Let's learn to taste, again!

A campaign has been launched to encourage consumers to take the time to taste their food after scientific research showed 79% of people were unable to identify even basic sandwiches and just 28% of a national poll admitted to savouring their food.

Busy, stressed workers are being encouraged to reawaken their taste buds by a leading psychologist after 60% of the population admitted to ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ tasting what they ate – 1,000 people were polled.

The majority (42%) of British workers admitted to eating at their place of work most days with just 13% leaving their place of work for lunch – almost half (44%) described their lunch as ‘a means to an end’ to refuel their body.

Incredibly, with Britain a multicultural melting pot of global cuisine, awareness levels around food nutrition and healthy eating never higher, and the widest range of great tasting food and flavours at the public’s finger tips, it seems the ability to actually taste food is under threat.

Food brand GLORIOUS! has launched the Flavour Map – a global, online, crowdsourced resource – to inspire as well as re-educate consumers about flavour and taste, as well as unearthing little-known global flavours to launch for the UK market.

The scientific research into the UK’s lunchtime eating habits was commissioned by GLORIOUS! and led by Dr David Lewis with scientists at Mindlab.

Participants were able to only correctly identify 35% of ingredients and most did not detect flavour swaps – 93% were unable to discern beef from Chinese pork, 92% couldn’t tell ham from tuna, 82% could not detect Quorn from chicken, while 78% could not distinguish pork from chicken.

Researchers found that, on average, 79% of people were unable to detect when basic flavours had been swapped, this rose to 88% when people ate whilst distracted, increasing to 93% for people eating under time pressure.

The interactive flavour map – www.gloriousfoods.co.uk/greatflavourmap – a ‘Tripadvisor for taste’ allows the public to pin flavours ‘from around the globe or around the corner’ such as meals, recipes, or natural produce.

Dr David Lewis said:"The abundance of great flavours food experiences have never been more diverse, yet our findings suggest consumers are lazy when it comes to tasting and appreciating their food.

“I doubt there’s ever been such a rich tapestry of food and flavour combinations at our disposal, yet we’re not savouring what we eat, which is not just a shame but a genuine waste of taste.

“Our lunchtime habits in particular show that workers consume food as a means to refuelling the body and most rarely, taste what they’re eating.

“The GLORIOUS! Flavour Map campaign is helping to reawaken taste buds, encouraging consumers to take time out to savour their food and inspire new taste and flavour combinations.

“There’s so much fine produce, ingredients and meals available – from budget to blow-out – that food should be an adventure, yet most consumers are getting lost in the basics of taste exploration.”

A Dozen Top Tips To Wake Up Taste Buds:
1. Eat mindfully by truly focusing on what you are eating. Avoid distractions such as reading, watching TV etc.
2. Set aside time to enjoy the food without rushing. Leave at least 15 minutes for even a snack, a full meal should take 30 minutes of more.
3. Relax when you are eating. Do not keep glancing at your watch or thinking about all you have to do after the meal.
4. Chew the food carefully. Remember that chewing is the first stage of digestion. An enzyme in the saliva starts the process by breaking down the food morsels.
5. Take small mouthfuls. The larger what is termed the food ‘bolus’ the less effectively it is chewed and savoured.
6. Avoid talking while chewing. Not only does it prevent you paying full attention to your food but also causes you to swallow air, leading to a greater risk of embarrassing belches.
7. Efficient chewing not only allow you to savour the taste, aroma and texture of the food but also enables the body to adsorb the nutrients better.
8. Avoid drinking too much while eating. Fluid not only distends the stomach but also dilutes the digestive enzyme in the mouth and essential acid in the stomach.
9. Do not over salt the food. Not only does it spoil the taste but, with some kinds of salt, risks increasing blood pressures.
10. Eat with your eyes as much as your mouth. Anticipating how the food will taste not only adds to your enjoyment of the meal but also triggers the release of enzymes so ensuring good digestion.
11. Leave the food in your mouth for enough time to experience all the aroma. What we think of as taste is mostly smell. The tongue is only receptive to basic tastes, such as sweet and sour, the rest of the enjoyment comes from cells lining the nasal passages. Molecules of food broken down by chewing take time to reach these cells, so slow down and enjoy more.
12. By enjoying the experience of eating you will not only enhance the pleasure you derive from your food but also encourage a greater sense of overall well-being. That old adage ‘you are what you eat’ is not quite true. More accurately you are what you ingest and digest. Both these processes work best when they are allowed to work slowly.
Source: The GLORIOUS! Flavour Map

Dr David Lewis continued: “Apart from denying ourselves the pleasure that savouring tasty, well-cooked and presented food provides, there are other negative consequences of what Dr Brian Wansink has termed ‘mindless eating.’

