The largest flower in the world, the rafflesia arnoldi, weighs 7 kg (15 pounds) and grows only on the Sumatra and Borneo islands of Indonesia. Its petals grow to 1.6 ft (1 metre) long and 1 inch (2,5 cm) thick.
There are 16 species of rafflesia, found in Sumatra, Malaysia, Philippines and Borneo. The species is named after the naturalist Sir Stamford Raffles, who founded the British colony of Singapore in 1819. Raffles discovered the parasitic plant with his friend Dr. Joseph Arnold during their travels in May 1818. The rafflesia arnoldi is named after the two.
However fascinating and beautiful the rafflesia arnoldi may be, it is also called “corpse flower” and really reeks, the latter to attract flies for pollination.
Of about 200,000 kinds of flowers in the world, the smallest is the duckweed, which can only be seen with a microscope.
Oldest living thing
The oldest living thing on earth is a flowering shrub called the creosote bush, found in the Mojave Desert. It is 15 metres (50 ft) in diameter. It is estimated that it started from a seed nearly 12,000 years ago. During its lifetime the last major period of glaciation in North America came to an end, the wheel and writing were invented, and the great Egyptian and Mayan pyramids were built. The shrub is still living.
An espresso has less caffeine than a cup of coffee
A cup of drip brewed coffee has about 115 milligrams of caffeine, an espresso (and percolated coffee) about 80mg, while instant coffee has about 65mg of caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee is not totally caffeine free, containing about 3mg of caffeine. A 8oz can of Coca-Cola has about 23mg of caffeine, Pepsi Cola 25mg, Mountain Dew 36mg, and TAB 31mg. Tea has about 40mg of caffeine, while an ounce of chocolate contains about 20mg.
The first Espresso machine was introduced in 1822 by the French, but it was the Italians who perfected and distributed it.
Coffee business
Coffee is the world’s most popular stimulant: 4 out of 5 Americans drink it, consuming more than 400 million cups a day. Consumption in Scandinavian countries is more than 12kg (26lb) per capita. With more than 25 million people employed in the industry, coffee is one of the largest trade industries in the world.
Although coffee is believed to have been grown near the Red Sea since the 7th century, an Arabian author of the 15th century, Shehabeddin Ben, wrote that Ethiopians enjoyed coffee ever since anyone could remember. By the 16th centuries, coffee plants were found throughout the Yemen region of Arabia. After a Turkish ambassador introduced it to the court of Louis XIV in 1669, Europeans quickly acquired a taste for it. A few years later, the Dutch introduced coffee into Java. In 1714, the Frenchman Desclieux planted a single cutting of a coffee tree on the island of Martinique. Plantations soon grew from French Guiana to Brazil and Central America. Today, coffee is planted in moist regions around the world.
Instant coffee was invented in 1906 by Mr. G. Washington, an Englishman living in Guatemala.
Genus Coffea
Red coffee beans ready for picking
Coffee is the seed of a cherry from the tree genus Coffea, a tree yielding about 1kg (2lb) of coffee per year. There are more than 25 species of coffee, the 3 main commercial types (varietals) being Robusta, Liberia and Arabica, the latter representing 70% of total production. It takes 42 coffee beans to make an espresso.
Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, that is why it is found in some medicines. Ironically, caffeine withdrawal also is one of the most common causes of headaches. Women who drink 2 or more cups of coffee a day also have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. This, however, can be offset by drinking milk or yogurt to replace the lost calcium. Most studies have found that high caffeine consumption impairs fertility, and taken during pregnancy may cause premature or defected birth.
Caffeine is removed from coffee by treating the green beans – large seeds are commonly referred to as beans – with chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents. Instant coffee is prepared by mixing ground and roasted coffee with hot water. The water is then evaporated by spray dryers and high pressure, leaving only the coffee powder. In some coffee products, coffee is replaced with chicory (a wildflower herb), fig, date, malt, or barley, remotely resembling real coffee.
Caffeine is known medically as trimethylxanthine, and the chemical formula is C8H10N4O2.
Cappuccino
The word “cappuccino” comes from the 16th century Capuchin order of friars, whose hoods were called cappuccinos. A cappuccino is a coffee topped with steamed milk.
Barista
A barista is an expert in the preparation of espresso-based coffee drinks. Top Baristas compete annually in the World Barista Championship.
