If you thought cheap, flavored alcohol and whipped cream cans were the only substances abused by bored teenagers, think again. Never heard of the cinnamon challenge? Luckily, you can educate yourself on its website, entirely devoted to the challenge. The site describes the goal of the challenge as trying to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon in 60 seconds without drinking water. The task is not easy because cinnamon in large quantities (or anything in large quantities, for that matter) triggers a gag reflex.

But apparently, this unpleasant feat is attractive to more adolescents than it should be. According to data compiled by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, there were 222 cases of “abuse or misuse of cinnamon by teens” in the United States last year. During the first half of the year, there were about 30 cases of cinnamon ingestion that required medical treatment. The medical journal Pediatrics recently published an article stating the dangers of the cinnamon challenge. While most reports of taking on the challenge involve a burning sensation in the airways, nosebleeds, lack of consciousness, vomiting, difficulty breathing and puffs of rust-colored smoke spewing from the daring individual’s mouth, apparently the damage done can be far more serious. In the worst of cases, teenagers have suffered collapsed lungs and ended up on ventilators.

After reading this, you’re probably tempted to YouTube “cinnamon challenge” to see for yourself how dire the results really can be. You’re not alone. Dr. Steven E. Lipshultz, the author of the report in Pediatrics, says that, “We have seen a rise in calls to poison control centers around the United States that mirrored the rise in YouTube videos and their viewing,” confirming that food as a vehicle of masochism is an appealing subject. In fact, the cinnamon challenge website states that more than 40,000 challenge videos have been posted on YouTube.

Although cinnamon is harmless, delicious and has even been shown to have healthful effects when consumed in small amounts, it can be caustic to the airways when inhaled. The damage is caused by cellulose, a starch found in cinnamon powder that is harmless but does not break down. Therefore, when it is becomes lodged in the lungs due to coughing, it remains there in the long term. If the lungs are coated with caustic cinnamon oil, it can lead to chronic inflammation and eventually scarring of the lungs — a phenomenon called pulmonary fibrosis, a condition equivalent to getting emphysema.

Clearly, while shoveling a spoonful of cinnamon down your throat may sound like an entertaining and exhilarating way to spend your night, you might want to think again.

Contact Erika Chan at echan@dailycal.org.

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If you’ve kept your concern about curious-smelling urine after eating asparagus a secret all this time, do not be alarmed — you are not alone. A funky odor in your pee is a natural biological phenomenon, and although it may not be the most savory topic, asparagus urine is certainly something many of us have dealt with. What causes this bizarre odor?

Asparagus contains a high concentration of a sulfur-containing compound called asparagusic acid, named for the vegetable, of course, which can also be found in other pungent-smelling foods such as rotten eggs, onions and garlic. When your digestive system breaks down asparagusic acid, it releases volatile odoriferous components that are the culprits of the strange smell associated with asparagus urine. This process is so quick that the distinctive smell can develop within 15 to 30 minutes of eating asparagus, which can lead to unfortunate social circumstances such as awkward dinner-party bathroom breaks and avoidance of all beverages when asparagus is on the menu.

However, the asparagus pee phenomenon does not affect all asparagus-eaters equally (though this is not an excuse to deny that you were the one who left a strange-smelling aroma in the bathroom). As asparagus pee is such a hot topic in the both the scientific and culinary world, there have been various studies regarding it, and apparently between 22 percent and 50 percent of the population report having pungent urine after eating the vegetable in question.

So why isn’t the other 50 percent to 78 percent of the population familiar with the acrid stench of asparagus pee? There are two schools of thought on this issue. One is that only certain people’s digestive systems work in such a way that breaks down the asparagusic acid to release the sulfurous compounds. Therefore, certain people simply do not have the metabolic ability to create asparagus urine.

The other school of thought regarding asparagus’ odoriferous effects on urination is that the DNA code-associated nasal receptors that detect the specific compounds created by asparagus urine only exist in some people. In this case, all humans produce funny-smelling pee after ingesting asparagus, but only certain individuals with a particularly sharp sense of smell can (unfortunately) detect the odor. In other words, while all of us have the ability to produce volatile-smelling urine, only some of us have keen enough noses to suffer from the results.

Sadly, it is is not currently the No. 1 priority of food scientists to nail down the exact DNA sequence that codes for either the ability to metabolize asparagus into sulfurous compounds or the sequence that allows us to smell said compounds. So until researchers are able identify this variation in your genome and subsequently alter the DNA sequence to desensitize you to the pungent aroma produced by eating this delicious spring vegetable, you’re stuck with smelling asparagus urine for the rest of your life.

