Jump to navigation Jump amuse bouche wine 2013 search “Tasting” redirects here. For the tasting of wine, see Wine tasting. Dégustation is the careful, appreciative tasting of various food, focusing on the gustatory system, the senses, high culinary art and good company.
Dégustation is more likely to involve sampling small portions of all of a chef’s signature dishes in one sitting. The French term dégustation is still commonly used in English-language contexts. Modern dégustation probably comes from the French kitchens of the early 20th century and is different from earlier meals with many courses because these meals were served as full-sized meals at each course. Sampling a selection of cheeses, at home or in a restaurant, may also be called a dégustation.
The popular Spanish style of tapas is similar to the dégustation style, but is not in itself a complete set menu offering the chefs’ signature dishes, but instead offers a variety from which the diner can choose. A Cheese Lover’s Tour of France”. Not to be confused with Desert. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. The word “dessert” originated from the French word desservir, meaning “to clear the table”. Its first known use in English was in 1600, in a health education manual entitled Naturall and artificial Directions for Health, written by William Vaughan.
Michael Krondl explains that it refers to the fact that dessert was served after the table had been cleared of other dishes. The spread of sugarcane from ancient India to the world. Some Indian confectionery desserts from hundreds of varieties. In certain parts of India, these are called mithai or sweets. Sugar and desserts have a long history in India: by about 500 BC, people in India had developed the technology to produce sugar crystals. Dried fruit and honey were probably the first sweeteners used in most of the world, but the spread of sugarcane around the world was essential to the development of dessert.
Sugar and sugarcane were traded, making sugar available to Macedonia by 300 BC and China by AD 600. In the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and China, sugar has been a staple of cooking and desserts for over a thousand years. Herodotus mentions that, as opposed to the Greeks, the main Persian meal was simple, but they would eat many desserts afterwards. Europeans began to manufacture sugar in the Middle Ages, and more sweet desserts became available. Even then sugar was so expensive usually only the wealthy could indulge on special occasions. The first apple pie recipe was published in 1381. Frozen foods, including desserts, became very popular starting in the 1920s when freezing emerged.
These processed foods became a large part of diets in many industrialized nations. Many countries have desserts and foods distinctive to their nations or region. Sweet desserts usually contain cane sugar, palm sugar, brown sugar, honey, or some types of syrup such as molasses, maple syrup, treacle, or corn syrup. Sugars contribute moisture and tenderness to baked goods. Flour or starch components serves as a protein and gives the dessert structure.
Fats contribute moisture and can enable the development of flaky layers in pastries and pie crusts. The dairy products in baked goods keep the desserts moist. Many desserts also contain eggs, in order to form custard or to aid in the rising and thickening of a cake-like substance. Egg yolks specifically contribute to the richness of desserts. Desserts can contain many spices and extracts to add a variety of flavors. Salt and acids are added to desserts to balance sweet flavors and create a contrast in flavors. Some desserts are coffee-flavored, for example an iced coffee soufflé or coffee biscuits.