Posted by admin | 0 comments
Different drinks have different hunger implication...
According to a recent study the type of alcohol you consume may determine how hungry you feel afterwards. In other words, the intensity of your “munchies” is different for wine, beer or spirits.
A recent study shows that while alcohol has a specific effect on the body, the additional nutritional content of white wine, red wine and beer also affects how our body responds to alcohol.
Research psychologist and lead author Dr Anna Kokavec, says to understand the effect of different alcoholic beverages her team measured the influence they have on the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis.
The HPA axis regulates fluctuations in the body, and is responsible for the synthesis of the steroid hormones cortisol and dehyrdoepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), says Kokavec.
“The HPA axis is a system that has an input into nearly everything in the body.”
Kokavec says DHEAS and cortisol, commonly known as a stress hormone, influence our appetite and are associated with learning and memory formation.
“We need a sufficient release of cortisol to make us feel hungry,” she says
According to the study both hormones are affected when we drink alcohol, and that low levels “could lead to specific cognitive impairment if alcohol is consumed on a regular basis.”
Fluctuating levels
The researchers divided participants into four groups. Each drank either red wine, white wine, light beer or regular beer.
Kokavec says the levels of cortisol decreased in all participants upon consuming alcohol. This reduced their desire for food, despite having fasted for half a day.
“One of the biggest problems we have with alcohol is that appetite is reduced, and most alcoholics present with malnutrition,” she says.
But Kokavec was surprised to find that DHEAS levels fluctuated, depending on what type of alcohol the participant consumed.
In the participants who drank beer the levels of DHEAS initially dropped, but then went up.
According to Kokavec, this is because beer contains carbohydrates, which increases the level of insulin in the blood.
She says insulin has an antagonistic relationship with DHEAS – as insulin increases so does DHEAS. The result is an eventual increase in hunger.
“Beer completely confuses the system.”
Kokavec says red wine has a slightly different effect on the body.
“Red wine fools the body into thinking it’s eating, so cortisol and DHEAS levels go down.”
But she says the body starts to recognise that red wine isn’t a food and DHEAS and cortisol levels rise, increasing appetite.
Kokavec says, unlike beer and red wine, white wine completely shuts down the HPA axis, meaning DHEAS levels don’t recover and hunger remains low.
Read MorePosted by admin | 0 comments
Cheese and wine
When pairing wine and cheese, you want a wine that’s going to complement the flavours of the cheese and not overpower it – and vice versa. You wouldn’t drink a really light wine with a strong-tasting cheese, or a mild cheese with a full-bodied, robust wine.
There’s a general rule of thumb to follow: the stronger the cheese is, move up the spectrum of the body of wine.
Mild, hard cheeses such as cheddar are best paired with Gamet Noir, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, unwooded Chardonnays or Cabernet Francs. While stronger hard cheeses such as aged Gouda or Asiago go best with a full-bodied Shiraz, Zinfandel or Bordeaux blends.
Aromatic wines such as Riesling and Gewurztraminer are great with soft cheeses like brie and Camembert; while a Sauvignon Blanc and Rose are classic pairings for goat cheese.
When it comes to blue cheeses, you want to pick an ice wine, late harvest wine or port. Going for higher sugar content will smooth out the edges of a strong blue cheese
Read MorePosted by admin | 0 comments
Simple rules for food and wine matching
Food and wine pairing is much simpler than you think. The main rules are to enjoy yourself and that the food and wine must both taste great on their own. If you remember this and follow these guideline food and wine matching will be a breeze.
There are no rules
The first and most important rule. There are no rules that work for every situation and every person so relax and don’t waste your time worrying about breaking them.
As long as you and your guests are having fun then your food and wine matching has been a success, regardless of what the traditional rules would have us believe.
The food and wine must both taste great on their own
This is the second rule which and can be seen as the rule of thumb for wine matching. You can’t expect for a juicy steak to improve the taste of a bad wine. The same goes for the food, if it’s not going to taste any good on its own, it is very unlikely that your wine match, no matter how delicious, is going to make the food taste better.
Match wine with people first
Just as some people always have and always will hate anchovies, some people just don’t enjoy certain styles of wine, regardless of the quality of the vino. Sometimes this may be based on a bad experience with a poor quality example, and if the person in question did actually try a decent Sauvignon Blanc they may find that they love it. But forcing people to try new things may do more harm than good.
Respect that everyone’s palate is different. Think about your guests and their wine preferences first and think about the food matching second.
Weight is important
Lighter, more delicately flavored food generally works best with lighter style wines. Heavy tannic reds tend to be best with more robust meaty dishes but of course there will always be times when a light wine could team marvelously with a heavy rich dish
Wine and food can contrast one another
Contrast is something that we personally love to play with. Using a light acidic wine like a Sauvignon Blanc to cut through the oiliness of fried fish and chips is always a winner. Unless of course you’re with someone who hates acidic wine (see rule ii).
Wine and food can compliment each other
Sometimes finding flavor similarities can result in a harmonious food and wine matching experience. The earthiness of mushrooms in a mushroom risotto can work a treat with a funky earthy Pinot Noir. A fresh, minty Cabernet Sauvignon to compliment classic roast lamb with mint sauce can also be a flavor explosion.
Trust your own instincts.
Like most things in life, if it feels like it’s a bit dodgy and it isn’t going to work then you’re probably on the right track.
It isn’t the end of the world if the food and wine are more at the divorce end of the relationship spectrum as long as you follow rule number three, you’ll be able to enjoy each on their own. A judicious sip of palate cleansing water in between mouthfuls can make all the difference.
Read More