Since this is the case, I say that the 22 percent to 50 percent of us who cringe at the thought of the alarming smell of asparagus pee should no longer hide in fear. Now that the elephant in the room has been addressed, you should not be ashamed to release those volatile sulfurous compounds after savoring a delicious side of asparagus to accompany your springtime supper. Asparagus is only in season for a few short months out of the year, so don’t let the fear of producing asparagus pee hamper your enjoyment of this tasty vegetable. Instead, celebrate your genetic gift, and cross your fingers that the person who uses the bathroom next lacks the ability to smell asparagus urine.

Contact Erika Chan at echan@dailycal.org.

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This question can be answered by simple science. Let’s start with toothpaste.

Toothpaste contains sodium lauryl ether sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate, both of which cause toothpaste’s foamy qualities when you brush your teeth. The two function as surfactants that lower the surface tension on your teeth and tongue, allowing debris and grime to be brushed away. However, they also have nasty side effects that cause food to taste far less palatable. First, these ingredients suppress taste bud receptors that perceive sweetness. Second, their surfactant qualities break down phospholipid fat molecules, which usually coat your tongue to protect it from overwhelmingly bitter tastes. The combination of suppressed sweetness and enhanced bitterness explains why drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth tastes like ingesting rancid bile.

So how do you maintain your personal hygiene and continue to enjoy the flavors of otherwise delicious foods? You can brush your teeth after eating. Also, there are SLES-free toothpastes on the market that will leave your taste buds unaffected and squeaky clean (though far less frothy). You can also try clearing away the toothpaste residue by eating nonsweet foods such as bread or crackers and cross your fingers that it does the trick before you go for that refreshing glass of OJ (or tequila sunrise).

What about pineapple? While some are more sensitive than others, many people experience a burning, prickly sensation after eating pineapple, so much so that it can destroy your taste buds for the remainder of the day. The suspect is a protease enzyme in pineapple called bromelain that breaks down proteins. In fact, it is often used as a meat tenderizer or in marinades. Unfortunately, it is also responsible the prickly sensation people experience while eating pineapple. How do you avoid this tastebud-ruiner? Most of the bromelain is contained in the core of the pineapple, so try to avoid eating this part. Also, with time or cooking, the enzyme breaks down, which is why canned pineapple does not induce this sensation. Instead of eating your fresh fruit right away, cut it up and let it sit out overnight to lessen the attack on your taste buds. Or you can take the nutritionally beneficial route of restricting your pineapple-eating to pineapple upside-down cake and fruit cocktail.

After all of this depressing news about things that make foods taste like poison, are there any foods that actually enhance flavors? For many of us, it would be a dream come true if all foods tasted sweet. Look no further than the artichoke. Have you ever noticed that after eating a fresh artichoke, even a sip of water tastes sugary? As it turns out, this is due to a chemical reaction from two chemicals found in artichokes, cholorgenic acid and cynarin. Cyanarin in particular inhibits taste buds that detect sweet flavors. Therefore, any food or drink consumed after eating an artichoke will wash away the cyanarin, causing your taste buds to detect an extreme contrast in sweetness, which your brain perceives as an overwhelmingly sweet taste. Artichokes may not be able to make vegetables taste like candy, but they can be used to mask slightly unpleasant flavors like, say, vegetables, toothpaste-induced bitter orange juice or post-pineapple prickle-mouth.

Photo credit: Orofacial, Micaela Vega and foodiesathoome.com via Creative Commons.

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I sympathize with those of you who sift through bags and bags of Lucky Charms to painstakingly remove all of the hearts, stars, horseshoes, clovers and blue moons. Even worse, what is one to do when traveling abroad and cereal marshmallows are nowhere to be found?

Look no further than Cereal Marshmallows, a website devoted entirely to selling, well, cereal marshmallows. Whether mega-sized 95-pound bags are your thing or if you prefer individual 7-ounce packages, this website will satisfy your sweet tooth. And, if you’re counting those carbs and trying to slim down for spring break, coming soon are 100-calorie single serving bags that will practically melt the fat away.

The story of the website is really quite touching. Nathan Wratislaw, a connoisseur and epicurean of cereal marshmallows, searched far and wide to attain these little gems — but to no avail. However, after contacting several wholesale distributors and tasting second-rate “soft, yucky, marshmallows,” he finally struck gold and ordered 10,000 pounds of the creme de la creme of cereal marshmallows. Lucky for you, he portions the marshmallows into user-friendly packages that you can order and have delivered right to the comfort of your own dorm, apartment or home.

