Tag: Culinary myths

Over a decade after Charlie Sheen first claimed to have "tiger blood" in a 2011 interview, search interest in what the enigmatic substance actually tastes like remains high. The surprising truth is that the "tiger blood" people often refer to is a popular shaved ice syrup, not the blood of an actual tiger.

While culinary traditions from soufflés to custards have combined milk and eggs for centuries, some popular beliefs, particularly from traditional medicine like Ayurveda, suggest the combination can cause digestive issues. This has led many to question: is it okay to mix milk and eggs?.

Fresh truffles are surprisingly low in calories, with most varieties containing only about 30-35 calories per 100 grams, debunking the common misconception that this delicacy is a caloric indulgence.

Despite a long-standing culinary myth often attributed to Italian tradition, it is perfectly safe and often delicious to pair fish and cheese. The historical reasons for this avoidance are rooted in taste, not danger, and modern cuisine is full of innovative dishes where you can eat fish and cheese together.

In Ayurveda, combining milk and meat is considered 'Viruddha Ahara' or an incompatible food combination. This ancient wisdom offers one of several historical and cultural explanations for why not drink milk with meat, a practice that has persisted across different societies for centuries.

The habit of rinsing pasta is thought to stem from a time when lower-quality pastas were prone to clumping, a problem largely absent with modern, high-quality durum wheat varieties. This has led to a widespread culinary myth that stripping your cooked pasta of its starchy coating is a best practice.

A common culinary myth suggests that rinsing pasta makes it healthier by washing away excess starch. However, Italian chefs and food scientists disagree, stating that rinsing pasta is almost always a bad idea for hot, sauced dishes but can be beneficial in certain cold preparations.

According to the USDA, any vegetable labeled a “yam” must also be accompanied by the term “sweet potato,” acknowledging a long-held inaccuracy. This is because a sweet potato is actually not a yam at all, despite common culinary confusion and mislabeling in the United States.

According to the USDA, a three-ounce serving of New York Strip steak contains 23 grams of protein. This nutritional detail is key to understanding the popular query, "Is New York a lean meat?" which is based on a culinary misunderstanding confusing a famous city with a cut of beef.

Despite the popular myth that all alcohol cooks off during heating, studies show a portion always remains. So, what happens if you add alcohol to food, from a culinary perspective? It's a complex process that profoundly impacts a dish's flavor, aroma, and even texture.