Table of Contents
Q.1. Explain in detail the characteristics of Italian cuisine. What are the various types of Pasta used in Italian cooking? (five types with description)
Characteristics of Italian cuisine
- Coffee, specifical espresso is served after meals.
- Italian meals are accompanied by wine.
- Olive oil is a major cooking medium; it is also used as a flavoring agent.
- Starch-based products like pasta, pizza, and bread are the major source of carbohydrates.
Italian cuisine is characterized not only by its typical ingredients and the way they are used in each meal but also by the way dishes are served and the environment in which they are eaten. Italian cuisine is unique and very special, and when it is properly done, it can transport those who enjoy it to Florence, Sicily, Venice, Tuscany.
An Italian entree dish that would usually be of a smaller size than the next ones. This dish could consist of pasta, meat or fish, and in the two last cases sometimes are cold dishes.
After the first course, a typical Italian dinner would indicate a second or main course. The main course is usually based on meat, fish or vegetable, depending on which ingredients consisted of the dishes served before.
A typical Italian meal would be closed with a dessert and a coffee. The desert would usually consist of a cake, pastries, fruits or a fruit salad. After this, an Italian cuisine mandatory element is a cup of espresso or coffee. It is also important to mention that an Italian meal would most of the time be accompanied by wine, chosen according to the kind of meal and the elements in which its preparation is based.
Various types of Pasta
There are two major classifications: pasta Fresca (fresh) and pasta secca (dried). From here, there are more than 400 unique types of pasta: sheets, strips, long strands, cylinders, unique shapes, flavors, and many other local varieties. There are more names for pasta than the mind can retain, yet all are made from the same basic ingredients — 100% durum wheat and water with a specific percentage of acidity and humidity under Italian law. Varying from the basics, light flavors and colors can be added to pasta with egg yolk, spinach, tomato paste, chocolate, and even squid ink. Each of these pasta creates its own unique dining experience when properly served.
Rotini
The word is derived from the Italian word which means ‘small wheels’. These pastas are spiral types and are tightly winded. Originally, they are 2 edged spirals but sometimes, they also come in 3-edged varieties. This pasta is suitable for olive oil or tomato sauces as they stick to the corkscrews.
Fusilli
This pasta is very similar to the rotini, and therefore many consider them to be the same. However, there is a small difference. Rotini pasta is actually made from flat pasta which is twisted later. However, Fusilli pasta is made by an already twisted strand of pasta. Like Rotini, it is also not hollow and therefore is not able to retain sauce much, rather it soaks up the sauce which gives a good flavor.
Vermicelli
The word vermicelli means little worms. This pasta is thinner in comparison to spaghetti. These are round typed strands. Asians make it with semolina. In India, a variety of recipes makes use of this pasta and is known as seviyan. This long and slender pasta is cooked in different ways around the world.
Ravioli
This is dumpling pasta which means that it has a filling inside it. This is one of the traditional pasta. The word Ravioli refers to ‘turnip’. It can be prepared with veg or non-veg filling according to the taste. Generally, the casing is square in shape and 3X3 cm. Ravioli stuffed with cheese is very popular.
Spaghetti
This is the most common round rod-shaped pasta. The word spaghetti means little twines. Larger versions of these pasta are known as spaghettoni, whereas smaller versions are known as spaghettini. This pasta tastes wonderful with meat and tomato sauce.
Q.2. Discuss the popularity of French cuisine around the world. Indicate and explain special ingredients used in French cooking.
French cuisine sounds fancy, conjuring up images of anniversary date nights, expense-account feasts. French cooking may seem sophisticated, but it’s not rocket science. “It’s ultimately about creating a harmonious dish that elevates the quality of the main ingredient. For example, different regions in France may treat chicken differently—Burgundy makes coq au vin, the Basque region makes Chicken Basque. There’s a lot of tradition involved in all of it. It’s about building flavors. “The French do that so well; they can really layer flavors.” In the soup-, stew-, and sauce-heavy cuisine, dishes often start with a base of mirepoix, a combination of diced celery, onions, carrots, and garlic. And it’s no secret that French chefs cook with wine every now and again—but it’s never just sloshed into a dish. It’s often added into a hot pan to reduce so that the concentrated flavor of the wine comes through. When browned meats are added, the layers of flavor intensify. Finishing the dish with fresh herbs adds that final punch. The typical meal includes three courses—a simple starter (soup is a popular option), the main dish (this could be as basic as a quick chicken recipe), and then cheese and fruit for dessert.
