Rich Foods

The universe of the rich and famous is intriguing for many of us. They live the life many of us want and they execute what we can only distantly dream for ourselves. Being a food worshipper, this time I’ll have a look at the most costly foods in the world, most exclusive drinks, desserts or seasonings.
1. Saffron is made from the saffron crocus flower. A pound of dry saffron (0.45 kg) needs an entire football field of these flowers. So naturally, prices for the spice go around US$500/pound to US$5,000/pound.
2. The costliest nut in the world is the Macadamia nut with the creamy white core. The macadamia tree makes nuts only after all its needs are fulfilled for 7-10 years. The cost of a kilogram of these nuts is above 30$.
3. The Almas caviar is the most expensive caviar in the world! ‘Almas’ is Iranian for diamond, which comes from a century old Beluga fish. Beluga caviar ranges in worth from over $5,000 per kilogram in America.
4. The priciest mushroom in the world is the white truffle. These truffles are sold at an incredible price of €2,000 and €4,000 per kilogram ($1350 - $2700 per pound). The record price being paid last year was $330,000 for 1.5kg of truffles.
5. The costliest potato in the world is the French “La Bonnotte”. Annually, only 100 tons of this top quality potato is cultivated and the cost of one kilogram can reach €500 due to its rarity.
6. The most expensive beef in the world is the beef coming from the Wagyu cows of Japan who are raised in the best farms making the meat soft and prohibitively expensive. 200 grams of a fillet cost more than 100 dollars.
7. The priciest sandwich in the world is the club sandwich from Essen aka von Essen Platinum Club Sandwich, a triple-decker delicacy made from the finest chicken, hard-boiled quails’ eggs, ham and white truffles, costing almost 200 dollars.
8. The dearest pizza in the world, priced at 8300 Euro is found in Italy. With liberal toppings of lobster and caviar, the 20cm pizza is drenched in Louis XIII Remy Martin cognac.
9. The tastiest and costliest chocolate in the world is Chocopologie by Knipschildt. Costing $2,600 per pound, this handmade chocolate truffle is available by order only.
10. The $1000 sundae from Serendipity 3 in Manhattan was launched in 2004, and in the Guinness Book of World Records, is the most expensive dessert. It has 23K edible gold leaf on it.

Regional Cuisine of Italy IV

Umbria

The trouble-free methods of roasting and boiling with the drizzle of local olive oil and herbs for taste work for almost all of the foods of Umbria. Popular in the spring and summer vegetable dishes are more appreciated while they are in season, while the colder atmosphere bring in meats from the hunting time of year and black truffles come in from Norcia. Sausages are well-liked in this province made by the Norcini who are Umbrian butchers native to Norcia. Lenticchie di Castelluccio is prized lentil cultivated in Castelluccio. Spoleto and Monteleone areas are recognized for their production of spelt wheat. Freshwater fish are also appreciated in the region and include freshwater perch, trout, eel, grayling, barbel, whitefish, and tench.

Lazio

Heavier pasta dishes rule the cuisine of Lazio, like the well-known Amatriciana pasta sauce, based on hot red pepper and guanciale. The region boasts of being able to utilize the lesser appreciated cuts of beef and pork in yummy dishes, such as the innards-based pajata and coda alla vaccinara. Some Jewish effect can also be found in the cooking style, because of Jews having been part of Roman scene since the 1st century BC. Local vegetables, especially globe artichokes, are heavily used.

Campania

Produce from Campania are the tomatoes, artichokes, spring onions, peppers, potatoes, oranges , lemons and fennel which all take on the essence of the volcanic ground of the province. The Gulf of Naples provides fresh fish and seafood. Durum wheat is used in the creation of the region's pastas. Campanian mozzarella is highly acclaimed because it is prepared from the milk of the water buffalo. The traditional pizzas of the region are famous and take benefit of the fresh vegetables and cheese found in the area. Desserts include sfogliatelle, pastiera, and rum-dipped babà.
Much of Italian-American cuisine is founded on that of Campania along with Sicily although almost totally Americanized to reflect components and living conditions in the United States. Add to that the fact that most forms of pizza appreciated around the world come originally from the Neapolitan style, modified a lot, of course, over the course of the 20th century. Now you know why this is the most well known region of Italy.

