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All posts for the month November, 2012

Rudeness Award (Perpetual)

Posted by golfkat on November 28, 2012
Posted in: Cultures, Travel. Leave a comment
What I have known (though you Francophiles do not believe me) about this since (1971), when I first set foot on France’s precious corner of the world: Congratulations, my fellow Americans.  According to a recent survey, not  only is the U.S. not the rudest place on earth, but we’re not even in the top  five.
France is the rudest place in world to visit with nearly one-fifth of votes,  based on travel website Skyscanner.com‘s  ranking.  “This seems to be a fairly common stereotype, albeit not one  which is necessarily true,” Sam Baldwin, Skyscanner’s travel editor told  the International Business Times,. Russia, the U.K. and Germany rounded out the top four most unfriendly  countries to visit.  The U.S. was ranked seventh after “Other” and China,  and apparently play better hosts than tourists.  Americans recently topped another poll as the world’s worst  tourists, but the majority of the respondents in that survey were ironically  American.

Arc Triomphe.jpg 


I know that Americans are not the best tourists.  But we do spend money, from frugal backpackers, to the couple from Iowa or Kansas that buy the big expensive packaged tours.  And we love to eat, so chalk up another plus for outsized Americans.
I have made a point of doing this on every trip unto the City.  I try to help tourists (or locals, for that matter) who look lost or are scanning a map or GPS.  Yesterday, I helped two such lost parties, one to find “the best coffee in town”, whereupon I sent them to Peet’s about a block away.  The two others were Indians (from India, mind you) who were looking for Moscone Center and the big auto show. No problem, as I was just leaving the show.
Then I happened to fall upon a large group of Canadians from Nova Scotia, looking for a decent place to eat near Union Square.  We strolled over, all twenty of us, to Lefty O’Doul’s for lunch and a sandwich.  Knowing these hearty folks would not appreciate bite-sized California cuisine or some dainty nouvelle gastrome’, the big sandwich offerings at Lefty’s were perfect.  So was the beer, and the wine!!!  Most would have preferred McDonald’s until they found out about the beer and wine.
Don’t even ask me to describe the chaos at the Uniqlo store on Powell.  Actually, I did in an earlier email specifically about Uniqlo, but it was chaos!!!  Or was it KAOS, like in “Man from UNCLE”???  But I did enjoy learning about the concept, as anything is better than overpriced Euro-designers.
As the slightly off kilter homeless man was preaching, I decided I had enough of the City on this fine, warm and sunny day.  He was warning them, not of the coming of anything important (like an Apocalypse or end of the world), but of kidnappers (childnappers)!  He said they would just swoop down and take only the tourists’ children!!!  He was very specific about this.  I appreciated the warning, although I did not have any children with me.  You see, I will bet they do not have helpful people like this in Russia or France!!!!

Unique Clothing = Uniqlo (SF Style)

Posted by golfkat on November 26, 2012
Posted in: Cultures, Shopping, Travel. 2 Comments
I was in the City and just happened to walk by the new (October 2012) Uniqlo store on Powell Street, between Union Square and the Powell Street Cable Car turnaround.  Uniqlo is the Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer and retailer, who is taking the fashion world by an almost literal Japanese tsunami.
Their first store opened in 1984 in Hiroshima, and has grown to a family of more than 1,132 locations in 13 countries.  In fact, several years ago, we exchanged Christmas presents with a dear friend from Tokyo.  Little did we know it was Uniqlo’s ultra light down jacket, which is as warm as any old-fashioned down on the market.  But, to make it more wearable and portable, it is compact, thin, and stylish.  It folds into a pocket-sized bundle, which they call a “burrito.”  It comes with its own pouch, and is perfect for travel.  They have recently added water repellency, and it weighs less than the Uniqlo booklet I am reading right now!
Here are some statistics that will blow your mind.  Eighty percent of the population in Japan lives within 20 minutes of a Uniqlo store.  Started in 1984, they had more than 100 locations by 1994.  Of course, the Tokyo store is located in ultra fashionable Harajuku district.  In fact, there are 847 Uniqlo locations in Japan alone.
The U.S. stores employ 2,300 sales associates and staff.  Forty different colors of T-shirts are offered by Uniqlo.  Ten million pairs of Uniqlo jeans are made each year.  The one constant is the raw material, Uniqlo’s durable and high quality Japanese denim.  And over 300 million heattech garments have been sold since their introduction.  Heattech is Uniqlo’s signature creation, a tech-advanced fabric.  It keeps you warm but is light enough not to weigh you down.  Uniqlo calls it the perfect mix of form and function.