The website not only allows you to buy mass quantities of air disguised as small, sugary and colorful bites, but it is also a great source of culinary knowledge for expanding your palate and use of cereal marshmallows. Who knew these little delights could be used to create cereal marshmallow brownies, or even cereal marshmallow mac and cheese?

Bored of Lucky Charms? The website’s creator provides more than 15 videos of himself eating cereal marshmallows in all kinds of cereals, from Shredded Wheat to Cookie Crisp — complete with commentary, ratings on a scale from one to 10 and very audible chewing. With this plethora of options, you’ll certainly want to consider joining the Frequent Buyers Club, in which you can “Qualify for a lot of Discounts and Specials and a FREE Birthday Gift!!”

For those of you that have been searching far and wide to satisfy your addiction for crisp, artificially-colored, rehydratable goodness, order your very own stash today. From what I hear, they’re magically delicious.

Contact Erika Chan at echan@dailycal.org.

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First off, I’m a pescetarian. I have been since I was 14 and realized how shitty most meats made me feel. Believe me, a good steak is not worth hours and hours of debilitating stomach pains. My partner is your run-of-the-mill omnivore who loves a good steak but also sees the deliciousness of eggplant parmesan. Then there are my various vegan friends, ranging in stereotypes from the food-conscious healthy vegan to the vegans who cringe whenever they have to sit on a leather car seat. But no, it doesn’t end there.There’s that guy down the street who’s obsessed with the Paleo Diet and its claims of increasing muscle mass and starving fat cells. One of my friends now swears by a monthly juice cleanse, and there are tons of people I know who are gluten-intolerant, lactose-intolerant or are trying out a raw lifestyle.

You may think that I’m exaggerating, but I know at least one person with each of these dietary restrictions — either for health or by choice — and a lot of people who are somewhere in between. My grandma never mentioned any problems like this when she was growing up (have you ever tried to explain a meat-free diet to a Texan?), but this sudden explosion of alternative dietary lifestyles can’t just be a thing of the 21st century. And I doubt it is. My partner’s mom enjoys telling me about her hippie macrobiotic days in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and I know that religious folks have made conscious dietary choices for generations. Yet I worry that the overwhelming influx of diet fads, size-zero models and normalized plastic surgery may contribute to some people’s desire to break out of the omnivore’s dilemma into an entirely different brave new world.

Some words of wisdom for those of you thinking about taking something out of your diet that you haven’t tried before: First, patience is key. Slowly start changing your diet, and pay strict attention to how each new day makes your body feel. If you suddenly go from eating hamburgers and grilled chicken every night to a diet of raw veggies and fruits, your body is most likely going to freak out. Try keeping a food journal for a few weeks to document your food intake and how you feel throughout the day. Not only will this remind you of your commitment to your new dietary excursion, but it will empower you to see the control you’re exercising over your body.

Second, do your research. If you think that vegetarianism, veganism or a Paleo diet is right for you, take the time to figure out how this dietary lifestyle is going to affect your food habits. Replacing meat and dairy with cereal, soy milk and veggie chips isn’t going to make you feel better, and you’ll probably see a change in your waistline more than anywhere else. Changing from an omnivore diet to a more selective one usually requires more time to prepare your food than you’re used to, so embrace it. Learn how to stir-fry, spice up your salads and have fun with the experience of making food. It will make it taste so much better in the end.

Finally, listen to your body. There are several signs you have to watch for to ensure that you’re taking care of your body and not starving it of the nutrients it needs. Make sure you’re getting complete proteins if you’re removing meat or dairy from your diet, and take a multivitamin if you don’t think you’re getting enough vitamins or minerals as you experiment with your diet. If you start developing acne or are constantly starving or exhausted, then your body is probably unhappy. Respond by trying different kinds of food or by going to a doctor or a nutritionist. Most people try these alternative diets to get healthier or to regain control of their food choices in a more meaningful way. No matter your intent, make sure you’re being thoughtful about your food choices, and never believe that there is no such thing as a healthy and conscious omnivore. Food is one of the few areas in our lives that we have complete control over, so take the time, no matter your diet, to ensure that you’re eating food you can believe in.

My friends and acquaintances have chosen to adapt their diets to reflect their health needs or moral or ethical beliefs. This probably means I won’t be able to have the same kind of relationship with communal food my grandmother did, but it doesn’t mean that I won’t be able to share a fun meal with the people I care about. Trying new foods, being conscious of others’ dietary restrictions and pushing our food limits isn’t always easy, but no matter what food is on our plates, the fun and memories will last much longer than the food itself.

