FOOD FLAVOURINGS AND COLOURING

 

WEEK 3

CLASS: SS 2

SUBJECT: FOOD AND NUTRITION

 

TOPIC: FLOUR MIXTURE
CONTENT:

(i) Food Flavourings and colourings
(i) Natural and artificial
(ii) Food colouring materials
(iv) Flours from local stuff in cookery
Sub-Topic 1:

FOOD FLAVOURINGS AND COLOURING

(i) Natural and artificial
(ii) Food colouring materials
FOOD FLAVOURINGS
Food flavourings are substances are added to food to give distinctive taste and smell e.g. ginger, ‘ogiri (fermented melon), ‘iru’(fermented locust or soya beans).
Flavourings are added to food to enhance its smell; the appearance and smell of food stimulates the secretion of digestive juices.

 

Natural and artificial food flavourings

Artificial food flavourings

Ginger Curry powder
Cinnamon thyme
Nutmeg green pepper
Pepper vinegar
Rosemary vanilla
Sesame saccharin

Natural food flavourings

Onion
Dried okro
Orange peel
Dried crayfish
Ogiri (fermented melon)
Iru (fermented locust/soya bean
Lemon and orange etc.

 

The most commonly used flavourings are:
1. Bouillon cubes
2. Monosodium glutamate (in form of salt crystals)

 

FOOD COLOURINGS

Food colourings are natural pigment derived from plant materials, inorganic pigment and cakes (combination of organic colouring matters with metals) and synthetic coal-tar dyes.

Most of the colourings from plant materials and inorganic pigment are legally permitted in most countries. The two main colouring used in foods are ‘cochineal which colours food red and saffron which gives yellow colour. These are natural colourings; synthetic colourings are used in carbonated beverage and icings sugar.

Natural and artificial food colourings
Natural food colourings Artificial food colourings

Carotene Coal tar dyes of different colours e.g. those used in
Chlorophyll
Turmeric the manufacture of ice-cream, jellies etc. Vanilla

Anthocyanin caramel (from burnt sugar) flavour/ colour enhancers.
Xanthophylls, Carotenoids
Cochineal (from crushed insects)

Sub-Topic 2: FLOURS FORM LOCAL FOOD STUFF IN COOKERY
The flour most commonly used as yam flour, cassava flour, rice flour, beans flour and maize flour. Flour from plantain, bananas, sweet potatoes and cocoyam also has potential use in local food preparation.
Formally, the grinding stone, mortar and pestle are used to process the local staples into meals and flour. The processing of flour by grinding and pounding is laborious and time-consuming but milling machines are gradually gaining popularity in many home. This make it possible to have more varieties of flour available.
Types of Flour
(a) Maize flour: this is not maize starch, ‘ogi’ or ‘akamu’. It is grounded dry maize that is sieved and used for cakes, biscuits and “foo-foo: etc.
(b) Cassava flour: the sweet cassava variety is preferable (where available) peel cassava, grind or grate, tie under a heavy eight to drain it of water. Dry in sun, sieve and dry again.
(c) Rice flour: local rice is preferable. Remove dirt, wash well and soak overnight. Dry in the sun. Grind and dry again. Use in making rice/banana cake, rice “foo-foo”, etc
(d) Yam flour: peel, wash, cut and dry white yam. Slice thinly today. Grind when properly dry.
(e) Bean flour: soak beans, dehull, dry and grind. Use in making moinmoin or akara.
(f) Plantain or banana flour: wash and remove skin of unripe plantain or banana. Cut into thin even slices. Dry in the sun. Grind to flour, use preparing dishes like “mosa, ukpo”, banana fritters, biscuits and cakes.

OBJECTIVE TEST

1. _________ is an example of local flour. (a) cassava flour (b) wheat flour (c) all purpose flour
2. Food flavourings add ________ to food. (a) smell (b) taste (c) distinctive taste and smell
3. Food colourings are natural pigment derived mostly from _______. (a) Animal (b) plant materials (c) nutrients.
4. Food additives should be used (a) sparingly (b) carelessly (c) lavishly (d) all the above.

ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. List and explain 3 local flours
2. Enumerate food flavouring and colours used in flour mixture.
3. Discuss the local flour mixture in cookery.