I did not know Uniqlo was Japan’s leading clothing chain retailer in both sales and profits.  Amazing what can be done with $19.95 pieces of clothing.  The name Uniqlo comes from their original unisex clothing store, opening in May, 1985.  The name was “Unique Clothing Company”  with the contraction, Uniqlo derived from unique clothing.  Clever,

those Japanese!

Uniqlo logo  

NYC store

 

From there, they followed the strategy of “The Gap”,  the American retailing giant.  It meant they would produce their own clothing and sell it exclusively.  They did outsource their clothing manufacturing to China, where labor is cheap.  As you may recall, Japan was in a recession at the time, with cheap but high quality clothing proving quite popular.

Their first flagship store opened in the Soho Fashion District (New York) in November, 2006. They have since added new fashion designers to boost fashion catering to the American market.  But they closed three New Jersey locations, as well as four others in New York.  But then in October 2011, they opened flagship stores on Fifth Avenue and 34th Street near Herald Square.   Then they opened their largest mall store worldwide in New Jersey’s Garden State Plaza Mall (Paramus). 

The German designer, Jil Sander joined Uniqlo in 2009.  She is known for her minimalist aesthetic, launching a new label, called J+, which won the 2011 Brit Insurance Design Fashion Award.  Perhaps more importantly for locals here, they hired former great Forty Niner Joe Montana as a spokesman.  They have also appointed Number One ranked tennis player, Novak Djokovich as their global brand ambassador.

More on their clothing now.  Their 100% cashmere sweaters come in 25 colors.  The denim is manufactured in a partnership with Kaihara, a century old leading supplier of denim in the world.  Uniqlo dyes only the surface of their jeans, allowing it to age with a life of its own.

Heattech is a technology developed by Uniqlo with Toray, a Japanese company known as a maker of materials for aerospace and sports.  Bottom line, it enables the wearer to stay warm without bulky layers.  Heattech is thin, soft and wicks away moisture.  It also converts body moisture into heat, which is then stored between micro-fine fibers. It also contains special anti-bacterial agents to combat the embarrassment of malodor.

It will be interesting to see how well Uniqlo catches on here in the Bay Area.  Though the company is obviously a powerhouse around the world, its foothold into the U.S. is still uncertain.  Warning:  their website has prices in Pounds Sterling.  But do not order online, as you must set foot in this incredible business.  I did my small part with the warm lined pants that I bought yesterday for $19.99.

Small Business Saturday

Posted by golfkat on November 25, 2012
Posted in: Cultures, Shopping. Leave a comment

So, today has been designated Small Business Saturday (SBS) by some MBA marketing types over at our good friends at American Express.  Do they really care about small business, or are they just looking for more transaction fees?  Are they a small business?  This is the third year of SBS, the first coming on November 27, 2010.

 

It was created to help counteract both Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.  It encourages shoppers to patronize local businesses in our hometown, the brick and mortar businesses that are both small and local.  AmEx, of course, was Johnny-on-the-spot with advertising on both radio and TV.  Am Ex went so far as to buy advertising space on Facebook, and turned it over to its small merchant account holders.

This could be a great idea that could fall flat on its proverbial face.  I have been to too many small businesses that are not worthy of my patronage.  Certainly, they should not receive my business just because they are small and local.  They should have their “fingers” on the pulse of the neighborhood or local business climate.  They should offer superior service, whether that might include free delivery, gift wrapping, or special orders.  They should foster an environment that keeps me coming in year around, not just at Christmas.

I have been associated with small businesses since childhood.  My Dad was a very successful small businessman (auto parts and repair).  My first jobs in pharmacy were in small or large neighborhood pharmacies that were enormously successful.  The owners of those pharmacies became millionaires, back in the 1970s, when it really meant something.  The foundation of these successful small businesses was customer service.  That is no secret!  Why don’t small businesses today understand that?

