FOOD SEASONING AND OTHER ADDITIVES

Food would be dull and unsatisfactory without food seasoning or condiments.

Food seasonings are additives which though added in very small amounts give the dish
distinctive flavor characteristics. Some food seasonings may have flavor of their own.
Others may be flavor potentiators or substances which have no pronounced flavor of
their own but are capable of enhancing the natural flavor of the other foods.

Food additive is a substance or mixture of substances, other than a basic food

stuff, which is present in a food as a result of any aspect of production, processing,
storage or packaging. Food additives may be intentional or incidental. Intentional
additives are those chemicals which are added on purpose to perform specific
functions. Incidental additives, on the other hand, are substances which may be present
in finished foods in trace quantities as a result of some phase of production, processing,
storage or packaging.

FOOD SEASONINGS

Food seasonings add zest to our food. Filipinos have traditionally been using
varied spices, herbs and various other seasonings to enhance the flavor of our native
dishes. Some regional foods use them to a greater extent than do others. For example
cooking by muslims and bicolanos makes use of a good number of spices and hebs
which indonesians and malaysians use.

Salt

Salt is the most common seasoning. It is available as rock or solar salt, fine
grained table salt or iodized. Salt may also be combined with other seasonings to make
garlic salt, celery salt, smoke salt and seasoned salt. Salt may also be used in making
pickles or in curing meat and fish.

SPICES AND HERBS

Spices are pungent or aromatic natural products of vegetable origin used as food
flavorings. Herbs are flowering plants whose stem above the ground does not become
woody and persistent. Their aromatic dried leaves are used as flavoring agents.

Different parts of plant may be used as seasoning:

1. Bark – cassia and cinnamon.

2. Buds and flowers – caper, clove and saffron.
3. Leaves – basil, bayleaf, chervil, fennel, lemon grass, marjoram, mint, oregano,
pandan, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, and thyme.
4. Seeds – allspice, anise, caraway, cardamon, chili, pepper, coriander, cumin, dill,
fennel, mace, mustard, nutmeg, pepper, and sesame.
5. Roots – ginger and turmeric.
6. Combination of these parts – could of course be blended to make such
interesting variations as chili seasoning, chili powder and curry powder. These
are not a single spice but one predominant spice could accout for the
characteristic flavor. For example, curyy contains turmeric for the yellow color
and cumin and ginger for flavor.
Spices and herbs
English name Description
(common name)
Dried, ground berries of
Allspice (pimiento) the West Indian pimiento
tree.
Annatto (achuete) Red seeds, substance
that impart color desired.
Anise ( anis ) A spice with strong
licorice flavor.
An herb of the mint family
Basil with strong aromatic
flavor, tastes pepper and
clove.
A favorite oriental
Bay leaf (laurel) flavoring agent; aromatic
dry leaves
A very hot or pungent
Cayenne pepper pepper, made from the
( siling maanghang) dried seeds or fruit of a
plant of the capsicum
family.
Chili pepper Fruit pod of the capsicum
(siling labuyo) plant, a popular spice
among mexiacans.
Blend of spices with an
Chili powder earthy, sweetish flavor.
Tiny onion-like plants,
Chives growing intuffs. They
(sibuyas na mura) have thin, hollow leaves.
Uses
Used to flavor meat, soup
cake, pickles and jellies.
Used as coloring in meat
and noodle dishes.
Used whole or ground in
cakes, cookies, breads,
beverages and salad
dressings. Also used in
guinatan, sapin-sapin, and
puto.
Used for meats and
salads, especially Italian
dsishes.
A pleasing flavor account
for
adobo,estofado,pochero
and sauces like lechon.
Used to flavor red beans,
meats, fish, sauces and
mexican dishes.
Used for soups, stews,
pikles, chili con carne.
A major spice in mexican
dishes like Tamale, chili
con carne, Tacos.
Used as garnish or
seasoning for soups,
appetizers, fish or
vegetable dishes, sauces.