Contact Carli Baker at cbaker@dailycal.org.

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My first meal was at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, where I ordered jambalaya. The dish originated in the Caribbean Islands, and there are two types: Creole and Cajun jambalaya. The first is more common and has meat, celery, peppers, onions, tomatoes, other vegetables, seafood and rice added last. The second has no tomatoes. The taste and complex flavors in the dish reminded me of Spanish paella, the vaunted seafood rice dish. Four strong and immediate flavors hit me when I first took a bite — the smoky chicken, fresh tomato, tangy burst of onions and the zesty spice blend. The texture is similar to that of soupy rice, just barely moist enough so that the rice has weight and sinks in. The moisture made the rice less dry and put more weight in it, so it filled me up, unlike just a bowl of soup or a typical rice dish.

Right after lunch on the same day, we walked around on the streets and saw the original 1862 Cafe Du Monde coffee stand in the French Market. The cafe is famous for its chicory coffee and beignets, which are square pieces of dough that puff up when they are fried and then are covered in powdered sugar. When I read travel websites and blogs, this cafe kept coming up, so I was very excited to experience the hype. I was a little disappointed in the coffee and the beignets, though, because the chicory in the coffee was too strong and left a caramel aftertaste rather than a coffee aftertaste, which reminded me of eating caramel candy. The French originally added chicory to soften the bitterness of the dark roasted coffee, but I prefer to have that strong coffee taste. The beignets also did not taste any better than doughnuts. They made me think of crunchier Krispy Kreme doughnuts without the glaze.

For dinner that night, I decided to add to the list of exotic foods that I have tried, which includes guinea pig, buffalo and kangaroo. I had never had crawfish before, so I added that to my list by having crawfish etouffee. Etouffee is shellfish over rice and a thicker-than-typical stew. The dish is made with a blond or brown roux — a mixture of flour and fat to thicken sauces, soups and stews. The combination of vegetables, spices and meat tasted similar to jambalaya except with less tomato aftertaste, and it was noticeably spicier. I really enjoyed the texture of the crawfish because it was quite similar to that of scallop, a little bit chewy but springy as well. I was thankful that the meal came with two slices of white bread, because it was becoming increasingly salty due to the heavy spices and sauces. As someone who cannot handle any spiciness, I had to drink two large cups of water to balance that out. After this meal, I began to realize that many local dishes were variants of heavily spiced stew paired with rice, an assessment my next few meals proved to be true.

The next distinct dish I ate was alligator sausage and seafood gumbo at Red Fish Grill, located on the legendary Bourbon Street. Gumbo is a full-flavored mixture of meat or shellfish, a thickener and vegetables for seasoning such as celery, bell peppers and onions. Sometimes gumbo is served over rice, and it is usually an appetizer. The alligator meat in the dish added to my list of exotic foods, though it didn’t taste any different from regular breakfast sausage. The overall taste was a combination of seafood with a flavorful spiciness, not just plain bitter spicy. For me, the taste was similar to etouffee even though the dishes are different.

Because I had a small dinner, I needed to supplement it with a great dessert. There was nothing better to end with than double-chocolate bread pudding with white chocolate ice cream and chocolate almond bark. The dessert was cooked to order, and it came puffy and inflated like a successful souffle. The souffle was not sickeningly sweet because the restaurant used dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, which made it complement the sweeter almond bark and ice cream. Like a perfectly made souffle, the bread pudding was gooey and creamy in the center yet still fluffy, and the chocolate fudge sauce sank into the bread pudding, keeping it warm and moist. The ice cream definitely helped cool down the souffle, and the almond bark added a crunchy texture to the creaminess of the souffle and ice cream.

As my food adventures in New Orleans came to an end, I realized that the city had not won my heart. I didn’t fall in love with the food enough to inspire a return visit, but it was a nice Southern culinary education. I was glad to try all of the strange and exotic new dishes, and I look forward to my next exotic culinary adventure.

Contact Annie Chang at achang@dailycal.org.

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When the check came Thom handed me a handwritten list. “This is everywhere you need to eat,” he said. “There are a lot of choices out there, but these are the ones that I remember after 30 years.”

The next day, my parents and I flew up from Southern California with the list in my pocket. My tour was like any other I had seen — an overly enthusiastic tour guide showed me all the buildings on campus and imparted a bit of lore on our group. I was underwhelmed. It looked like any other campus I had seen in the movies. I was convinced that I had made the wrong choice, that I didn’t belong and that it wasn’t my campus.