“Because we eat inattentively the food is often insufficiently and inefficiently chewed. Mastication, the process in which the food in our mouth is broken into smaller fragments and thoroughly mixed with saliva, represents the first stage of digestion. Saliva contains a digestive enzyme essential for the proper absorption of the meal. If this stage is bypassed, as it typically is when consuming food inattentively, the results can range from indigestion and heartburn to an inadequate uptake of essential nutrients from the food.

“Poor mastication also means that we fail to savour and appreciate the true taste and texture of the meal. What we regard as taste is, in fact, mostly smell. As the food morsel is broken up in the mouth, molecules are released which drift upwards to a sense organ known as the olfactory epithelium. It is here that we recognise and enjoy the great taste of most food.

“The tongue itself contains thousands of conical shaped receptors sensitive to touch. It is these which convey the sense of texture that adds so greatly to our enjoyment, provided they are allowed sufficient time to do their work.

“Finally, rapid, ‘mindless’ eating means that the food goes ‘down’ so rapidly that by the time the stomach signals to the brain that it has ‘had enough’ we have, in fact, overeaten. The consequence is that we add unnecessary calories and so put on weight.”

Full Statistics
• 59% of UK workers spend less than 15 minutes eating lunch
• 21% spend just 5-10 minutes eating lunch
• 60% admitted to ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ tasting what they eat
• 42% did not leave their desk during their lunch breaks
• 13% leave their place of work for lunch
• 44% described their lunches as a ‘means to an end’ and a way of keeping hunger at bay
• 20% described their lunches ‘really enjoyable’
• Participants in the scientific experiments correctly identify just 35% of ingredients
• On average, 79% of people were unable to detect when basic flavours had been swapped
• 88% were unable to detect swaps when eating while distracted
• 93% were unable to detect swaps when eating under time pressure
• In specific produce flavour swaps
o 93% were unable to discern beef from Chinese pork
o 92% couldn’t tell ham from tuna
o 82% could not detect Quorn from chicken
o 78% could not distinguish pork from chicken
Source: The GLORIOUS! Flavour Map

The GLORIOUS! product line includes a range of fresh, high quality soups, stews and pasta sauces all developed within its A-Z of Global Flavours ethos.
*Find flavour inspiration at the GLORIOUS Flavour Map: www.gloriousfoods.co.uk/flavourmap

Vegetarian breakfasting with a difference

Wing Yip is helping to dispel the myth that vegetarian breakfasts can never match the meat alternative with some incredible pan-Asian dishes.

To celebrate National Vegetarian Week (NVW) 2012, the UK's top Chinese and Oriental food supplier is highlighting delicious meals to challenge the might of the bacon butty and black pudding.

The focus of this year’s National Vegetarian Week, which runs from Monday 21 May to Sunday 27 May, is breakfast, so veggies can try Yu Tiao, usually known in English as Chinese fried bread sticks.

The long, golden-brown, deep-fried strip of dough is eaten for breakfast in East and South East Asian cuisines and often dipped into hot coffee for a hearty and satisfying first meal of the day. Cooking from scratch is reasonably hassle-free, but for those short on time, Wing Yip offers a quick and delicious frozen version.

Other vegetarian breakfast choices include the Malaysian Paratha, which is a type of flatbread that’s delicious with breakfast staples like omelette or scrambled eggs. Finally, Chinese Man Tao (steamed buns) are fluffy and perfect with hot soy milk.

Mr Wing Yip, founder of Wing Yip, said: “We’re trying to help break the perception that vegetarian breakfasts are a bland alternative to the traditional British fry-up or sausage sandwich.

“With a little imagination, you can create a fantastic meat-free exotic meal to surprise your breakfast guests and get a perfect start to the day.”

Yu Tiao

Ingredients:
• ¾ teaspoon instant yeast
• Two tablespoons of lukewarm water
• One teaspoon of Mai Siam Palm Sugar
• 250 ml water
• One teaspoon of bi-carbonate of soda
• ½ teaspoon of ammonia powder - available from Wing Yip
• ½ teaspoon of alum - available from Wing Yip
• 315 gms bread flour
• One teaspoon pink salt
Method:
1. Mix the yeast, lukewarm water and sugar and set aside for 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Mix the water, bi-carbonate of soda, ammonia powder and alum.
3. Sift the bread flour and pink salt into a mixing bowl then add the two other mixtures and, using a wooden spoon, mix the dough until it is combined.
4. Knead for five minutes and add a little bit more flour if the dough is too sticky to work with.
5. Cover with cling wrap and let the dough proof for two hours. After that, turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface.
6. Sprinkle some flour on the dough and roll it into a long rectangle.
7. Cut into strips that are four centimetres-wide and roughly the length of a chopstick.
8. Place one of the strips one on top of another and leave for five minutes. Then heat vegetable or sesame oil for frying.
9. Press lightly on the two strips of dough with a chopstick. Then hold both ends of the combined dough and lower into hot oil. Deep fry, turning constantly until each it turns puffy and golden brown.

