Corn syrup is a liquid sweetener formed as a liquid alternative to sucrose. Used in various beverages and foods for promoting sweetness and flavors. It is used in baked goods for browning and moisture retention. Corn syrup is considered as an alternative to sucrose due to its stability in beverages and acidic foods. Being used as a sweetener, its excessive consumption becomes a major health problem. It is food syrup which is made from corn starch known as maize in some countries and possess various amounts of maltose and higher oligosaccharides that depends on grade. Corn syrup is also called…

Maize is known as corn in some English speaking countries. It is a large grain tamed by indigenous people in prehistoric times in Mesoamerica. Leafy stalk forms ears containing grain which are known as kernels. The kernels are used as a starch in cooking. Six major types of maize are flint, dent, popcorn, pod, sweet and flour. Blue corn is a flint maize variety cultivated in Southwestern United States and Mexico called tlacoyo. Originally, it was developed by Hopi and remains as a vital part of Hopi dishes such as piki bread. It is a predominant of New Mexican cuisine…

Cinnamon is the oldest and well known spices that have been used for centuries in several cultures. It was used as carminative and stomachic for gastrointestinal problems and other ailments. Cinnamon bread is a soft white loaf featuring lovely spiral cinnamon sugar inside. This plain white bread is used for stuff and sandwiches. Precautions People allergic to cinnamon should avoid it. How to Eat Toast the slice and smeared with butter. Recipe Cinnamon Raisin Bread MAKES 1 LOAF, 9 SLICES This is the kind of bread that begs to be slathered. All sorts of spreadables qualify, depending on one’s…

Potato bread is a wheat bread accompanying mashed potatoes worked into dough. This bread has wonderful crust and light but firm structure having generous craggly holes made for fantastic toast. It is a form of bread in which potato or potato flour take over a portion of regular wheat flour. It is cooked in various ways such as baking on pan or hot griddle or in an oven. It might be unleavened or leavened and has various other ingredients baked into it. The ratio of potato to wheat flour differs from recipe to recipe significantly with some recipes have majority…

Semolina is a granular endosperm product created by milling of durum wheat used to make pasta, hot breakfast cereal, couscous and baby food. Semolina has quality parameters which determine suitability for making pasta are granulation, moisture, sand, colour, gluten quality, ash content, cooking test, falling number and speck count. Brown and black specks in Semolina appear as undesirable flecks in finished pasta. Specks caused by germ, bran, discolored wheat kernels, diseased wheat seeds, foreign materials and stones escaping cleaning or purifying process are noted as contaminants in finished pasta. The term semolina also refers to sweet dessert prepared from milk…

Noodles are staple foods in many Asian countries. Instant noodles are internationally well-known food and the consumption worldwide is on the top. Instant noodles have properties such as nutrition, taste, safety, convenience, reasonable price and longer shelf life makes it popular. Noodles are unleavened dough which is stretched, rolled fat or extruded and cut into one of variety of shapes. It is made from wheat flour, water, starch, salt or kansui and other ingredients which enhance the flavor and texture of noodled being cooked partially by steaming and cooked further or dehydrated by deep frying process. Instant noodles are precooked…

Eggs are few foods used throughout the world unconcerned religion and ethnic group. Chicken egg is one of the biological items in nature and regarded as a great source of lipids, protein, minerals and vitamins. The consumption of egg in developed countries due to high fat and cholesterol content. Eggs have three main components such as yolk (30-33%), egg white (60%) and eggshell (9-12%). Egg white is a clear and thick liquid which surrounds yellow yolk of an egg. Usually egg whites are made of 10% protein and 90% water. In chickens it forms from the layer of secretions of…

The cooking oil which is extracted from cotton plant seeds of various species especially Gossypium herbaceum and Gossypium hirustum, usually cultivated for animal feed, cotton fiber and oil. This oil has similar structure to other oils extracted from kernel. The cottonseed contains 30-38% kernel and 15-20% kernel depending on quality of seed or species. The quality of oil differs from season to season and place to place. Basically, the oil’s quality is high in dry seasons and low when seeds are exposed to wet weather in fields and stored or handled with high moisture. The crude cottonseed oil has better…