Regional Cuisine of Italy III

Umbria

The trouble-free methods of roasting and boiling with the drizzle of local olive oil and herbs for taste work for almost all of the foods of Umbria. Popular in the spring and summer vegetable dishes are more appreciated while they are in season, while the colder atmosphere bring in meats from the hunting time of year and black truffles come in from Norcia. Sausages are well-liked in this province made by the Norcini who are Umbrian butchers native to Norcia. Lenticchie di Castelluccio is prized lentil cultivated in Castelluccio. Spoleto and Monteleone areas are recognized for their production of spelt wheat. Freshwater fish are also appreciated in the region and include freshwater perch, trout, eel, grayling, barbel, whitefish, and tench.

Lazio

Heavier pasta dishes rule the cuisine of Lazio, like the well-known Amatriciana pasta sauce, based on hot red pepper and guanciale. The region boasts of being able to utilize the lesser appreciated cuts of beef and pork in yummy dishes, such as the innards-based pajata and coda alla vaccinara. Some Jewish effect can also be found in the cooking style, because of Jews having been part of Roman scene since the 1st century BC. Local vegetables, especially globe artichokes, are heavily used.

Campania

Produce from Campania are the tomatoes, artichokes, spring onions, peppers, potatoes, oranges , lemons and fennel which all take on the essence of the volcanic ground of the province. The Gulf of Naples provides fresh fish and seafood. Durum wheat is used in the creation of the region's pastas. Campanian mozzarella is highly acclaimed because it is prepared from the milk of the water buffalo. The traditional pizzas of the region are famous and take benefit of the fresh vegetables and cheese found in the area. Desserts include sfogliatelle, pastiera, and rum-dipped babà.
Much of Italian-American cuisine is founded on that of Campania along with Sicily although almost totally Americanized to reflect components and living conditions in the United States. Add to that the fact that most forms of pizza appreciated around the world come originally from the Neapolitan style, modified a lot, of course, over the course of the 20th century. Now you know why this is the most well known region of Italy.

Regional Cuisine of Italy III

Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna is famed for its egg pasta made with soft wheat flour; indeed it is the Pasta capital of the North. Bologna is celebrated for many a pasta delicacy like lasagne verdi, tortellini, gramigna and tagliatelle . Along with that Romagna has Garganelli, Strozzapreti, Cappelletti, Spoglia Lorda and Tortelli alla Lastra. Rice is also eaten in Emilia, from Parma to Piacenza, though it is less significant. It is cultivated in the Valley of the Po. Through ancient times Polenta was the staple in all the Appenine mountain regions of both Romagna and Emilia. Products that are centuries old like genuine Aceto balsamico tradizionale or balsamic vinegar are prepared only in the Emilia towns of Modena and Reggio Emilia and it must be readied obeying legally binding ancient procedures. Another centuries old product, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is made in Reggio Emilia, Parma, Modena and Bologna and is much used in the preparation of dishes. Various types of meats are eaten here including Mora Romagnola Pork and Romagna Lamb along with game. The region is also renowned for its Bologna, Parma, Modena hams and other sumptuous cured pork products: including coppa, Parma culatello, Piacenza pancett and Salame Felino. Cooked pork products like Bologna's mortadella and salame rosa, Ferrara's salama da sugo and Modena's zampone, capello di prete and cotechino are also from this region.
Marche
On the coast of Marche, fresh fish and seafood are fashioned into delectable dishes. In the interior of the provinces both wild and domestic pigs are used for sausages and hams. The specialty of the hams lie in them not being thinly sliced, but served cut into bite-sized chunks. In this region suckling pig, chicken and fish are frequently stuffed before being roasted.
Tuscany
Simplicity sums up the approach of Tuscany towards cooking. Bread, cheese, fresh vegetables, legumes, mushrooms and crisp seasonal fruit are used. Olive oil is prepared fresh from local olives. White truffles are a kind of delicacy that appears in late autumn. Beef of the best quality, specifically a breed known as Maremma used for the celebrated t-bone steaks known as Florentine steak, come from the Chiana Valley. Pork-based products are also common.

