tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post6464379019865415662..comments2024-03-28T16:22:14.888-07:00Comments on Steve Sailer: iSteve: Why is tropical cuisine spicy?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-87333773702208913592014-01-10T15:14:21.857-08:002014-01-10T15:14:21.857-08:00I've found the best way to mask the slightly r...I've found the best way to mask the slightly rotten flavor of meat you've had around too long is to simply feed it to the dog. My cat won't touch it but, the dog just wolfs it right down.<br /><br />Dogs have a lower pH level in their stomachs so I don't think it does them any harm. <br /><br />Of course in South East Asia they are more likely to just eat the dog. <br /><br />AlbertosaurusPat Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13477950851915567863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-83714563836136970632014-01-09T16:09:42.921-08:002014-01-09T16:09:42.921-08:00Only very strong flavors can affect the taste of a...Only very strong flavors can affect the taste of alcohol. Kingsley Amis, <b>On Drink</b>. Tropical spices, or spices in taverns frequented by northern travelers in the tropics?Bars up north have hot stuff to make you drink more.biffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-67316133852959993362014-01-09T15:02:49.859-08:002014-01-09T15:02:49.859-08:00I used to live San Francisco for some years, and h...I used to live San Francisco for some years, and here is my completely correct opinion:<br /><br />The tastiest food - ignoring atmospherics, presentation, company - is Chinese food (generic, no Szechuan, Hunan, whatever pretenses) in a medium-level restaurant. <br /><br />Don't argue; you know I am right.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-54932115825692941462014-01-09T14:51:06.561-08:002014-01-09T14:51:06.561-08:00About 10 years ago, I read some study (or maybe ju...About 10 years ago, I read some study (or maybe just proclamation) from some Stanford prof. that most people's taste buds settle by the late 20's. That is, they are not going to like, or even try, completely different foods. <br /><br />I first had raw oysters at age 26, raw fish (sushi and sashimi) at age 25, and I still like them both a lot. But I don't think I have truly tried a new food group since then.<br /><br />I've had kale and quinoa for the first time in the past 2 years, but I didn't like either and anyways they are just bitter greens (kale) and another grain (quinoa).<br /><br />I didn't tried Indian food until my 30's and I don't understand the attraction: bad cuts of meat, overwhelming curry, no subtlety. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-67393111057262758292014-01-09T13:19:50.438-08:002014-01-09T13:19:50.438-08:00My wife is also from the Philippines, a country wh...My wife is also from the Philippines, a country whose closest neighbors are pretty uniformly fond of spicy foods. After many years of sampling various dishes from different Filipino regions, I would characterize almost all of them as bland, sometimes virtually tasteless...wife's cooking excepted, of course...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-58440322935850842272014-01-09T08:02:12.085-08:002014-01-09T08:02:12.085-08:00SWPL is white bread as fruitcake.
Paradoxically,...SWPL is white bread as fruitcake. <br /><br />Paradoxically, the blandest and most castrated white bread guys go for 'diversity', and the most pungently authentic white guys go for tribalism and community. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-12116614099399705172014-01-09T06:54:22.940-08:002014-01-09T06:54:22.940-08:00P.S. Horseradish sauce is white.P.S. Horseradish sauce is white.deariemenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-57375090028850353992014-01-09T06:51:59.176-08:002014-01-09T06:51:59.176-08:00Magellan's journey was a much bigger deal than...Magellan's journey was a much bigger deal than the Apollo program: do keep a sense of proportion.<br /><br />I don't know how long have the British have eaten beef with very spicy mustard and spicy horseradish sauce. The latter is used with smoked mackerel too. I'd imagine that both long pre-date Magellan.<br /><br />I suppose the spiciness of haggis must post-date the trips to the Spice Isles that made cheap pepper available.deariemenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-82777386514744177592014-01-09T06:35:43.865-08:002014-01-09T06:35:43.865-08:00Anon @ 11:33