Yogurt is a fermented milk product which offers digested lactose and viable bacterial strains such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophiles. It is a great source of various essential nutrients such as potassium, calcium, protein, vitamin B12 and B2 and phosphorus. Greek yogurt is a strained yogurt which is extensively strained to discard whey and lactose resulting thicker textured yogurt by preserving distinctive sour taste of yogurt. Similar to other yogurt, Greek yogurt is made from milk enriched by boiling off some water content or adding powdered milk and extra butterfat. In North America and Europe, it is made with…

Snails are largest Mollusk subgroup containing 10,000 species and 400 living families. Globally they are distributed in every habitat, under water and on land. Most aquatic and marine animals are benthic in which few are swimmers. It encompasses myriad of lifestyles from predators to algae grazers and incredible diversity of form. Usually the shell is coiled but not always in the right handed direction. An operculum is also present sometimes, a door that fits in opening of coiled valve and shutting animal inside for defense. Some snails have entire shell internal and are covered with skin. The groups which lack…

Strombus gigas commonly known as queen conch is a large, marine and gastropod mollusk. Most of the mollusks including queen conch belongs to class Gastropoda and the name was translated from Latin as stomach foot. Other mollusks include clams, oysters, squid and octopus. The word mollusks are derived from Latin word molluscs which means soft. Mollusks belong to the phylum of invertebrates with more than 100000 known species. Queen conch is soft bodied animal having external and spiral shaped shell with interior glossy pink or orange. They live in sand, coral reef and seagrass bed. Generally, it is found in…

Frog is the member of carnivorous group of short bodied and tailless amphibians in order Anura. They are distributed widely ranging from tropics to subarctic regions but the highest diversity is in tropical rainforests. About 4800 species are recorded accounting over 85% of extant amphibian species. Generally an adult frog is characterized by stout body, cleft tongue, protruding eyes and strong webbed hind feet. It has smooth and moist skins. Frog legs are considered to be the best delicacy of Chinese and French cuisine. It is also consumed in various parts of world namely Thailand, Vietnam, Northern Italy, Indonesia, Albania,…

Jellyfish is carnivorous feeding variety of planktonic species such as crustaceans, molluscs, copepods and young worms. Plankton is taken in a layer of mucus covering jellyfish. The body of jellyfish has tiny hair like structures producing currents by beating. Currents transfers captured plankton towards edge of bell where it is discarded with arms and passed to mouth. Tentacles around margins of bell or arms bear stinging cells that are used occasionally for catching other prey and small fishes. They have separate sexes and fertilization is occurred internally. The sperm is taken into female body by mouth. Fertilized eggs are subjected…

Nile tilapia scientifically known as Oreochromis niloticus is a tilapia species inherent to Africa from Egypt south to East and Central Africa and as far west as Gambia. Commercially, it is known as Baringo tilapia, Cichlid, Edward tilapia, Mango fish, Mozambique tilapia, Nile mouthbreeder, Nile mouthbrooder, Nile tilapia, Nilotica, Suguta tilapia, Tilapia and Turkana tilapia. Due to its ability to tolerate various environmental conditions, successful reproductive strategies, fast growth and ability to feed various trophic levels, this species is favored among aquaculturists. Some traits allow it to be successful invasive species in temperate and subtropical environments. Being a freshwater fish,…

Yellowtail kingfish having scientific name as Seriola lalandi is a pelagic marine piscivore found in various parts of Indo-Pacific abundantly near New Zealand. Although this species is widely distributed, little is known about early life history. In fact the spawning areas are not understood properly and it is challenging to collect larvae or juveniles from open sea. It belongs to family Jack or Caragidae, collectively known as pámpanos and jureles in Mexico. It is also called Yellowtail Jack. There are about nine members in Seriola genus, six are found in Mexican waters, two in Pacific, three in Atlantic and this…