Regional cuisine of Italy II

Val D'Aosta
Fonduta which are basically cheese fondues typical of the Alpine region and vigorous bread thickened soups are traditional to this region as well as. Another popular staple is Polenta accompanied by lard, smoked bacon, rye bread, chestnuts and game meats found in the mountainous forest areas. Butter and cream are also essential ingredients in the making of roasted, stewed and braised delicacies.
Piedmont
Piedmont is a region where seasonal elements of the cuisine become more pronounced, with gathering of plants as well as seasonal hunting (particularly wild game) and fishing happening. Truffles, seasonal vegetables, garlic, cheese and rice are all used in this region. Wines from the Nebbiolo grape like Barolo and Barbaresco are made along with wines from the Barbera grape the sweet, lightly sparkling, Moscato d'Asti. Castelmagno is an esteemed cheese of the province. Filetto Baciato is created from pork fillet marinated in white wine, layered with a salami paste and stuffed into a covering to mature for six months.
Liguria
Nearness to the sea allows herbs and vegetables and more importantly seafood find their way into the cuisine of Liguria. Savory cakes and pies are well-liked in the province. Onions and olive oil are loved. The Ligurians, hindered by a lack of wheat-bearing land learnt to use chick-pea in polenta-like panissa and farinata (topped with onion, cheese, sausage, artichokes or young anchovies). Hill provinces used chestnuts as an important source of carbohydrates and sugar. Ligurian pastas comprise of corzetti from the Polcevera valley, piccagge a sort of pasta ribbons made with a little egg and usually served with artichoke sauce or pesto, pansoti, a triangular shaped ravioli stuffed with vegetables, trenette which is prepared from whole-wheat flour chopped into long strips and eaten with pesto, boiled beans and potatoes, and trofie, a Ligurian gnocchi made from wholegrain flour or white wheat flour, shaped into a spiral shape and cooked with beans and potatoes and often tossed in pesto. Many Ligurians were forced to leave theircountry in late 19th and early 20th centuries; as a result, Argentinian Asado a la cruz is quite common in local fairs during summer.

Regional cuisines of Italy

Now that the origins of this fantastic and tasty, economical cuisine is clear and the regionalism in it pretty obvious; lets delve into what it is that makes a nation’s cuisine so very diversified while bearing a unified character. Each area has its own specialties, primarily at regional level, but also even at provincial level. These regional variances can come due to influence of a bordering country (such as France or Austria), nearness to the mountains or sea and economic progress. Italian cuisine is not only highly regional, but is also very seasonal with much importance placed on the use of fresh, seasonal produce.
Veneto
Veneto is famous for risotto. It is a rice dish, ingredients changing with location, with asparagus, radicchio, pumpkin and frogs' legs appearing away from the Adriatic and seafood and fish being added closer to the coast. Beans and other legumes are found in these areas like in the dish pasta e fagioli which is a recipe of beans and pasta. Veneto boasts heavier dishes with unusual spices and sauces. Ingredients such as stockfish or plain marinated anchovies are also found. Veneto eats less of fish and more meat and sausages are favored such as the well-known sopressata and garlic salami. High quality vegetables are valued here with asparagus from Bassano del Grappa being prized as well as red radicchio from Treviso.
Lombardy
Rice is the most preferred ingredient in Lombardy, often finding its way in risotto and even in soups. Regional cheeses are robiola or taleggio, crescenza, gorgonzola (from the namesake town) and grana padano being most important (the massive plains of central and southern Lombardy permitting for intensive cattle-breeding). Butter and cream also find pride of place in the ingredients for the same reason. Single pot dishes are well-liked here with the working class because it is easier to prepare. In the areas of Brescia, Bergamo, and Valtellina polenta is a favorite. In Mantua, village festivals carry tortelli di zucca (ravioli with pumpkin filling) with melted butter and succeeded by turkey stuffed with chicken or other stewed meats.