In French Cuisine some Essential ingredient is used. Some Essential ingredients are:
Butter
French butter is often slightly fermented for an extra depth of flavor. It is essential to many of the traditional sauces, to sauté, for pastry, for baking, and of course to spread on crusty French bread.
Speck
Made from the hind pork leg in a similar way to prosciutto, speck is boned before the curing and smoking processes begin. Its smoky flavor is a great addition to slow-cooked dishes like boeuf bourguignon.
Dijon mustard
Dijon mustard is a pale yellow in color with a creamy, smooth consistency and mild flavor. Dijon mustard is used in sauces, rubbed on roasts and whisked in the classic vinaigrette dressing.
Fleur du Sel
The first white crystals in the salt formation process which began more than 2,700 years ago most famously in the Guérande peninsula in Brittany.
Cheese
France produces the greatest number of cheeses in the world, as well as many of the finest, and it is almost always enjoyed at the end of a meal. The cheese trolley is often regarded as a mark of a restaurant’s quality. You should begin with the mildest in flavor and work your way to the strongest.
French cheeses include:
- White and red mould (washed rind) – Brie de Meaux, Camembert, Livarot and Munster
- Chèvre – cabécou, pouligny saint-Pierre, crottin de chavignol
- Blue vein – Roquefort, fourme d’ambert – Hard cheese – gruyere, Beaufort
- Medium-firm – saint-nectaire, morbier, cantal
Truffle
A finely veined tuber formed in a magical underground exchange by the bonding of its filaments with the roots of certain types of trees, most traditionally oak. Season, climate, soil conditions and an element of great mystery surround the cultivation process, making the truffle a highly prized and expensive ingredient.
Garlic
A key ingredient in the loved Provençal aioli – a garlic mayonnaise.
Brown onions
Brown onions are a key ingredient for many dishes including the famous French onion soup. Look for firm onions with shiny papery skin.
Shallot
Shallot (eschallots) has a cluster of small bulbs with a more delicate and less pungent flavor than other onions.
Champignon de Paris
Button mushrooms used raw in salads and classic dishes, such as boeuf bourguignon.
Turnip
Believed to have first been cultivated in 2000 BC, turnips are picked young when small and sweet at the beginning of summer. The French love them puréed, pan-fried, steamed or classically paired with duck in canard aux navettes or lamb navarin.
Celeriac
A variety of celery which is grown for its taproot rather than its stem and leaves. Peeled and then cut in julienne, it is the main ingredient in the classic French remoulade, but can also be cooked and mashed, baked or used in stews and soups.
Herbs
Common herbs in French cooking are flat-leaf parsley, chives, thyme, bay leaves, and chervil.
Charcuterie
A collective term meaning “cooked meat” such as rillettes, terrines, pâté, confit and saucisson.
Bread
French bread is made in a myriad of styles and shapes, but most well known is the iconic baguette, a long stick-shaped loaf with a thin golden crust and light interior.
Q.3. Chinese cuisine is divided into various culinary regions. Explain in detail.
There are a number of distinct regional cooking styles that can be divided into four major traditions: the northern plains, including Beijing; the fertile east, watered by the Yangtze River; the south, famous for the Cantonese cooking of the Guangdong Province; and the luxuriant west of Szechwan and Hunan Provinces. Some observers characterize those regional cuisines as salty in the north, sweet in the south, hot in the east, and sour in the west.
Chinese food is classified into four schools, based in the north, south, east, and west of the country. Each cuisine boasts of famous dishes as well as lesser-known specialties of the city, town, and countryside.
The North
Northern Chinese cooking the ‘poorest’ of the four schools, because of the lack of variety in ingredients and preparation relative to other regions. Northern cuisine favors straightforward tastes, with garlic, scallions, leeks, and chilies some primary flavor notes. Mutton and pork are the meats of choice (mutton being particularly used in the Muslim northwest.) Poultry is only used by the wealthy or on special occasions (chickens are commonly kept by poorer folk, but used for their eggs.) Seafood is rare.
Certainly one of the most elegant and famous Chinese dishes, both in China and abroad, comes from Beijing— Peking duck. Classic Beijing duck meals are three courses, with almost every part of the duck used.
