preservation /oss/taxonomy/term/1088/all en The Story of Sushi /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-contributors-did-you-know/story-sushi <p>What is more romantic than an evening of sushi for two? Although this traditional Japanese dish has only become popular in the West relatively recently, the history of this culinary art with its unique zests and colourful presentation dates back to around 700 AD. It all started with a way to preserve fish! Raw, cleaned and salted fish was placed on a layer of hand-pressed rice that was allowed to ferment, meaning that naturally occurring microbes in the rice proceeded to convert some of the carbohydrates in the rice into lactic acid, an effective preservative.</p> Fri, 06 Dec 2024 05:51:01 +0000 Melody Ko MD 10190 at /oss Of Mummies, Pigments and Pretzels /oss/article/history-technology/mummies-pigments-and-pretzels <p>Records indicate that the earliest ancient Egyptians buried their dead in the desert where the heat and dryness of the sand dehydrated the bodies creating natural 'mummies'. Later, in order to protect the bodies from wild animals, the Egyptians developed a method of preservation to ensure the bodies would remain 'lifelike' by using a special mineral known as natron.</p> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:12:21 +0000 Alexandra Pires-Ménard, OSS Intern 1964 at /oss