Dried inner bark of an

ever-green tree, reddish Used for baked goods,
Cinnamon (kanela) brown with distinctly meats, candies, pickling.
sweet mildly pungent
flavor.
Dried fruit or seed of
plant belonging to the Used in punch, pickles,
Coriander parsley family which has candies and meats; relish
(kolantro) a slight lemon flavor; the with tomato and onion.
green herb is known as
wansuy.
Dried yellowish-brown
Cumin seed with strong, earthy Spice for soups, stews,
flavor. Chief ingredient in sausages.
chili curry powder.
Blend of several spices
like cumin, chili pepper,
ginger, golden yellow in
Curry powder color, has characteristic Chief spice for curry
hot pungent aroma. The dishes.
yellow color is
contributed by turmeric.
A bulbous plant of the lily Used for appetizers, and
family, strong-smelling seasoning in soups, meat
made up of small and eggs fish and poultry,
Garlic (bawang) sections called cloves; sauces vegetables, salad
also now available as and salad dressings, and
dried flakes or powder. desserts.
The latter is reffered to as
garlic salt.
Ginger (luya) Light yellow roots with Used in pickles,
pungent, hot and spicy beverages, preserves,
flavor. vegetable and fish paksiw,
bachoy, tinola, pesang
isda.
SAUCES

Sauces used as food seasonings are as follows:

1. Bagoong – salted and femented shrimps or alamang, small fishes like dilis,
padas, or small sword fish, tiny shell fishes or size, or eggs of banak, carpa,
dalag, and kanduli.
2. Banana catsup – a combination of sugar, vinegar, banana puree and spices
usually served as accompaniment or sauce for meat and fish dishes.
3. Catsup – a condiment of tomato puree, salt, sugar vinegar and seasonings.
4. Cayenne sauce - an extremely hot and pungent seasoning made from ground or
crushed chili or cayenne pepper.
5. Chili sauce – tomato sauce with hot spices, onions, garlic, sugar, vinegar and
salt. Similar to catsup but has more cayenne and garlic.
6. Heko – a condiment made by cooking bagoong and water for half an hour, then
allowing to stand. The sediment is heko.
7. Patis – a clear amber sauce made form fish (often with dilis, galunggong,
tamban) fermented until a protein hydroslysate is formed. The supernatant liquid
is called patis, while the residue is called bagoong. It parallels other oriental fish
sauces like nuoc mam of Vietnam.
8. Soy sauce or toyo – oriental brown, salty, tangy sauce used on dishes such as
chop suey, or as constituent of other sauces; made from fermented soybeans.
9. Vinegar – product made by the action of acetic acid bacteria on a dilute solution
of ethyl alcohol derived from the fermentation of various sugary and starchy
foods. The usual standard is 45 grain vinegar and has 4 to 5 percent acetic acid.
A commercial product though banned by FDA is made by diluting pure or glacial
acetic acid with water and coloring it with caramel.
10. Lechon sauce – liver sauce with brown sugar, biscocho (ground toasted bread),
vinegar, ground pepper, and other seasoning. This sauce is taken with the main
food, lechon or roast pig.
11. Worcestershire sauce – a thin, dark, pungent seasoning sauce. This is primarily
used with meat and contains garlic soy sauce, vinegar, onions, and spices. This
sauce is originated form Worcester, England.
12. Tabasco sauce – a very hot, red-colored sauce made with chili pepper, vinegar,
and salt. It is used in flavouring meat sauces, salads, oysters, and other dishes.

FLAVORING EXTRACTS

Flavouring extracts are aromatic oils or essences or their imitations dissolved in

dilute food grade ethyl alcohol. Some flavouring extracts commonly used at home are
almond, vanilla, lemon and orange extract. Vanilla extract are usually used in cakes and
desserts such as custard or leche flan. Gulaman dessert use almond extract. White
orange and lemon extract are used in some cakes and icings.