The East
Eastern Chinese cuisine, found in the cities of Shanghai and Hangzhou as well as the surrounding provinces, is primarily a cuisine of sweetness. This school uses sugar, wines, and vinegar to provide sweet tastes and create subtlety of flavor. Like the north, eastern cooks favor oily dishes, although these are more subtle than in those in the north. Seafood is abundant, as the Yangtze River drains into the ocean near Shanghai. The lakes and river tributaries provide abundant fish and shellfish to this region. Pork and poultry are used as well. Soups and soupy dishes are very popular. Shanghai is known for its unusual ‘soup to inject,’ dishes, which are meatballs, dumplings, or buns filled with a gelatin and stock mixture and cooked until the inside is soup.
The West
The food of China’s west, including the provinces of Sichuan, Hunan, and Yunnan, is nothing less than vibrant. It combines a cornucopia of eastern spices with a natural abundance of ingredients. Meats are primarily pork, beef, and poultry, while vegetables and fruits are tenfold. Bean dishes, such as tofu, are also common. This is a sophisticated and highly spiced cuisine, often extremely spicy hot. Red chili appears in many dishes, often to extremes rivaling that of Mexican or Thai preparations.
Of this school, the cooking of Sichuan ( Szechuan) is the most famous, although Hunanese food, which is quite similar, is also popular. While many Chinese-American ‘Szechuan’ restaurants serve some version of Sichuan food, it is generally a pale imitation of the real thing.
The South
The food of the south is widely regarded as the country’s best. Southern Chinese cuisine centers on Guangdong province and its capital, Guangzhou (once called Canton), and Hong Kong.
This subtropical region is rich in resources, and Guangdong chefs have abundant produce, seafood, and meats at their disposal. Guangdong cuisine incorporates ingredients from all over China and is known for its sometimes use of ‘exotic’ animals. As another culinary proverb states, in Guangdong cuisine, “anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to Heaven is edible.” To be sure, travelers to this region will notice a perhaps-shocking array of animals for sale in the marketplace—dogs, cats, snakes, and turtles are some of the more commonplace. However, these foods are not eaten that often, and there are plenty of ‘ordinary’ dishes available—let it only be said that this region of China is ideal for the gastronomic adventurer!
OR
List the specialty equipment used in Chinese cooking. Give different methods of cooking used in Chinese cookery.
Specialty equipment used in Chinese cooking are
Wok:
The traditional wok is round-bottomed and used for cooking over an open flame. The sides of wok are hugged by the flames thus becomes the perfect heat conductor. Flat-bottomed woks are designed for cooking over kitchen stoves.
Steamer:
No dim sum eating experience is complete without this tool. It’s a brilliantly simple way of steaming- a lidded bamboo basket set over a pan of boiling water. Another modern option is steamer made from aluminum. Steamers are used to steam a variety of foods- from dim sum to veggies to meats to fish.
Strainer/ sieve
Approximately 4 inches in diameter, it is used to strain chili flakes or bits of food from oil
Chef’s wooden chopsticks
At least 6 inches in length, these chopsticks are great for retrieving ingredients in a deep wok filled with deep-frying oil
Spider
Approximately 5 inches in diameter, one uses it to scoop and drain food
Mortar and pestle Granite
It is more common in the Chinese kitchen versus the more fragile porcelain and clay versions. Larger ones are recommended as you can pound large food items in a go. If you want a faster alternative, then opt for a food processor
Chinese cleaver
At first sight, a Chinese cleaver may appear to be hefty, gleaming ominously sharp. But in reality, it is quite light, steady and not at all dangerous to use, provided you handle it correctly and with care. Once you have learned to regard it as a kitchen tool mainly used for cutting and not just a chopper, then you will be surprised how easy and simple it is to use compared to an ordinary kitchen knife. Cleavers are available in a variety of materials and weight. They all have a blade of about 8 – 9 inches (20 – 23 cms) long and 3 – 4 inches (8 – 10 cms) wide. The heaviest, weighing almost 2 lb. (1 kg) called CHOPPER, is really meant for the professionals and is
excellent for chopping bones such as drumsticks, pork spare ribs. The smaller and much lighter SLICER with a thinner and sharper blade is
convenient for slicing meat and vegetables. But most Chinese cooks prefer a medium weight, dual-purpose cleaver known as THE CIVIL AND MILITARY KNIFE (wen-wu dao in Chinese). You use the lighter, front half of the blade for slicing, shredding, and scoring, etc, and the heavier, rear half of the blade for chopping and so on.
Methods of Cooking
Different ingredients are cooked using different methods, while the same ingredient can be used in different dishes to provide different flavors and appearances. The most common methods are stir-frying, deep-frying, shallow-frying, braising, broiling, steaming and roasting.
