OT can't see it replacing turkey

as the dish of choice for lunch on Christmas Day...

See

http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/News/...ec+2003+08%3A5
4&tbrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=NEWS&category=News&br and=EDPOnline&itemid=NOE
D15+Dec+2003+08%3A54%3A45%3A727


or http://tinyurl.com/za6z



Finding spicy secret of polar pioneer KEIRON PIM

December 15, 2003 08:54

Take a pinch of half a dozen spices, melt some snow, add one penguin, and what
have you got?

The recipe for a 90-year-old South Polar curry, thanks to the work of a pair of
scientists at Norwich's Institute for Food Research (IFR).

Fred Mellon and Adrian Parr have discovered the recipe for the curries that
sustained Capt Robert Falcon Scott on his doomed expedition to the Antarctic.

The institute was asked to analyse a 14milligram sample of the curry powder
used by Scott, Dr Edward Wilson and Lt Henry Bowers to liven up their limited
diet.

And after a trip to Norwich market, the secret was unlocked. "It turned out to
be not as difficult as we anticipated," said Dr Mellon.

"It was a 90 year old sample – the expedition was from 1910-12 – and it
would have been found when the bodies were found several months after the
expedition. There was no real odour but it still had a strong yellow colour,
which I thought was probably turmeric.

"We bought a lot of spices on Norwich market for comparison and I had some at
home."

After almost a century the powder yielded its contents to a hi-tech scientific
method, called liquid chromatography/mass-spectrometry.

The scientists compared the "chemical fingerprints" of the yellow powder with
those of the 21 spices brought to the lab by Dr Mellon.

"Rather to our surprise after 90 years, we found we could identify six spices:
turmeric, black pepper, cumin, fenugreek, coriander and cayenne pepper," said
Dr Mellon, from Norwich.

"We couldn't tell what the proportions were, but I make curries at home using
these individual spices. It sounds like a fairly bog-standard curry powder, so
obviously the formulation hasn't changed that much in 90 years!"

Curry was already a popular British dish in 1910 when Scott sailed for
Antarctica on the Terra Nova.

Scott and his men are known to have used it to season seal and penguin meat
during their journey, as well as pemmican and biscuit.

"Pemmican was pounded dried beef with beef fat," said Dr Mellon. "Although it
was nutritious it was unappetising.

"They melted snow and made a stew that they called hoosh, and added curry
powder."

Scott actually blamed the powder for causing him pain in one of his final diary
entries, writing: "These are the steps of my downfall. Like an ass I mixed a
small spoonful of curry powder with my melted pemmican – it gave me violent
indigestion. I lay awake all night . . . "

The IFR carried out the work for The Times, to support the Royal Geographical
Society's Polar Archive.

See the EDP Sunday supplement on Saturday to read how a Norwich architect has
helped preserve one of Scott's huts in the Antarctic."

Festive cheers, helen s
--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove dependency on fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e**nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o* *l.c**$*$om$$

ARGHHHH please put a penguin-meat warning in the future.

Stacey (who LOVES penguins, but not to eat )
"dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" wrote in
message ...
as the dish of choice for lunch on Christmas Day...

See

http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/News/...ec+2003+08%3A5
4&tbrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=NEWS&category=News&br and=EDPOnline&itemid=NOE
D15+Dec+2003+08%3A54%3A45%3A727


or http://tinyurl.com/za6z



Finding spicy secret of polar pioneer KEIRON PIM

December 15, 2003 08:54

Take a pinch of half a dozen spices, melt some snow, add one penguin, and
what
have you got?

The recipe for a 90-year-old South Polar curry, thanks to the work of a
pair of
scientists at Norwich's Institute for Food Research (IFR).

Fred Mellon and Adrian Parr have discovered the recipe for the curries
that
sustained Capt Robert Falcon Scott on his doomed expedition to the
Antarctic.

The institute was asked to analyse a 14milligram sample of the curry
powder
used by Scott, Dr Edward Wilson and Lt Henry Bowers to liven up their
limited
diet.

And after a trip to Norwich market, the secret was unlocked. "It turned
out to
be not as difficult as we anticipated," said Dr Mellon.

"It was a 90 year old sample - the expedition was from 1910-12 - and it
would have been found when the bodies were found several months after the
expedition. There was no real odour but it still had a strong yellow
colour,
which I thought was probably turmeric.

"We bought a lot of spices on Norwich market for comparison and I had some
at
home."

After almost a century the powder yielded its contents to a hi-tech
scientific
method, called liquid chromatography/mass-spectrometry.

The scientists compared the "chemical fingerprints" of the yellow powder
with
those of the 21 spices brought to the lab by Dr Mellon.

"Rather to our surprise after 90 years, we found we could identify six
spices:
turmeric, black pepper, cumin, fenugreek, coriander and cayenne pepper,"
said
Dr Mellon, from Norwich.

"We couldn't tell what the proportions were, but I make curries at home
using
these individual spices. It sounds like a fairly bog-standard curry
powder, so
obviously the formulation hasn't changed that much in 90 years!"

Curry was already a popular British dish in 1910 when Scott sailed for
Antarctica on the Terra Nova.

Scott and his men are known to have used it to season seal and penguin
meat
during their journey, as well as pemmican and biscuit.

"Pemmican was pounded dried beef with beef fat," said Dr Mellon. "Although
it
was nutritious it was unappetising.

"They melted snow and made a stew that they called hoosh, and added curry
powder."

Scott actually blamed the powder for causing him pain in one of his final
diary
entries, writing: "These are the steps of my downfall. Like an ass I mixed
a
small spoonful of curry powder with my melted pemmican - it gave me
violent
indigestion. I lay awake all night . . . "

The IFR carried out the work for The Times, to support the Royal
Geographical
Society's Polar Archive.

See the EDP Sunday supplement on Saturday to read how a Norwich architect
has
helped preserve one of Scott's huts in the Antarctic."

Festive cheers, helen s
--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove dependency on fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e**nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o* *l.c**$*$om$$

Scott actually blamed the powder for causing him pain in one of his final diary
entries, writing: "These are the steps of my downfall. Like an ass I mixed a
small spoonful of curry powder with my melted pemmican – it gave me violent
indigestion. I lay awake all night . . . "

Hehehehehe *Now* I understand why Titus Oates staggered out into
the snow...! I've shared a tent at motorcycle rallies with those who
have recently consumed curry and who show all the symptoms of "violent
indigestion"

Cheers,
Al.