Chef Kumar Chalise : Food Commodities and Their Contribution in Recipes Introduction - BHM -TU-MU-PU -Kathmandu University Handouts

Food Commodities

Commodity is “A product or raw material that can be bought or sold” whereas ingredient is defined as “One of the things from which something is made especially one of the foods that are used together to make a particular dish.”

Food commodity is referred to those materials or items, which are used in cooking that supplies nutrients to human body.

Q. Why is food a commodity?

A. When food—a basic necessity for human health and survival that is currently produced in sufficient quantity to feed everyone in the world a basic nutritious diet—is a commodity, the results are routine hunger, malnutrition, premature deaths, and famines when tight supplies result in exceptionally high prices.

Q. What commodity means?

A. A commodity is a basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other goods of the same type. Commodities are most often used as inputs in the production of other goods or services. When they are traded on an exchange, commodities must also meet specified minimum standards, also known as a basis grade

Vegetables

Vegetables are any edible part of a plant with a savory flavor. The meaning of "vegetable" as "plant grown for food" was not established until the 18th century. Some vegetables can be consumed raw, some may be eaten raw or cooked, and some must be cooked in order to be edible. A few vegetables are often used in desserts and other sweet dishes, such as carrot cake.

Uses of Vegetables in diet

· As an accompaniment

· As pickle and chutneys

· As ingredients in soup

· As ingredients in sauce

· As main dish

· As garnish

Q. What happens if you don't eat vegetables?

A. What really happens if you don't eat your vegetables? Without veggies, you're more prone to digestive disorders such as constipation, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis. Vegetables contain cellulose, which increases stool weight, eases passage, and reduces transit time

Importance of Vegetables in Diet

1. They provide Vitamins (Vitamin A,B,C)

2. They provide mineral elements such as potassium, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, iron

3. Some carbohydrates provide energy

4. Provides proteins from vegetables like pulses, peas, beans and lentils

5. They provide variety, color, flavor and texture in diet

Composition & Nutritive Value

Vegetables have highly water content, which ranges from 70% to 95% as well as other nutrients such as carbohydrate, protein, vitamin and fat. Squashes, in particular, contain a high percentage of water, while potato contains a great deal of starch. Apart from the water, carbohydrate ranks first in quantity, these may be present in the form of starch, cellulose, sugar, sucrose etc. The quantity depends upon the parts of plants from which the vegetables come and the degree of maturity. Protein accounts for about 1% of a vegetable composition but can be as high as 4% in corn and 8% in legumes.

Vegetables are also a useful source of vitamins, which can be varied according to the time of the day, the temperature and when the vegetables were harvested. Sunshine increases the vitamin C in turnip, which also have more vitamin B if harvested in the morning. Cabbage grown at 50°F to 60°F (10°C to 15°C) has a greater concentration of vitamin B and higher nutritive value when freshly harvested.

Food Value

· Root Vegetables: Useful in the diet because they contain starch or sugar for energy, a small but valuable amount of protein, some mineral salts and vitamins, also useful sources of cellulose and water

· Green Vegetables: No food is stored in the leaves, hence little protein and carbohydrate is found, rich in mineral salt and Vitamins, the greener the leaf the larger the quantity of vitamins present, Chief mineral salts are calcium, and iron

Vegetable cookery

ü Reasons for cooking vegetables are to break down their cellulose so that vegetables are more palatable and digestible. Amount of cellulose determines its cooking time.

ü Tends to change the flavor of vegetables. Different methods can make the same vegetables quite different in texture, flavor and vitamin content. e.g.: Raw and cooked beans.

ü Vegetables are cooked to change its taste and texture. E.g.: Fries and Mashed Potatoes.

ü Mild flavored vegetables such as peas, beans, spinach should be cooked as little as possible to retain as much of their original flavors, colors and nutrients as possible.(Vitamin C is the principle vitamin which may be lost while cooking because it is water soluble).

