A popular study showed that
kissing as a greeting is healthier than a handshake because you
don't know what someone has just been touching.
What we call the 'Eskimo kiss', or rubbing noses is called a kunik
by the Inuit. It is an expression of affection, usually from an
adult to a child. The Inuit also kiss on the lips as we do. The myth
of rubbing noses grew out of a Hollywood silent documentary.
French disagree on the number of greeting kisses, but mostly for
central France it's two kisses, and for the North, four. There are
exceptions - in Finistère, one kiss is normal - and even disparities
within the same area: half the population of Calais prefer deux
bises, while the other half will greet you with quatre. The number
of kisses can depend on whether someone is a friend or family
member, and varies between generations. To the upper-class French
any more than two kisses is a faux pas.
Of course, it is not just in France that people greet each other
with a kiss; in the Netherlands three is normal, and in Belgium it's
one kiss for your peers, but if someone is 10 years older than you,
then three is respectful. In Spain, two is normal, but you must kiss
the right cheek first.
The French don’t necessarily French kiss more than anyone else; the
term probably comes from our belief that French sexuality is more
sophisticated. In France, it's known as baiser anglais ('English
kissing'), baiser florentin (Florentine kiss) or rouler une pelle
(to roll a spade). In Quebec, it is frencher.
Kissing in public is illegal in India and a similar law has been
proposed in Russia and Indonesia.
Showing posts with label Belgium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Belgium. Show all posts
Dec 27, 2014
Aug 15, 2014
French Fry Facts
The origin of French fries is Belgium.
According to some historians, potatoes were being fried by 1680 in
the Meuse Valley of Belgium. Locals often ate small fried fish, when
the river was frozen they used potatoes as a substitute. They used
to cut potatoes lengthwise and fry them in oil to use them as a fish
substitute.
Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for introducing French fries to America when he served them at a White House dinner in 1802 after reportedly requesting, "Potatoes, fried in the French manner.
The average American eats thirty pounds of French fries per year.
The earliest known reference to fries in English literature is in A Tale of Two Cities. Charles Dickens refers to, “Husky chips of potato, fried with some reluctant drops of oil”.
In general, potatoes cooked with the skin on are healthier, as most of the nutrients in a potato come from the skin
French fries are eaten all over the world and every culture has its own preferred condiment. Americans dunk them in ketchup, Brits eat their chips with salt and malt vinegar, mayonnaise is a popular accompaniment in Belgium and they look forward to steamed mussels and fries, in Vietnam they serve fries with soft butter and a sprinkling of sugar. "Clams and chips" is a very popular dish in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. French fries served with hot mustard is very popular in Ireland
There is a museum in Belgium entirely devoted to the classic fast-food snack frites.
French Fries in France are known as frites, patates frites, or pommes frites in French. These names are also used in many non-French areas.
About seven per cent of the potatoes grown in the US are sold by McDonald’s. It sells more than one third of all the French fries sold in restaurants in the U.S. each year.
According to the Agricultural Research Service in Navarre, potato skins are packed with 60 phyto-chemicals, many of these are flavonoids which help lower bad cholesterol and keep arteries clear.
Belgians may or may not have invented the French fry, today, they do consume the most French fries per capita of any country in Europe.
Belgians, who are the world’s connoisseurs when it comes to French fries, occasionally will serve French fries with egg as a topping. The raw egg is cracked over the French fries immediately after the fries have been pulled from the fryer. This tends to mostly cook the egg, but leaves the yoke somewhat runny for dipping the fries in.
Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for introducing French fries to America when he served them at a White House dinner in 1802 after reportedly requesting, "Potatoes, fried in the French manner.
The average American eats thirty pounds of French fries per year.
The earliest known reference to fries in English literature is in A Tale of Two Cities. Charles Dickens refers to, “Husky chips of potato, fried with some reluctant drops of oil”.
In general, potatoes cooked with the skin on are healthier, as most of the nutrients in a potato come from the skin
French fries are eaten all over the world and every culture has its own preferred condiment. Americans dunk them in ketchup, Brits eat their chips with salt and malt vinegar, mayonnaise is a popular accompaniment in Belgium and they look forward to steamed mussels and fries, in Vietnam they serve fries with soft butter and a sprinkling of sugar. "Clams and chips" is a very popular dish in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. French fries served with hot mustard is very popular in Ireland
There is a museum in Belgium entirely devoted to the classic fast-food snack frites.
French Fries in France are known as frites, patates frites, or pommes frites in French. These names are also used in many non-French areas.
About seven per cent of the potatoes grown in the US are sold by McDonald’s. It sells more than one third of all the French fries sold in restaurants in the U.S. each year.
According to the Agricultural Research Service in Navarre, potato skins are packed with 60 phyto-chemicals, many of these are flavonoids which help lower bad cholesterol and keep arteries clear.
Belgians may or may not have invented the French fry, today, they do consume the most French fries per capita of any country in Europe.
Belgians, who are the world’s connoisseurs when it comes to French fries, occasionally will serve French fries with egg as a topping. The raw egg is cracked over the French fries immediately after the fries have been pulled from the fryer. This tends to mostly cook the egg, but leaves the yoke somewhat runny for dipping the fries in.
Sep 6, 2013
Brussels Sprouts
If you hate the taste of Brussels
sprouts it might be due to your DNA. Brussels sprouts are among the group of cabbages grown for edible
buds. The leafy green vegetables are typically small, and look like
miniature cabbages. The Brussels sprout has long been popular in
Brussels, Belgium, and may have originated there.
In Europe, the largest producers are the Netherlands and Germany. Mexico tends to cultivate them in the Baja region from December through June.
Brussels sprouts have potent anticancer properties. Although boiling reduces the level of the anticancer compounds, steaming and stir frying do not result in significant loss.
Many people seem to not like Brussels sprouts. Scientists explain that there is a mutated gene possessed by about half of the population that prevents a person from tasting the bitter-tasting chemical used to grow Brussels sprouts. If a person does not possess this gene they can taste the chemical, thus making them much more likely to dislike Brussels sprouts. Apparently, I do not have that gene.
In Europe, the largest producers are the Netherlands and Germany. Mexico tends to cultivate them in the Baja region from December through June.
Brussels sprouts have potent anticancer properties. Although boiling reduces the level of the anticancer compounds, steaming and stir frying do not result in significant loss.
Many people seem to not like Brussels sprouts. Scientists explain that there is a mutated gene possessed by about half of the population that prevents a person from tasting the bitter-tasting chemical used to grow Brussels sprouts. If a person does not possess this gene they can taste the chemical, thus making them much more likely to dislike Brussels sprouts. Apparently, I do not have that gene.
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