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Food to dry for

Food for thought When food is dried and eaten, don't have salt on the mind

A Whiff of sea Dried fish is a delicacy in India

Drying is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. Drying removes the moisture that bacteria, yeast and fungi need to grow. Drying also slows the action of enzymes that ripen fruit and vegetables. India is a tropical country and fresh fruit and vegetables are available throughout the year, but even here drying has its place. Fruit, spices and meats are the most common foods selected for desiccation in the India.

In south India, the drying of small fish is a local practice. The smell of dried salted fish stewing in a pot is all the odours of fish and the sea - only a dozen times more concentrated. There are some who love this smell so much they have to have a few salted fish added to every curry. Some hate it so much they contemplate moving when such a dried fish aficionado becomes a neighbour. In the countryside of Andhra Pradesh, strips of goat meat are dried on hot stone slabs. They are added to curries or fried with chillies and onions.

Dried meat adds protein to the dish, and it is also very cheap. The high amounts of salt added during the processing makes it potentially unhealthy. But there are ways to get rid of the excess salt. Adding a few potatoes to the dish will leach out most of the salt.

Drying vegetables, roots and spices is common too. Dried red chillies start out as fresh green chillies. All the lentils and dals undergo a period of drying. Turmeric comes from dried and powdered tubers. Spices wouldn't have a long shelf life but for a few days baking in the sun. All fruit and vegetable meant for pickling spend the first few days yielding their moisture to the sun.

Dried fruit is a popular delicacy in India. In contrast to dried meat, dried fruit is more expensive than fresh fruit. Grapes (raisins), figs, apricots, mangoes, pears and peaches are just a few examples of dried fruit. Heat destroys Vitamin c, so the nutrient content is lower. Dieters beware: without moisture, the dry fruit has more calories per gram.

Adding dried food to cereals increases the nutrition, calorie and protein content without significantly increasing the bulk of the meal.

Naturally dried fruit is dark in colour. Artificially processed fruit has sulphur added to retain the original colour. Some asthmatics are allergic to sulphur.

RAJIV. M

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