Spot fish is a saltwater fish, short lived belonging to Sciaenidae family. This species inhabit in estuary and coastal waters from Massachusetts to Texas and the name is derived from important dark spot behind each gill. They are caught frequently by recreational anglers. Its diet comprises of organic detritus, worms and small crustaceans. When fishing, bloodworms are used for luring spot fish. This fish is a natural prey for flounder, striped bass, dog fish, sandbar shark, red drum, puppy drum, weak fish, spotted seatrout, black drum, King mackerel, Atlantic mackerel, barracuda, Spanish mackerel, black sea bass, cobia, barracuda, dolphin, tarpon…

The Ocean pout scientifically known as Zoarces americanus, are the fish of Zoarcidae family having the body resembling eel-like or blenny-like of 3½ feet (42 inches) long. An upper body is muddy yellow to mottled reddish brown which blends to dirty white or yellowish underbody. It have continuous dorsal fin running from nape of neck back to tail fin. The anal fin starts from mid body running back towards tail fin connecting to it. They have wide and gaping mouth having thick and fleshy lips or armed jaws with blunt, strong and conical teeth. The body is deep and eight…

Tilefish is a small perciform marine fish which comprises family Malacanthidae. Usually it is found in sandy areas near coral reefs. The two subfamilies are different morphologically with members of Branchiosteginae acquiring deep bodies, large subterminal mouths and large heads. The members of Malacanthinae are slender having smaller heads, elongated bodies and terminal mouths. The size of tilefish ranges from 11 cm to 125 cm in size weighing 30 kg. Subfamilies have long anal and dorsal fins, latter with one or two spines. Gill covers have one spine which is blunt or sharp. Species have cutaneous ridge atop head. Tail…

Swordfish, also called broadbills, are large and highly migratory or predatory fish identifying by long and flat bill. It is a well-known billfish category though elusive. It is round-bodied, elongated and lose all teeth or scales by adulthood. It is widely found in temperate and tropical parts of Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and typically found from near surface to depth of 550 m (1,800 ft). Usually, it measures 3 m (9.8 ft) in length and the maximum length reported is 4.55 m (14.9 ft) weighing 650 kg (1,430 lb) in weight. It is the exclusive member of family Xiphiidae.…

Surimi, also called imitation crab is made from white fish with mild taste such as Pacific Whiting and Alaskan Pollock. The flavor resembles shrimp, crab, other shellfish and lobster. It is convenient and has longer shelf life and as it is cooked during processing, it is easy to use. It is used in sushi such as California rolls and seafood salads and ceviche. It is a paste made from other meat and fish. Various recipes use surimi as their fundamental ingredient. It could be found in many forms, shapes and textures and also resemble color and texture of meat of…

Lepomis gibbosus, commonly known as pumpkinseed sunfish have laterally compressed and deep body. It has brassy yellow to olive green sides covering densely with spots of bright copper and gold. In adults, opercle flat has different crimson spot in half moon shape on rear edge. The pale spot in young pumpkinseeds opercle flat differs them from Centrarchidae. Pumpkinseeds has 35-43 lateral line scales, dorsal fin with 10-11 soft rays, 9-10 anal fin soft rays and 12-14 pectoral fin rays. Young ones have vertical chainlike bands down its sides having dark vertical bars between primary bands. It inhabits dense vegetation to…

Sturgeons are the member of Acipenseridae family including two dozen different species. Generally, sturgeons are solitary which spends number of years at sea before they return to a river where they were born for breeding. Females lay from 200000 to 6 million eggs which are sticky that attaches to gravel substrate. Throughout spawning migration, mature individuals do not eat. When the juveniles grow, it begins to migrate downstream and an adult fish before reaching sexual maturity spend 7-8 years at sea. Scientifically known as Acipenser sturio, European sea sturgeon is a sturgeon species found on coasts of Europe. This species…