FLAVORING POTENTIATORS OR ENHANCERS

While herbs and spices have pronounced flavors of their own, flavour
potentiators or enhancers emphasize or accent the natural flavour of other foods.

1. Monosodium glutamate or MSG – is the first flavor potentiators discovered by

Japanese researcher in 1908. MSG is available for home use in purified form and
is often used to blend the flavors of meat, seafood and vegetables.
2. Nucleotides – this flavor potentiators was also discovered by a Japanese.
Nucleotides are formed from nucleic acids which is present in the nucleus of all
living things. This product is used to enhance the flavor of soups, sauces, gravies
 and it is capable of replacing part of the beef extract in some products. It also
gives body and smoothens to foods.

TYPES OF FOOD COLORING

Food color are used to improve and modify the color of foods. They must pass
rigid tests and must be certified to be safe for human consumption. When they have
been found to be safe they are referred to as “certified colors”.

Some important criteria for an ideal food color are:

1. It must have regulated contents of arsenic, lead and copper.

2. It must be available in pure form.
3. It must be able to withstand temperatures ranging from -10 to 100° or greater.
4. It must be stable within the pH range of 2 to 8.
5. It must be stable to light on prolonged storage.
6. It must resist oxidation and reduction.
7. Its color strength must be capable of standardization.

There are two types of food colors; the natural and the synthetic.

NATURAL COLORS

Among the natural sources of food colors are turmeric, annatto, leaf chlorophyll,
paprika or pimiento, tomato sauce and saffron. Of the natural food colors, carotene
enjoys the advantage of contributing to the nutritional quality of the food in which it is
added. It is also the most stable under ordinary cooking conditions but is more soluble
in oil than in water, although the food source of it is dispersible in water.

SYNTHETIC COLORS

Synthetic food colors are available as fat-soluble dyes and water-soluble lakes.
One must guard against such red food coloring as rhodamine, which is banned by FDA
but still used to color tocino.

Additives used Food products in which Specific functions

Vitamin A, Thiamine,
niacin, riboflavin, ascorbic
acid, vitamin C, iron, pt
potassium iodine.
used
Wheat flour, breakfast
cereals, corn meal,
macaroni and noodle To improve nutritive value.
products, margarine, milk
and salt.

Spices, carvone citrus oils, Cakes, breads, ice cream,

amyl acetate, monosodium candy, soft drinks, fruit-
glutamine. colored gelatines and To enhance flavor.
toppings canned meat
dishes.
Propionic acid, sodium and
calcium salts of propionic
acid, ascorbic acid,
butylated hydroxyanisole,
butylated hydroxytoluene.
Letithin, mono-and di-
glycerides, gun Arabic
agar-agar, methyl
cellulose.
Potassium acid tartrate,
tartaric acid, sodium
biconbonate, crii citric acid,
a lactic acid.
Bread, cheese, syrup, pie
fillings, crackers, fruit To maintain appearance,
juices, frozen and dried palatability and
fruits, margarine, wholesomeness.
shortening, potato chips,
cake mixes.
Baked goods, cake mixes, To impart and maintain
salad dressings, frozen desired consistency.
desserts, ice cream,
chocolate milk and beer.
Cakes, cookies, breads, To control acidity and
butts, cheese and cheese alkalinity.
spreads, chocolates and
soft drinks.
 BEVERAGES
Water and the various forms of beverages play an important part in any meal.
Pardon the pun, but without them the meal would indeed be very dry. The term
beverages applies to any drink, water being the main natural form. For the Filipino,
water is as important as wine is to the French or Italian. Beverages are valued for their
stimulating quality, their flavor, their temperature effects and their nutritive value.

TYPES OF BEVERAGES

Beverages may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic.

NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Milk. Milk is the whole, fresh and clean lacteal secretion of mammary glands. It is
not specified, milk usually refers to whole cow’s milk as it is taken from this animal. Milk
available in the market usually refers to whole cow’s milk. Milk is available in the market
in various forms:

1. Condensed or sweetened milk – evaporated milk to which 40 percent by

weight of sugar has been added.
2. Dried full-cream milk – whole milk dried under controlled conditions either by
roller-drying or spray-drying. The product contains 25 percent butter fat.
3. Evaporated full-cream milk – whole milk from which 50-60 percent of its water
is removed. It contains not less than 9 percent butter fat.
4. Filled milk – skim milk powder to which fat or oil, other than milk fat and water
are incorporated to simulate the composition of milk. In the Philippines, coconut
oil and corn oil are used. Its oil content is not less than 6 percent.
5. Homogenized milk – mechanically treated such that the fat globules are
reduced in size and remain emulsified. In this product, the milk fat does not
separate.
6. Malted milk – dried milk with barley malt, wheat flour and salts.
7. Pasteurized milk – milk which has been heated to 63° C (145° F) for not less
than 30 minutes or to 71°C (161°F) for not less than 15 minutes in an appropriate
pasteurizing set-up. Pasteurization destroys all the disease-producing organism
and over 90 percent of the bacteria found in milk.
8. Recombined milk – skim milk with butter oil reconstituted to the normal fat
content of whole milk. If evaporated, its water content is reduced by 50 to 60%.
9. Reconstituted milk – remade from milk powder, whether whole or skim, from
frozen milk, from evaporated milk or from any combination of these plus butter oil
to conform to the standards of normal milk.
10. Skim milk – milk from which most of the fat is removed. The product comes in
liquid or powdered form and contain less than 1 percent butterfat in the
reconstituted liquid form.

Fruit and vegetables juices and nectars. Aside from being taken fresh, fruit
and vegetable juices are also available in the market as bottled concentrates, ready-
to-drink juices in cans and tetra-packs.

Fruit nectar is the juice as well as the pulp of fruits with some of the water used
in the cooking plus sugar syrup; fruit juice is the filtered juice of the fruit, whether
sweetened or unsweetened.
 Standards of high quality for fruit juices either processed or fresh are the
following:

a. Appearance – attractive color characteristic of the fruit; for juice, it must be

smooth with no pulp particles; for nectar, it must have pulp particles.
b. Flavor – characteristic of the flavor of the fruit.
c. Aroma – pleasing full aroma characteristic of the fruit.
d. Temperature – ice cold.

Fruit juices and nectars, whether to be processed or taken fresh, must come
among the fresh fruits. With the excepttion of some, table ripe fruits are ideal for juice
making. Among the best common fruits utilized as juice are mango, pineapple,
kalamansi, guyabano, dalandan, papaya, tamarind and various others.

The common vegetable used for fruit drinks are tomatoes, carrots, and lately
ginger. Ginger brew is made by drying an infusion of ginger into a fine powder that can
be reconstituted. These are now available in the market in bottles and plastic pouches.

Whether for commercial or home use, fruits to be used as juice must be washed
thoroughly. If there are some decayed parts, these must be removed. For home use,
fruits which are pulpy like mango, are first peeled and cut into small pieces. These are
then placed in a blender or osterizer to make into a puree. The addition of water is
made depending on the consistency desired. For juicy fruit like the kalamansi, these ar
cut two-thirds from the stem end , to avoid cutting the seeds, and squeezed through
strainer.

For commercial use, there is a chance of different processing methods. The

juices could either be canned or bottled, frozen, concentrated or dehydrated.

Coffee. The beverage comes from the oval beans of the coffee arabica which is
roasted, ground and extracted using boiling water to produce a dark-colored, aromatic
drink. Coffee is sold in the market in the following forms:

1. Decaffeinated – pure coffee from which most of the caffeins is removed by

treating with ethylene dichloride. Decaffeinated coffee retains its characteristic
aroma and flavor. This product comes in the ground and instant forms.
2. Espresso – this is made by passing pulverized coffee in a filter specially
designed as espresso coffee pots. A measured mixture of steam and hot
water is made to pass through the coffee. The extraction time is very short
and results in a very black and strong drink.
3. Instant or soluble – this is prepared by a series of extractions of ground
roasted coffee finally yielding a strong, sirupy concentrate which is spray
dried.
4. Coffee substitutes – parched cereals which is heated to produced that
coffee-like flavor brought about by caramelization due to dark roasting.

