UNIQUE FOOD: BIRD’S NEST

Bird's Nest Soup

As you know, bird’s nest is where the birds live in. Mostly, it is made by twigs, dry grass or mud collected and put on a branch of a tree by the birds. But this particular bird’s nest is not made of those materials . It's the nest of swallow or swiftlet birds (Collocalia Fuciphaga).

The swallows, which can only be found in the tropical coastal areas, usually live in dark caves. They make their nests from strands of their gummy saliva, which hardens when exposed to air. The nests are built by the male swallows during the breeding season over a period of 35 days. The shape is similar to a shallow cup and stuck to the cave wall.

The bird’s nests have been consumed in China as a delicacy for centuries. They are usually cooked into the all-known bird’s nest soup (yan wo). In Chinese tradition the nests are believed to be beneficial for human health. Many classical Chinese books, that highlighted on health food, mentioned that swallow’s nest was imported by the Chinese from the Southeast Asian Region since the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907). This fact was also written by Joseph Needham in his book ‘Science and Civilization in China’, Book 3 Volume 4.

In Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, the swallow’s nests are quite a big industry. For example in Indonesia, where the swallow or swiftlet birds are known as “walet”. The swallow’s nests produced in Indonesia are known to be ones with the finest qualities in the world. In the country, most of the bird’s nest merchants have started to raise and breed the birds in house-like structures. Shelters are built to attract wild swallows or swiftlets to build nests inside them. These “house nests” are said to have much lower price compared to the “cave nests”.

There are several kinds of swallow’s nests traded in the international market. They are white nest, yellow nest, and the blood-red nest. However there are rumors of a rare type of swallow’s nest exists in Indonesia which only harvested on the island of Flores. It is said that it has the color of blue. Because of its rarity, this  type of nest is sold in price about five times higher than the white nest which already considered to be the best quality.

Consuming the swallow’s nests is claimed to be very beneficial for humans' health. The nests are claimed rich with protein, calcium, iron, amino acid, and other nutrients. There are about 65% of proteins contained in it. Other substances included are moisture (10%), traces of fat (23.3%), and carbohydrates (0.8%). There are about 6% of amino acids contained in the swallow’s nest also.

Due to the amount of nutrients, consuming the nests has the benefits of stimulating the regeneration of cells, enhancing cell-mediated immunity, increasing the resistance of an individual to X-irradiated damage, strengthening the functionality of heart, and replenishing strength and vital energy. For women, consuming the swallow’s nests is believed to be good for rejuvenating, restoring youthfulness and ensuring the glowing and wrinkle-free complexion.

Unfortunately, the high demand on the nests is risking the existence of the particular species of the birds. Many scientists, have been quite concerned with the rapid disappearing of the swallow or swiftlet birds. They have found the reality in some of the caves where the birds usually nesting. The walls in those caves are completely abandoned. They could only find the rotted bamboo scaffolding left by the harvesters. Unfortunately, this does not stop the harvesters from following the birds to their new homes, so they can take more precious nests to sell in the market.

* Gathered from many sources.

* All pictures belong to their rightful owners. I'm just borrowing them.

CEKER (CHICKEN FEET) DELICACIES

Chicken feet are not an uncommon kind of food here in Indonesia. They can be cooked into many kinds of delicacy. However, for most people all over the world, chicken feet are still considered a strange, and rather “icky” food. But do you know that they actually own nutritional values? 

 The chicken feet or we Indonesians know them more as “ceker” is one of popular foods in the country. The chicken feet are usually cooked into many kinds of delicacy. Among many are soup, steamed and deep-fried. Most Indonesians even believe that giving chicken feet to toddlers can strengthen the toddlers’ feet. But mostly they love it because of its delicious taste.

Not only in Indonesia, chicken feet also considered as delicacy in many parts of Asian countries. We take China for example. Chicken feet are usually cooked as dish in dim sum cuisines. They are prepared in various kind, such as plain steamed, fried with a little spicy black bean sauce, and braised.

However, there are some people who do not consume chicken feet. Their reason is based on the hygienist part. They see chicken feet as dirty part, because, well, we must admit it is the feet of animal. So they feel rather disgusted by the idea of eating them. Well, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions.

