Yogurt, or substances similar to it have originated in cultures across the globe. Where there has been dairy, there also has been yogurt. However, the first area to discover the tangy dairy variation was probably in the Middle East. In his book "On Food and Cooking" Harold McGee states, "Yogurt and its relatives are native to a broad and climatically warm area of central and southeast Asia, and the Middle East" (1984: 45). The word for yogurt comes from the Turkish language. McGee states, "...it is the Turkish word for milk that has been fermented into a tart semi solid mass; it comes from a root meaning 'thick'" (1984: 47).
Why and how it originated remains a mystery. Many think it occurred by accident. Most likely a wild strain of bacteria was introduced to raw milk and the mixture fermented in a warm place, producing yogurt (Muskevich, 2015). The discovery of yogurt was a welcome find. Milk is high in nutrients, but it contains a sugar known as lactose that is often difficult to digest (McGee, 1984: 44). Although they had been fed milk as babies, many adults had difficulty digesting milk as it was. The fermentation process of milk to yogurt turned the lactose into lactic acid, a substance that is more easily digested (Muskevich, 2015). This allowed societies to take advantage of the easily accessed proteins and nutrients provided by dairy products.
In order to make yogurt, milk must be heated, then cooled to a temperature conducive to fermentation. At this point bacteria is added and the milk is left to sit and ferment. As the milk ferment is shifts from a liquid state to a gel and becomes yogurt.
Yogurt as an ingredient quickly traveled to the countries surrounding Turkey, however it was not until the 20th century that became more widespread in the Western world. In the 1940's Dannon (originally a French company) introduced yogurt to the United States when it began manufacturing yogurt in the Bronx (Muskevich, 2015).
Culinary-wise, yogurt in considered a probiotic food. It contains bacteria that helps to maintain a healthy gut. In America many people eat it with breakfast or as a snack. Yogurt is also incorporated as an ingredient in marinades, soups, smoothies, and baked goods.
According to Worlds Top Exports, Germany is the highest exporter of yogurt (Workman, 2017). I found it interesting that France, where the company Dannon originated from, is now the highest consumer of yogurt in the world.
References:
McGee, Harold. (1948). On food and cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen. New York, NY: Scribner.
Muskevich, Adam. (2015). We didn't build this city on rock 'n' roll. It was yogurt. The Salt. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/07/16/422684872/we-didnt-build-this-city-on-rock-n-roll-it-was-yogurt on 10/04/17.
Workman, Daniel. (2017). Top yogurt exporters. World's Top Exports. Retrieved from http://www.worldstopexports.com/yogurt-exporters/ on 10/04/17.
Note: This was an assignment for my Language of Food class.
11/2/17
10/19/17
Sometimes Life Gets Dirty!
Here is a short photo montage of some of the projects I have been working on for school.
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| This one is made out of spoons! |
9/25/17
The Majestic vs. McDonalds: The Gap in Menus
For those who do not know, The Majestic Yosemite Hotel is Yosemite National Park's most prestigious lodging institution. It ranks as a AAA four-Diamond hotel and boasts an award-winning restaurant, as well as a beautiful view of the park. The dining experience at The Majestic is in stark contrast to the experience at a common chain restaurant such as McDonald's. The difference is found not only in the price and the setting, but it is inherent in the menus themselves.
The Majestic's menu (for dinner) is simple. It is just one page and very little information is given. The McDonald's menu, however, is extensive and almost an information overload. A detailed picture accompanies each item, as well as an equally detailed description.
The description uses sensory and participial adjectives like 'crisp,' 'ribbon-cut,' and 'smoked.' For the most part, the Majestic's menu just lists the main ingredients that go into the dishes and does very little in the way of description. The ingredients used at the Majestic are assumed to be high-quality while McDonald's tries to pull it's customers in with vague promises. Take, for example, the "Bacon Ranch Salad with Buttermilk Crispy Chicken" pictured above. It is described as 'full of fresh flavors,' but what does that mean exactly?
Another difference between the two menus is the focus on choice. At McDonald's the focus is on the diner's choice. It is all about the customer. They can customize their meal anyway they choose. At the Majestic, customers pay for the chef to make the choice for them. Each meal is unique in it's own way and a work of art.