Tea. The drink comes from the young leaves of the plant, Thea sinesis.
Depending on the method of manufacture, tea is available in the following forms:

1. Black – leaves are fermented to bring out the full, mellow flavor and to
produce a fragrant tea of reddish color.
2. Green – leaves are steamed to destroy enzymes and prevent fermentation.
This produces a pale gold, clear sparkling tea.
3. Oolong – slightly fermented leaves which produce light, amber tea.
4. Instant or soluble – processed by preparing a highly concentrated brew of
tea from which water is removed either by spray-drying or vaccum drying.
 5. Jasmine – consists of high grade black (sometimes oolong) tea scented with
the fragrant white flowers of the jasmine. It contains a small portion of the
jasmine blossom used in the scenting process.

Chocolate. This product comes from the ground roasted seeds of the fleshy fruit
of Theobroma cacao. Depending ont he kind of processing applied and its use
chocolate comes in various forms:

1. Cocoa – powdered chocolate from which 50 percent of the butter fat or cocoa
butter” has been extracted.
2. Bitter chocolate – solid or plastic mass obtained by grinding cocoa nibs and
contains 50 percent cocoa butter. This comes molded in squeares and other
forms.
3. Breakfast cocoa – contains not less than 22 percent cocoa fat.
4. Sweet cocoa – breakfast cocoa mixed with sugar in the proportion of about
40 percent cocoa and 60 percent sugar.
5. Sweet milk cocoa – breakfast cocoa ground with sugar to which 12 percent
whole milk solids is added.
6. Instant cocoa – a combination of cocoa, chocolate, powdered skim milk and
sugar.

Synthetic drinks. Synthetic drinks may either be carbonated or non-carbonated.

Non-carbonated synthetic drinks are usually fruit flavored drinks which come as
powdered, as concentrates or syrups, or as ready to drink juices in tetrapaks. However,
Carbonated beverages usually come in bottles and less commonly in aluminum
container. These beverages are made with pure carbonated water, sugar, acids usually
citric acid, natural or synthetic flavoring and coloring.

1. Cola drink – has cola bean extract containing three and four milligram
caffeine per fluid ounce.
2. Fruit flavored drink – flavored with natural or artificial essence or extracts of
fruits like cherry, banana, orange, pineapple, etc.
3. Ginger ale – flavored with ginger and light syrup.
4. Root beer – flavored with the oil of sassafaras and oil of wintergreen.
5. Sarsaparilla – has sarsaparilla extract for flavoring.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Beer or malt liquor. This is a beverage produced by fermentation of cereals like

barley malt or from a mixture of malt and rye. Beer contains about three to eight percent
alcohol and ninety percent water. Beer available as:

1. Ale – beverage made with top yeast instead of bottom yeast as employed for
beer. This usually contains more alcohol and hops than larger.
2. Lager beer – beer made by bottom yeast fermentation. It has a lower alcoholic
content than ale.
3. Cerveza negra – dark colored beer.
4. Port – dark sweet beer made from fermenting partially charred malt.

Wine. Wine is the fermented and aged juices of fruits generally grape. It has an
alcoholic content of 10-24 percent. Wines may also be produced from fruits other than
grape like coconut sap, santol, tamarind, bignay and others.

Wine may be classified according to their chemical composition as follows:

1. Dry wine- wine containing a very small amount of sugar. This is usually served
 During a meal because it is neither sweet nor heavy.
2. Sweet wine – wine with discernible amount of unfermented sugar.
3. Sparkling wine- wine that effervesces when bottle is opened, releasing bubbles
of Carbon dioxide. This gas is introduced by natural fermentation or by injection
under pressure.