Stir-frying
The most frequently used method is stir-frying. This method cooks processed ingredients at high heat for a short period of time. Usually, a wok is used at high heat, edible oil is added followed by ingredients and seasonings.
Deep-frying
Deep-frying uses much more edible oil than stir-frying producing crisp-textured food. The common method of preparing deep-frying dishes is to cut the ingredients into medium-sized pieces or chunks, soak them in prepared seasoning for a while, coat with cornstarch (optional), and finally fry in hot deep oil over medium heat.
Shallow-frying
As the name implies, shallow-frying is a cooking method using less edible oil than deep-frying and lower heat than stir-frying. Shallow-fried dishes are usually rather tender inside, appearing golden or slightly burnt outside
Braising
To cook large-sized ingredients melt-in-your-mouth, braising is to add ingredients and seasonings in a wok or a saucepan at the same time, add in some water, boil it and then simmer it for one hour or more.
Boiling
Boiling could be considered the simplest among all the Chinese cooking methods. It simply involves placing food in boiling water. It is mainly used for cooking small-sized and soft ingredients, especially for most of the vegetable soups like Tomato and Egg Soup and Tofu Soup.
Steaming
A special cooking method invented in China is steaming. It is widely used for steaming buns and dumplings in northern China, where people live on wheaten food. The process involves placing the ingredients in a steamer basket which is placed over water in a steamer pot.
Roasting
Roasting is to cook the food over the open flame of charcoal or in an oven. The moisture of the food is removed whilst seasonings rubbed in from the outside. The outside of the roasted foods always gets drier and browned, but flavors are retained and enhanced.
Q.4. Write short notes on (any ten):
(a)Chinese Cleavers
Chinese Cleavers are easily recognizable, with their large rectangular blades and sturdy compact handles. Cleavers come in a variety of blade thicknesses and weights, with the thinner lighter blades being better suited to fine slicing This knife is awesome for chopping some of the hardest meat and cracking bones. Select a cleaver with a comfortable grip, weight, and size.
(b) Dim Sum
Dim Sum a style of Chinese cuisine prepared as small bite-sized portions of food served in small steamer baskets or on small plates. Dim sum dishes are usually served with tea and together form a full tea brunch. Dim sum traditionally is served as fully cooked, ready-to-serve dishes
(c) Feta Cheese
Feta Cheese is tangy and salty, brined curd white cheese. It has its origin in Greece. It is used in salads and as a table cheese. It has small or no holes with very few cuts and no skin covering it. It is usually formed into large blocks, which are submerged in the brine.
(d) Crème anglaise
Crème anglaise is a light pouring custard used as a dessert cream or sauce. It is a mix of sugar, egg yolks, and hot milk often flavored with vanilla.
(e) Binding agents
A binding agent, or binder, is a material used to form materials into a cohesive whole, as a means of providing structural stability. Binding agents harden chemically or mechanically, and in the process bond fibers, filler powder, and other substances together.
(f) Ravioli
Ravioli are a type of dumpling composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin pasta dough. Usually served either in broth or with a pasta sauce, they originated as a traditional food in Italian cuisine.
(g) Pasta sauces
Pasta sauces will generally be categorized as one of the following: a tomato or vegetable-based sauce, cream or butter-based sauce, a cheese sauce, a meat sauce, a herb-based sauce.
(h) Tortilla
A tortilla is a flatbread used in Mexican cuisine.
(i) Date pancakes
Date pancake is easy to prepare and healthy dessert. This soft and light pancake, drizzled with a zesty syrup.
(j) Stuffed pasta
Stuffed pasta (or filled pasta) are best coated with simple tomato or light, cream-based sauces. Stuffed pasta dough is often flavored and tinted with spinach, tomato, saffron, or mushrooms.
(k) Extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin is the highest quality and most expensive olive oil classification. It should have no defects and a flavor of fresh olives. It must be produced entirely by mechanical means without the use of any solvents, and under temperatures that will not degrade the oil.
Q.5. What are the types of Frozen Desserts? List in detail the equipment used in the production of frozen desserts.
Frozen desserts come in many forms. Each of the following types has its own definition, and many are standardized by federal regulations:
Ice Cream
Ice Cream consists of a mixture of dairy ingredients such as milk and nonfat milk, and ingredients for sweetening and flavorings, such as extracts, fruits, nuts, and chocolate chips. Functional ingredients, such as stabilizers and emulsifiers, are often included to promote proper texture and enhance the eating experience.
Frozen Custard or French Ice Cream
Frozen Custard or French Ice Cream must also contain a minimum of 10 percent milk fat, as well as at least 1.4 percent egg yolk solids.