A small pharmacy

I often walk into a small business and do not even get a greeting.  Nor do I get a thank you if I buy something.  What is wrong with these people?  And how many offer to special order an item for me?  Very few in my experience. 



Or what about getting a bad meal in a restaurant?  Do they really care, or make an effort to make it right?  Sometimes my only recourse is Yelp or TripAdvisor.  It all starts with a basic concept:  communication.  Talk to me, the customer, and find out what I need or want.  How many small retailers just sit there, or hire a teenager at minimum wage, just hoping to ring up big sales on the old cash register?  I am not going to buy from you just because you are small and local.  Give me a reason to buy from you!

So, this is a golden opportunity for the small business owner/person to shine.  I say, “Do it right”, or you won’t be doing it at all! 

PS:  You notice I did not bring up price???

Twinkies, Twinkies, Little Star

Posted by golfkat on November 22, 2012
Posted in: Cultures, Food, Health. Leave a comment
I thought Twinkies would live forever, both as a company, and as a non biodegradable product that the next Millennium would find in time capsules or solid land fills across the country.  In fact, I will bet that most of you who get my emails in foreign countries have no idea what I am referring to.
So, what is a Twinkie?  They have been around in 1930, as a snack or junk food.  In fact, I would bet there are some remnants of those original Twinkies from 1930 in museums or discarded school children’s lunch boxes in land fills across the country. 
 Twinkies are an American snack cake, often found in children’s lunch boxes, made by Hostess Brands.  They are advertised as a “Golden sponge cake with creamy filling.”   They were invented in 1930 by James Alexander Dewar, a baker for the Continental Baking Company.  Interestingly, it was a “fill-in” product for the company, when baking machines for cream filled strawberry shortcake were idle during the time strawberries were out of season.
Dewar came up with a banana cream filling, though later switched to vanilla cream, when World War 2 imposed banana rationing.  This change was so popular that vanilla cream became permanent, though several flavors have come and gone, including banana and strawberry.  
But in January of this year, Hostess, the manufacturer of Twinkies, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  And just this week, the company, unable to reach a reasonable labor agreement with their union, decided to cease production, and liquidate all assets, including the Twinkie name.  This is yet another reason that we lose jobs overseas: greedy union employees, bosses, and fat pensions!  Perhaps another baking company will buy the franchise name and obtain the secret recipe for Twinkies.  They are still available in Canada.

I may go out and find some today.  I will save them as a Christmas present for those of you who live in the area.  It will be a fitting way to end 2012.

The ingredients are:  Enriched wheat flour, sugar, corn syrup, niacin, water, high fructose corn syrup, vegetable and/or animal shortening – containing one or more of partially hydrogenated soybean, cottonseed and canola oil, and beef fat, dextrose, whole eggs, modified corn starch, cellulose gum, whey, leavenings (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), salt, cornstarch, corn flour, corn syrup, solids, mono and diglycerides, soy lecithin, polysorbate 60, dextrin, calcium caseinate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, wheat gluten, calcium sulphate, natural and artificial flavors, caramel color, yellow No. 5, red #40.
A single Twinkie contains 2.5 grams of saturated fat.  Better yet, some genius came up with the deep-fried Twinkie.  First the Twinkie is frozen, then dipped into batter, then deep-fried.  It was the Texas State Fair that came up with this idiotic idea.  Now, they are sold in fairs across the country, as well as numerous restaurants, including some downtown Las Vegas casinos.  
Urban legend says Twinkies have a rather long shelf life, as I alluded to earlier.  The legend is false, despite all of the chemicals used in making Twinkies.  They can last about 25 days, not the ten, fifty or one hundred year lives that have become legend.  If it were true, I am sure some crazy Texan would build another Alamo out of Twinkies.  The official company line is 7 to 10 days only.
President Clinton dropped a Twinkie in a Millennium time capsule back in 1999.  I guess he figured it would last longer than apple pie or a Cuban cigar.  But as children, we loved to have Twinkies in our lunch box or paper sack.  And certainly, we would prefer it over carrot and celery sticks, or even home-made cookies.  So, now that Twinkies have reach 82 years of age, there must be some original Twinkies somewhere on a shelf or discarded lunch box.
Twinkie optimists hope that the company and the union will reach an agreement, saving the company and its treasured franchise.  Or maybe an outside investor, like Donald Trump will come along, though he would fit the “Ding Dong” product much better.  Ding Dongs are another unhealthy snack cake made by Hostess.  The Twinkies name is too well-known to die this type of death.  Long live Twinkies!!