Italian Cuisine III

But in the 17th century chef Giangiacomo Castelvetro made the case for a few of the cooking processes that are still in use currently in Italy. His recipes, simple, hassle-free and tasty with minimum use of spices and condiments, created a minor upheaval in the way Italian food was cooked in those days. He also brought into notice several vegetarian delicacies which were not getting their due but gained in importance once Castelvetro wrote about them. Tomato and potato slowly began taking their rightful place in European culinary art in general and Italian food in particular.
The next century saw a change in the trends of Italian food preparation which might be termed as a kind of return to the roots. The regionalism of Italian cuisine got more weightage instead of the cuisine of France, Austria and Spain which till that time were the rulers of most of Italy. Middle-class housewives were the target audience of the cookbooks released around this time. As the century advanced the cook books increased in popularity, size and frequency.
The peasant diet of these times comprised of heavy foods, essential in the times when food was needed to generate energy for the daily hustle. It was also thought that peasants had crude stomachs which were incapable of digesting sophisticated foods and it was supposed by some that peasants ate inadequately because they were habituated to eating poorly, as the consequence from the fact that many peasants had no choice but to eat decomposed foods and stale breads in order to stay alive.
The nineteenth century saw the art of cooking slowly moving out the kitchen of the nobility and slowly approaching the hearth of the ordinary household. Elaborate recipes using foreign ingredients slowly gave place to regional delicacies that were elegant and easy using locally found ingredients.
But the foreign influence that Italy had already experienced helped it to develop its culinary prowess and ultimately become the great industry it has become worldwide. From the ordinary peasants food pizza to the housewives delight the ever versatile pasta and all other easy on the pocket and easy on the stomach food identifies Italy to the people who know almost nothing about the country.

Italian Cuisine II

Sicily is said to have been the birthplace for the Italian food as we know it today. It had got culinary customs from Rome and Athens and amalgamated these to develop what some consider the first real Italian cuisine. With the Arab invasion in the 9th century came almonds, spinach and rice and debatably spaghetti. Spaghetti possibly made its first appearance during the 12th century AD when the Norman king made a survey of Sicily noting that people were making long strings made from flour and water called atriya, eventually called trii, a synonym used for spaghetti in southern Italy. These Normans were also responsible for the introduction of salt cod (baccalà), casseroling and stockfish which are very popular even today. Germanic and Roman culture began to influence the northern regions of future Italy but the southern part kept reflecting the influences of Arab culture.
Through the 13th,14th and 15th centuries we find Italian cuisine slowly evolving dishes which increasingly look like modern Italian food. Fresh ingredients and lightness of seasonings which are the hallmarks of great Italian cuisine are slowly finding increasing favour among connoisseurs. But it is in the resurgent Italy of 16th century we find Italian cuisine coming into its maturity. The courts of Rome, Venice, Florence and Ferrara were part of the conception of fine cooking in Italy. Eastern spices and sugar once again find relevance in these times.
In 1570 Opera written by Bartolomeo Scappi personal chef to Pope Pius V we find the most complete detail of Italian cooking up to the period. The work had over 1,000 recipes, giving information on banquets including displays and menus as well as illustrations of kitchen and table utensils. This volume is unique in its emphasis on domestic animals and courtyard birds which was more in line with the "modest household". Apart from recipes showing how to clean and use lesser cuts of meats including tongue, head, and shoulder; it had chapters on preparations for fish including broiling, grilled, poaching, or fried after being marinated. There were also recipes for items from the New World.