That's Travel: Malmaison launches new menu at its brasseries

That's Travel: Malmaison launches new menu at its brasseries: Malmaison, the luxury boutique hotel brand in the UK, has announced the launch of a new...

The Gate Opens to Brings Exciting Vegetarian Cuisine to Islington

The Gate, London's most successful vegetarian restaurant since 1989, will open in Islington on 1st June 2012, offering diners in North East London the chance to enjoy vegetarian cuisine at its best. The Gate Hammersmith will be temporarily closed for refurbishment on 19th May until 1st October 2012.

The Gate announces the launch of its new restaurant, bringing exciting vegetarian cuisine to diners in North East London. On 1st June The Gate will open in Islington at 370 St Johns Street, introducing a tempting mezze bar menu - perfect to share, and a delicious weekend brunch. The new daily set menu is designed to attract lunchtime and early evening / pre-theatre diners, who can choose 2 or 3 courses at great prices. We will of course also be serving our award winning à la carte.

The Daniel Brothers started trading in Hammersmith in December 1989, knowing nothing about running a restaurant, simply knowing that food should be celebrated. Inspired by their cultural background, they created a menu which blended Indo–Iraqi cooking with traditional Jewish food. Over the years, French and Italian influences have matured their seasonal creative dishes into delicious international cuisine. The Gate has become a successful family-run vegetarian restaurant, recently quoted as London's most popular vegetarian restaurant earlier this year. Michael and Adrian have produced 2 cookbooks and have recently been nominated for other awards, not to mention the back catalogue of amazing reviews.

Michael Daniel’s passion for sourcing ingredients with care and intensifying flavour through careful cooking and unusual food combinations has helped The Gate to become what it is today. “I am delighted to bring exciting vegetarian cuisine to North East London in a fun and relaxed way.” Michael adds “Launching The Gate Islington has given us the added opportunity of refreshing our restaurant in Hammersmith ready for the re-launch on 1st October.”

The Gate Islington is located opposite Sadlers Wells theatre, near Angel underground tube station and will be open on 1st June 2012. The Hammersmith restaurant will be temporarily closed for refurbishment from 19th May, reopening for business as usual on 1st October 2012.

National Vegetarian Week

Going permanently meat-free is not for everyone, but even occasional forays into the veggiesphere could cut costs, boost your health and make you a better cook, claims Cook Vegetarian magazine. Urging non-veggies from all walks of life to experience meals without meat during National Vegetarian Week (21st-27th May 2012), Cook Vegetarian offers more than 500 free recipes on www.cookveg.co.uk to inspire and delight meat-free cooks. Need convincing? Check out Cook Vegetarian's top

4 reasons to put more veggie dishes on the menu:

1 Every little counts for health
When it comes to the benefits of vegetarianism on your body, it isn't just acase of all or nothing. A recent Harvard study found that each extra serving of processed meat per day increased the chance of premature death by 20%, while the World Cancer Research Fund has recommended people limit consumption to 500g (cooked weight) of red meat a week, avoiding processed meat altogether. So, opting for vegetarian recipes just a couple of times a week in place of red meat could contribute significantly to a healthier
lifestyle.

2 Money matters
With food prices still on the rise, where we spend our grocery pounds is more important than ever. While there's no denying that you can eat cheaply without giving up meat, an unprocessed vegetarian diet can't be beaten on cost per serving. Top-notch seasonal vegetables are available at a steal from markets (or you can grow your own for pence); combine with low-cost grains and dried pulses and you have seriously frugal food. For example, a scratch-cooked shepherdess pie made with lentils can cost just 47p per portion for a hearty, balanced meal.

3 It's the future...
With the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation estimating that nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gases are caused by meat production, plus the swathes of rainforest and other rich ecosystems being cleared, and the water needed, to graze livestock and to grow crops to feed them – eating less meat offers one avenue to a more sustainable future. Simply eating less intensively farmed meat on fewer occasions can reduce your carbon footprint, while opting for an entirely plant-based diet (without dairy) is the gold standard of eco-eating.