Prosecco, the Affordable Bubbly

Posted by golfkat on November 19, 2012
Posted in: Entertainment, Food, Travel. Leave a comment

After nine emails on champagne, you are probably wondering if I won the lottery in order to afford so much champagne.  Well, I have a secret for you.  There are some reasonably priced alternatives, from France itself, Europe, and of course, over here.  We are just down the road from Napa and Sonoma, and of course, my favorite Carneros region.

Sparkling wine comes from many regions around the world, but cannot be called *Champagne unless it is from the Champagne wine region in France.  But sparkling is made from a blend of grape varietals and goes through two fermentations just like champagne.  However, the grapes are picked earlier to preserve the acidity and ensure a low sugar content.  Then it undergoes primary fermentation as still wine.

Sugar and yeast are added to generate a secondary fermentation in the bottle, making the refreshing and effervescent bubbles that we all enjoy.  Our cooler climate makes for some fabulous sparkling wines.  In fact, many of the established French champagne producers have invested heavily in Napa and Sonoma.  They obviously know that world class bubbles and wines are produced here.

The California sparkling are produced using the traditional method, and with the same grape varietals as France (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.  The result are sparkling wines that range from fresh and fruity, to elegant and charming.  And they are affordable and fantastic alternatives to Champagne!

Spain is well known for their Cava, which means “cellar.”  Cava is produced in Penedes, outside of Barcelona.  Cava is also made using the traditional method, resulting in a clean and crisp sparkling with natural floral and fruity flavors.  Much like sparkling wine and Champagne, it is very food friendly, and particularly good  at offsetting fattiness in foods.  It is also nice on its own, or with orange juice in a Mimosa.

But my personal favorite for a sparkling alternative is the almighty Prosecco.  It comes form the Veneto region of northeast Italy, where the climate is cool.  Prosecco are usually dry, but can be made in a sweeter style by some houses.  It is best served ice cold, due to its crisp nature.  It is a great way to start a meal.  It can be mixed with peach puree, though I prefer a peach sparkling wine, creating a Bellini, a rather famous Italian cocktail.

Prosecco is made from the Glera grapes.  DOC Prosecco is produced in the regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, in the hills near Treviso.  Up until the 1960s, Prosecco was mainly a sweeter wine, almost like Asti, which is produced in Piedmont.  Since then, techniques have improved and high quality dry wines are produced.  Prosecco has risen sharply in popularity outside of Italy, with double digit global sales growth.   

Give credit to Mionetto (now the largest importer of Prosecco) for introducing Prosecco to the U.S. market in 2000.  Now, Prosecco is made using the Charmat method, in which secondary fermentation takes place in steel tanks, making it less expensive to produce.  About 150 million bottles are produced annually.      

Unlike Champagne, Prosecco does not ferment in the bottle, and should be consumed as early (young) as possible.  It is most commonly served unmixed, but has increased its appearance in mixed drinks.  It can also replace champagne in a Mimosa.  Above all, the taste is fresh, light, and relatively simple.  It is a perfect wine for the Thanksgiving holiday meal.

As the famous Hawaiian bar singer, Don the Ho once said, “Tiny bubbles make me feel fine.”  I can only agree with him 100% of the time.

*2006, laws were enacted prohibiting the use of the term, champagne.  There are some wineries that were “grandfathered” in and are allowed to use the wording, “California Champagne.”

Many-Apple-Lis

Posted by golfkat on November 18, 2012
Posted in: Cultures, Travel. Leave a comment

The largest city in the state of Many-Sohhhta is Many Apple Lis, with a population of around 400,000.  It is located on the banks of the Mississippi River, and adjoins St. Paul, the state capitol, comprising what we know as The Twin Cities.  The area was home to the Dakota Sioux before being invaded by French explorers around 1680. 

The area became famous first for their agriculture, with Great Plains farmers shipping grain to the city’s thirty-four flour mills, including General Mills and Pillsbury.  By 1905, the city delivered 10% of the country’s flour and grist.  At its peak, a single mill made enough flour for twelve million loaves daily. 