Potatoes - that is, an unadorned wh...Anon @ 11:33 <br /><br />Potatoes - that is, an unadorned white potato - are bland, but I wouldn't describe most meats as bland, with some exceptions such as lean chicken breast or cod. Lucillenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-91347419804885028592014-01-09T03:34:29.253-08:002014-01-09T03:34:29.253-08:00Middle Eastern cuisine is now very bland. I am cur...Middle Eastern cuisine is now very bland. I am currently living in Azerbaijan and the food is terribly dull. If you put red pepper powder on your food to spice it up, the Azeris will grab your hand to keep you from what they think is certain death.<br /><br />The other Middle Eastern cuisines I've had are also bland. I would like to know why their food is such, since historically they had trading ties with India. I suppose trading broke down once the Muslim world declined in the 18th century and Britain came to dominate India. Maybe Muslims think spicy food is unclean.Sidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-87349983458364028352014-01-08T23:33:44.935-08:002014-01-08T23:33:44.935-08:00It was because the Europeans already had a trade s...It was because the Europeans already had a trade system and used a lot of money in spices, that one could get rich importing spices to Europe. <br /><br />There are many edible herbs with pepper in the name in Europe, like pepper root, but the black pepper from India tasted better. Volksverhetzernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-40408798929637005652014-01-08T22:49:26.146-08:002014-01-08T22:49:26.146-08:00Chillies, potatoes, cashew were introduced in Indi...Chillies, potatoes, cashew were introduced in India by the Portuguese, first in Goa.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-3000239789531387662014-01-08T22:37:31.815-08:002014-01-08T22:37:31.815-08:00I would never use the word ‘bland’ to describe sus...<i>I would never use the word ‘bland’ to describe sushi. Nor would I say the saltiness dominates over the sweetness or vinegariness. Maybe my taste receptors differ from yours.</i><br /><br />Sushi is bland. It doesn't mean it's bad. It's just pretty bland. Plain meat and potatoes is bland, but it's still good.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-23338140392949144832014-01-08T21:46:53.231-08:002014-01-08T21:46:53.231-08:00>Why is tropical Cuisine spicy?<
Because th...>Why is tropical Cuisine spicy?<<br /><br />Because the East India compay introduced chillis from South America, they are not native to asia.<br /><br />Yup, it was Europeans that inroduced chillis to India and East Asia and enabled curry to be hot.<br /><br />Nick - PretoriaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-88445404952100270432014-01-08T21:43:55.615-08:002014-01-08T21:43:55.615-08:00Regarding bland traditional American food, Mitt Ro...Regarding bland traditional American food, Mitt Romney's special birthday meal is meatloaf:<br /><br />www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/dining/meatloaf-cake-is-mitt-romneys-birthday-favorite.html<br /><br />"“Meatloaf cakes,” Mr. Romney affirmed from the back of his charter plane as it idled on the tarmac in Ohio last week, explaining to the traveling press corps the special birthday meal his wife prepares for him every year.<br /><br />“She makes these little meatloaf cakes about that big,” he said, widening his hands to the size of a saucer, “and covers them with this sweet sauce.”<br /><br />“It’s ketchup, cinnamon,” he continued, before his wife, Ann, cut him off.<br /><br />“The reason he likes it,” she said with a laugh, “it’s brown sugar and ketchup.”<br /><br />The traditional birthday meal, Mr. and Mrs. Romney added, includes mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and carrots.<br /><br />“And that’s what I like,” Mr. Romney said happily.<br /><br /> But when Mr. Romney turned 65 on Monday, he did so without his usual dinner — a hazard of life on the campaign trail. Mrs. Romney assured him that his beloved cakes would be waiting the next time he was home long enough to enjoy a proper meal.<br /><br />Mr. Romney is not a fussy eater, often fixing his own peanut butter and honey sandwiches on his campaign bus. Mrs. Romney has been known to supplement her husband’s diet on the road, which includes cold cereal and fast food, with homemade goodies."<br /><br />*Note the title of the article:"Mitt Romney’s Blue-Collar Birthday Meal" It's described as "blue-collar" because these days upper-middle and upper class eat fairly fancy food and don't eat things like meatloaf. Romney obviously isn't blue-collar, but as a Mormon he's more tied to the older, blander, traditional American culture where middle-class and upper-class people ate bland stuff like meatloaf and corn and potatoes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-72141661583822327052014-01-08T21:11:23.566-08:002014-01-08T21:11:23.566-08:00As several people here have said already, spice is...As several people here have said already, spice is not a preservative. It is however, a way to make spoiled food taste edible. People from hot countries such as India seem to have evolved cast-iron stomachs to handle spoiled meat, along with a highly spice reliant cuisine to mask the taste.