, a mixture of approximately 94% salt and approximately 6% sodium nitrite. It is generally dyed pink to distinguish it from other salts.

Pickling Salt or Canning Salt is a fine-grained salt used for pickled meat dishes and for canning. Pickling salt is similar to table salt but lacks the iodine and the additives that turn pickles dark and the pickling liquid cloudy. It is also very fine grain.  Since a teaspoon of this salt compared to a teaspoon of table salt yields far more salt, consideration should be given when seasoning foods.

When preparing recipes that call for large quantities of salt, a tablespoon of table salt contains about 25%t more salt than a tablespoon of coarse sea salt and 50% more than one of kosher salt.

General Thoughts

• Mined salt is generally more refined than sea salt – it is stripped to essentially NaCl, plus possibly some anti-clumping agents
• Earth salt is a another term termed used to distinguish mined salt from sea salt.  Not all earth salts are refined to remove all their mineral content – Himalayan Pink Salt is a good example.
• Sea salt generally contains more minerals so is thought to be more healthy, but that is not always the case.  A bit of research may be required.
• Depending on the type of salt, the quantity you get by a volume measure can vary dramatically.
• The amount of NaCl contained in various salts is not consistent

Cooking Ideas with Salt

Salt Baked Potatoes from The Daily Spud

Fleur del Sel Caramels from Ina Garten

Salt Crusted Fish from Saveur

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Post tags: flake salt, fleur de sel, kosher salt, salt, sea salt, spice

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winter bounty

“Farm to Table” or “Farm to Fork” was predicted to be a new trend for 2010, but for the folks that have been eating this way for years, they’re wondering what all the fuss is about.   Like comfort food was the trend of 2009, how new is it?

To me it sounds suspiciously like that nebulous and ubiquitous “California” cuisine with its focus on freshly prepared local ingredients, and frequently associated with Alice Waters, except the chefs have often moved the diners to within steps of the source.  Don’t get me wrong, I like this idea, I just question its trendiness, as wide swaths of the population routinely eat this way.  I believe this “trend” is in response to people being increasingly disconnected from their food source, and  wanting to remedy that issue.  I grew up  in the midwest, and had relatives that farmed, and while I’d never call myself a country girl, I knew the basics: the various farm animal and crops and their cycles – I helped birth calves and feed pigs, and ride combines.  For a city girl, it was an adventure, but not everyone has that exposure.  That fact was brought home to me while I was in college, there we had a large student population from Chicago, and I’ll never forget riding in a car with a Chicago friend who proclaimed how cute the pigs where in the field we had just driven by.  All well and good, except what she had identified as pigs were in fact cows.  We laughed at the time, but now looking back, I don’t find it so funny.  How can you not know where the meat you eat comes from and what the animal you ate looks like?

plant boxes busting loose

The other aspect of the Farm to Table trend, I’ve noticed is that in addition to the localvoire aspect, is the concerted effort made to reduce waste – to look at the food and realize that some of what was previously tossed aside is actually nutritious, and may be the most valuable part of the vegetable in terms of vitamins and minerals.  I attended a cooking class last year that focused on braising techniques.  The  chef taught us various braising techniques, but one in particular really stuck with me and that was braising kale stems.  I confess until that time, that part of the vegetable was relegated to the compost bin.  But the end result of that dish was savory and tasty in no way resembling the tough stingy bits that I anticipated.  It was delicious.  The chef was Italian, and he said this technique was common especially for older generations who had suffered through food shortages and after knowing hunger resolved to waste nothing.

So as I saw the “Food to Table” movement, it sounded suspiciously like California cuisine dressed up with some country digs and a douse of conservation.  Honestly until this point, this was all speculation.  I decided to check out a Farm to Table for myself, and so my husband and I took a trip to Sonoma…

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view from the winery, a lovely winter evening

We landed at Quivira Winery for a Farm to Table event that they co-hosted with Relish Cooking School of Healdsburg.  You know its going to be a good evening when you barely take two steps past the door and a glass of cool crisp glass of Cabernet Sauvignon is pressed into your hand.  We were instructed to wander through the gardens as we waited for other guests to arrive and passed the chef gathering some herbs to incorporate into the meal.  We needed no further encouragement to take in the lovely weather and listen to the chatter of the chickens as they pecked for their final evening snack.