Then Mayor Hubert Humphrey helped establish fair employment practices post World War 2.  In the 1950s, only 1.6% of the population was non-white.  The city had a problem with white supremacy, underwent desegregation, and the African-American civil rights movement.  In 1968, it became the birthplace of the Native American or American Indian movement.  They were also known for their blatant anti-Semitism until 1950. 

Winters are cold and snowy, typical of the upper Midwest.  Summers are hot and humid, typical of the Midwest.  The snowiest winter was back in the winter of 1983-84 with 98.4 inches of snow. 

The population is still 63.8% white, 18.6% Black or African-American, with American Indians at 2%, Asians at 5.6% (rather surprising), and Latinos at whopping 10.5%.  This changing demographic is occurring across the country, with California leading the way.  European Americans make up three-fifths of the city’s population, predominantly German and Scandinavian. 

Five Fortune 500 companies make their home in Minneapolis.  They are Target, U.S. Bancorp, Xcel Energy, Ameriprise Financial, and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (never heard of it).  The city’s largest employers, besides Target, are the University of Minnesota, Wells Fargo, Hennepin County, Macy’s, The Federal Reserve Bank, and the City of Minneapolis, among others. 

What I like most about the city is that it is second only to New York City in live theater per capita.  It is the third largest theater market in the U.S. after New York City and Chicago.  The Minnesota Fringe Festival is America’s largest nonjuried performing arts festival.  Prince is Minneapolis’ most famous musical progeny. Or perhaps Robert Zimmerman.

The Minneapolis park system has been a model for other cities, and is often cited as the best-designed, best-financed, and best-maintained in the U.S. The crown jewel is the city’s Chain of Lakes, seven lakes connected by bike, running, and walking trails, along with swimming, fishing, boating and ice skating.  Of note, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow named Hiawatha’s wife Minnehaha for the waterfall in The Song of Hiawatha, the best-selling and often parodied 19th century poem.

Most impressive is the University of Minnesota, with over 50,000 students.  I have numerous colleagues who have taught at the University.  Minneapolis has one light rail system, the Hiawatha LRT line, connecting the Mall of America with the airport, and downtown.  Despite its severe weather, the city ranks second in the nation for the highest percentage of commuters by bicycle.  Ten thousand cyclists use the bike lanes in the city each day.

 A statue of Mary Tyler Moore in a downtown mall commemorates the old TV show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, depicting a fictional 1970s television station.  The show won 31 Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. 

The famous Mayo Clinic is 75 miles away in the city of Rochester.  A golfer friend of mine goes back every year for refresher courses at the Mayo.  I actually had the Scottsdale branch of the Mayo Clinic as a client back in the 1980s.

So, there you have it, the things that I find interesting about Many Apple Lis.  After I shop at the Mall, I plan to take the Hiawatha Line downtown, mingle with the locals, and attend a concert.  Wish me luck, and some decent weather.  It is far different from changing planes at the airport!

Mall of America=American Dream or Nightmare?

