I came across a rather unusual recipe the other day for gingerbread and caramelised apples. What makes it unusual is that it has been adjusted for baking at an altitude of between 8,000 and 10,000 feet. Apparently, the adjustments are required because the lower air pressure affects certain ingredients such as eggs and baking soda. The recipe was published in Summit Daily News, a newspaper covering a number of mountain towns in Summit County, Colorado. I've no idea what it would taste like at sea level.
A groundbreaking event in the world of digital marketing/advertising occurred last Monday when Magners became the first alcohol brand to be sold through Facebook. The new Facebook shop will sell Magners Special gift packs with pear and ginger as one of the flavours. I shall keep an eye on this page and 'F-commerce' in general as this will be an interesting extension to many e-commerce sites.
the drinks business reported on the quandary facing UK retailers. They are unsure whether to categorise alcoholic ginger beer as an ale or RTD. Alcoholic ginger beer is enjoying phenomenal growth in the UK and many manufacturers have said that this fermented drink is aimed at the beer-drinking market. With some of these drinks actually being real ales with added ginger I agree with the majority of retailers who are placing the drink in the ale category.
The Fiji Times reported on a new addition to the ginger-growing community. A mataqali has started this agricultural venture as a means of generating an income to meet church obligations. I'm more than happy to read about new ginger farmers but I was particularly intrigued by the concept of a mataqali. I'm not absolutely certain what it is but after checking Wikipedia ("Culture of Fiji") I think that it is just a sibling branch of a family tree. Maybe someone can help me.
I find it interesting to read about the difficulties some farmers have to overcome when trying to produce a hand of ginger. Problems can range from bad weather to plant viruses to wild animals. I've reported before about the problems Indian farmers face with wild boar, tigers and elephants. The Telegraph has now reported about damage caused by yet another animal - rhinos. In an effort to combat this problem the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 programme has constructed an 8km electric fence along the southern boundary of Manas National Park in the Himalayan foothills. Within this protected area, 15 families from five villages have been encouraged to grow ginger. You can't help but admire these farmers.
And finally, have you ever fancied painting ginger? Have a look at this site where Dr.Tan Ching Yam displays a painting of a piece of ginger, Chinese style. It may take a little while to load, for some reason, but bear with it, it's well worth it.
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