4 Hugh can... so you can too!
But can a foodie really enjoy and savour vegetarian cuisine? Yes, says Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall one of many TV chefs to champion the meat-free cause in recent months. The former king of carnivores claims that since launching his book River Cottage Veg Every Day, most of his meals contain 'little or no meat' but that he now eats 'better than ever'. Hugh even spent four months entirely without fish or meat to lend weight to his argument that vegetables deserve pride of place on everyone's plate, and was surprised just how much he got out of the experience. So why not take up the vegetarian challenge and expand your foodie horizons too?

DiscountVouchers.co.uk May Deals has Savings on Top Brand Restaurants and Retailers

Voucher codes site announces latest deals for money off at Pizza Express, Debenhams, Clarks and more

DiscountVouchers.co.uk, the website that helps UK consumers save money at over 800 leading stores and suppliers, has this week introduced new deals to get shoppers savings on May dining out and other goods. The voucher codes site has sourced new online vouchers redeemable at leading stores like Clarks and Debenhams plus top pizza chain Pizza Express.

One of the UK's best-known pizza chains is available on a budget through the latest DiscountVouchers.co.uk deals in the shape of Pizza Express. The DiscountVouchers.co.uk website this week offers shoppers newly updated Pizza Express deals which they can use to get hold of great value - deals on show include 2 for 1 + Pizza.

Other top brands and retailers can be had on a budget too this month thanks to DiscountVouchers.co.uk. Among the deals redeemable at hundreds of top stores is a choice of new money off coupons which features deals such as a £25 Sainsbury’s gift card when you buy BT Broadband online, 20% Off Selected Outdoor Toys at Debenhams and Free Delivery & Returns at Clarks.

Doug Scott, managing director of DiscountVouchers.co.uk, commented, “Brits do love a bargain and saving money at top name stores and restaurants is always popular - so we're pleased to help people out right now. These new deals we've sourced this week are perfectly-timed to help people get more for their money this May and through the summer."

DiscountVouchers.co.uk offers consumers money saving deals at major high street brands and specialist retailers, including stores like Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Travelodge, First Choice, lastminute.com and Boden.

For more information visit www.discountvouchers.co.uk

The Ice Man Cometh … with Icely Done's Frozen Cocktail Sticks

Icely Done Havana Club rum and coconut

Icely Done launch six perfectly blended drinks in the form of nostalgic frozen cocktail sticks for home delivery this summer.

Each Icely Done cocktail stick is expertly blended using quality branded spirits and sustainably sourced ingredients to create six tantalising flavours to inject magic into any event, party or any social occasion.

Choose from:
Finlandia grapefruit vodka & Pomegranate
Absolut lemon vodka & Raspberry
Havana Club rum & Coconut
Havana Club 3yr rum & Mango
Campari & Blood Orange
Beefeater gin & Lemon

Created by Lefti Christodoulou, an internationally renowned bartender and drinks' industry professional, Icely Done cocktail sticks are inspired by a Brazilian fresh fruit product sold as a street drink to quench thirsts in hot climates.

“Icely Done cocktail sticks are a stylish, nostalgic and affordable way to instantly serve up an ice cold cocktail for your guests. I’ve mixed each flavour to impart a genuine cocktail experience of superior quality and taste while also being refreshing, mouth-watering and moreish. We freeze our cocktail sticks as soon as we have created the blend so they are free of additives and preservatives and taste just like a good cocktail or blended fresh fruit ice cold shot,” says Lefti.

So, when the hot weather cometh ring the Icely Done Man on 07534 934 744 or order online. Prices start from just £1.50 per cocktail stick based on a minimum order of 20 and are inclusive of VAT. Delivery within the M25 is free with charges applicable outside of the Greater London area. www.icelydone.com

That's Health: Can honey really help you become an Olympic athlet...

That's Health: Can honey really help you become an Olympic athlet...: To help ensure optimum health and fitness this summer Olympic hopefuls Jon Schofield, Liam Heath and Rachel Cawthorn are including a new...

That's Gardening: BBC Gardeners' World Live & BBC Good Food Show Sum...

That's Gardening: BBC Gardeners' World Live & BBC Good Food Show Sum...: It's good to know that kids go free to BBC Gardeners' World Live and the BBC Good Food Show Summer on Family weekend. On Saturday 16th a...

That's Business: New Business Venture For Cornish Chef

That's Business: New Business Venture For Cornish Chef: A new private catering service has been launched by Emily Scott, chef and owner of The Harbour Restaurant in Port Isaac, North Cornwall.  ...