talking about soil

As the recent bout of cold damp weather, watching the sun melt into the mountains as we sipped our wine seemed like the perfect way to end to the day.  We meandered through the grounds and as we took stock of the workings of an active garden it felt like time had slowed down just a bit, and all the hustle of the city was at least temporarily shaken off.  This garden is not just for show, sections were allocated for food grown for the various local restaurants, the eggs laid by the chickens were also sourced to local restaurants.  The gardener, beekeeper, and wine maker all spoke about the work they were doing in making the vineyard an agriculturally diverse place.   The gardener shared how the chickens and the vegetables provided a closed loop approach as the chickens waste was used to fertilize the vegetables which in turn helped feed the chickens. Bees, we learned, were a relatively new addition to the winery and we checked out one of the three hives on the property. The beekeeper shared with us how he struggled to keep the bees healthy, but like many of the hives in the area, all suffered from some disease but he was determined to let the disease run its course so that the strong would survive and no artificial aid would give unfair advantage to the weak.

wine 101

From the gardens we moved into the winery where we sat with a selection of glasses in front of us.  Three of the glasses contained a single varital wine: Grenach, Syrah and Mourvédre.  The wine maker, shared with us that Grenach is the most common and the most frequent varity to be blended with other grapes.  It often serves as the foundation.  The Syrah gave not too subtle hints of berries and the Mourvédre, well it gave the attitude often described as “spicy”, “animal”.  In fact it has the nickname of “the dog strangler”.  After having been somewhat ignored for a while, winemakers are starting to focus on this grape to develop a more distinctive taste.  In addition to the glasses, they also gave us a pipette and basically told us to have fun and get creative.  We played winemaker developing our own blends, and had a wonderful time in the process.

Our farm focused dinner included:

dinner is served

Warm Dungeness Crab in Chinese Spoons with Garlic Shoot Butter and Myer Lemon

Cauliflower and herbs on Crostini

Roasted Beets with Soft Goat Cheese, Tiny Herbs, Hand Torn Croutons and Vinegrette

Braised Caggiano Sausage with Warm Lentil Salad and Mustard

Mashed Turnips ad Baby Carrots

Locally Raised Hens Stewed in Quivira Zinfindel

Braised Collard Greens

All served with various Quivira wines

Chocolate Torte with Estate Preserves, Cocoa Nibs, Olive Oil and Sea Salt served with Petit Syrah Port

Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie has a nice overview of this movement from an international perspective.

Mela & Cavolo Nero Ripiena (Kale and Apples Braised with Onions and Garlic)

Serves 12

recipe adapted from Doug Nicosia at Sensuous Farms

Ingredients

3 pounds kale, main rib removed from each leaf and sliced into ¼” pieces  and the leaves cut into ½” chiffonade
olive oil
3 pounds tart seasonal apples, peeled, peels minced
juice of 2 lemons
4 medium onions cut into 16ths
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 bottle dry Sauvignon Blanc
8 ox apple agridolce (or 3 oz each apple juice and cider vinegar + 2T balsamic vinegar)
salt + pepper

some feathered friends

Directions

Pour olive oil into a heavy 4 to 6 quart saucepan over medium high heat.  Add kale rib pieces and sauté fro 10 minutes.  While this cooks, core and slice apples into 16 pieces and add slices to a bowl with lemon juices (be sure to toss to coat).

Add onions and garlic to the chard ribs and sauté for 5 more minutes.  Add all liquids and bring to a hard simmer add salt and reduce to barely a simmer.  Cook for 2 to 3 hours with the top slightly askew.  Remove the top and cook until most of the liquid has been reduced.  Before serving add black pepper and salt if needed.

My opinion?  The Farm to Table dinner can be delicious, a  lot of fun, and a great way to meet likeminded folks in a beautiful bucolic setting.  As for it being a trend, I’m not convinced.  If anything, I hope that it is seen as something less glamorous, and more expected, as people gain a greater understanding of how their food chains work and just what an amazing system it is.  Until that happens, you can be sure, I’ll have no complaints being wined and dined in this fashion, but a picnic with foods picked up at a farmers market shared with friends and family would be just as special to me.