Sherbets
Sherbets have a milk fat content of between 1 and 2 percent and a slightly higher sweetener content than ice cream. Sherbet weighs a minimum of 6 pounds to the gallon and is flavored either with fruit or other similar ingredients.
Gelato
Gelato has an intense flavor and is served in a semi-frozen state that is similar to “soft serve” ice cream. Italian-style gelato is denser than ice cream since it has less air. Typically, gelato has more milk than cream, if any, and also contains sweeteners, egg yolks, and flavoring.
Sorbet and Water Ices
Sorbet and Water Ices are similar to sherbets but contain no dairy ingredients.
Quiescently Frozen Confection
A Quiescently Frozen Confection is a frozen novelty such as a water ice novelty on a stick (e.g. Popsicles).
Frozen Yogurt
Frozen Yogurt consists of a mixture of dairy ingredients such as milk and nonfat milk which have been cultured, as well as ingredients for sweetening and flavoring.
Novelties
Novelties are separately packaged single servings of a frozen dessert (e.g. ice cream sandwiches, fudge sticks, and juice bars) that may or may not contain dairy ingredients.
Q.6. Write short notes on any two:
(a) Developing a new recipe
Eating habits of people have changed around the world. To be on top of the business and to be modern and updated, one must constantly develop new products, new processes, and new ways.
Developing new recipes is a common feature in almost all business houses and food chains, to constantly evolve their products to suit the different market segments. Example- McDonald’s serve beef burgers all over the world but in India, they had to change their product recipes due to sensitive religious constraints
The recipe developers work as a separate team and may consist of chefs, food technologists, scientists and each of them has a distinctive role play.
Recipe development comprises various stages, which may differ from organization to organization.
Chefs create new recipes with different methods. The most common is the trial and error method. Based on his culinary skill and knowledge, a chef combines flavors and ingredients to create a new product.
The product is offered to a panel of food tasters.
The feedback is collated and the recipe is further refined and then standardized.
Many factors are built into the new recipe when it is ready to be listed on the new menu. The factors include production planning, forecasting the number of portions to be sold and also creating the menu specification sheet.
Developing recipes for a food chain, which is to be launched in various outlets across the globe, may take more than 6-8 months before the process is complete.
(b) Food trail
Evaluating food by a panel of specialists or consumers for critiquing is termed as a food trial.
Food trials can be of different types-
Trials while opening a new establishment, or introducing new dishes or menu to the existing establishment. Food trials are done for two primary reasons- first to train the staff to be able to produce the product as per the standard recipe and presentations and to moderate the recipes and create new standard recipes before the launch of the product.
The tasting panel could comprise of the regular guests, food specialists, chefs, Food & Beverage professionals from the industry or a select group of consumers.
The recipes are refined with the advice of the food tasters.
Trial as a recruitment tool for hiring new staff for a food production operation. A panel of judges comprising of chefs, human resource manager evaluates the food so as to judge the skill level of the aspirant or the candidate. This enables the organization to hire the right person for the right job.
(c) Additives and preservatives for ice cream
Ice creams move down the scale from premium, getting lower in fat and incorporating more air, ingredients are added to make up for the loss of creamy texture, rich “mouth feel”, and to help keep all of the extra air whipped up.
Emulsifiers such as the monoglyceride glycerol monostearate and related di-glycerides help to keep the milk fat in suspension and limit the growth of ice crystals. Emulsifiers have a significant effect on making the fat globules stick together in chains, rather than flowing together in larger globules, or staying separated as tiny ones. This adds to the structure of the ice cream and affects the texture and the ability to incorporate air into the mixture.
Gums such as guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, and methylcellulose help to prevent ice crystals from forming during freezing and re-freezing after a trip from the grocery store. Gums keep the ice cream from becoming grainy due to crystals forming from either ice or lactose.
Some ice creams contain sodium citrate to decrease the tendency of fat globules to coalesce, and to decrease protein aggregation. This results in a “wetter” ice cream.
