The onion – nothing to cry about It looks so small and harmless, but it has a sharp bite. Many a strong man has burst into tears at the very sight of it. It can put its enemies to flight without the slightest effort. For cooks in a hurry, and for all who would prefer not to engage in battle with an onion, there is a range of ready-made products: onion flakes, fried onions, onion powder, onion soup or onion salt. But those who are not prepared to do without the aroma of a fresh onion will just have to put up with the tears. Or perhaps not? Read this article The onion – secret power-pack for the kitchen If it didn’t exist, it would have to be invented – no other vegetable has such an unmistakable influence on the taste of so many different dishes as the onion. Whether raw, steamed, boiled, shallow-fried or deep-fried – the onion gives our everyday culinary creations that inimitable extra “pep”. Although the taste of the onion remains discreetly in the background in many dishes, the fact remains – there’s no culinary life without the onion. Read this article From Udder to Cooling Shelf – the Tricks of Milk Processing Already shortly after we are born, we make the first contact with a delicious and nutritious beverage – breast milk. For many people, this is where a life-long passion for milk begins, impressive 500 million tons of milk are produced worldwide every year. From udder to cooling shelf the milk passes more processes than can be imagined on the first sight. Read this article "Two scoops of glacial snow with honey and rose water, please!" Imagine a beautiful hot summer without having some ice-cream from time to time. Doesn’t it sound hardly bearable? It was for a good reason that ice-cream was invented in the antiquity already, but without freezers ice-cream was an laborious and expensive pleasure in those days. Today, there are many different varieties of ice-cream. Here you can learn how they all are made... Read this article Chocolate, the sweetest thing Can you imagine life without chocolate? Possible not. The irresistibility of chocolate is widely acknowledged in the Western world. Chocolate has a sweet taste together with a fatty texture – two characteristics which satisfy our innate eating preferences – and it is the combination of these two characteristics that gives chocolate its unique melt-in-the-mouth sensation... Read this article Baking – A light and fluffy tale (Part 2) Baking powder, or how an emergency solution offered the perfect solution After a great deal had been done over the years to improve the performance of yeasts, there was suddenly a shortage of flour about 150 years ago, resulting in a shortage of bread. This presented a problem because when yeast makes the dough rise, it breaks down the flour in the process. The search for an alternative to yeast led to the discovery of a substance which has since become indispensable for baking. Read this article Baking – A light and fluffy tale (Part 1) The history of baking started more than 6,000 years ago with a gruel made of wild cereal grains, which was then dried and baked on flat (or even round) stones. The further technical development of baking, culminating in modern mass-production bakeries, is one part of this history – but the important thread running throughout is the constant effort to improve the consistency of the dough and its baking characteristics... Read this article Salami – what it is and how it’s made Salami on pizza is for some people what tomato sauce on noodles is for others. There is surely nothing to beat the aroma and taste of a salami pizza straight out of the oven! But do you know what salami really is? Read this article The most cheerful "Kraut" you ever met If Popeye had known what we are going to tell you about in this month’s article, he would have switched straightaway from spinach to sauerkraut. "Sour cabbage" is full of surprises. Or did you know that sauerkraut was one of the earliest food preserves anywhere in the world, or that sailors used sauerkraut to protect themselves against a vitamin deficiency disease called scurvy, or that the sour taste is produced by bacteria? Read this article From Love Apple to High-Tech Product – How the Tomato got into the Ketchup Tomatoes can be found almost anywhere and in any form. As tomato puree or tomato juice, in sauces, in ketchup, dried, preserved, pressed, diced, or just plain sliced in sandwiches or salads... Read this article Sweetening without sugar Last month we had a lot to say about sugar, the way it is produced, and the various products made from it. But from the chemical point of view sugar is not just sugar, and things can even be sweetened without sugar. Surprised? And, if need be, sugar can be replaced by sugar substitutes or sweeteners... Read this article Edible Crystals Sometimes it glistens in the sun like crystals, sometimes it looks like glass or flour. From a distance you could mistake it for snow, and in the kitchen you might possibly confuse it with salt. It is packed full with energy, and can sweeten many sad moments. Have you any idea what it might be? Read this article ...can you taste the difference? Gummi-bears taste so different because the manufacturers have added what are known as "flavours" or "flavourings". These flavours are present not only in gummi-bears but also in many another tasty items such as yoghurt, potato crisps, popcorn, ketchup or chocolate, and also, of course, in ice and cola and orangeade... Read this article "Ursulinus elasticus vulgaris" Animals too sweet to resist: Gummi bears Even animal rights activists are helpless, they take advantage of harmless little bears. No wonder – as innocent children theywere positively encouraged by "wicked" aunts and well-meaning grannies to devour them by the dozen. The promising crackle of plastic bags when these visiting ladies made their way through their immense handbags... Read this article "Everybody say cheeeese" What’s your favourite way to eat cheese? Melted on a hamburger, or as a tasty crust on top of a baked dish, or just as it is on bread or toast? There are any number of ways... Read this article Party snacks - or revenge is salty An absolute "must" for any party: salt sticks, peanut flips and – most important - crisps! What they all have in common is that they’re salty and crunchy, with a hig eat-till-the-bag-is-empty factor. But how are these popular munchies produced? Read on for the various methods used and the stories about how it all began... Read this article Probiotic yoghurts – one intestine helps another "Contains probiotic cultures". In recent years these words have started to appear very often on yoghurt pots. More and more of these new products are to be found on the cold shelves, and they are said to be particularly healthy. But what’s the story behind them? Read this article Soyabeans everywhere! (Part 2) A look at the list of ingredients in biscuits, margarine, package soups or chocolate bars will show very clearly that soybeans have a well-established place in our daily diet. Read this article Soyabeans everywhere! (Part 1) Do you know what soybeans are? Of course you do! And you certainly know already that tofu, soya sauce and soya milk are made of soybeans. Read this article Medicine to get your teeth into - the super-plus carrot Carrots are good for the eyes. You don’t believe it? Well, have you ever seen a rabbit with glasses? Read this article Bt, a secret agent sent out to save the potato Sea-rovers, French fries and a voracious beetle Read this article