Topic: What is "Cracking" and "Fusion"?

[chipfryer]

1. What does cracking spices mean?

2. What does Fusion mean in cooking terms. I mean methodology in Indian cooking - Where and how.

3. Also - What is the meaning of life. ;D

Third is a joke of course but it would be great if someone could explain these for a humble person like myself.

Thank you.

[Secret Santa]

I'm afraid cracking and fusing are misnomers. As far as I can tell both terms were introduced by Chilli Prawn on this forum and unfortunately have been used ever since.

I think the term cracking was used to imply the release of the natural flavours or oils from the spices and was presumably a confused association with catalytic-cracking which is the process of breaking down large oil molecules to simpler ones, but usually only in the oil industry, and there is no scientific basis for the term as used here.

The fusing term was introduced to characterise the melding of the flavours of the spices by cooking in hot oil at the start of the curry making process. Again it has no scientific basis an is essentially a made up word in this context.

It's a pity we don't have a real food chemist here as they would be able to enlighten us more, but fusing and cracking as used on these forums are just made up terms with no basis in science. Next time you read someone using either term ask them to refer you to a web site that gives a scientific backing to their use of the term...should be interesting.


And the meaning of life?   42. I thought everyone knew that! 

[Cory Ander]

Hi CF,

Chilli Prawn attempted to describe what he meant by these terms here:  http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1268.0