WHAT IS TILAPIA? This freshwater native is, along with tuna and salmon, among the most popular fish on dinner plates today. The secret behind their success is a combination of having a bland, non-threatening flavor and being less expensive then most other seafood. This swimming entree is a hardy creature that can survive crowded conditions […]
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ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Clam
WHAT IS A CLAM? It’s a popular name for several different types of fresh and saltwater bivalve mollusks. They have 2 adductor muscles, 1 on each shell that allow them to open and close at “painful for your fingers” speeds. Clams feed mostly on plankton and live in groups beneath the sand. Some breeds can […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Cherry
WHAT IS A CHERRY? They are small, round stone fruits that range in color from yellow to red to black. Available in both a sweet and sour variety, in order for this tree to flower it needs a minimum of 800 hours of “winter” (temperatures under 45 Farenheit / 7 Celsius). And these trees can […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Red Onion
WHAT IS A RED ONION? Onion bulbs in general are basically the underground base of the plant stem. As daylight hours lengthen (past 6), the plant stops making leaves and starts devoting resources to the bulb which swells. These red violet vegetables in particular are the mildest and sweetest of the onion family. This […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Eggplant
WHAT IS AN EGGPLANT? Even though most people call it a vegetable, eggplants are actually a berry fruit. These dark purple oblongs, like their nightshade cousin the tomato, grow on the vine. With a thick skin and pale, sponge-like flesh, eggplants look ominous but are actually quite healthy. The first plants, in their quest for global […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Swordfish
WHAT IS A SWORDFISH? These large marine predators are fearsome solitary hunters with a lifespan of about 10 years. Also known as broadbills due their broadsword of a nose, they ironically lose all their teeth by adulthood. Swordfish normally grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) in length (though the females are larger then the […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – White Onion
WHAT IS A WHITE ONION? The most innocent looking of the Allium cepa family, these baseball size bulbs have thinner skins and are more fragile then their pungent cousins. Vidalias in particular are one of the more popular varieties. Whites in general are considered to be “sweet” due to their higher sugar content. And thinly […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Iceberg Lettuce
WHAT IS ICEBERG LETTUCE? Perhaps the least respected of the lettuce family, this steakhouse salad staple is one of the less perishable leafy greens. A member of the daisy family, they can grow up to 1 foot in diameter in about 3 months. Also known as crisphead lettuce, it has a crunchy mouthfeel unique among […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Romaine Lettuce
WHAT IS ROMAINE LETTUCE? This member of the lettuce family grows in a taller, thinner style versus the tubby ball shapes of iceberg or cabbage. It is a much more heat tolerant plant allowing it easily spread to different climates. Originally an Italian delicacy, Romaine was introduced to Western Europe via its namesake Rome. However […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Honeydew Melon (Casaba)
WHAT IS A HONEYDEW? This fruit, also known as a honey, musk or White Antibe melon, is a descendant of the gourd family. It’s oval in shape, grows up to about half a foot (20 cm) in length and can weigh up to 6 pounds (2.7 kg). While originally from West Africa, Christopher Columbus introduced […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Halibut
WHAT IS A HALIBUT? This pancake of a fish is famous for being flat with both eyes on top. They live on the bottom of the ocean floor and so their unique shape offers obvious evolutionary advantages. Capable of growing to almost 9 feet (2.7 m) in length, their great size has lead to their […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PASTA – Pizzoccheri
WHAT IS PIZZOCCHERI? If buckwheat pasta had a name, it would be called, well, buckwheat pasta. But the most famous among them would be pizzoccheri! This flat ribbon cut is in the tagliatelle family. The name comes from pinzochero or “bigot”. No, pizzoccheri isn’t racist or anti-Semitic. Back then use of the word bigot had a […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Zucchini (Courgette)
WHAT IS A ZUCCHINI? This green squash, while technically a fruit, is treated as a savory vegetable. The name comes from either the Italian word “zucchino” (undeveloped marrow) or an abbreviation of the word for squash. It’s been cultivated in Central America and Mexico for over 7,000 years. This means that eating zucchini pre-dates the […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Carrot
WHAT IS A CARROT? This root vegetable is a taper that comes in a variety of colors (red, white, blue, purple), but is most often orange. Carrots take 3 to 4 months to reach their full size. They grow best when planted next to companion plants that are fragrant like onions and leeks. Popular in […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Black Truffle
WHAT IS A BLACK TRUFFLE? It is the most famous member of the Tuber melanosporum family of fungi. Unlike mushrooms though, truffles grow completely below ground. While a black truffle might look a bit like a potato (another tuber), they certainly don’t cost the same. In France’s Perigord and Provence regions, eating them is said to […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MUSHROOMS – Shiitake
WHAT IS A SHIITAKE MUSHROOM? This Japanese mushroom is named after the tree (shii) that it originally grew on. They grow on average to 2 to 4 inches in size on decaying hardwood trees. Today they are one of the most popular mushrooms in the world due to their smoky and meaty flavor. Already ten […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Broccoli
WHAT IS BROCCOLI? This infamous member of the cabbage family is a giant bundle of flowers similar to cauliflower in appearance. Popular in Italy for over 2,000 years, the name comes from the word “broccolo” or “flowering crest.” When first imported into England in the 1700s it was initially called Italian asparagus. In general broccoli […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Blowfish (Pufferfish)
WHAT IS A BLOWFISH? So named as it’s one of the only fish in the sea capable of performing oral sex. While this is completely untrue, puffer fish will in fact go to amazing lengths to get laid. They’ll spend days meticulously building “love nests” with which to seduce potential mates. To be fair, things […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Idaho Potato (Russet)
WHAT IS AN IDAHO POTATO? This tuber is not just an escapee from the Mid-West, it’s also a brilliant marketing campaign. Basically the Idaho potato is a trademarked Russet potato that’s only grown in Idaho. While this state grows over 2 dozen other types of potatoes, none of them are named “Idaho.” Think of Idaho […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Sweet Potato (Boniato)
WHAT IS A SWEET POTATO? This tuber favors warmer, tropical climates. It has been a Central American favorite for over 5,000 years! While they might be named after potatoes and have similar nutritional benefits, sweet potatoes are not from the same vegetable family. The main difference between the two is that sweet potatoes have 6 […]