Posted by golfkat on November 15, 2012
Posted in: Entertainment, Shopping, Travel. Leave a comment
At some point in my previous life, I must have flown through Minneapolis-St Paul Airport, on the way to points east.  It would not have been my choice.  Was there not an airline called Northwest Orient (or maybe KLM) that was based here?  I hear winters are brutal, and summers produce the biggest mosquitoes north of the Mason Dixon Line.  So, in my quest to visit all fifty states, I landed in Bloomington, MN, home to the famous Mall of America.  I also need to miles to maintain the lowest of status with United.
  It is hard to believe that MOA was born twenty years ago, in 1992.  You may have seen the Mall featured on various television shows, like Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, and TLC.  The best description I have heard of Mall of America is that it is a city within a city.  The three anchor tenants are Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Sears.  Some unique tenants are the Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium and a fourteen screen movie theater.  This is the home of Abercrombie and Fitch’s flagship store.  The Mayo Clinic has a wellness center here. The Ghermezian Brothers, probably with lots of relatives in Fresno, were the developers of this mega mall.  They opened their doors on August 11, 1992, despite detractors and naysayers.  The idea was to build a shopping center that would be a destination.  By most accounts, it has exceeded all expectations.  They became the first mall to mix retail and entertainment.  It is the most visited shopping mall in the world with more than 40 million visitors annually.  This is eight times the population of Minnesota!
The Hiawatha Line light rail line connects the Mall with the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as well as downtown Minneapolis.  I plan to visit a few old friends there, if I can make contact with them.  The light rail runs every 10 minutes!!!!  My hotel is right across the street, walking distance. Like most malls across our country, people use the mall to walk, a form of exercise that is very underrated.  It is also possible to get to the Mall from either the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport as well as downtown on their light rail system.  Here are some boring statistics about MOA: 57 miles is the walking distance around one level of Mall of America
  • 8 acres of skylights allow about 70% of the natural light to enter the Mall
  • 4 out of 10 visitors to Mall of America are tourists
  • 4.3 miles of total store front footage
  • 7 Yankee Stadiums can fit inside the Mall
  • 25 rides and attractions in Nickelodeon Universe
  • 32 Boeing 747s could fit inside the Mall
  • 65 semi trucks were needed to transport trees to the theme park to create the outdoor feel of an indoor park
  • 70 degrees inside Mall of America whether its spring, summer, winter or fall
  • 86 hours is the length of time it would take to complete your visit to the Mall if you were to spend just 10 minutes in each store
  • 100+ pounds of food are fed daily to animals at SEA LIFE™ Minnesota Aquarium – plus 90 extra pounds on the days the sharks are fed
  • 258 Statues of Liberty could lie inside the Mall
  • 400+ events are held at Mall of America each year
  • 520+ stores are located in Mall of America
  • 5,000+ weddings have been performed at Mall of America
  • 11,000 year-round employees at Mall of America (13,000 during peak periods)
  • 12,550 on-site parking spaces at Mall of America in two ramps
  • 30,000+ live plants and 400 live trees climbing as high as 35 feet tall in Nickelodeon Universe®
  • 32,000+ tons of trash recycled each year
  • 170,000+ Legos have been lost in the LEGO play area
  • 1.2 million-gallon aquarium at SEA LIFE™ Minnesota Aquarium
  • 4.2 million square feet of gross building area
  • 40 million visitors annually which is more than the combined populations of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa…and Canada
  • 130+ million number of rides in the park since opening
  • $650+ million cost to build
  • Nearly $2 billion Mall of America generates in economic activity annual for the state of Minnesota

But the best news is NO SALES TAX on clothing in the state of Minnesota!

Your Rack

Posted by golfkat on November 12, 2012
Posted in: Health. Leave a comment
Here is an interesting article about the breast that I just read in Whole Living.  If your partner knows your rack better than you do, it’s time for a quick reintroduction (written by Melissa Daly).
What They Are:  Fat and connective tissue surrounding 15 to 20 lobules that, when lactating, produce milk through 6 to 10 ducts.
What They Do:  Nourish infants; fill out a halter top.
Why They’re Important:  Breasts are the second most common site of cancer (after skin) in American women.

Off-kilter?  Totally normal, that on average, one breast, usually the left, is 3.2% larger than the other (Annals of Plastic Surgery).

Are your breasts trying to tell you something?
Common signals include:
Discharge  Fluid from the nipple in women who are not breast-feeding can be the result of infection or a side effect of certain medications.  Check with your doctor to determine the cause.
Lumps  Yes, they could be cancer, but most likely aren’t.  Lumpiness can be the result of extra fluid in the breasts around the time of your period, growth of milk glands during pregnancy, or fat loss during menopause.  Have the lump examined by a doctor!
Tenderness  Hormonal changes can cause pain around your period, or as you approach menopause.  Many women report that cutting down on caffeine helps.  If breast-feeding, pain and tenderness can indicate mastitis, an infection in the milk duct.
Three Ways to Care for Your Pair Basic:  good food and exercise.
1.  Go Native  In a study of dietary patterns, a so-called “Native Mexican” diet rich in beans, spices, and tomato-based sauces was associated with a 32 % lower risk of breast cancer than a typical Western diet. Is that why the lines are so long at Tex-Mex places?
2.  Think Small  Overweight women who lose just 5% of their starting weight can reduce risk factors for breast cancer by lowering their levels of insulin, estrogen, and testosterone.
3.  Limit Toxins  Older women with the highest exposure to cadmium (or most contaminants), a carcinogen that gets into food via fertilizers, had a 21% greater risk of getting breast cancer than those with the least exposure.  Fruits and veggies help offset toxins’ effects.  Hello Farmer’s markets!