ü The color in the vegetables are changed by different cooking method (e.g. fries and mash potatoes) and chemical reaction (e.g. Cauliflower turns whiter if cooked with little acid/ vinegar).

ü Green vegetables are green because of the presence of chlorophyll which is destroyed by heat and acid.

ü Magnesium is the pigment found in vegetables which is lost while cooking due to which green turns yellowish (do not cook those vegetables for long Duration).

ü Cook green mild flavored vegetables to retain the nutrients, color and desirable texture and flavor using little water.

ü Cook green vegetables in water with the lid off to allow the escape of volatile acids.

ü Once the vegetables are cooked, remove vegetables from cooking water to prevent further cooking.

ü Vegetables with strong flavor may be cooked in a large amount of water to pass strong flavor from the vegetables into the cooking water.(e.g. bamboo shoots, Celery, Leeks, carrots, onions, turnips)

Selection Points

1. The qualities of root vegetables are determined by its firmness. The skin of carrot, turnip, and radish shouldn’t be wrinkled.

2. Onion should have thin and shiny skin with no sprouts.

3. The potatoes should be of regular size, firm and free from soil.

4. Green vegetable should be crisp, fresh and green.

5. Cauliflower should be white & firm.

6. Pea pod should be plump.

7. Cabbage should be compact and heavy for its size.

8. Tomatoes should be firm and bright red with shiny skin.

9. Brinjals should be light for their size, having a shiny and smooth skin

There are few points that have to be considered while preparing and cooking of vegetable.

· Do not let vegetables soak in water unnecessarily.

· Cook or bake vegetables with their skin if possible,

· Keep air- Oxygen away from the vitamin rich vegetables by covering while cooking. Do not stir unnecessarily as it mixes air.

· Cut the vegetables just before cooking.

· Baking powder should not be added while cooking vegetables.

· When preparing frozen vegetables, place directly into the boiling water.

Pigments Color

Chlorophyll Green

Flavones White (Becomes whiter in acid medium)

Carotenoids Yellow/ Orange

Anthocyanin Red

Types of vegetables

Root vegetables: Plant roots (underground part of a plant) used as vegetables. E.g. Carrots, Turnips, Beet root, Radish, Horse radish, Celeriac.

Tubers: Tubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store nutrients. They are used by plants to survive the winter or dry months and provide energy and nutrients for re growth during the next growing season and they are a means of asexual reproduction. Potato, Yam, Manioc, Sweet Potatoes, Artichokes

Bulbs: A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs. E.g. Garlic, Leeks, Onions, Shallots

Leafy Vegetable:Leaf vegetables, also called potherbs, green vegetables, greens, or leafy greens, are plant leaves cooked and eaten as a vegetable. E.g. Lettuce, Cabbage, Spinach, Watercress, Chinese leaves.

Fruits: In the botanical sense, but used as vegetables. E.g. Tomatoes, Squash, Peas, Pulses, Pumpkin, Marrow, Avocado, Cucumber.

Stem: Asparagus, Celery, Cardoon, Endive, mushroom and bamboo shoot

Flowers: Broccoli, Cauliflower and edible flowers

Fungi: Mushrooms, Morels, Yarsagumba

Basic Cuts of Vegetables

Juliennes: 2.5 mm strips, 3 cm length, Used for garnishing

Brunoise: 1 mm dice, Used for broths and garnishing

Macedoine: 5 mm dices, Used as mixed vegetables

Jardinière: Batons, 5x5x25 mm, Mixed vegetable

Paysanne: Circles, Triangles, Rectangles, Squares, Used in unsurpassed soups

Chateaux: Barrel shape

The Food Production department or Kitchen make a wide variety of dishes, and the chefs working the kitchen should be very familiar with the different variety of cuts used in the advance culinary preparation. The below mentioned types of knife of cuts acts as the base for kitchen preparation and is called the 'Classical Cuts' / 'Classical Vegetable Cuts' / 'Basic Knife Cuts'.