Time again to round up some interesting and/or nutty food stories that – alas! – don’t merit an entire post individually. But nevertheless demand to be covered. Submitted for your approval: The latest must-read noteworthy Fringe Stories –
Gatorade finally does… water!
Gatorade was originally invented as a better-way-than-plain-water to hydrate. The idea came from a college football coach, truing to make his side more ‘winning’…
Gatorade Water: It was right under their noses all the time…
According to The History Channel: “Early in the summer of 1965, University of Florida assistant football coach Dewayne Douglas met a group of scientists on campus to determine why many of Florida’s players were so negatively affected by heat. To replace bodily fluids lost during physical exertion, Dr. James Robert Cade and his team of researchers — doctors H. James Free, Dana Shires and Alex de Quesada — created the now-ubiquitous sports drink.”
Fittingly, the concoction was named after the school’s football team, the Gators.
Well, it took them 58 years, but the Gatorade folks have finally come full-circle. Their latest offering is… water! But not just any water. Gatorade Water is described as, “a zero-calorie unflavored alkaline water, purified with a seven-step, enhanced filtration process.”
And it’s enhanced with electrolytes to qualify as a ‘healthy hydration’ beverage.
One surmises that Gatorade saw all those other brands – dozens of them bobbing up in the water ‘space’ – and decided to grab a gulp of the market for itself…
Making plant-based meats more ‘meaty’
The preamble to the abstract of a new study on plant-based protein products reads:
“Plant-based alternatives such as tempeh and bean burgers provide protein-rich options for those who want to reduce their meat consumption. However, replicating meat’s flavors and aromas has proven challenging, with companies often relying on synthetic additives. […] A potential solution: onions, chives and leeks that produce natural chemicals akin to the savory scents of meat when fermented with common fungi.”
Alright! Once again, the fermentation connection! Think:
- cultured milk (i.e.- Kefir) and yoghurt
- raw cheeses
- some aged cheeses
- sourdough
- wine
- beer and kvass
- cider
- cider vinegar
- tempeh
- miso
- natto
- fermented pickles
- kimchi
- sauerkraut
But back to the onions, chives and leeks… Fermented preparations of these already-healthy members of the allium family may turn out to be great additions to burgers, hot dogs, tacos and all kinds of Asian dishes that already embrace sauekraut, kimchi and fermented pickles!
Convenience with a caffeine kick!
Somebody at Nissin, the Cup Noodles people, has come up with that might be the ultimate competitive gamer ‘recharge’: Cup Noodles with caffeine!
Nissen says, in a statement: “The gaming population in Japan is growing year by year, especially among young people, and the number is said to have surpassed 50 million.”
That’s a market worth going after, for sure!
New Nissin Gaming Cup Noodles: Yakisoba (left), and Curry (right).
Minimum broth; maximum caffeine kick!
An advantage to gamers is the product’s consistency: it’s at least 90 pecent solids. Very little water/broth to risk spilling all over your gamimg station…
The product is initially available in 2 varieties: Garlic and Black Pepper Yakisoba (shrimp, pork, egg and cabbage), and Curry (pork and vegetables). Sounds good to me. I’d try them, even without the added caffeine.
Alas! Caffeinated Cup Noodles are currently only available in Japan. But if gamers in other countries make a big enough noise, Nissin might just extend the product’s distribution.
Now, you’re up-to-date
Carry on…
~ Maggie J.