Scoville Units?

Posted by golfkat on November 9, 2012
Posted in: Cultures, Food, Health. Leave a comment
This is not an email about The Red Hot Chili Peppers, an American rock band, formed in 1983.  This is an email about something more important, real peppers.  So, the question should not be whether the peppers are hot or not.  The question should be, “How hot are they?”  I am glad you asked.
The measurement of pepper pungency or the “spicy heat” is called the Scoville Scale.  The number of Scoville heat units indicates the amount of capsaicin present.  Capsaicin is the compound that does the damage, since it stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin and mucous membranes.  The highest rating for pure capsaicin is 16,000 Scoville units, probably enough to start a fire.

I mention Scoville in part, because Wilbur Scoville was an American pharmacist.  He devised this method back in 1912, and called it the Scoville Organoleptic Test.  In today’s technology, the equivalent is the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which can directly measure capsaicin levels.
Rather than bore you about Mr. Scoville’s methods, perhaps it is best to move on to the subject of peppers.  A sweet or bell pepper has no capsaicin at all, or a Scoville rating of zero.  On the other end (so to speak), are the habaneros and nagas, with Scoville ratings of 20,000 or more!!!!  But the greatest weakness of the Scoville method is that it relies on human subjectivity.  Tasters are allowed only one tasting per session.
However, HPLC identifies and measures the concentration of heat-producing chemicals.  The measurements use a mathematical formula that peppers lovers could care less about.  This methods yields results, not in Scoville units, but in American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) pungency units.  A measurement of one part capsaicin per million is equivalent to 15 Scoville units.  ASTA pungency units are multiplied by fifteen and reported as Scoville units. Here you go:

 

Scoville heat units Examples
16,000,000,000 Resiniferatoxin
5,300,000,000 Tinyatoxin
16,000,000 Capsaicin
15,000,000 Dihydrocapsaicin
9,200,000 Nonivamide
9,100,000 Nordihydrocapsaicin
8,600,000 Homocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin
160,000 Shogaol
100,000 Piperine
60,000 Gingerol
16,000 Capsiate

 

Scoville ratings of peppers

 

Scoville heat units Examples
1,500,000–2,000,000 Most law enforcement grade pepper spray, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
855,000–1,463,700 Naga Viper pepper, Infinity Chilli, Bhut Jolokia chili pepper, Trinidad Scorpion Butch T pepper, Bedfordshire Super Naga[14]
350,000–580,000 Red Savina habanero
100,000–350,000 Habanero chili, Scotch bonnet pepper, Datil pepper, Rocoto, Madame Jeanette, Peruvian White Habanero, Jamaican hot pepper, Guyana Wiri Wiri
50,000–100,000 Byadgi chilli, Bird’s eye chili (aka. Thai Chili Pepper), Malagueta pepper, Chiltepin pepper, Piri piri (African bird’s eye), Pequin pepper
30,000–50,000 Guntur chilli, Cayenne pepper, Ají pepper, Tabasco pepper, Cumari pepper (Capsicum chinese), Katara (spicy)
10,000–23,000 Serrano pepper, Peter pepper, Aleppo pepper
3,500–8,000 Espelette pepper, Jalapeño pepper, Chipotle, Guajillo pepper, New Mexican varieties of Anaheim pepper, Hungarian wax pepper, Tabasco sauce
1,000–2,500 Anaheim pepper, Poblano pepper, Rocotillo pepper, Peppadew
100–900 Pimento, Peperoncini, Banana pepper
No significant heat Bell pepper, Cubanelle, Aji dulce

 

