Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Hardness
A measure (in ppm) of the presence of calcium, magnesium, etc. in water which form insoluble precipitates with soap. A quality of water containing certain substances, especially soluble salts of calcium and magnesium. These react with soaps, forming insoluble compounds that are precipitated out of solution, thus interfering with their cleansing action.
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Habanero chiles
Explosively hot chiles, green when young, orange and red when ripe, with a fresh floral flavor.
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Gustatory
The sensation of taste. Pertaining to taste.
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Gumming
Formation and accumulation of a fat insoluble sticky material resulting from continued heating of oils. It is produced by oxidation and polymerization of the oil and represents oil breakdown products which collect on the heating surfaces.
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Gumbo
A rich, thick soup usually thickened with okra. Although the okra used in gumbo makes that soup extremely thick and gummy, gummy is not the source of gumbo. Gum and gummy derive from a Greek source, whereas gumbo comes from Bantu, an African language. The Bantu word for okra, ochinggombo, was brought to America, along…
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Guar gum
A stabilizer, thickener and emulsifier. A polysaccharide made of galactose and mannose and used as a food thickener, e.g., in ice cream. It is derived from an Asian bean, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba. A viscous substance that functions as a thickener, emulsifier, and stabilizer, is produced by grinding guar beans. This legume, also referred to as a…
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Guajillo dried chiles
Moderately hot, dried chiles with a smooth, brownish-red skin that is tangy with a citrus apricot taste.
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Guacamole
A dip made with mashed avocados, mixed with onions, chiles, lemon juice, cilantro, salt and chopped tomato. Served with tortilla chips, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, potato skins, or eaten by itself as a salad. Although avocado has been used in English since the seventeenth century, guacamole, the name of a green paste made from avocados, did…
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Grits
Broken cereal grains, mostly white corn. Although grits have become a culinary tradition in the southern United States, both the dish and its name were familiar in England long before Europeans had even heard of the New World. The ultimate source of grits was an Indo-European word pronounced something like greut, meaning to crush or…
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Grind
To crush to small particles by putting through a grinder or by putting through a mill with a sharp blade or by reducing in size as in a food processor. The act of refining food until it reaches an extremely fine, nearly powdered consistency.
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