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Post tags: California, farm, sustainable, wine

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Claddagh ring

The Claddagh ring is a universal symbol of love, but how much did you know about it?  If you are like me, you recognize its universal design, and stop there.  Ah, but there’s an entire backstory that is fascinating.  I am lucky to have a mother who teaches me something new when I least expect it; at least that is what happened here.  As I mentioned in previous posts, my Mom and I took a special trip together to Ireland, and when we reached Galway, she asked me if I wanted a Claddagh ring.  She had studied their history and wanted to get rings for her daughters.  Maybe not the traditional giver/receiver relationship for this ring, but than again, why not?  But why, in Galway?  Well, the Claddagh rings were developed in the village of Claddagh located immediately outside the old walls of this city, and their popularity soon spread far and wide.

So first, a bit about the Claddagh rings

The Claddagh ring (Irish: fáinne Chladaigh) is a traditional Irish ring given as a token of love or worn as a wedding ring.  The ring originated in the fishing village of Claddagh, just outside the city of Galway, but now incorporated . The first ring was produced in the 17th century during the reign of Queen Mary II, though elements of the design are much older.  This community was fiercely independent and ruled by a “king”, the last of whom died in 1954. [source: Eyewitness Travel: Ireland]

The expression associated with these symbols in the giving of the ring was: “With my two hands I give you my heart, and crown it with my loyalty.”  As can the expression, “Let love and friendship reign forever” be another interpretation of the symbols.

How You Wear the Ring Says a Great Deal

on Shop Street

The way that a Claddagh ring is worn on the hand is intended to convey the wearer’s romantic availability, or lack thereof.  There are rules to be followed that start with the appropriate hand:

Right Hand

If the wearer has the ring on the right hand with the heart facing outward, this is a potential clue that the wearer is not romantically linked, but should the right person come along…. When the ring is turned around and the heart is pointed up their hand, the wearer may be subtly signaling that they are in a relationship, or their heart is taken.  The heart is pointing towards the hands and into the veins leading to the wearer’s heart.

Left Hand

another sign of romance

On the ring worn on the left hand with the heart facing outward shows the wearer is engaged; turned inward indicates the wearer is married.

Of course, the interested observer must account for the possibility that the ring wearer is clueless and just finds the ring pretty.  I had the pleasure of overhearing such a conversation in a pub when an interested fellow was trying to gauge how far his advances might take him, based on the position and direction of the ring worn by his intended target.  Not only did she not understand the rules of the Claddagh ring, she missed every signal he heaped on her.  I gave him a sympathetic look and a thumbs up for effort.

Possible origins

Most sources tie the Claddagh ring to the widespread group of “Fede Rings”.  The name “fede” comes from the Italian phrase mani in fede (“hands in trust” or “hands in faith”), and date from Roman times.  The rings are often cast as two clasped hands, symbolizing faith or trust.  They were popular in the Middle Ages throughout Europe.

Some of the legends surrounding the origins of the ring [source: wikipediea]

a view down the river Corrib

Margaret Joyce, a woman of the Tribes of Galway, married a Spanish merchant named Domingo de Rona.  She followed him to Spain, but alas he died but willed her a large sum of money.  She returned to Ireland and, in 1596, married Oliver French, the mayor of Galway.  With the money she inherited from her first marriage, she funded the construction of bridges in Connacht.  As a reward for her good deeds, an eagle dropped the Claddagh ring into her lap, as a reward.

A prince who fell in love with a common maid. To convince her father his feelings were genuine and he had no intentions of “using” the girl, he designed a ring with hands representing friendship, a crown representing loyalty, and a heart representing love. He proposed to the maid with this ring, and after the father heard the explanation of the symbolism of the ring, he gave his blessing.

The Main Square

A man named Richard Joyce, a member of the Joyce clan and a native of Galway, left his town to work in the West Indies, intending to marry his love when he returned.  However, his ship was captured and he was sold as a slave to a Moorish goldsmith, for whom he trained as a goldsmith.  When William III became king, he demanded the Moors release all British prisoners, and Robert Joyce was freed.  During his time with the Moors, he forged a ring as a symbol of his love for her. Upon his return, he presented her with the ring and they were married.