So, is it really true that chicken feet are quite beneficial for human health? Chicken feet consist of the skin, muscle, bone, and collagen. Collagen is one kind of pliable and yellowish transparent protein of ligament. When affected by heat, collagen will melt into a rather thick glue like liquid. The main composition of chicken feet is the amino acide, which is the basic component of protein. Inside the amino acid, among many, there are glycine-proline, hydroxyproline-arginine-glycine. Chicken feet also contain calcium and several amounts of mineral.

So, with all the nutrients contained inside, we can be quite sure that chicken feet have their own nutritional values, especially for the growth of children. It is because the kind of amino acid; proline and hydroxiproline, and calcium are obviously needed.

Chicken feet are also good for treating osteoporosis.  All this time we only know that to prevent this illness is simply by consuming enough calcium. But calcium can only strengthen the outer side of the bones, not the inner part, which is actually the most crucial thing that will influence the strength of the outer part of the bones, formed by a substance called hydroxyapatite. This substance can be said as the food for the bones. And it comes from the animals’ bones, such as chicken, cow, or goat. So, consuming chicken feet, which naturally contain hydroxyapatite can help maintaining the strength of the bones.

Although now we know how nutritious chicken feet are, it does not mean we depend only on them to gain the nutrients we need for our health. Living a healthy lifestyle, such as eating healthy foods and exercising, will improve our condition.

So, perhaps some unique and uncommon foods can be beneficial for us. What do you think?


* Gathered from many sources.
* All pictures belong to their rightful owners. I'm just borrowing them.

HAKARL OF ICELAND

Hakarl

Here in Indonesia, we might be used to eat processed fish or dried fish, which mostly known as “ikan asin”. However, this unique food we are going to talk about is the perhaps the “extreme” version of the processed fish. It is Hákarl; an Icelandic delicacy, which is basically a rotten shark meat.

The shark meat processed into hákarl is taken from a kind of shark that live in the region, the Greenland sharks or the Basking sharks, whose meat are poisonous. This is possible because the animals do not own urinary tracts, so they have to secrete their urine from their skin. This urinating method has caused high amounts of uric acid become so concentrated in the shark flesh, and eating it, even in only a small amount can cause people poisoned, and vomit blood. So, in order to be able to consume the meat safely, the fermentation process is done.

How is the fermentation process conducted?

First of all, one large shark is gutted, then, the innards, the cartilage, and the head are discarded. After that, a shallow hole is prepared in gravelly sand, preferably down by the sea. Then the beheaded and gutted shark is placed in the hole, and covered with sand, and gravel. To put a pressure in the shark, stones are placed on top of the sand. This can make the fluid from the shark flesh pressed out of the body. Then the shark is left there for a period of times. In summer it usually will be ready in 6-7 weeks, while in winter in 2-3 months. The whole process is called the curing process or the curing period.

Shark Meat Hung to Dried

After the curing period is done, the shark meat is taken out of the hole. Then the flesh is cut into large pieces and hung to dry for 2-4 months in a drying shack. The shack has plenty of holes to let the wind in, but enough shade to prevent the sun from shining directly on the shark meat. The drying process will produce a brown crust on the meat. After all the process, then the hákarl can be cut or sliced in small pieces and ready to be served.

Nowadays, the process of curing can be done in more modern way, which is by putting it into a large plastic container with a drainage hole. Then the shark’s meat is left there to cure just as the traditional method.

Hakarl to Served

 Hákarl is usually served during the Icelandic midwinter festival called Thorrablot, and often served in form of cubes on toothpicks. People there commonly consume it along with “brennivin”, the local Icelandic liquor made from potatoes. The “fans” of this outrageous delicacy described that hákarl has a powerful “cheesy” flavor. As for those who have eaten it and decided not to be the fan of it describe hákarl is the most disgusting food they ever tasted, very similar to solid urine.


* Gathered from many sources.
* All pictures belong to their rightful owners... I'm just borrowing them.
 

UNIQUE FOODS: SNAILS (ESCARGOT)

Escargot

As quoted from wikipedia, “snail is a common name that can be used for almost all members of the molluscan class Gastropoda which has coiled shells in the adult stage”. The snails commonly used for consumption are the land snails, which are the snails that live in almost every kind of habitat, from deserts and mountains to marshes (wetlands), woodland, and gardens. The edible snails are particularly the species Helix Aspersa or Cornu Aspersum.

Although it is considered as a French dish, escargot or snails actually have been consumed for thousand of years now. It is believed that men in prehistoric age have been consuming the snails. Snails are even eaten in Africa, Mediterranean region, and Roman Empire.