Q.7. Differentiate between (any two):
(a) Dark chocolate and White chocolate
| Taste | A more chocolate-like taste, and a bitter aftertaste. | White chocolate does not really taste like chocolate since it has no cocoa, but it is sweeter and richer. |
| Texture | Dry and chalky, because of the lack of milk solids. | Smoother and more buttery than dark chocolate. |
| Uses | Sold in bars or chips with different grades of chocolate content. Used in making sauces and chocolate drinks. | Sold in bars or chips and used in dessert or candy making. Used in desserts and baking. |
| Ingredients | Derived from the ground cacao bean it contains cacao or cocoa bean powder, cocoa butter and sugar but no added milk solids. | It contains sugar, cocoa butter, and milk solids but no cocoa powder. |
| Health benefits | High cocoa content has been associated with positive health benefits, especially cardiovascular health, from flavonol antioxidants. | Does not offer the same health benefits as dark chocolate and has more sugar and fat |
(b) Pastillage and Sattillage
Pastillage – Pastillage is a type of sugar paste icing that dries the firm. Its makeup is extremely similar to gum paste, including sugar, water and a hardening agent (often tylose). Like gum paste, it can be molded, shaped by hand, or imprinted.
Saltillage – Saltillage is a salt dough sculpture. It can be used to create ornaments, decorations or even jewelry. It should be air-dried fir 48 hours. It is made from 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of salt. The salt and flour are mixed together, and water slowly added.
(c) Churn frozen and Still frozen desserts
| No. | Still Frozen Dessert | Churned Frozen Dessert |
| 1. | These desserts require no churning before freezing them. | These desserts require churning during freezing them. |
| 2. | An ingredient like egg white is whipped in to give a smooth texture. | Mechanical agitation gives a smooth texture. |
| 3. | Aeration is due to egg white (overrun) | Aeration is due to churning. |
| 4. | Flavoring and Ingredients are added before freezing. | Flavorings and ingredient are added before freezing but topping like fruits after processing |
Q.8. (a) Explain the role of ingredients in bread making.
Yeast
Yeast is the heart of the bread-making process. It’s the essential ingredient that makes the dough rise and gives home-baked bread its wonderful taste and aroma
Flour
Wheat is the most common type of flour used in bread baking. It includes all-purpose flour, bread flour, and whole wheat flour, which is base ingredient for bread and also gives the structure. Wheat is rich in gluten, a protein that gives the dough its elasticity and strength.
Liquids
Water
- It is the most important liquid because it does 2 critical things:
- It dissolves and activates the yeast.
- It blends with the flour to create a sticky and elastic dough.
Milk, buttermilk, cream or juice
may be added to enhance the flavor or texture. Only warm liquids should be added to dry ingredients in a recipe because:
- A too-cool liquid will slow or stop yeast action.
- A too-hot liquid will destroy the yeast and prevent it from rising.
Sweetener
Sugar adds flavor and rich brown color to a bread’s crust. Brown sugar, honey, molasses, and jams may also be used.
Salt
Salt is an important ingredient in bread baking because it slows rising time allowing the flavor of the dough to develop, and it adds to the flavor of the baked product.
Eggs
Eggs add food value, color, and flavor to the bread. They also help make the crumb fine and the crust tender. Eggs add richness and protein. Some recipes call for eggs to be used as a wash, which adds color.
Fat
Butter, margarine, shortening or oil add flavor and make bread tender and moist. Fat slows moisture loss, helping bread stay fresh longer
(b) Explain in detail the manufacturing process of Dark Chocolate.
Harvesting Cocoa & Cocoa processing
Chocolate production starts with harvesting coca in a forest. The seed pods of coca will first be collected; the beans will be selected and placed in piles. These cocoa beans will then be ready to be shipped to the manufacturer for mass production.
Step 1: Plucking and opening the Pods
Cocoa beans grow in pods that sprout off of the trunk and branches of cocoa trees.. When the pods are ripe, harvesters travel through the cocoa orchards with machetes and hack the pods gently off of the trees.
Cocoa Pods and harvesting
After the cocoa pods are collected into baskets, the pods are taken to a processing house. Here they are split open and the cocoa beans are removed.
Step 2: Fermenting the cocoa seeds
Now the beans undergo fermentation processing. They are either placed in large, shallow, heated trays or covered with large banana leaves. During fermentation is when the beans turn brown. This process may take five or eight days.
Step 3: Drying the cocoa seeds
After fermentation, the cocoa seeds must be dried before they can be scooped into sacks and shipped to chocolate manufacturers. The drying process usually takes about a week and results in seeds that are about half of their original weight.
Manufacturing Chocolate
Once the cocoa beans have reached the machinery of chocolate factories, they are ready to be refined into chocolate Firstly, fermented and dried cocoa beans will be refined to a roasted nib by winnowing and roasting. Then, they will be heated and will melt into chocolate liquor. Lastly, manufacturers blend chocolate liquor with sugar and milk to add flavor. After the blending process, the liquid chocolate will be stored or delivered to the molding factory in tanks and will be poured into moulds for sale. Finally, wrapping and packaging machines will pack the chocolates and then they will be ready to transport.