The ring was discovered in a sunken Spanish ship that sank off the Irish coast.  This ring was said to be of a heart and hands similar to the present day design, but it did not have the crown.  The crown was supposedly added by Queen Elizabeth much later.

For the record, the third legend seems the most likely, because Richard Joyce was indeed one of the initial jewelers of that time, and credited with creating some of the first rings.  However, the story, as far as I can tell remains legend, as I found nothing to substantiate it.

The tradition of the ring catches on

The Irish Potato Famine (1845–1849) caused many to emigrate from Ireland, and the popularity of the Claddagh ring spread to the United States and elsewhere as a result.

A “Fenian” Claddagh ring, without the crown, was later designed in Dublin for the Irish Republican community.  The ring minus the crown symbolizes their desire for freedom from the British crown.

one of the first

The Claddagh ring was the only Irish made ring worn by Queen Victoria and later by Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII.  Their rings were made by Dillons of Galway, which was granted a Royal Patent, and this tradition still continues.  Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco were presented with gifts embodying the Claddagh ring motif set in Connemara marble.

If you happen to have a genuine Claddagh ring from Galway, many of the jewelers added their marks starting in the latter 17th century to the early 18th century.

Claddagh Jewelers and their Marks

RI Richard Joyce (Galway)

GR George Robinson (Galway)

AR Andrew Robinson (Galway)

NB Nicholas Burdge (Galway)

F Austin French (Galway)

JD RD WD Dillon

JS John Shadwell

Galway, Ireland

out and about

Galway is Ireland’s fourth largest city (population ~85,000) and among its fastest-growing.  It is located on the upper west coast of Ireland.  In Irish, Galway is also called Cathair na Gaillimhe (City of Galway).  The city takes its name from the Gaillimh river (River Corrib) that formed the western boundary of the earliest settlement, which was called Dún Bhun na Gaillimhe (meaning “fort at the mouth of the Gaillimh”). The word Gaillimh means “stoney” as in “stoney river”.

History

A fort called Dún Bhun na Gaillimhe (“Fort at the Mouth of the Gaillimh”) was constructed in 1124.  A small settlement eventually grew up around this fort.  During the Norman invasion in the 1230s, this fort was captured.  As the conquerers became increasingly gaelicised, the town merchants of the town, also known as the Tribes of Galway sought greater autonomy over the walled city, eventually securing complete control in December 1484. All the while, Galway endured difficult relations with its Irish neighbors as implied by a quote from the mayor stated “From the Ferocious O’Flahertys may God protect us”.  A law also forbade the native Irish (as opposed to Galway’s Hiberno-Norman citizens) unrestricted access into Galway, saying “neither O’ nor Mac shall strutte nor swagger through the streets of Galway” without permission. [source: Wikipedia]

A thatched roof house in Claddagh

During the Middle Ages, Galway was ruled by an oligarchy of fourteen merchant families (12 of Norman origin and 2 of Irish origin) – the “tribes” of Galway.  Under their leadership, the city thrived on international trade.  In the Middle Ages, it was the principal Irish port for trade with Spain and France.   The most famous reminder of those days is ceann an bhalla (the head of the wall), now known as the Spanish Arch, constructed around 1520.

Between the 16th and 17th centuries Galway remained loyal to the English crown for the most part, even during the Gaelic resurgence, perhaps for survival, yet by 1642 the city allied itself with the Catholic Confederation of Kilkenny during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. During the resulting Cromwellian conquest of Ireland Cromwellian forces captured the city after a nine month siege. At the end of the 17th century the city supported King James II of England (the Jacobites) against William of Orange and was captured by the Williamites after a brief siege. The great families of Galway were ruined, and the subsequent potato famine of 1840 -1845 resulted in city’s declined, with Galway not seeing sustained recovery until the great economic boom of the late twentieth century.

The city sometimes referred to as the ‘Bilingual Capital of Ireland has a strong association with Irish language and cultural traditions.  I can vouch for hearing more conversations in Gaelic here than anywhere else in Ireland, in fact the city has the largest percentage of Irish speakers in the country.  The city is well known for its ‘Irishness’, due to the fact that it has on its doorstep the Galway Gaeltacht (Irish speaking region).  A Gaeltacht is a district recognized by the government that has the Irish language as the predominate language.

