Magic at work! The perfect dessert for a cozy Autumn evening...

Upon recovering from a flu, my first breath of fresh air made it felt like I have not been under the clear sky for more than a month! The mercury level has fallen over 20 degrees within the past 3 days, and my stomach just aches for something sweet and soothing, and there are very few things that could battle against this enchanted one.


Catching a whiff of the zesty zing as the near boiling milk collides into the golden nectar of ginger, then watching it magically set into a pudding consistency, without the aid of gelatine or eggs, I feel grateful towards the adventurer who discovered the scientific reaction between milk and ginger.


The warm Ginger Milk Pudding (薑汁撞奶) is a Chinese dessert that originated in Panyu Shawan Town of Guangzhou, China, where buffalo's milk is abundant. The mystery behind the coagulating union is the natural protease that exist in fresh ginger. The protease hydrolyses the casein and other milk proteins, causing it to coagulate, a procedure that very much mimicked by the production of cheese. Buffalo's milk is preferred for this dessert as it is much denser in consistency than the bovine version; the naturally high milk proteins content aids the pudding formation. Temperature is also a key, as with other sweets in the making. Since most enzymes are sensitive to heat treatments, the milk must be no more than 80 degrees Celsius as it meets the ginger juice for their first date. Here is how you initiate the romance:


Serves 2

2 cups whole milk
2 tbs fresh ginger juice (first mince the fresh ginger, place it in cheesecloth and extract the juice), 1 tbs in each bowl
2 tbs sugar (can be adjusted to your liking)

You will also need 2 saucier.

1. Heat the milk on high in 1 of the saucier till it simmers
2. Remove from heat, add sugar and stir quickly till dissolved
3. Pour milk from 1 saucier into another, repeat this procedure 5 times to cool down the milk
4. Pour milk into bowls with ginger juice, and allow it to stand for 3 minutes


Bon Appetit!

en amour avec la Science....Mass Spectrometry Unlocks the Secrets behind Champagne's Effervescence!

Scientists in Reims, France recently unlocked the organoleptic nature of Champagne's fizz, the sensory explosion these delicate bubbles envelope, 5 litres of them that dance away from a single 0.75 litre bottle of Champagne.

It takes a scientist with an obsession in bubbles to discover that, they do not just win with their abundance, but it is their wittiness that gives them the edge. Though both components of Champagne, the golden fluid and the bubble display similar diversity of molecules (polyphenolics, amino acids, peptides, and fatty acids), the bubbles with their intelligence, secretly compartmentalise those with greater impact in aroma. This phenomenon allows the bubbles to carry 30 times more flavour-enhancing chemicals than in the rest of the drink, molecules such as fatty acids molecules that display the yeasty and toasty character, and as compounds from the fatty acids biosynthesis pathway of Vitis Vinifera.


We often speak of the significance in scientific research. Some see this discovery as the opportunity to perfect sparkling beverages (though the vigneron of Champagne might not agree on the necessity), but to me, there is nothing more extraordinary than unraveling the world's wonders.

For those whom are interested in reading the journal article, this is the sitation:
Liger-Belair et al. PNAS 106:16545-16549