Posts

Showing posts from July, 2026

Surprising health benefits of sesame seeds for the aged people

The littlest of items that we take for granted in our kitchens can be found in pantry cupboards. The sesame seed is one such item that goes unnoticed until you see it sprinkled all over a burger in fast food restaurants. However, they are pure gold to seniors. As we grow older, there is a significant change in what we require from food. We require foods that have to work very hard to make us healthy. We require concentrated and easily digested nutrition. And this is precisely where the use of white sesame seeds comes into play. Prevents loss of bone density Starting with bone density, aging is accompanied by a natural reduction of bone strength. The go-to supplement for most people who are aged is dairy products or massive amounts of calcium tablets. On the other hand, one small serving of unhulled sesame seeds is equal to a glass full of calcium. Reduces inflammation and pain during osteoarthritis Sesame seeds are a must-have for people of any age fighting with osteoarthritis and suf...

The Science of "Tadka": Why We Temper Whole Spices in Hot Oil

  If you have ever prepared an Indian dish, then you would be aware of how everything becomes magical when the spices come into contact with the hot oil, and there is a sound like that of the crackling of mustard seeds. It may seem like an elegant food ceremony, but tadka is really just organic chemistry at work. The Chemistry Behind Flavor Extraction The key is the construction of flavor molecules. Essential oils that provide whole spices their unique flavor profile, such as cuminol found in cumin or allyl isothiocyanate found in mustard seeds, are hydrophobic in nature, meaning they dissolve in fats, not water. When cumin seeds are boiled in water, the result is a muddy and bitter tea. But when they are added to hot oil, the fats in the oil act as solvents. Heat causes the breakdown of the cell structure of the spice, and the oils can be dissolved into fats. As oil can get to very high temperatures compared to water, it can also cause the Maillard reaction. In this reaction, du...