Learning starts now

   --> there's a reason why some food contains alcohol and that's because alchol is not only delicious or addicting when drank by itself but it also imparts a lasting taste! 

 

One of the most common form of alcohol as food is wine, whether it be 10% alchol only or 80%. Italian cuisine (yes, the fancy-yet-not-so-fancy food) uses wine for the enrichment of its flavor. Though the wine may evaporate, the flavor and taste of it seeps through the food and creates a delicacy. 

 

NOTE: These food have ETHYL ALCOHOL in it. It's important to know the uses of different kinds of alcohol. 

 

Alcohol in beverages

  --> Literally, any drink that contains from 1/2% to 80% ethyl alcohol is already considered as an alcoholic beverage. But in the process of taxation, the government has set certain standards as to what the definition of alcohol drinks are. Below are some examples of liquid refreshments containing alcohol.

 

BEER: made through fermentation from cereal and flavord with hops.

 

SPIRIT: derived from distillation mixed with alcohol

 

LIQUOR: also obtained through distillation

 

WINE: made from fermented grape juice. 

 

MYTH:  You can put Rubbing Alcohol during cooking foor better taste.

BUSTED:  Rubbing alcohol has isopropanol alcohol (about 70%), not ethyl alcohol. This type of alchol is very dangerous for drinking uses. It can result to blindness (sometimes temporarily) then attack your nervous systmem and may cause death...unless your cooking is worth theconsequence, I'd say don't risk it.

 

SUGAR ALCOHOL: this kind of alchol is like the others but it doesn't cause intoxiication.

 

 

Classes of alcohol drinks:

  1. Fermented- made from agricultural products. Ex: Beers, Wines, Ales, Sakes

  2. Distilled or spirited- derived from fermented drinks. Ex: Whiskies, Vodkas, Rums, Gins

  3. Compounded or fortified- combined by either fermented beverage or spirit flavoring substance. Ex: Port, Vermouth

 

 

Food-labelling law:

   --> Ethanol or Ethyl Alcohol is considered as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). 

 

Food Alcohol:

      --> Alcohol is not only found in drinks but also in solid food. As I've mentioned, Italian cuisine uses alcohol for the flavor, most especially in meat. Below are some example of food with alcohol content.

 

MEAT- that is added with alcohol after cooking retains 85% of it. Exs: Marsala, and marinated meats and stews.

 

BAKED GOODS-  made with vanilla extract or other extracting components with alohol still retains 40% of the alcohol.

 

FLAMBE: (or flamed food). This is done by adding alcohol to the pan that will be used for cooking.

 

HOT SAUCES

 

SUGARLESS GUM- in this case, alcohol is used as a sweetener. It doesn't have a large amount of alcohol but it does have traces of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References: http://www.livestrong.com/article/307511-list-of-foods-that-contain-alcohol/

                         http://www.islamawareness.net/Alcohol/alcohol_myths.html​

                         http://www.minicklaw.com/food-or-drinks-that-may-contain-traces-of-alcohol/