The small cup in which an espresso (sometimes referred to as expresso) is served is called a demitasse.
A cup of drip brewed coffee has about 115 milligrams of caffeine, an espresso (and percolated coffee) about 80mg, while instant coffee has about 65mg of caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee is not totally caffeine free, containing about 3mg of caffeine. A 8oz can of Coca-Cola has about 23mg of caffeine, Pepsi Cola 25mg, Mountain Dew 36mg, and TAB 31mg. Tea has about 40mg of caffeine, while an ounce of chocolate contains about 20mg.
The first Espresso machine was introduced in 1822 by the French, but it was the Italians who perfected and distributed it.
Coffee business
Coffee is the world’s most popular stimulant: 4 out of 5 Americans drink it, consuming more than 400 million cups a day. Consumption in Scandinavian countries is more than 12kg (26lb) per capita. With more than 25 million people employed in the industry, coffee is one of the largest trade industries in the world.
Although coffee is believed to have been grown near the Red Sea since the 7th century, an Arabian author of the 15th century, Shehabeddin Ben, wrote that Ethiopians enjoyed coffee ever since anyone could remember. By the 16th centuries, coffee plants were found throughout the Yemen region of Arabia. After a Turkish ambassador introduced it to the court of Louis XIV in 1669, Europeans quickly acquired a taste for it. A few years later, the Dutch introduced coffee into Java. In 1714, the Frenchman Desclieux planted a single cutting of a coffee tree on the island of Martinique. Plantations soon grew from French Guiana to Brazil and Central America. Today, coffee is planted in moist regions around the world.
Instant coffee was invented in 1906 by Mr. G. Washington, an Englishman living in Guatemala.
Genus Coffea
Red coffee beans ready for picking
Coffee is the seed of a cherry from the tree genus Coffea, a tree yielding about 1kg (2lb) of coffee per year. There are more than 25 species of coffee, the 3 main commercial types (varietals) being Robusta, Liberia and Arabica, the latter representing 70% of total production. It takes 42 coffee beans to make an espresso.
Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, that is why it is found in some medicines. Ironically, caffeine withdrawal also is one of the most common causes of headaches. Women who drink 2 or more cups of coffee a day also have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. This, however, can be offset by drinking milk or yogurt to replace the lost calcium. Most studies have found that high caffeine consumption impairs fertility, and taken during pregnancy may cause premature or defected birth.
Caffeine is removed from coffee by treating the green beans – large seeds are commonly referred to as beans – with chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents. Instant coffee is prepared by mixing ground and roasted coffee with hot water. The water is then evaporated by spray dryers and high pressure, leaving only the coffee powder. In some coffee products, coffee is replaced with chicory (a wildflower herb), fig, date, malt, or barley, remotely resembling real coffee.
Caffeine is known medically as trimethylxanthine, and the chemical formula is C8H10N4O2.
Cappuccino
The word “cappuccino” comes from the 16th century Capuchin order of friars, whose hoods were called cappuccinos. A cappuccino is a coffee topped with steamed milk.
Barista
A barista is an expert in the preparation of espresso-based coffee drinks. Top Baristas compete annually in the World Barista Championship.
The small cup in which an espresso (sometimes referred to as expresso) is served is called a demitasse.
Largest cruise ships in the world
When Ferdinand Magellan led the first circumnavigation of earth in the 16th century, his 5 ships were about 100 feet (33 metres) long each and reached 10 knots. Today, cruise liners exceed 1,000 ft (300m) in length and reach 30 knots.
The Queen Elizabeth was the longest cruise liner when she was launched in 1938, being 1,030 ft (314 metres) long (she was destroyed in a fire while being renovated in Hong Kong harbor in 1972). Other beauties in the big league include the Norway, at one stage the longest liner at 1,035 ft (315,5m). The Grand Princess, which cruises the Mediterranean, is, at 109,000 tonnes, one of the biggest. She accommodates 2,600 passengers. The Carnival Destiny – at 101,000 tonnes the first liner to displace more than 100,000 tonnes – entertains 3,400 passengers at a time in the Caribbean. The two 142,000 tonnes sister ships Voyager of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas are not shy of their size, either. They cruise in at 1,025ft (308m) in length. The Titanic, built for $10 million in 1911, was 883 ft (265m) long.
