Street Foods - Chapter 6: Sweets and Beverages

Street FoodChapter 6: Sweets and BeveragesLearning ObjectivesDiscuss the emotional aspects of sweets and beverages and their importance in a meal. Discuss nutritional concerns over sweet foods.Discuss the change and innovation in sweets over time.Understand how properly to balance recipes in terms of flavors, textures, and temperatures.Sweets and BeveragesNot designed for satiation; they are treatsEmotional aspects of sweet foods are especially evident when time-honored.Well-remembered sweets bring immediate flashbacks of happy memories.Nutritional ConcernsSweet foods are high on the agenda of health food advocates.Sugar and the hotly contested high-fructose corn syrup might be reduced or replaced with alternative sweeteners.Industrial soft-serve ice cream, loaded with controversial additives, is gradually giving way to all-natural ice cream.Fresh fruits have become common items on many street food stands and food trucks.New Sweets on the BlockSome of these novelties blur the dividing line between sweet and savory.In recent years, legumes and grains made their way onto the sweets stage.Developments in technology and cooking methodology have also had an impact on mobile sweets.Liquid nitrogen is used in addition to the traditional methods of churning, still-freezing, or shaving.The relatively high cost and logistical challenges associated with this method limit its application.BeveragesStreet beverages are a direct reflection of a society’s culture and a region’s terroir.The time of the day universally determines beverage preferences.Alcoholic beverages are often part of celebrations or distinct seasons.Hot or cold drinks embellished with inclusions are popular because they stimulate the senses with an intriguing chewy or slippery mouthfeel.