<br /><br />If you must eat spoiled/questionable food, it is imperative to cook it very, very well so that the only harmful thing remaining will be heat stable toxins (which may or may not form). If you are healthy, these won't kill you, but your digestive system will need to purge itself temporarily. I also like to wash the outside of the food before cooking, because this is where most bacteria form and by washing away the bacteria and their spoilage products, you also lower the risk.<br /><br />If refrigerated, this cooked food will usually be good (save the heat-stable toxin risk) for another 3 days or however long it takes for the bacteria to build up again.<br /><br />Another thing you can do is freeze food before it gets to a spoiled state, and after thawing, cook it immediately.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-28436023820928060422014-01-08T21:09:19.965-08:002014-01-08T21:09:19.965-08:00I would never use the word ‘bland’ to describe sus...I would never use the word ‘bland’ to describe sushi. Nor would I say the saltiness dominates over the sweetness or vinegariness. Maybe my taste receptors differ from yours.<br /><br />Every time someone orders sushi with mayonnaise in it a Japanese person dies.Haroldnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-3639446387180966952014-01-08T20:43:30.701-08:002014-01-08T20:43:30.701-08:00I don't see how spicy food would taste better ...I don't see how spicy food would taste better when it's hot out. When I think of dishes that are much more enjoyable in sweltering heat, they are all very cold--ice cream and the like. Maybe it's humidity that spicy food pairs well with, rather than heat.<br /><br />I could see an argument being made for bitter tastes being preferable in hotter climes, or at least bitter tastes in drinks. Lemonade, hoppy beer, beer with a lemon in it, the list can go on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-61871018590679227232014-01-08T20:39:39.162-08:002014-01-08T20:39:39.162-08:00Bland traditional Japanese food is also probably w...Bland traditional Japanese food is also probably why curry became very popular in Japan after it was introduced from India.<br /><br />Their own spin on curry is distinctive.The Wobbly Guynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-70147566154472060352014-01-08T19:51:58.488-08:002014-01-08T19:51:58.488-08:00I might like hot, spicy foods more if the heat did...I might like hot, spicy foods more if the heat didn't linger for so long.<br /><br />The Japanese definitely got it right with wasabi - a dose of heat, but no long term relationship as with various peppers, etc.Ex Submarine Officernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-14427095187013911932014-01-08T19:35:31.849-08:002014-01-08T19:35:31.849-08:00When I was in Japan, I found traditional Japanese ...<i>When I was in Japan, I found traditional Japanese fare to be quite bland, mostly relying on salty broths for flavor.<br /><br />But they would instead call it 'subtle'.</i><br /><br />Japanese food is very bland. They don't really use any spices. They do use wasabi which is a horseradish. Like most blander cuisines, the main flavor is saltiness.<br /><br />This is probably partly why sushi became trendy and popular in the US. It's exotic and raw fish and all, but it doesn't really taste like anything. It basically tastes like rice, slightly fishy flavor, and how much soy sauce you dip it in. It's exotic but tastes so bland that people used to bland cuisine can eat it easily.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-37581683410737271232014-01-08T19:14:12.274-08:002014-01-08T19:14:12.274-08:00There are some traditional, very hot, things in no...There are some traditional, very hot, things in northern cuisines. Mustard can be extremely hot, as can horseradish. stari_momaknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-37392941090700281022014-01-08T19:11:49.559-08:002014-01-08T19:11:49.559-08:00While traveling in SE Asia I heard the oft-repeate...While traveling in SE Asia I heard the oft-repeated theory that spicy food is used to combat the heat. The idea is that the spices makes you sweat--without actually elevating body-temp--and the sweat in turn cools you off.Mr Lomezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07043467547490085497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-15274402650252517572014-01-08T18:53:15.745-08:002014-01-08T18:53:15.745-08:00When I was in Japan, I found traditional Japanese ...When I was in Japan, I found traditional Japanese fare to be quite bland, mostly relying on salty broths for flavor.<br /><br />But they would instead call it 'subtle'.Handlehttp://www.handleshaus.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-66372228638692838892014-01-08T18:52:48.532-08:002014-01-08T18:52:48.532-08:00Curcumin, a major component of the spice tumeric, ...Curcumin, a major component of the spice tumeric, blocks inflammation signaling via the inflammatory transcription factor, NFkB. Perhaps these tropical cultures observed the beneficial effects of such spices over time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com