Lynch's Castle

Galway is a compact city and easy to see on foot.  Shop Street, as the name implies is lined with shops and restaurants, it also has some of the oldest remaining architecture in the city, for example, probably the finest example of a medieval town house in Ireland, Lynch’s Castle is in Shop Street; it is now a branch of the Allied Irish Bank.  It was owned by the Lynch family, one of the fourteen tribes of Galway.

The Church of Ireland St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church is the largest Irish medieval church still functioning.  Its Roman Catholic counterpart, the Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas was consecrated in 1965 and is a far larger, more imposing building constructed from limestone.

Not far from the cathedral stands the original quadrangle building of National University of Ireland, Galway erected in 1849 (during An Gorta Mór, the Great Famine). The university holds the UNESCO archive of spoken material for the Celtic languages.

Aside from a relatively small old town, I was surprised at the lack of historic buildings.  A Galwaian offered, upon overhearing my mother and I discussing this fact, that during the English occupation, little effort was made to preserve the historic buildings and he implied that likely they tried to stamp out any cultural ties, including, in this case, the architecture.  Given the lack of historical ties and the history of English occupation, I found it ironic that Galway is now a center for Irish culture.  This city can easily be explored in a day or two, and has a wonderful reputation for its food.  It is also host to a renown Oyster Festival that happens every September.  While we did not have the opportunity to do likewise, many visitors use Galway as a base to explore the surrounding environs.

______________________________________________________________________________________

I planned to offer a scrumptious oyster recipe, worthy of Galway’s oyster loving reputation, and well the Valentine’s Day theme, but I got sidetracked by a recipe adapted from a favorite cookbook: Irish Traditional Cooking by Darina Allen.  While not a traditional recipe in historic terms, it is very popular at Darina’s Ballymaloe House restaurant.  I thought it the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day, tasty but not too heavy.  If oysters are required, this recipe for oysters and leeks with Guinness Hollandaise is sure to please.

Irish Coffee Meringues

Ingredients

Meringue

2 egg whites
4 ½ oz icing sugar (powdered sugar)
2 tsp instant coffee powder (not granules)

Filling

1 c whipped cream
2 T Irish whiskey

chocolate coated coffee beans are optional for a topping

Directions

Draw 2″ x 7″ circles on a sheet of parchment paper.

Put the egg whites into a bowl, and add all the powdered sugar except 2 tablespoons.  Whisk until the mixture stands in firm, dry peaks ~ 10 to 15 minutes.  Sift the coffee with the remaining sugar and carefully fold into the egg whites.

Spread the meringue carefully in the circles using a palatte knife (I used a butter knife).  Bake at VERY low temperatures (150°F /300°C) for 1 hour until crisp.The disks should get crisp.  Allow to cool.

Stir the whiskey into the whipped cream.  Sandwich the meringue discs together with the whiskey cream in the middle.  Pipe a bit of the cream on top and garnish with the coffee beans if desired.

Final notes:  I must say, I never intended to cover Ireland as thoroughly as I did, but my goodness, I found it funny that after my trip so much of what I was interested in seemed connected in Ireland in some way – from Halloween customs and Claddagh rings to St. Valentines.  In case you did not know, this saint is buried in Dublin.    On that note, I bid you and your loved ones a happy Valentine’s Day. ♥

© admin for Oyster Food and Culture, 2010. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cladddah ring, Galway, Ireland, oysters, Valentine's Day

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photo from bonappitit.com

This question has been on my mind:  ”Why is the pineapple so appealing that people want to use its image all over the home?”  Don’t get me wrong, I love pineapple, with a passion, but I also love bacon, and I have no desire to dress my home with porcine images.  So I decided to dig a bit into what is the appeal of this delicious fruit.

Not So Fuzzy Math

Native to southern Brazil and Paraguay, the pineapple (Ananas comosus) spread throughout South America, eventually reaching the Caribbean. Columbus discovered it in the Indies and brought it back to Europe.  The Spanish introduced the pineapple to the Philippines, Hawaii, Zimbabwe and Guam. The fruit was cultivated successfully in European hothouses beginning in 1720.