Note: This is an assignment from my Language and Food class at school.
The Majestic's menu (for dinner) is simple. It is just one page and very little information is given. The McDonald's menu, however, is extensive and almost an information overload. A detailed picture accompanies each item, as well as an equally detailed description.
The description uses sensory and participial adjectives like 'crisp,' 'ribbon-cut,' and 'smoked.' For the most part, the Majestic's menu just lists the main ingredients that go into the dishes and does very little in the way of description. The ingredients used at the Majestic are assumed to be high-quality while McDonald's tries to pull it's customers in with vague promises. Take, for example, the "Bacon Ranch Salad with Buttermilk Crispy Chicken" pictured above. It is described as 'full of fresh flavors,' but what does that mean exactly?
Another difference between the two menus is the focus on choice. At McDonald's the focus is on the diner's choice. It is all about the customer. They can customize their meal anyway they choose. At the Majestic, customers pay for the chef to make the choice for them. Each meal is unique in it's own way and a work of art.
Note: This is an assignment from my Language and Food class at school.
9/15/17
Potato Chips and Chocolate
In 2011 Joshua Freedman, an undergraduate student at Stanford University, did a study on the connections between potato chip packaging and the audience to which it was being marketed to - upper or lower class individuals. Freedman wrote that more expensive bags of chips had more text on the back advertising the product. They also advertised how the chips were 'healthy' for you (ie. no trans fat etc) and declared that only the best ingredients were used in their product. On the other hand, less expensive chips valued tradition and taste. They also had used simpler words than their more expensive counterparts.
In the spirit of that study, I would like to present some findings of my own. Today I went to the supermarket to see if Freedman's findings applied to a different food product - chocolate.
There were four different brands that I looked at:
Unsurprisingly, the least expensive brand was Hershey's, at 33.3 cents per ounce, which had no words at all on the back of the packaging. So far Freedman's theory was staying true.
The next expensive chocolates were the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Carmello (50 cents per ounce).
The packaging gives history for the company and uses words like 'tradition,' 'passion,' and 'exquisite.' An empasis is place on tradition, as the Cadbury name has been around since 1824. The sentences are also fairly short and simple.
Next were the Lindt Lindor Truffles (86.1 cents per ounce).
The packaging declares that these truffles have been made by master Swiss chocolatiers since 1845. So obviously we are dealing with professionals. They also use words like 'smooth,' 'melting,' 'luscious,' and 'delicate.'
Finally, the most expensive brand was Ferrero Rocher, at 94.2 cents per ounce.
Ferrero Rocher did not have as much copy on the packaging as the Lindor Truffles, however lots of high quality words like, 'luscious,' and 'delicate' were used. Also, the whole of the copy is comprised of one complex sentence.
All in all, the body of evidence matches up with Freedman's findings in 2011, even if some allowances are made for the difference in product.
Note: This is an assignment done for my Food and Language class at school.
In the spirit of that study, I would like to present some findings of my own. Today I went to the supermarket to see if Freedman's findings applied to a different food product - chocolate.
There were four different brands that I looked at:
- Hershey's
- Ferrero Rocher
- Cadbury
- Lindt
Unsurprisingly, the least expensive brand was Hershey's, at 33.3 cents per ounce, which had no words at all on the back of the packaging. So far Freedman's theory was staying true.
The next expensive chocolates were the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Carmello (50 cents per ounce).
The packaging gives history for the company and uses words like 'tradition,' 'passion,' and 'exquisite.' An empasis is place on tradition, as the Cadbury name has been around since 1824. The sentences are also fairly short and simple.
Next were the Lindt Lindor Truffles (86.1 cents per ounce).
The packaging declares that these truffles have been made by master Swiss chocolatiers since 1845. So obviously we are dealing with professionals. They also use words like 'smooth,' 'melting,' 'luscious,' and 'delicate.'
Finally, the most expensive brand was Ferrero Rocher, at 94.2 cents per ounce.