Lecithin is a fat which is required in cells of the body. It could be found in foods such as egg yolks. It is used as medicine and used for manufacturing medicines. It is useful for treating memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia as well as other problems such as liver disease, gallbladder disease, high cholesterol, certain types of depression, skin disease and anxiety. The generic term is designate to any group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in plant and animal tissues which are amphiphilic attracting both water and fatty substances. It is used to smoothen food textures,…

Osmerus mordax is a fish species belonging to Osmeridae. The distribution is circumpolar and has been introduced to Great Lakes and it made its way to various other places. Trout, walleye and other larger fish prey on these smelt. Their diets prefer juvenile ciscoes and zooplankton such as calanoid copepods and other small organisms but will consume any fish they find. Rainbow smelt are anadromous spring spawners and prefer clean streams with light siltation and light flow. They face various barriers. Being weak swimmers, they could not overcome most fish ladders. It prevents making past dams to headwater streams where…

Sheepshead fish is a deep bodied and compressed fish which reaches 91 cm (35.8 inches) long and weighs 9.6 kg (21.2 pounds). Behind head, the back is elevated which is deep and sloping in profile. It has short snout with mouth inferior or nearly horizontal. An anterior tooth is incisor like having posterior molars set further back. On lower limb of first gill arch, there are 6 to 7 gill rakers on lower limb. It has finely serrate scales. It has single dorsal fin and the spinous portion of which is more elongated in comparison to soft portion. There are…

Shark is a group of elasmobranch fish featured by cartilaginous skeleton, 5 to 6 gills slits on sides of head and pectoral fins are not fused to head. They are classified within clade Selachimorpha (or Selachii) and are sister group to rays. The word shark is used for extinct members of subclass Elasmobranchii such as Xenacanthus and Cladoselache, as well as other Chondrichthyes such as the holocephalid eugenedontidans. The earliest known sharks date back to 420 million years ago. Sharks have been diversified into more than 500 species. It ranges in size from small dwarf Etmopterus perryi (dwarf lanternshark), a…

Alosa sapidissima, commonly known as American shad, is an anadromous fish that belongs to Clupeidae family and Alosa genus. In North America, there other five species of shad yet Alosa sapidissima is closely associated to European than any of these. It is thought to have evolved from ancestor of European radiation. It spends most of its lives at sea consuming plankton and maturing in large schools. After 3 to 5 years, it makes a spring migration to spawn in their freshwater birth river. In North Carolina, most shad dies after spawning yet shad resides in more northern regions that migrates…

Flathead grey mullet with scientific name Mugil cephalus, could be found in tropical, subtropical & temperate rivers, coastal waters and estuaries. It has flat head, two dorsal fins and torpedo shaped body. This fish has darker, greenish brown back and silver underside. Sometimes, it has dark stripes along their sides. It becomes sexually mature around 2 years old i.e. 32 to 50 cm long. It migrates offshore to spawn in large groups then larvae settles in shallow estuary habitats. As the fish grows in size or maturity, they move to deeper waters. Primarily, it feeds on plankton, detritus and use…

Some flatfish are fished commercially such as sole, flounder, plaice, turbot and halibut. They swim sideways. It hides on an ocean floor resting for prey. It has the ability for dynamic camouflage that is under nervous control and could change in real time. It has some features that suit its lifestyle. It has got both eyes on one side of head meaning upper side; one or other migrates through or around the head during development. Some species face its left sides upward or some has their right sides upward and others face their either side upward. Flatfish belongs to the…

Alpodinotus grunnies is a fish which is native to North and Central America. It is also known from other names such as Shepherd’s pie, Perch, Gray bass, Silver bass, Gasper goo, Gaspergou, Gou, Grunter, Grunt, Grinder, Croaker, Wuss fish, Sheephead and Sheepshead. It is the member of Scianidae family and is a only North American member of group which inhabits freshwater for its life. The generic name “Aplodinotus” is derived from Greek which means single back and “grunniens” is derived from Latin word which means grunting. The name is given to it due to the grunting noise which is made…