The pineapple is a herbaceous perennial plant and is an example of a multiple fruit (it looks like one fruit, but is actually many merged together): arranged in two interlocking helices, eight in one direction, thirteen in the other, each being a Fibonacci number.  Apparently this sequence is very common in nature, and this link speaks to it in a variety of plants.  I cannot believe I wrote a food post and got to mention a mathematical equation – how cool is that?

Pineapples are eaten fresh or canned and is available as a juice or in juice combinations – the imagination is the only limit. It is used in desserts, salads, as a complement to meat dishes and in fruit cocktail.  Pineapples are the only bromeliad fruit in widespread cultivation.  The most common natural pollinator of the pineapple is the hummingbird.  Pollination results in seed formation, which is not a desired consequence as it negatively affects the quality of the fruit (when was the last time you found a seed in your pineapple?)  For this reason, in Hawaii, where pineapple is cultivated on an agricultural scale, importation of hummingbirds is prohibited.

What does the Pineapple and Pine Cone have in Common?

photo from theflowermart.com

The presence of pineapples on Caribbean islands was the result of centuries of indian migration and commerce.  Accomplished aquatic navigators, the tribes explored, raided and traded across a vast water systems. The herbaceous plant they called “anana,” or “excellent fruit,” originally evolved in the inland areas of what is now Brazil and Paraguay and was widely transplanted and cultivated. Highly regarded for its intense sweetness, the “excellent fruit” was a staple of indian feasts.

The first account of the pineapple was given by Christopher Columbus and his men, who landed on the island now known as Guadeloupes. In 1493, Columbus returned to Europe with this succulent fruit in tow. Its cylindrical shape and rough, spiky surface caused the Spaniards to name it pina, after the pine cone, although the pineapple is much larger by comparison. The English noted the same resemblance, hence our word “pineapple”. The Portuguese, along with other Europeans, took their cue from the Carib appellation, nana, and called it ananaz.

Chinese New Year decorations, photo from Tay**

The word “pineapple” was first introduced in English language back in 1398 to describe the reproductive organs of conifer trees (what we now call “pine cones”). When European explorers discovered this tropical fruit around 1664, they called them pineapples (the first time the word was used in that context) because of their resemblance to the pine cone. Previous to that time, a pineapple meant a pine cone – confusing I know. The pine cone was renamed in 1694, as it was too confusing to have the word “pineapple” mean two different things.

In the scientific binomial: Ananas comosus, ananas, the original name of the fruit, comes from the Tupi (Brazil) word for pine “nanas”, as recorded by André Thevenet in 1555 and comosus means “tufted” and refers to the fruit’s stem.  Many languages use the Tupian term ananas. In Spanish, pineapples are called piña “pine cone”, or ananá (ananás in Argentina).  In Malay, pineapples are known as “nanas” or “nenas“. In the Maldivian language of Dhivehi, pineapples are known as alanaasi.  You get the idea.  When I first started traveling, I was initially surprised when I encountered the word ananas, and I was befuddled because, the closest word I knew was banana so I was always surprised when my food arrived and it tasted more of pineapple than banana.

Spread in Popularity

Spain’s Emperor Charles V, the first monarch to sample one, thought it tasted, well nasty.  I suspect that first fruit had not fared well on the voyage home.  But by 1642, opinions had changed, and pineapples were an English hot-house darling.  King Charles II selected a picture of him with this golden fruit as his royal portrait.  France’s Louis XIV requested this exotic marvel be added to the Versailles garden.  Pineapples became extremely fashionable in the second half of the eighteenth century and market gardeners asked very high prices because of their great cost of growing them. Due to the difficulties in importing the fruit from the West Indies, it remained an expensive delicacy until after World War II.

A Sign of Welcome

photo from peakofchic.blogspot.com

To the Carib, the pineapple symbolized hospitality, and the Spaniards quickly learned they were welcome if a pineapple was placed by the entrance to a village. This symbolism spread to Europe, and then on to Colonial North America, where a pineapple shape was often carved into the columns at the entrance of a plantation.

