Re: [CH] some like it hot
Daryl F. Bernard (dbernard@svsu.edu)
Mon, 20 Jul 1998 09:44:45 -0400 (EDT)
>
> WHY DO PEOPLE IN THAILAND prefer spicier food than people in Sweden? It's
> because spices offer some protection against the food-spoilage bacteria that
> thrive in hot elimates, according to two biologists at Cornell University in
> Ithaca, New York.
>
> After analyzing thousands of recipes for the traditional meat-based dishes
> of 36 countries, Jennifer Billing and Paul W. Sherman conclude that countries
> with hotter climates use spices more frequently than countries with cooler
> climates and within large countries such as the United States, the hottest
> regions have the hottest foods: Chili is a hit in San Antonio, while Chilly
> Boston tends toward clam chowder.
>
It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that chiles and other spices
are native to hotter regions and grow better there, could it (or,
conversely, that clams are cought just offshore Boston?).
Just the skeptic, er, scientist in me wich always causes me to question
such statements.
Daryl