While I enjoy some hot and spice in my food, Tabasco sauce at 3500-8000 Scoville heat units is my limit, unless the chef sneaks in something.  I have never been blasted with full strength law enforcement grade pepper spray.  I have been tear-gassed, back in the 1960s on the U.C. Berkeley campus.
Digress for a moment to the Naga Viper pepper, according to Guinness, the world’s hottest pepper.  Interestingly, it was created by an English farmer named Gerald Fowler, based in Cumbria.  It is a three way hybrid of Naga Morich, Bhut Jolokia, and Trinidad Scorpion (awesome names).
The habanero pepper is more common to this area.  They are green, and continue to the color red as they ripen.  I have tried them without much success, as they are too hot for me, raw or cooked.  It falls somewhere between 100,000 and 350,000 Scoville units.  The habaneros are native to the Amazonas area, then spread northward to Mexico.  The oldest one was found to be 8500 years old.  They grow well in hot weather, and are popular throughout Central and South America.  Texans came up with a way to make the habanero light, or a more mild version in 2004.  Habanero closeup edit2.jpg

 

 

Getting back to capsaicin itself, it was first extracted back in 1816 by Christian Bucholz.  But Karl Micko was the first to isolate capsaicin in its purest form in 1898. In 1919, E. K. Nelson determined its empirical formula.  Spath and Darling first synthesized capsaicin in 1930.

The highest concentration of capsaicin is found not in the seeds, but in the white pith of the inner walls, where the seeds are attached.  In 2006, it was determined that the venom in certain tarantulas activates the same pathways of pain as is activated by capsaicin.  But I am more interested in its use as medicine.

Capsaicin is used in topical creams and ointments to relieve peripheral neuropathy, specifically post-herpetic neuralgia caused by shingles.  The concentration used is between 0.025% to 0.15%.  The creams can also be used for temporary pain relief for minor aches, muscle pain, joint pain (arthritis),  back aches, sprains and strains, and even psoriasis. It is best applied by a person wearing both gloves and a face mask.  The capsaicin is left on the skin until the patient feels the heat, in which case, it is removed.

Capsaicin is also used in riot control, as well as personal defense pepper spray.  It is very painful when it comes in contact with skin, eyes and mucous membranes.  Breathing small particles causes great difficulty in breathing.  In large quantities, it can cause death!

So, is there an antidote?  Of course.  The best antidote for topical exposure is oily compounds, like salad oil or petroleum jelly (Vaseline).  For an oral overdose, milk seems to be the best.  In fact, many restaurants that challenge big eaters to ingest hot foods, often ban the use of cold milk by the participant, until he gives in.  Just about anything cold seems to help.  Eyes are rather difficult to treat, with only symptomatic relief from ophthalmic anesthetics.

Another danger signal comes to those who tend to eat large amounts of capsaicin.  There seem to be higher rates for stomach and liver cancer in areas inhabited by people who ingest high amounts of capsaicin rich foods.  There is no evidence that it is useful in weight loss.

So, there it is, everything you wanted to know about red hot chili peppers.

Boston City Bicycle Tour

Posted by golfkat on November 6, 2012
Posted in: Entertainment, Health, Travel. 2 Comments

Last time in Boston, I had some sort of minor injury that I cannot recall at the moment.  So, they are honoring my rain check, and the big ride will take place on Nov. 1, the day after Halloween.  Wait, I do recall now.  I was teaching my friend’s eight year old daughter how to ride a bicycle up in Sonoma.  Old age is getting to be a bitch!
In an effort to see parts of Boston I have not seen, close up and personal, I decided to take the City Bike Tour.  These are the spots we will see:

  • Historic Fenway Park
  • The Christian Science Center
  • The Freedom Trail
  • Boston Common
  • The beautiful brownstones in Back Bay and the South End
  • The Rose Kennedy Greenway – Boston’s newest public park
  • The Charles River Esplanade
  • The North End – Boston’s oldest residential, Italian neighborhood
  • Copley Square, where you’ll see the Boston Public Library & Trinity Church
I have seen most of these sites, either on foot or by tour bus.  They provide a custom fitted bicycle, helmet (without a Red Sox logo), a bottle of water (I may ask for a substitute), and a friendly and knowledgeable tour guide.  This particular tour is 2.5 to 3 hours long, and covers 10 to 12 miles.  They say even the locals take this tour to learn more about their own city.
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And perhaps best of all, the tour staff take photos along the tour.  They are available to us at no charge, and sent by email.  I was wondering how I would take a photo and ride the bike with a “no hands, Mom!’
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The real question or concern is whether the ghosts and goblins will follow us around the city.  It was a great tour, nice and knowledgeable leader, fun people, and great weather.  You must try this on your next trip here.  I am going on a 30+mile ride with them on my next trip here.