Espresso powder is the instant form of espresso, a dark and concentrated type of coffee first made in Italy at the start of the 20th century. The word espresso comes from the Italian for pressed out, which has to do with the process for making the coffee. The coffee is …
Boldo leaves have been used in South American folk medicine for centuries. The boldo plant is native to parts of Chile and Peru. Archaeologists have found evidence that people in Southern Chile were using boldo leaves more than 12,000 years ago. They used it mostly for its medicinal benefits, especially …
The cacao plant had been cultivated for centuries in Central America before Europeans encountered it in the 1600s. It would eventually prove very popular in Europe over the following century. By the 1800s, Europeans were very familiar with chocolate. Even though the chocolate of the time was popular, it was …
Mushroom powder is a seasoning powder that consists of dried and powdered mushrooms. It is most commonly made with one of two types of mushrooms: shiitake mushrooms and porcini mushrooms. Other types of mushrooms may be dried and powdered, but shiitakes and porcinis are popular because of their relatively strong …
Desiccated coconut was an American invention, according to records from the United States Congress House Committee on Ways and Means from 1921. Those same records state that the original maker of desiccated coconut was the L. Schepp Company of New York City. The L. Schepp Company was started by Leopold …
Lapsang souchong is a black tea that has been dried over pine fires. Lapsang souchong translates to smoked with pine. Lap translates to pine and sang means smoke. It comes from Wuyi in China’s Fujian province. The tea leaves used to make it are the 4th and 5th leaves on …
Coconut flakes are a form of processed coconut and are sometimes referred to as flaked coconut. It is essentially the same thing as shredded coconut only instead of being broken down into shreds, the coconut is broken down into larger pieces. While there is not a lot of historical documentation …
Brownulated sugar refers to a drier form of brown sugar. It is similar in appearance and taste to regular brown sugar with the crucial difference being that its granules are less moist. Less moisture means that brownulated sugar granules do not clump together and are easier to sprinkle and pour …