The tour was over, and we were starving. We hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast back home. We decided to consult the list and picked the first entry — La Val’s Pizza. We walked in through the courtyard shared with La Burrita, ordered and sat down. With the smell of pepperoni and a hint of parmesan on the air, my mother and I played pool as we waited for our pizza. We began to talk, and I shared my anxiety about starting at Berkeley with her.

“I guess I would feel this way regardless of where we were,” I said. She nodded, sunk the eight-ball and then it was time for pizza.

As I bit into the slice of pepperoni pizza, I felt all the fear and anxiety wash away. We ate in silence, which is a rarity for my family, bussed our table and played a final round of pool.

Flash-forward a year, same spot. My freshman roommates and I are playing a doubles game of pool and taking turns attacking the four mini pizzas that we have ordered. Once again, I’m anxious, this time for a different reason: Finals were coming. We talk about finishing off the semester and where we’ll be living next year and what classes we’re on the wait list for. After the round of pool finishes, we get refills on our sodas and walk back to Bowles Hall, refreshed and ready to get back to procrastinating.

It’s summer time, and I’m sitting in a booth attempting to finish my problem set. Sophomore year has come and gone, and I am living in the co-ops now, but my house doesn’t offer food in the summer, so I have taken to eating out for most of my meals. I sit, staring at the restaurant’s LED display, waiting for my number to pop up on the screen. 149. A few moments later, I finish my problem set and with it the remains of my pizza.

Now, once again, I find myself at La Val’s a little anxious as I finish editing my first post for Eating Berkeley. I have eaten two slices of pizza, and it’s coming up on closing time. I think back to that list I was handed so many nights ago, and I know this will be one of the places I tell people about 30 years from now.

Contact Andrew Steinsapir at asteinsapir@dailycal.org.

The post Finding my place in Berkeley appeared first on The Daily Californian.

You may rightfully ask yourself, why do people subject themselves to this madness?

Location
Positioned on Southside, Kip’s faces little competition. Pappy’s is the only other option nearby that stays open until 2 a.m., but Pappy’s resembles some sort of confused bar-club hybrid that has no chance of overthrowing Kip’s control over the Durant and Telegraph area. Because of this geographical duopoly, Kip’s still brings in hoards of sweaty seniors and, with them, their business and lack of tips.

Cheapish drinks
Those who have done their research know that Kip’s cannot compete with the low prices of The Graduate up on College Avenue, but it’s obviously still on the cheap side. Jim Beam shots are $3, and you can get a variety of mixed drinks for just a bit more. They also have a wheel you can spin for $5 that adds a Vegas dimension to the Kip’s experience by choosing your drink for you. I recommend you take that leap. If you want to have an existential crisis, buy a Patron shot. Your senses will be wildly confused and out of sync.

The crowd
For whatever reason, at Kip’s o’ clock, the whole world bows its head and zombie-walks over to Telegraph and Durant avenues. You may wonder when exactly Kip’s o’ clock is , but if you look inside your heart, you will find the answer. If you want to run into your semifriends from freshmen year or maybe even a confused GSI who found Kip’s on Yelp, then you have come to the right place. The number of people you can run into during one soiree at Kip’s makes it a place to reminisce about your college memories and rekindle old friendships. Simply put, the crowd is Kip’s saving grace. Also, try to stay away from people older than 30 because they are scary if they hang out there.

Yes, the dull plastic tables could kill an interior decorator, the food could send Emeril into shock, and the limited beer selection could make connoisseurs cry. But the crowd, the cheap prices and the location make Kip’s a successful recipe for a college bar. As much as I hate to say it: It’s Kip’s o’ clock. Go Bears.

Contact Noah Ickowitz at nickowitz@dailycal.org.

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Daily Cal ad sales staff member Lila was at La Val’s with a friend picking up a late dinner at 10:45 p.m. last night when one friendly cook came over to show off his special creation.

“I was waiting at the pickup window, and he came over and said, ‘Look! Do you want to see the pizza I made for my wife?’ When I saw it, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s adorable,’ and my friend just said, ‘Whoa, that’s awesome.’ The tomatoes were cut into roses, which is so cool.”

Did you eat anything special for Valentine’s Day? Let us know in the comments below, or email your stories to food@dailycal.org.

Christopher Yee is the editor of Eating Berkeley. Contact him at cyee@dailycal.org.

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