Not to be outdone in any manner Queen Mary 2, launched by Cunard on January 12, 2004, is 1,132 ft (345 metres) long, displaces 150 000 tonnes and accommodates 1 253 crew members at the service of 2 620 passengers in the grandest luxury. Queen Mary 2 was the world’s largest, longest, tallest ocean liner… until Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas was launched in April 2006. Although QM2 is 20 ft (6m) longer, Freedom of the Seas comes in at 160,000 tonnes, is 1,112 ft (339m) long, 184 ft (56m) wide and has a cruising speed of 21.6 knots. She is 50 ft (15m) wider than QM2 and pampers 4,375 lucky passengers in her 1,800 rooms across 15 decks. Her sister ship, Liberty of the Seas, was launched a year later, then being considered the largest ocean liner. She features a water park, cantilevered whirlpools, and onboard surfing. The third liner in the famous Freedom Class, the magnificent Independence of the Seas, was launched in April 2008.
In November 2009 Royal Caribbean introduced their Oasis Class of liners with the launch of the Oasis of the Seas – the sister ship Allure of the Seas will be launched in 2010 – setting a new standard for cruise ships. With Gross Tonnage at 220,000, she stretches out for 1,184 ft (360.9m) to fit 2,700 state rooms over 16 decks for 6,292 happy cruise addicts who will be served by 2,290 staff. The Oasis of the Seas is longer than any US aircraft carrier and features the Central Park with 12,000 real trees and plants. She is the world’s largest cruise ship.
The biggest ship in the world, the oil tanker Knock Nevis (formerly Jahre Viking) is 458 metres (1,502 ft) long. A big oil tanker ships about 132 million litres (34 million gallons) of petrol. Enough to drive a car 47,000 times around the earth.
Gross Registered Tonne (GRT) is 100 cubic feet. It is a measurement of space, not weight.
The Queen Elizabeth was the longest cruise liner when she was launched in 1938, being 1,030 ft (314 metres) long (she was destroyed in a fire while being renovated in Hong Kong harbor in 1972). Other beauties in the big league include the Norway, at one stage the longest liner at 1,035 ft (315,5m). The Grand Princess, which cruises the Mediterranean, is, at 109,000 tonnes, one of the biggest. She accommodates 2,600 passengers. The Carnival Destiny – at 101,000 tonnes the first liner to displace more than 100,000 tonnes – entertains 3,400 passengers at a time in the Caribbean. The two 142,000 tonnes sister ships Voyager of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas are not shy of their size, either. They cruise in at 1,025ft (308m) in length. The Titanic, built for $10 million in 1911, was 883 ft (265m) long.
Not to be outdone in any manner Queen Mary 2, launched by Cunard on January 12, 2004, is 1,132 ft (345 metres) long, displaces 150 000 tonnes and accommodates 1 253 crew members at the service of 2 620 passengers in the grandest luxury. Queen Mary 2 was the world’s largest, longest, tallest ocean liner… until Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas was launched in April 2006. Although QM2 is 20 ft (6m) longer, Freedom of the Seas comes in at 160,000 tonnes, is 1,112 ft (339m) long, 184 ft (56m) wide and has a cruising speed of 21.6 knots. She is 50 ft (15m) wider than QM2 and pampers 4,375 lucky passengers in her 1,800 rooms across 15 decks. Her sister ship, Liberty of the Seas, was launched a year later, then being considered the largest ocean liner. She features a water park, cantilevered whirlpools, and onboard surfing. The third liner in the famous Freedom Class, the magnificent Independence of the Seas, was launched in April 2008.
 |
The biggest ship in the world, the oil tanker Knock Nevis (formerly Jahre Viking) is 458 metres (1,502 ft) long. A big oil tanker ships about 132 million litres (34 million gallons) of petrol. Enough to drive a car 47,000 times around the earth.
Gross Registered Tonne (GRT) is 100 cubic feet. It is a measurement of space, not weight.
One of the greatest achievements of Edward the Confessor, who ruled England from 1042 to 1066, was the construction of Westminster Abbey. Born the son of King Ethelred the Unready and Emmaat at Islip in Oxfordshire, Edward was driven from England by the Danes and spent his exile in Normandy. The story goes that Edward vowed that if he should return safely to his kingdom, he would make a pilgrimage to St Peter’s, Rome. When he returned and was crowned at Winchester in 1042, he found it impossible to leave his subjects. The Pope released him from his vow on condition that he should found or restore a monastery to St Peter. This led to the building of Westminster Abby in the Norman style to replace the Saxon church at Westminster. Edward determined that the Minster should not be built in London, and so a place was found to the west of the city, hence it is called “Westminster.”