Ferrero Rocher did not have as much copy on the packaging as the Lindor Truffles, however lots of high quality words like, 'luscious,' and 'delicate' were used. Also, the whole of the copy is comprised of one complex sentence.
All in all, the body of evidence matches up with Freedman's findings in 2011, even if some allowances are made for the difference in product.
Note: This is an assignment done for my Food and Language class at school.
8/31/17
My Food and Language Background
Last semester I forgot to enroll. Sort of. Thankfully, I did manage to remember to enroll before it was too late. As I was scrolling through the options of classes I could take one in particular caught my eye. It was called The Language of Food. I had always wanted to take a Linguistics course, and this one fit my schedule, so I decided to take it.
I am a native speaker to English, but I am currently taking courses to learn Spanish. Growing up in the United States, my food background was fairly communion most ways. My dad grilled steak and hamburgers and my mom packed us sandwiches for lunch and made casseroles. Then again, I got to experience things a lot of kids didn't. Things like home-made bread. Tabouli. And other dishes with an international flair.
Another part of my unique food background hit a little closer to home. My mother's side of the family are German Mennonites. Through this group I have access to a culinary heritage unique to a specific people group. These dishes are different from average American fare, and have interesting names, like verenika, borsht, moos, and zwiebach to name a few.
Food is a big part of my life. And to be honest, so is language. I am looking forward to learning about both this semester!
Note: This is an assignment done for my Language and Food class at school.
I am a native speaker to English, but I am currently taking courses to learn Spanish. Growing up in the United States, my food background was fairly communion most ways. My dad grilled steak and hamburgers and my mom packed us sandwiches for lunch and made casseroles. Then again, I got to experience things a lot of kids didn't. Things like home-made bread. Tabouli. And other dishes with an international flair.
Another part of my unique food background hit a little closer to home. My mother's side of the family are German Mennonites. Through this group I have access to a culinary heritage unique to a specific people group. These dishes are different from average American fare, and have interesting names, like verenika, borsht, moos, and zwiebach to name a few.
Food is a big part of my life. And to be honest, so is language. I am looking forward to learning about both this semester!
Note: This is an assignment done for my Language and Food class at school.
8/25/17
Semester #3
The first week of school is now done! One down, so many more to go!
For those of you who are curious, here is the breakdown of my schedule this semester:
1. Spanish 112
Obviously, this class is a step above what I took last semester (Spanish 111). Currently we are reviewing material from the last semester, but soon we will jump into the curriculum from where we left off. Today we went over indirect object pronouns.
2. Intro to Graphic Design
Since my major is Graphic Design I'm pretty excited to start this class! Our professor has promised to deeply ingrain all of the basics of design into our noggins.
3. 3-D Design
This is a prerequisite for anyone in the art program. It's basically a multi-media sculpture class. Right now I am working on a wire frog, but more on that later....
4. The Language of Food
This is a linguistics/english course that will fulfill one of my general ed requirements. The title sounds strange, but that's pretty much what the class is about - we will be learning about how what we say about our food says about us. Apparently, this is an auspicious occasion, as this class has only been offered few times before - through out the whole of North America! Also, keep on the look-out - some of my assignments from this class may eventually show up on the blog!
For those of you who are curious, here is the breakdown of my schedule this semester:
1. Spanish 112
Obviously, this class is a step above what I took last semester (Spanish 111). Currently we are reviewing material from the last semester, but soon we will jump into the curriculum from where we left off. Today we went over indirect object pronouns.
2. Intro to Graphic Design
Since my major is Graphic Design I'm pretty excited to start this class! Our professor has promised to deeply ingrain all of the basics of design into our noggins.
3. 3-D Design
This is a prerequisite for anyone in the art program. It's basically a multi-media sculpture class. Right now I am working on a wire frog, but more on that later....
4. The Language of Food
This is a linguistics/english course that will fulfill one of my general ed requirements. The title sounds strange, but that's pretty much what the class is about - we will be learning about how what we say about our food says about us. Apparently, this is an auspicious occasion, as this class has only been offered few times before - through out the whole of North America! Also, keep on the look-out - some of my assignments from this class may eventually show up on the blog!
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