Distilled Liquors. These are distillates from fruits or wines, or from grains or
starch solutions, or from a mixture of fruits and grain from other aromatic substances.
Among the distilled liquors are:

1. Brandy – spirit distilled from the fermented juice of grapes or sometimes of

Apples, peaches, or plums. This usually contains 30-50 percent alcohol.
2. Cognac – brandy distilled from wine and derived its name from Cognac, a
District in France where it is made.
3. Gin – colorless beverage containing 40-55 percent alcohol which derives its
flavor from added essential oils rather than from product of fermentation.
4. Rum – distillate from fermented sugar cane juice, syrup or molasses.
5. Vodka – a Russian liquor distilled from fermented wheat rye or potatoes.
6. Whiskey – distilled product from grain mash saccharified and fermented by
special distiller’s yeasts.
Two kinds of Whiskey are:
a. Bourbon- made basically from corn, sometimes with rye and malt.
b. Rye – made from mixture of rye or barley malt.

Philippine Alcoholic Beverages. The raw materials of all local alcoholic

beverages would naturally be those which could be found in abundance here in the
Philippines like sugar cane and coconut. Among the native drinks are:

1. Basi – fermented drink from sugar cane. This drink is very popular among the
Ilocanos,. Basing babae is sweet wine while basing lalake is dry wine.
2. Tuba – sweet, fermented coconut sap which is milky in appearance obtained
By tapping the young, flowering spathe of the coconut palm.
3. Lambanog – drink distilled from tuba. This is a by-product of coconut. Its
Alcohol content is higher than that of tuba.

PREPARATION OF BEVERAGES

PREPARATION OF COFFEE

In brewing coffee, the best results are obtained if the beans are freshly roasted
and ground. Roasted coffee changes in flavor a few days after grinding so that if coffee
cannot be fresh, the next alternative is coffee in vacuum cans.

In making coffee, the objective is to extract the maximum amount of flavouring

substances but the minimum amount of disagreeably flavoured tannin. There are
several methods in preparing coffee: drip method, steep method, percolator method,
and the vacuum method. These four methods are based on the same principle of
bringing the coffee in contact with hot water to extract the water-soluble constituents.

a. Drip Method – Filtered or drip coffee is made by pouring hot water over the
coffee held in a perforated container usually lined with filter paper or cheese cloth. The
hot water is allowed to pass through only once for maximum flavor and minimum tannin.
Because of the short period of contact between the hot water and the coffee, the coffee
used is finely ground or pulverized for maximum yield.
b. Steep Method – Cold water is measured into a coffee pot and made to boil.
Measured coffee is then put either directly into the boiling water or tied loosely in a thin
cloth bag. The heat is then reduced so that the water is just below boiling point. This is
allowed to steep for 6-8 minutes. The water should not be allowed to boil since this will
bring out the bitter substances or tannin. When the coffee is added directly to the water,
this is to add a small amount of cold water. This lowers the temperature suddenly so
that the coffee grounds settle at the bottom. Medium ground coffee is used for this
method.
c. Percolator Method – When making percolated coffee, the medium or regular
grind is used. The coffee is placed in a perforated upper part of the percolator; the lower
part is filled with measured amount of fresh water. As boiling starts, the water is forced
upward through the tube to the top of the pot where it is sprayed over the coffee and
extracts the soluble materials as it drips down. In this method, the ground coffee does
not come in contact with the boiling water so that a minimum amount of tannin is
extracted. However, care should be taken to prevent boiling the infusion, with the
consequent loss of coffee flavor and carbon dioxide. More coffee flavor is in the air, less
of it in the cup. The coffee should percolate gently for 7-10 minutes.
d. Vacuum Method – Measured water is made to boil in the lower bowl of the
coffee maker. The top bowl with its filtered bottom, is used to hold the ground coffee.
When the water boils, the top bowl is inserted and twisted to insure a tight seal.
Because of pressure, the water is forced up into the top bowl when it gently bubbles
through the coffee grounds. When the pot is removed from the heat, the brew returns to
the lower bowl in about two minutes. The brewed coffee may be kept hot over a low
flame or over hot water.