Westminster Abbey. There is no inscription in the Abbey dating from ll00 AD that reads “When I was young I thought I could change the world…” even though it is quoted as such in “Chicken Soup for the Soul”.
The Westminster Abbey was consecrated on 28 December l065, but Edward could not attend due to illness. He died on 5 January l066 and was buried in a shrine before the High Altar in his new church.
In 1534, King Henry VIII decreed the Act of Submission of the clergy and an Act of Succession followed, together with an Act of Supremacy which recognised the king as “the only supreme head of the Church of England called Anglicana Ecclesia.” In 1540, he dissolved the Benedictine monastery and despoiled Edward’s shrine. Edward’s body was buried in some obscure spot in the Abbey. In 1557, Mary I restored the shrine with the bones of St Edward the Confessor behind the High Altar. However, the Confessor’s coffin still lies in a cavity in the top part of the marble structure.
Since William the Conqueror was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1066, and, with the exceptions of Kings Edward V (1483) and Edward VIII (1936), all coronations have taken place there. Most recently the funeral of Princess Diana was held at the Abbey in September 1997, although she was buried at Althrop, her family home in Northamptonshire.
Westminster Cathedral. The Campanile Bell Tower is 83 metres (273 feet) in height and from a four-sided viewing gallery it is possible to see much of London.
Westminster Abbey is often confused with Westminster Cathedral (pictured). Westminster Abbey is an Anglican Church. Westminster Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church, situated about 400 m (437 yd) west of the Abbey. The Cathedral site was reclaimed by the Benedictine monks who were the builders of Westminster Abbey and used as a market. In the 17th Century the land was sold by the Abbey for the construction of a prison. The Catholic Church acquired the site in 1884. Building on Westminster Cathedral started in 1903 and the Church was consecrated in 1910.
Edward the Confessor was not a particularly successful king, but his character and piety endeared him to his people. He is represented as tall, dignified and with a long white beard.
Edward was regarded as a saint long before he was officially canonised as Saint and Confessor by Pope Alexander III in ll6l. The Confessor title applies to those who suffered for their faith and demonstrated their sanctity in the face of worldly temptations, but who were not martyrs.
The Westminster Abbey’s formal title is The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster. The popular title Westminster Abbey” continues to be used, even though there have been no monks here since the l6th Century.
The tomato is the world’s most popular fruit. And yes, just like the brinjal and the pumpkin, botanically speaking it is a fruit, not a vegetable. More than 60 million tons of tomatoes are produced per year, 16 million tons more than the second most popular fruit, the banana. Apples are the third most popular (36 million tons), then oranges (34 million tons) and watermelons (22 million tons).
Tomatoes were first cultivated in 700 AD by Aztecs and Incas. Explorers returning from Mexico introduced the tomato into Europe, where it was first mentioned in 1556. The French called it “the apple of love,” the Germans “the apple of paradise.”
Tomatoes are rich in vitamins A and C and fiber, and are cholesterol free. An average size tomato (148 gram, or 5 oz) boasts only 35 calories. Furthermore, new medical research suggests that the consumption of lycopene – the stuff that makes tomatoes red – may prevent cancer. Lycopene is part of the family of pigments called carotenoids, which are natural compounds that create the colors of fruits and vegetables. For example, beta carotene is the orange pigment in carrots. As with essential amino acids, they are not produced by the human body. Lycopene us the most powerful antioxidant in the carotenoid family and, with vitamins C and E, protect us from the free radicals that degrade many parts of the body.
The scientific term for the common tomato is lycopersicon lycopersicum, which mean “wolf peach.” It is a cousin of the eggplant, red pepper, ground cherry, potato, and the highly toxic belladonna, also known as the nightshade or solanaccae. There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes.
Tomatoes are used in many food product, including, of course, tomato sauce (ketchup), pasta and pizza. According to a Steel Packing Council survey of 1997, 68% of chefs use canned tomatoes for convenience, quality and flavoring. It hasn’t changed much since.
A fruit is the edible part of the plant that contains the seeds, while a vegetable is the edible stems, leaves, and roots of the plant.
Cooked tomatoes have higher concentrations of lycopene than non-cooked tomatoes.