Before it is cooked into many kinds of cuisines, the snails must be cleaned thoroughly, due to the toxic content as the result of the specific element contained in dirt, which the snails ate.  The cleansing process can last for several days.

Gulai Siput

In French cuisine snails are very popular, and known as escargot. Basically, escargot is snails prepared with traditional French recipes. Usually it is served still in the shell with garlic and parsley butter.

Not only in France, snails are also considered as delicacy in many parts of the world. You can name countries like Portugal, Spain, Greece, Sicily, China, Japan, and more. Even here in Indonesia, some people love the delicious taste of the animal. Moreover in our beloved countries, the cuisines made from snails are more varied. Snails are made into satay,  gulai (coconut-milk-based soup), pepes (steamed inside the banana leaf), and more.

The Art of Eating Escargot

The way to enjoy escargot, especially the ones that served with their shells is quite an “adventure”.  You have to use snail tong, which functions to clasp or hold the shell, while the snail fork is used to take the snail meat out off the shell.

Do snails have nutritional values? Yes, they do. Snails contain quite high amount of protein but a low amount of fat. The protein contained in snails is approximately about 15%, the fat is 2.4%, and 80% water. A study conducted in Brazil, estimated that snails contained 75% unsaturated fatty acids that consists of 57% polyunsaturated fatty acids, 15.5% monounsaturated fatty acids, and 23025% saturated fatty acids. This means that snails are a healthy alternative food, especially for people with high protein low fat diet requirements.


* All pictures belong to their rightful owners... I'm just borrowing them.

THE DELICIOUS ICE CREAM

Ice cream. Who does not like the cold and sweet sensation that this dish produces once it enters our mouth? Most people from wide range of ages love it. However, there are several issues regarding ice cream. There are opinions saying that it can cause coughing, and even obesity. Another opinion claims that it is good for the bones. 

Ice cream is basically a semi-solid form of dish, which is made of milk-fat, non-fat skim milk, sugar, stabilizer ingredients, emulsion, and flavors. According to Indonesian National Standard, ice cream is a semi-solid food made by freezing the ice cream flour/ powder or the mixing of milk, animal or vegetable fat, sugar, with or without other edible ingredients. While the wikipedia describes ice cream as a frozen dessert made from dairy product such as milk and cream, combined with flavorings and sweeteners, such as sugar, and possible other ingredients.

It is said that ice cream came from China. It was during the Tang period (618-97 AD) when a dish similar to ice cream appeared in the region. The ice-cream-like dish was made especially for the King using buffalo milk, flour, and camphor. Then around 2000 BC, ice cream showed up in the country with the form of a soft milk and rice mixture packed in snow, which made it solid. One of the earliest records of ice cream was during the 54 AD when the Emperor Nero ruled. He would serve “sweet snow’, snow from the mountain that flavored with honey, wine or fruit, for his guests at the palace.

Ice cream is probably the most popular dish through out the world.  In 2003, the production of the world’s ice cream had reached up to one billion liters and was consumed by billons of consumers per year.

There are several opinions develop these days by media that ice cream is actually healthy, unlike what has been said before. There are researches that said that ice cream is one of the dishes with high values of nutrition. The high-value of nutrition inside ice cream very much depends on the nutrients inside the ingredients.

The nutrition contained inside ice cream was supported by its main ingredients, non-fat milk and skim milk. It is safe to claim that milk is an almost perfect food due to its almost perfect complete nutritional substances content. Scientists had found more than 100.000 kinds of molecule contained inside milk. Other than water and fat, the molecules include protein, carbohydrate, mineral, enzymes, vitamin A, C, and D. Some scientists even proclaimed that milk is included in the group of functional foods, which own other health effects beside the nutritional effects.

One expert, Dr Ali Khomsan, an expert in nutrition from Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), once stated that ice cream is actually has higher nutritional value compared to other kind of beverages, because it is made of milk. The dominant nutritional components in 100 gram ice cream are the amount of calorie (207 gram), protein (4.0 gram), and fat (12.5 gram).

There are several “stories about ice cream that being misinterpreted. It is said that there has been a misconception among people regarding the idea that ice cream can cause obesity. The truth is, there are only 10% calorie and 15% fat contained inside ice cream, which are a very small amount to be able to cause obesity. The obesity is more caused by over consumption of calorie, lack of physical activities, and genetic.

