The Juicy Bits
Apologies for the late food news this month. I've been on vacation! While I was away, a London neuropsychopharmacologist unveiled his new synthetic alcohol, Alcarelle, that purports to get you buzzed without the hangover. Thanks Dr. Nutt ā I could've used that while I was downing cocktails like water on vacation! š¬ There were some developments in the BBQ world, too: boxy rotisserie-style smokers are apparently edging out traditional barrel-shaped offsets, especially in Texas. Go figure. Speaking of smoke, the classical Thai combo of aromatic smoke and sweet desserts has resurfaced, now with a twist from Modern Thai chefs. Bring on the smoky sweets. One thing I'm not as crazy about is a new surcharge on restaurant checks: up to 4% for using a credit card. Now, it's gonna cost me to rack up those airline miles! But I get it. Times are hard for eateries everywhere. It beats raising menu prices. Finally, in my lifelong quest to eat well without dying from it (thanks, Jim Harrison), a single vegetable has hereby been deemed the world's healthiest, the ultimate superfood, the one veg to rule them all, according to the CDC. No, it's not kale. Scroll on to discover this magical Ć¼berfood!
āDave Joachim
Cooking
The Role Of Smoke In Thai Desserts
Image Source: Tanes Ngamsom/Alamy
Smoked desserts? They may seem novel but go back centuries in royal Thai cuisine. Tian op, a U-shaped scented candle is typically lit on both ends, placed over the dessert and covered to trap the smoke. Aromas include frankincense, mace, sandalwood, and vanillin, a key scent in woodsmoke. Modern Thai chefs are branching out by infusing tian op smoke into Western-style cookies, cakes, pastries and other desserts. Curious? Pick up a tian op candle and start experimenting!
Restaurants
More Restaurants Are Passing Credit Card Fees On To Customers
Image Source: Luke Wohlgemuth
Restaurants often pay up to 4% per transaction for credit card payments, which can add thousands of dollars to weekly costs. With rising labor and food prices, restaurateurs face a tough choice: raise menu prices or pass credit card fees on to customers. More and more are opting for the latter, adding a credit card surcharge to the check. They usually offer an electronic payment option too. These days, it may be cheaper to pay your dinner bill via Paypal or Venmo.
Beverages
New Synthetic Alcohol Promises The Buzz Without A Hangover
Image Source: Kobby Mendez
āIt feels like what a glass of wine feels like,ā says Dr. David Nutt, chief scientific officer at London-based GABA Labs. āIt feels relaxing. It makes you a bit more chatty, a bit more socially engaged with people.ā That's Alcarelle, Nutt's new synthetic alcohol which targets GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors in the brain, releasing feel-good dopamine and serotonin but nothing more. Designed for nonalcoholic drinks, Alcarelle has no flavor and promises to get you tipsy without the headache. Nutt's GABA labs aims to complete U.S. food-safety testing by mid-2026 and launch in European markets soon thereafter. Here's to clear-headed drinking!
BBQ Hot Spot
Rotisserie Smokers Are Edging Out Offsets
Image Source: Daniel Vaughn
For decades, barrel-shaped offset smokers have been the pitmaster's tool of choice. But boxy rotisseries are making a comeback, especially in Texas. Think the offset came first? The patent for rotisserie smokers actually predates the offset patent. It's just that offsets have more cachet among BBQ traditionalists. At least they did. Now, companies like M&M BBQ are making tricked-out rotisserie smokers that bring the bling and the ease of automated rotation to big BBQ operations. Of course, you can't hide the electrical cord required to spin the Ferris wheel of shelves inside.
Supply Chain
Tyson Foods Closing Four More Chicken Plants In Heartland U.S.
Image Source: Andrew Jansen
Back in March, Tyson closed two chicken plants in Virginia and Arkansas, cutting about 1,700 jobs. The poultry giant is now closing four more plants in Arkansas, Indiana and Missouri, cutting almost 3,000 more jobs. For over 50 years, these chicken plants have been small-town fixtures. The closures will deliver a blow, especially in Noel, Missouri, where well over half the town population works at the Tyson plant. Why the closures? Demand for chicken is trending down, forcing a number of cost-cutting moves, including the recent layoff of more than 225 Tyson corporate employees.
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Health
The World's Healthiest Vegetable Revealed
Image Source: Adobe
AƧai, goji berries, quinoa...many "superfoods" have come and gone from nutrition headlines. Now, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified the healthiest of them all. Is it kale? No, it's....watercress! Based on nutrition density scores (high concentration of essential vitamins and minerals), the CDC gave watercress a perfect 100, beating out the usual suspects like kale and spinach. Want a simple health boost? Swap out arugula for peppery-tasting watercress in your next salad or pesto.
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Last Bite
How The Discipline Of Food Design Aims To Change The Industry
Image Source: Morphing Matter Lab, Carnegie Mellon University
Over the past decade, the nascent discipline of Food Design has come into its own. There is now a magazine, MOLD, devoted to Food Design; an International Food Design Society; and you can obtain a master's degree in Food Design. This new discipline bridges the gap between the food products you see in stores and various disciplines like psychology, biology, genetics, anthropology, sociology, agriculture, environmental science, nutrition, engineering, and culinary arts. Perfect for design-minded food lovers!
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