Italian Cuisine

Italy is a fine web of great natural beauty and mastery in all branches of Fine Arts like poetry, music, painting, opera, and above all awesome architecture. But possibly no other branch of Italian art is so well known and so well appreciated throughout the world as its culinary art.
Although Italian food has more to it than pastas, pizzas and lasagnas yet even the sheer variety that these three dishes allow is enough to earn a prominent place for Italian cuisine. I love food that is healthy, freshly prepared and great to taste – Italian food scores on all three aspects.
So digging a little deeper than the surface I came up with a lot of fascinating stuff which I think would be interesting to share.
Italian cuisine has always reflected its socio-political and cultural conditions. The discovery of the New World shaped a lot of what is known as Italian cuisine today with the coming of tomatoes, bell pepper, potatoes and maize, which are all integral to the cuisine. Espresso coffee also plays a major part in the national cuisine as do the regional cheeses and wines.
Although this cuisine always reflects a marked provincialism both in its ingredients and the final products yet the national character of the food is still intact. This lies in the penchant for freshness both in ingredients and seasonings. Even its desserts and drinks have this unique sunny originality.
The various influences throughout the centuries, like adjacent regions, high-profile chefs, conquerors, political turmoil along with the discovery of the New World, a genuine cuisine has evolved to what is accepted today as one of the most well loved cuisines in the world.
Italy’s love story with fresh ingredients and seasonings started in the 4 B.C. during the heydays of the Roman Empire. A Greek Sicilian named Archestratus, was the first recorded Italian food commentator and was the first to suggest that the natural flavors of a dish should not be masked by herbs, spices and other seasonings. The Romans are known to have sourced their breads and cheese from the best in the business in those days viz. the Greeks and the Sicilians. They are also known to raise goats for meat and farm herbs and seasonings.
Next posts taste the maturing of Italian food to our times! Keep cooking!

Tamil Food

A meal in Tamil cuisine consists of nearly 20 or so items, including the side dishes such as curry, appalam, pickle and is served in times of auspicious functions. A typical meal has a mixture of spicyand non-spicy dishes and is mostly vegetarian. Many of these dishes are usually mixed and ate with steamed rice, which is the main food of the region.
Tamil cuisine categorizes dishes under four vaguely overlapping groups. First come the dishes that are mixed with rice; various Sambhar, Rasam, Kadaiyals , Moreyoghurt, and the likes belong to this category. Next are the side dishes that go with such mixture; Kari, Poriyal, Kootu, Pickles, Papads fall into this category. Third are the short snacks and their accompaniments; vadai, chips, bajji, soups, various chutneys etc belong to this category. The last category is usually the rich, sweet desserts; Payasam, Kesari, Gheer and innumerable types of Indian sweets belong to this group.
The daily Tamil meal is of at least three to four courses, with boiled rice being the staple. On leisure or special celebrations, there would be at least two such main courses with one Kuzhambu variety and one Sambhar. The Rasam comes next accompanied by crisps. The last of the food will always be rice with curd or yoghurt; this is typically taken along with pickles. Side dishes are incessantly refilled during all meals. As a last course the desserts are served. Finally the meal is concluded with banana and freshly made paan consisting of betel leaves, betel nuts and lime. Paan is considered as an aid to digestion.
The situation is similar with Tamil non-vegetarian meal, except that the first and second courses are usually replaced by various Biriyani and non-vegetarian gravies. In either case, a typical meal (Lunch or Dinner) will be served on banana leaf. Meals are often accompanied by various pickles and appalams.
However, the world knows Tamil food for its idli, vadai, uthappam, rasam, sambar, dosa, thayir sadam (yogurt rice), thayir vadai (yogurt-soaked fritters) etc. Among non-vegetarian dishes Chettinad pepper chicken holds the pride of place.