What about the belief among people that ice cram can also cause a person, who consume it get cough and cold? This is also said to be a misunderstanding. People most-likely believe in this due to the cold sensation of ice cream. On the contrary, once ice cream enters the mouth, it will immediately melt because of the influence of body temperature. When ice cream got inside the throat, its temperature would no longer be as cold as cold water. Unlike when we drink cold water or cold orange juice, where the cold water went straight through the throat.

So consuming ice cream is actually quite safe and healthy. As long as we do not consume it more than what we supposed to. And another thing is that we have to be cautious with unbranded ice cream, which is a homemade industry ice cream. Because the process of making the ice cream in this kind of industry cannot be monitored by the authorized party. Moreover, the hygienic quality of the ingredients they use cannot be guaranteed.

 

Sources:

http://www.cbsnews.com

http://www.cnn.com

http://www.NaturalNews.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com

http://www.sinarharapan.co.id

http://honeybunnyyummy.blogjurnalistikonlain.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

The Wonders of Chocolate

What comes in your mind when you hear the words “Chocolate”? Obviously you will think of something sweet, milky, and delicious. Moreover, for some people who are fanatics with this delicacy, consuming chocolate can make them feel as if they are in heaven on earth. So, what chocolate really is? And is it true that chocolate, which some opinions claimed can be fattening, actually has the beneficial factors for human’s health? 

Chocolate probably is one of our favorite delicacies. However, there are pros and contras regarding to this delicacy. The contras said that chocolate can caused several health problems, such as high cholesterol, acnes, and many more. On the other hand, the pros claimed that chocolate actually has beneficial factors for human’s health.

Chocolate is a food produced from the seed of cacao tree. The cacao itself natively grew on the lowland area of South America. It has been cultivated for 3000 years in Central America and Mexico. The Aztec and Maya Tribes believed that chocolate is the foods of the Gods, and the God of agriculture had sent it from heaven to them.

Chocolate, in the beginning, commonly consumed as beverage. Even the word “chocolate itself came from the word “xocoatl” (Aztec language) which meant “bitter water”. However, in its development chocolate expand not only becoming beverage but also snacks like we know today, that loved by people from different ages.

For those who love chocolate, however, it seems like there is this “guilty feeling” they feel after consuming it. It is caused by general assumption about chocolate itself among people, that no matter how delicious it tastes, it has negative effects to health. Chocolate is claimed to have the effect to cause obesity because of its high level of cholesterol, to cause the growth of acne, and more. But do you know that chocolate actually has beneficial factor for human’s health?

The Healthy Dark Chocolate

Recent studies show that dark chocolate or cocoa might have certain good effects on human’s health.  Dark chocolate has high content of cocoa, which is rich with flavonoids; the naturally occurring compounds found in plant-based foods recognized as exuding certain health benefits. Flavonoids provide crucial protective benefits to plants, such as in repairing damage and shielding from environmental toxins. It is believed to have the antioxidant power. Several studies have indicated a slight reduction in blood pressure and flow-mediated dilation after consuming about 100 grams of dark chocolate per day.

It is said that small but regular amounts of dark chocolate reduced the possibility of heart attack, caused by cholesterol imbalance. This could happen because of two-thirds of the fat in the chocolate comes in the forms of saturated fat called stearic acid and a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. Unlike other saturated fats, stearic acid does not increase the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the bloodstream. It seems that consuming relatively large amounts of dark chocolate and cocoa don’t raise serum LDL cholesterol levels. On the other hand, some studies indicate that it could reduce them. Small but regular amounts of dark chocolate can lower the chance of heart attack.

 Chocolate is also known to function as aphrodisiac. It has been found recently, that substances in chocolate (theobromine and other chemicals), work as mild sexual stimulants. There is no solid proof about this function, however chocolate is commonly chosen as gift for a familiar courtship ritual.

Moreover, research done by Harvard School of Public Health’s researchers found that people who eat chocolate and sweets for three times per month live almost one year longer than people who eat too much or who stay away from junk food altogether. Also, dark chocolate is believed to have the ability of lowering blood pressure and improving insulin sensitivity. The study of this, was done in Italy, and showed that three and a half ounces a day of dark chocolate over several weeks can do exactly that.