Seafaring captains affixed fresh pineapples–souvenirs of their lengthy travels to tropical ports–on the railings of their homes when they returned.  A signal that they were home and open to receiving guests.

Families would include a fresh pineapple as a colorful centerpiece of the festive meal, especially when visitors joined them in celebration.  This centerpiece served two purposes, one, to show how welcome the visitors were, and two it was a special treat following the meal. This symbol of welcome extended to the guest bedroom where a pineapple was often carved or included into the construction of the bedposts, or headboard.  It was a very common ornamental treatment.  This symbol was not limited to wood furniture, embroidery and crewel work often incorporated into family heirlooms over the centuries; such as pineapple samplers, table cloths, and crochet doilies.  The pineapple also made its presence known in light fixtures, wallpaper, and as you can see by the photo at the left, just about any other medium as well.

One town in Alabama took it a step further – that’s Pine Apple, Alabama Of course, everything from the town’s welcom sign to fanciful gateposts and rooftops include some version of this motif.

A Status Symbol

During the Colonial period in the United States, forget  the fancy china, crystal, the caviar or truffle cheeses; if you wanted to impress your guests, you had a pineapple on your table.  The main entertainment for the ladies of this time time was a mean game of one up-(wo)manship while entertaining.  Given that social visits were a primary means of entertainment, a woman used this opportunity to impress with both her personality and her family’s status.  Confined only by her family’s means and her ingenuity, hostesses sought to outdo each other in the creation of memorable, fantasy-like dining room scenes. At such feasts, tabletops resembled small mountain ranges of food drizzled in sugar, studded with china figurines, and festooned with flowers.  No ordinary meal, these dinners were extravaganzas of visual delights and novel tastes.

photo from history.org

In well-to-do homes, the dining room doors were kept closed to heighten visitors’ suspense as the dining table was readied.  At the appointed moment, and with the maximum amount of drama, the doors were flung open to reveal the evening’s main event – eating. Visitors were confronted with pineapple-topped food displays, and felt honored by a hostess who obviously spared no expense for her guests’ pleasure.  In fact, some of this display might be a true slight of hand, sometimes a little deception was in order.  Given the exorbitant prices that this fruit brought, some entrepreneurial confectioners rented them to households by the day. Later, the same fruit was sold to other, more affluent clients, who actually ate it.  For obvious reasons, hostesses went to great lengths to conceal the fact that their pineapple was a rental.

Ginger Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Serves 8

Adapted from Chez Panisee Fruit by Alice Waters

Ingredients

Topping

4T butter
¾ c firmly packed brown sugar
2-½ c quarter slices of fresh pineapple (peel, quarter, core, and sliced 1/4″ thick)
2T chopped candied ginger

Batter

1-½ c flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 stick butter, room temp
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T chopped candied ginger
2 eggs, separated, room temp
½ c whole milk
¼ tsp cream of tartar

Directions

Use a 9″ round cake ban with 3″ sides.

Topping:

Put butter and brown sugar into the cake pan and place on a stove top burner over low heat to melt, stir with a wooden spoon.  When mixture starts to caramelize, turning a slightly darker shade of brown, remove from heat and allow to cool.  Arange the slices of pineapple evenly across the bottom of the pan and scatter the candied ginger over the top.  Set aside.

Preheat the over to 350°F.

Batter:

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.  Mix in the vanilla and ginger.  Add the egg yolks one at at time, and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that all is well incorporated.  Gradually add all the dry ingredients and milk in stages alternating between the flour mixture and milk.

In another large bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.  Fold the whites into the batter in two batches – do not over stir.  Pour the batter over the topping and bake until the top is slightly brown and pulls away from the sides, about 50-60 minutes.  Let the cake cool for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto the serving plate.  If desired, serve with sweetened whipped cream and a bit of vanilla.

** Tay read my post and reminded me that pineapples are also a very common motif for Chinese New Year, and to prove the point kindly sent pictures.  I included the Chinese New Year photo above.  If you have not already done so, check out Tay’s blog as well  Teczcape wonderful diverse food and recipe ideas.

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Post tags: culture, fruit, history, pineapple, symbolism

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