No matter what method is used, here are some useful tips in making good coffee:

1. Porcelain, stoneware, glass enamelware and stainless steel are preferred

materials for coffee makers. Metal form compounds with caffeine and gives a metallic
flavor to the beverages.
2. Coffee must be freshly roasted and ground for excellent result.
3. The usual proportions for coffee of average strength are two tablespoons to
one measuring cup of water.
4. Coffee makers and coffee pots must be absolutely clean and with no stale
coffee odor. The grounds should be removed as soon as coffee is made.
5. Coffee is best when freshly brewed. Cooking and reheating give a bitter
product.
6. Soft water gives coffee a desirable flavor.
7. Optimum temperatures for brewing coffee is set at 85 °C - 95°C (185°- 203°F).

PREPARATION OF TEA

In preparing tea, the goal, as in making coffee, is to extract as little tannin as

possible with the maximum flavor. Tea could be prepared in either of these two
methods.
a. Tea ball or Tea bag Method – Fresh water, which had been just boiled, is
poured over a tea bag in a preheated cup or pot. The bag or ball is allowed to remain in
contact with the water until the desired strength is obtained.
b. Steep Method – A measured amount of tea is placed in a preheated pot and
boiling water is poured into the pot. The pot is then covered and the beverage is allowed
to steep from two to four minutes depending on the desired strength. Since the leaves
are placed directly into the water, the beverage is strained into a second scalded teapot
as soon as the steepin period is over.

In obtaining an excellent cup of tea, here are some useful hints:

1. Tea pots made of glass, pottery or porcelain are best since they hold the heat
best. Metals give off metallic flavor to the beverage.
2. Water that has been boiled for a long time is flat-testing and does not give a
desirable flavor to tea.
 3. The usual proportion is one teaspoonful of tea or one teabag per cup of boiling
water.
4. Leaves should not be allowed to remain in the tea infusion since this gives a
bitter beverage due to extracted tannins.
5. Milk or lemon may be added to tea for body and flavor.

PREPARATION OF COCOA

In contrast to coffee and tea, chocolate or cocoa are boiled to cook the starch
present. A cup of cocoa is made by mixing one tablespoon of cocoa or one ounce of
chocolate, one tablespoon of sugar, a few grains of salt and two tablespoons of water.
This is made to boil in a small saucepan and stirred to prevent scorching. When a thick
paste is formed, hot milk is added. Complete cooking improve the flavor and digestibility
and produces a cocoa beverage with body and stability. Vanilla maybe added to
improve the flavor. For a good cup of hot chocolate or cocoa, here are some useful
hints:
1. Cocoa will lump if put directly into a hot liquid because of its high starch
content; however, chocolate may easily blend in hot liquid because of its fat content.
2. The starch in cocoa must be thoroughly cooked to insure a smooth product.
Boil the mixture gently for five minutes.
3. When using chocolate instead of cocoa, the chocolate should be melted first
before cooking.
4. Minimize scum formation by covering the pan or beating the cocoa-milk
mixture to a light foam.
5. High temperature, which may scorch the milk and chocolate, should be
avoided.

PREPARATION OF FRUIT JUICES.

Fruit juices are best served when they are ice cold. A fruit juice may be served
alone or in combination with other fruit juices. Fruit punch is a common drink in parties.
Care must be taken, however, in combining the right juices with respect to color and
flavor. Juices which complement and not conflict with each other must be chosen. For
example, papaya, which is quite bland, is mixed with kalamansi juice to get just the right
amount of acidity; mango juice is usually taken alone because of the strong flavor of
mango. However, these juices are prepared, it is always good to remember that they
are at their best when served cold.