I’m glad to not be the first to say ‘worms’. Looks like fried maggots to me, but I have no doubt that I would not leave one grain of that left in the dish. It’s gotta be scrumptious. I want.
Mealworm is said to be very good, though. Rich on proteins low on carb and fat. I am not sure if I could stomach it, however. How is your project doing connecting the different ingredients by the proximity of their flavour components?
I was thinking about it and thought there is most likely a lot of truth in your findings. If you think of molecular cuisine, or how that is called, there you should have a wide playing field. However, I still think that the mental component in deciding if or of not we like something is much stronger than the chemical one.
Eating insects is a nice example for it, isn’t it. The flavour chemistry might point to a great combination with, say, chocolate. I doubt, however, that you will find a lot of people who would be willing even to try it or to admit that it tastes well.
Our acquired knowledge of what tastes well and what should be avoided is heavily influenced by our culture. But originally it must have been a biological mechanism to secure our survival. Similar to animals who learn from their mothers which leaves to eat and which other animals to avoid.
Edgar Müller , so much for my fledgling attempts at food photography! 🙂 Fascinating stuff on the nutritional value of insects, I’m sure, but I’m a vegetarian! Did you know that a religious sect in India, called the Jains, practice an extreme form of vegetarianism where the monks cover their mouths with cloth and do not eat after dusk for fear of inadvertently ingesting an insect?! How strange we all are..the ones who eat mealworms and the ones who do not! 🙂
madame scientist's not-so-mad musings 
worms?????
LOL, sauteed onion rings. Black (wild) rice mixed with basmati.
Ah OK – It’s the rice that looks like worms. Fascinating.
FYI, we strive to make long grained rice more worm-like by presoaking it in water for about 20 min. This lengthens the grain.
Why? No clumps?
Just because the longer grain is considered prettier. It does become more fragile, so no energetic stirring 🙂
I’m glad to not be the first to say ‘worms’. Looks like fried maggots to me, but I have no doubt that I would not leave one grain of that left in the dish. It’s gotta be scrumptious. I want.
LOL, thank you, Joe Repka . I’ll avoid the close up next time 🙂
Mealworm is said to be very good, though. Rich on proteins low on carb and fat. I am not sure if I could stomach it, however. How is your project doing connecting the different ingredients by the proximity of their flavour components?
I was thinking about it and thought there is most likely a lot of truth in your findings. If you think of molecular cuisine, or how that is called, there you should have a wide playing field. However, I still think that the mental component in deciding if or of not we like something is much stronger than the chemical one.
Eating insects is a nice example for it, isn’t it. The flavour chemistry might point to a great combination with, say, chocolate. I doubt, however, that you will find a lot of people who would be willing even to try it or to admit that it tastes well.
Our acquired knowledge of what tastes well and what should be avoided is heavily influenced by our culture. But originally it must have been a biological mechanism to secure our survival. Similar to animals who learn from their mothers which leaves to eat and which other animals to avoid.
Edgar Müller , so much for my fledgling attempts at food photography! 🙂 Fascinating stuff on the nutritional value of insects, I’m sure, but I’m a vegetarian! Did you know that a religious sect in India, called the Jains, practice an extreme form of vegetarianism where the monks cover their mouths with cloth and do not eat after dusk for fear of inadvertently ingesting an insect?! How strange we all are..the ones who eat mealworms and the ones who do not! 🙂
Some people really don’t get away from the farm ….