Just like quoted from what Chef Benty Diwansyah said, “chocolate alone does not cause obesity. But inside a bar of chocolate that sold in the market today, there are additional ingredients that can cause obesity. Ingredients such as sugar and full cream milk. For you who care so much about this issue, you should choose dark chocolate with high amount of cocoa. The dark chocolate has lesser sugar amount and does not contain full cream milk.”

However, although now you know that chocolate, particularly dark chocolate is beneficial for our health, it does not mean that you have to consume chocolate all the time and eat more chocolate products. Chocolate bars and candies are mostly high in fat, sugar, and calories. Just consume it wisely, not too much. And, do not depend your antioxidants sources from chocolate only. No matter what, consuming foods with high fiber is much better for our health. Do not replace the common healthy foods with chocolate.

Sources: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate
http://www.immunesupport.com/
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/ 
http://www.bellaonline.com/ 
http://www.healthcastle.com/chocolate-cocoa-benefits.shtml
http://www.priuk.com/forum
more

DURIAN AND THE STROKE

Durian (Surio zibenthinus Murr) is one of the plants that grows on the tropical areas. The name “durian” was assumed coming from a Malay term “duri” (means thorn) and given the word “an” as the suffix, so it became “durian”. The word has come to the meaning of a fruit whose skin is filled with sharp thorns.

Durian is widely known in Southeast Asia as the King of Fruits. It is known to have been consumed since prehistoric time in the region, but has only been known to the western world for about 600 years.

Not only consumed fresh, durian flesh can also be processed into many kinds of dishes. We often see ice durian, durian flavored candy, and it even processed into one of Indonesian food ingredients called tempoyak. Tempoyak is some kind of paste made from durian flesh that has been salted and left for a few days before it is ready to be cooked.

The Nutrients in Durian

We have assumed that durian is quite a fatty fruit. It turned out that the fruit contains only 3% of fat. Even the content of fat inside avocado is about twice of it, around 6.5%. Durian also contains high amount of sugar, vitamin C, potassium, and the serotoninergic amino acid tryptophan. It is also a good source of carbohydrates, and proteins. The content of phosphor and iron inside the fruit are about 10 times of the same substances contained in bananas.

From the strong odor many believe that durian contained alcohol. Is it true? Several studies about the case did find alcohol, such as ethanol and methanol inside the fruit but the compound is known to be unstable, can easily evaporate and disappear. There are some people who hastily associate the strong odor of durian with the amount of alcohol contained inside it. They believe that the stronger it smells, the higher the amount of alcohol inside. However, up to this day there is still no agreement yet about the cause of the strong odor.

In 1995, Wong and Tie, in their research, had found 63 compounds that can easily evaporate (volatile compounds), including 30 esters, 5 ketones, and 16 sulfur compounds, which took the part on producing the odor of durian. But they never found any compounds of ethanol, methanol, ethyl metacrylate and other sulfur compounds, which had been mentioned by earlier researchers. From the researches can be concluded that consuming durian would not give the effect of intoxicated, unlike consuming liquors.

There is also a belief that consuming durian can make your body feel warm or sometimes even hot. This actually depends on how many durians a person consumes. Durian does produce pretty high amount of calories; 100 grams of durian flesh produces about 124-18805 calories. So, it is not a surprise if you consume durian in quite high amount, for example 300 grams, the calorie it produces can reach up to 500. This obviously will make the body feel warm or even hot. This fact has made many people believe that durian can also function as an aphrodisiac fruit.

What about the belief among people that durian can be lethal for people with high-blood pressure and a bad heart condition? The truth is, up to this day, there is still no scientific proof published claimed what substances contained in durian that can cause the stroke or heart attack. It is actually not the durian that causes the illnesses, but how many it is being consumed. Dr. Santoso Karo-Karo, SpJP, a cardiologist from RS Harapan Kita said that he had never forbid his patients from eating durians, as long as they eat it moderately, not too much.

So, once again, the key of consuming any food is moderation. Never consume anything more than we should. This obviously also works with durians. However, I left all the decision to you. I am not here to suggest you to consume durian whenever you want to. In the end, it is you and your doctor who know what is the best food for you to maintain your health.

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://warintek.bantul.go.id

http://www.gizi.net

http://www.kompas.co.id

http://www.sedap-sekejap.com

http://id.answers.yahoo.com

http://www.rileks.com

http://www.juntak.com