South Indian Cuisine II

Karnataka Food
North Karnataka meal represented as the mildest (in terms of spiciness factor) among the four South Indian states' cuisines, there is a abundant use of palm sugar which is brown sugar and meagerly used chilli powder. Since the number of vegetarians in Karnataka is pretty high in comparison to the other states, vegetarian food is loved by almost everybody for all meals of the day. Udipi cuisine forms an important and integral part of Karnataka cuisine. Some distinctive dishes include the ubiquitous Masala Dosa, Davanagere Benne Dosa, Bisi bele bath, Akki rotti, Anna Saaru, Ragi rotti, Khara Bath, Vangi Bath, Kesari Bath, Ragi mudde, and Avare Kal Saaru. The famous Masala Dosa with all its recent fusion variations is actually a staple member of the Udipi cuisine. Plain and Rave Idli, Mysore Masala Dosa and Maddur Vade are well loved in South Karnataka. Coorg district is celebrated for spicy kind of pork curries while coastal Karnataka prides itself in its many lip-smacking sea food specialties. Among desserts, Chiroti , Obbattu/Holige, Dharwad pedha, Mysore Pak, Pheni are famous.
Kerala Food
Kerala cuisine is quite diversified. The variety is best sorted on the foundation of the several communities. The Hindus, especially the Nairs and Namboodris have a more obvious leaning vegetarian cuisine, whilst the Christian and the Muslim communities have a predominantly non-vegetarian food. Since Kerala's primary export is coconuts, almost all of the dishes, regardless of the diversity in the cooking styles of the different communities, have coconuts associated with them, either in the form of slivers or coconut oil. Seafood is also much loved in the coastal regions and eaten almost daily.
Vegetarian: olan, nendarangai chips, aviyal, paalpradaman, erucherri, sambar, rasam,
Non-vegetarian: fish curry (various versions depending on the region), chicken fry with shredded coconuts, fish fry, shrimp coconut curry, Kerala beef fry etc
Typical Indian masala dosa, Kerala style is a combination of chopped, cooked and fried vegetables with Indian sauce and a lot of spices as the basic stuffing, ensconced in a fleshy brown dosa made out of a lentil and rice batter. This extraordinary dish it is served with coconut chutney and hot sambhar.

South Indian Cuisine

South Indian Cuisine or Dravidian Cuisine as it is sometimes called is a term used to refer to the cooking styles found in the four southern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Unlike North Indian cuisine, there is limited use of garam masala and other dried spices except cardamom, black pepper and turmeric.
Similarities and differences in "Four states' cuisines"
The similarities in the four states' cuisines are the presence of rice as a staple food, mild spices (as opposed to the strong, pungent spices used by North Indian cuisine), the use of lentils, use of dried red chillies and fresh green chillies, coconut and other native ingredients like tamarind, plantain, snake gourd, garlic, ginger, etc. The differences are few but distinctive, but mostly the four cuisines have more in common and differ truly in the spiciness or hotness of the food.
Andhra Food
The spiciest among these cuisines, there is a abundant use of chilli powder (Guntur), oil and tamarind. The most famous food items are:
Vegetarian: pulihora (or pulihaara), pesarattu, avakkai (cut raw mango) pickle, Gongura.
Non-vegetarian: Kodi iguru( chicken fry), Chepa pulusu (fish stew), Kodi pulusu(chicken gravy) etc., and the delectable Hyderabadi Biriyani
Although the cuisine has a mindboggling variety of dishes, with the majority being vegetable or lentil based, yet meat and fish are not neglected. Especially, traditionally it is the fish which has found more favour with the locals. Hyderabad, being the capital of Andhra Pradesh, has its own distinctive cuisine very different from other Andhra cuisine. The Nawabs sponsored the Hyderabadi cuisine, distantly related to the Lucknowi cuisine of the Avadh. The only difference is that the Nawabs of Hyderabad preferred their food to be spicier, so during their reign was born the Hyderabadi cuisine which included the Baghare Baingan and the Dum ka Murgh, Kacche Gosht ki Biryani and Achaari Subzi.
The distinctive possibilities of the other cuisines will be discussed in future postings.