Step 1: Roasting and Winnowing the Cocoa
The first thing that chocolate manufacturers do with cocoa beans is roast them. The outer shell of the beans is removed, and the inner cocoa bean meat is broken into small pieces called “cocoa nibs.”
Step 2: Grinding the Cocoa Nibs
Grinding is the process by which cocoa nibs are ground into ” cocoa liquor”, which is also known as unsweetened chocolate or cocoa mass. The grinding process generates heat and the dry granular consistency of the cocoa nib is then turned into a liquid as the high amount of fat contained in the nib melts.
Step 3: Blending Cocoa liquor and molding Chocolate
After the mixing process, the blend is further refined to bring the particle size of the added milk and sugar down to the desired fineness. The Cocoa powder or ‘mass’ is blended back with the butter and liquor in varying quantities to make different types of chocolate or couverture
Plain Dark Chocolate – cocoa powder, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, Lethicin, and Vanilla.
After blending is complete, molding is the final procedure for chocolate processing. This step allows cocoa liquor to cool and harden into different shapes depending on the mold. Finally, the chocolate is packaged and distributed around the world.
OR
Define Meringue. Explain the various types of Meringue in detail.
Meringue is a type of dessert, often associated with French, Swiss, and Italian cuisine, traditionally made from whipped egg whites and sugar, and occasionally an acidic ingredient such as lemon, vinegar or cream of tartar.
French Meringue: This uncooked meringue is the one most people are familiar with. The sugar is gradually beaten into the egg whites once they have reached soft peaks, and then the mixture is whipped to firm peaks. (It’s best to use superfine or a mixture of superfine and confectioners’ sugar for this because they dissolve quickly.) This type of meringue is the least stable but also the lightest, which makes it perfect for soufflés.
Italian Meringue: The most stable of all the meringues, this is made with a sugar syrup that has been heated to the soft-ball stage (236°F to 240°F). The hot sugar syrup is gradually beaten into the egg whites after soft peaks have formed and then whipped to firm glossy peaks. Its stability and smooth texture make it great for egg white buttercreams and mousses.
Swiss Meringue: Firm and slightly denser than the others, Swiss meringue is made by stirring sugar and egg whites together over a pot of simmering water until they are very warm to the touch before whipping them. The early addition of the sugar prevents the egg whites from increasing as much in volume as they do in the other meringues but adds to its fine texture. Swiss meringue is particularly good for baking crisp meringue cake layers and for topping pies.
Q.9. Discuss in detail the “Break Faults” and their remedies.
External Bread Faults
Characteristic |
Fault |
Reason |
Remedy |
Volume |
Lack of
volume |
|
|
Bloom |
Flaked Crust |
|
|
Lack of Shine |
|
|
|
Shape |
Improper Shape |
|
|
Internal Bread Faults
Characteristic |
Fault |
Reason |
Remedy |
Aroma |
Lack of Aroma |
|
|
Crumb |
Crumbly Bread |
|
|
Flavor |
Lack of Flavour |
|
|
Moistness |
Stale Bread (In Appearance of Crumb) |
|
|
OR
Explain the importance of production planning and production scheduling in relation to quality and quantity control in kitchen operation.
Production Planning
There are 4 major stages in planning and controlling the preparation of food which controls the production and the wastage. These aid in controlling the food costs and to maximize profitability. These are:
- Volume Forecasting
- Standard Recipes
- Standard Yield
- Standard Portion Size
Volume Forecasting
It is also called production planning. It is the method of predicting the volume of sales. The main importance of volume forecasting is-
- To predict the total number of meals to be sold
- To predict the choice of menu items by the guests
- To ensure the availability of all necessary ingredients
- To facilitate purchasing
- To ensure proper stock levels
- To control food costs
- To enable the comparison of the actual with the forecasted figures.
Standard Recipes
A standard recipe may be defined as the written formula for a dish of a specified quality and quantity for use in a particular eating place. The importance of the standard recipes are:
- To standardize the product
- To standardize the yield
- To pre-determine the food cost per portion
- To determine the nutritional value of the dish
- To facilitate menu planning
- To facilitate purchasing and internal requisitioning
- To facilitate food preparation
- To facilitate portion control
Standard Yield
The term yield can be defined as edible or usable part of the raw food material which is available after preparation of the raw material.