Don’t store ripe tomatoes in the fridge. Cold temperatures lessen the flavor in tomatoes
Westminster Abbey. There is no inscription in the Abbey dating from ll00 AD that reads “When I was young I thought I could change the world…” even though it is quoted as such in “Chicken Soup for the Soul”.
The Westminster Abbey was consecrated on 28 December l065, but Edward could not attend due to illness. He died on 5 January l066 and was buried in a shrine before the High Altar in his new church.
In 1534, King Henry VIII decreed the Act of Submission of the clergy and an Act of Succession followed, together with an Act of Supremacy which recognised the king as “the only supreme head of the Church of England called Anglicana Ecclesia.” In 1540, he dissolved the Benedictine monastery and despoiled Edward’s shrine. Edward’s body was buried in some obscure spot in the Abbey. In 1557, Mary I restored the shrine with the bones of St Edward the Confessor behind the High Altar. However, the Confessor’s coffin still lies in a cavity in the top part of the marble structure.
Since William the Conqueror was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1066, and, with the exceptions of Kings Edward V (1483) and Edward VIII (1936), all coronations have taken place there. Most recently the funeral of Princess Diana was held at the Abbey in September 1997, although she was buried at Althrop, her family home in Northamptonshire.
Westminster Cathedral. The Campanile Bell Tower is 83 metres (273 feet) in height and from a four-sided viewing gallery it is possible to see much of London.
Westminster Abbey is often confused with Westminster Cathedral (pictured). Westminster Abbey is an Anglican Church. Westminster Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church, situated about 400 m (437 yd) west of the Abbey. The Cathedral site was reclaimed by the Benedictine monks who were the builders of Westminster Abbey and used as a market. In the 17th Century the land was sold by the Abbey for the construction of a prison. The Catholic Church acquired the site in 1884. Building on Westminster Cathedral started in 1903 and the Church was consecrated in 1910.
Edward the Confessor was not a particularly successful king, but his character and piety endeared him to his people. He is represented as tall, dignified and with a long white beard.
Edward was regarded as a saint long before he was officially canonised as Saint and Confessor by Pope Alexander III in ll6l. The Confessor title applies to those who suffered for their faith and demonstrated their sanctity in the face of worldly temptations, but who were not martyrs.
The Westminster Abbey’s formal title is The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster. The popular title Westminster Abbey” continues to be used, even though there have been no monks here since the l6th Century.
The tomato is the world’s most popular fruit. And yes, just like the brinjal and the pumpkin, botanically speaking it is a fruit, not a vegetable. More than 60 million tons of tomatoes are produced per year, 16 million tons more than the second most popular fruit, the banana. Apples are the third most popular (36 million tons), then oranges (34 million tons) and watermelons (22 million tons).
Tomatoes were first cultivated in 700 AD by Aztecs and Incas. Explorers returning from Mexico introduced the tomato into Europe, where it was first mentioned in 1556. The French called it “the apple of love,” the Germans “the apple of paradise.”
Tomatoes are rich in vitamins A and C and fiber, and are cholesterol free. An average size tomato (148 gram, or 5 oz) boasts only 35 calories. Furthermore, new medical research suggests that the consumption of lycopene – the stuff that makes tomatoes red – may prevent cancer. Lycopene is part of the family of pigments called carotenoids, which are natural compounds that create the colors of fruits and vegetables. For example, beta carotene is the orange pigment in carrots. As with essential amino acids, they are not produced by the human body. Lycopene us the most powerful antioxidant in the carotenoid family and, with vitamins C and E, protect us from the free radicals that degrade many parts of the body.
The scientific term for the common tomato is lycopersicon lycopersicum, which mean “wolf peach.” It is a cousin of the eggplant, red pepper, ground cherry, potato, and the highly toxic belladonna, also known as the nightshade or solanaccae. There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes.
Tomatoes are used in many food product, including, of course, tomato sauce (ketchup), pasta and pizza. According to a Steel Packing Council survey of 1997, 68% of chefs use canned tomatoes for convenience, quality and flavoring. It hasn’t changed much since.
A fruit is the edible part of the plant that contains the seeds, while a vegetable is the edible stems, leaves, and roots of the plant.
Cooked tomatoes have higher concentrations of lycopene than non-cooked tomatoes.
Don’t store ripe tomatoes in the fridge. Cold temperatures lessen the flavor in tomatoes
No comments:
Post a Comment