A standard yield is a yield obtainable when an item is processed in a particular method and cooked using a particular method of cooking.
Standard Portions
A standard portion represents the weight of the food item to be served at a particular selling price. There may be two standard portions of the same dish depending on which menu they are being offered on-table d’hôtel or a la carte.
Standard portion sizes are important for two reasons:
- All customers should be served the same portion for the same price. Or else it will lead to customer dissatisfaction.
- It helps in controlling the food costs and the profitability of the establishment.
Production Scheduling
Planning the cooking equipment’s
- Resources
- Extra staff
Gantt charts/ work plan
Plotting the allocated tasks against time!
It provides detailed information about an event and how the planning is done to conduct it.
Gantt Charts can be made for
- A single dish
- A menu
- An event
It is an effective tool for production planning and scheduling.
Q.10. (a) What is the yield? Explain the importance of yield in kitchen operation.
Yield in culinary terms refers to how much you will have a finished or processed product. Professional recipes should always state a yield; for example, a tomato soup recipe may yield 15 L, and a muffin recipe may yield 24 muffins.
Importance Of Yield
Yield testing and yield factors are important for ant establishment for the following functions:
- To determine product pricing.
- To set purchase specifications and receiving standards.
- To forecast purchase quantity and ordering levels.
- Establishing standard recipes and portion size.
- For setting control standards.
- Comparison of vendor prices and quality.
- Monitoring the usage of raw materials.
- Exact costs are determined so menu pricing can be more accurate.
- Tests were done periodically to verify that the meat wholesaler is providing meat to stipulated specifications. If the amount of trim and waste rises, so do food costs.
- By comparing the results from two or more wholesalers who have provided the same sample cuts, critical evaluation can be done to determine which one is supplying better meat.
(b) Differentiate between forecasting and budgeting
Basis For Comparison |
Budget |
Forecast |
| Meaning | A budget is a financial plan expressed in quantitative terms, prepared by the management in advance for the forthcoming period. | The forecast means the estimation of future trends and outcomes, based on the past and present data. |
| What is it? | It is the financial expression of a business plan or target. | It is the prediction of upcoming events or trends in business, on the basis of present business conditions. |
| Target | The budget sets the target. | There are no targets. |
| Update | Annual basis | At regular intervals |
| Estimates | What business wants to achieve | What business will achieve |
| Variance Analysis | Yes | No |
OR
“Mezze platter is gaining importance all around the world”. Justify the statement with a focus on Mezze and Mediterranean food.
The mezze platter (sometimes spelled meze) is one of the more malleable snack trays, varying slightly depending on where it’s being served.
The meze-style spread:
small plates, dips, and salads meant to be shared as an appetizer course or light meal—is common throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East and one of our favorite ways to eat.
Mediterranean cuisine is the south European basin region which includes turkey, Egypt, Levantine, Maghreb, Greek, Italian, French, Spanish. So under all this meze is a cuisine basically starter or snack which at times is taken as a snack with alcoholic beverages or simply without them. In the near East, it is served as a snack with alcoholic beverages like Balkan & parts of central Asia.
Turkish Mezze Platter:
The tradition of the Turkish meze platter is an essential part of Turkish culture. Turkish mezes are perfect for social gatherings and are designed to promote talking. Turkish mezes are small quantities of food served at the start of a meal. They are usually cold and the emphasis is on fresh, healthy ingredients. Also, they are usually vegetarian. It is normal to start a meal with a Turkish meze platter accompanied by copious amounts of bread. Turkish mezes are therefore similar to Spanish tapas but tend to be cold rather than hot.
Egypt Mezze Platter:
Mezze is the Egyptian version of tapas: a collection of small dishes that can be enjoyed individually as appetizers or together as a meal. There were about eight choices each of hot and cold dishes.
Greek Mezze Platter:
A typical meze table used in Greek cuisine which contains a mixture of hot and cold snacks. You could start with a small plate of crisp sliced cucumber and some olives. The perfect partner to the Greek meze is the anise-flavored aperitif known as ouzo. It opens up the appetite or orexis and blends well with many different flavors. Traditionally, ouzo bars or ouzeries will offer a long list of mezethes to go along with the drink.
Spanish Mezze Platter:
Tapas is another term of Meze in Spanish. Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as chopitos, which are battered, fried baby squid).
Italian Mezze Platter:
A very famous Italian Mezze platter is Antipasto. Antipasto is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. Typical ingredients of a traditional antipasto include cured meats, olives, pepperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella), pickled meats, and vegetables in oil or vinegar.