Category: Birch
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Big Page of Hazel
The oldest confirmed hazel species is Corylus johnsonii found as fossils in the Ypresian-age rocks of Ferry County, Washington, USA
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Frangelico, a brand of noisette known for its unusual packaging
Frangelico is a brand of noisette (flavored with hazelnuts) and herb-flavored liqueur coloured with caramel coloring, which is produced in Canale, Italy. It is 20% alcohol by volume (ABV) or 40 proof. Formerly, it was 24% ABV or 48 proof. When produced by the Barbaro family it was bottled at 28% ABV or 56 proof. The brand was created in 1978. It is known for its unusual packaging; its bottle was designed…
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In Chinese alchemy, elixir poisoning refers to the toxic effects from elixirs of immortality that contained metals and minerals such as mercury and arsenic
In Chinese alchemy, elixir poisoning refers to the toxic effects from elixirs of immortality that contained metals and minerals such as mercury and arsenic. The official Twenty-Four Histories record numerous Chinese emperors, nobles, and officials who died from taking elixirs to prolong their lifespans. The first emperor to die from elixir poisoning was likely Qin Shi Huang (d. 210 BCE) and the last was the Yongzheng Emperor (d. 1735 CE). Despite common knowledge…
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Xylose is the main building block for the hemicellulose
Xylose is the main building block for the hemicellulose xylan, which comprises about 30% of some plants (birch for example), far less in others (spruce and pine have about 9% xylan). Xylose is otherwise pervasive, being found in the embryos of most edible plants. It was first isolated from wood by Finnish scientist, Koch, in 1881, but first became…
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History of xylitol
Emil Fischer, a German chemistry professor, and his assistant Rudolf Stahel isolated a new compound from beech wood chips in September 1890 and named it Xylit, the German word for xylitol. The following year, the French chemist M.G. Bertrand isolated xylitol syrup by processing wheat and oat straw. Sugar rationing during World War II led to an interest in sugar substitutes.…
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Xylitol
Xylitol is a chemical compound with the formula C5H12O5, or HO(CH2)(CHOH)3(CH2)OH; specifically, one particular stereoisomer with that structural formula. It is a colorless or white crystalline solid that is freely soluble in water. It can be classified as a polyalcohol and a sugar alcohol, specifically an alditol. The name derives from Ancient Greek: ξύλον, xyl[on] ‘wood’, with the suffix -itol used to denote sugar alcohols. Xylitol is used as a food additive and sugar substitute. Its European…
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Nechtan
Nechtan is a figure in Irish mythology who is associated with a spring marking the source of the River Boyne, known as Nechtan’s Well or the Well of Wisdom. He was the husband of Boann, eponymous goddess of the Boyne. Nechtan is believed to be another name for Nuada. Etymology According to Georges Dumézil the name Nechtan is perhaps cognate with that of the Romano-British god Nodens or the Roman god called Neptunus and the…
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the World’s Most Famous Frozen Fellow and His Magic Mushrooms
Gather ’round, history buffs and fungus fanatics, for a tale that’ll spark your imagination like flint on pyrite! We’re about to unravel the mystery of Ötzi the Iceman’s prehistoric pharmacy and fire-starting kit. Discovered in 1991 by some sharp-eyed hikers, our man Ötzi had been chilling out in the Ötztal Alps since around 3300 BCE.…
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Bacterial diseases of hazelnut (Corylus avellana & Corylus spp.) and more
Bacterial blight Xanthomonas arboricola Scientific classification Domain: Bacteria Phylum: Pseudomonadota Class: Gammaproteobacteria Order: Xanthomonadales Family: Xanthomonadaceae Genus: Xanthomonas Species: X. arboricola Binomial name Xanthomonas arboricolaVauterin et al. 1995 Type strain ATCC 49083 Xanthomonas arboricola pv. corylina Xanthomonas arboricola is a species of bacteria. This phytopathogenic bacterium can cause disease in trees like Prunus, hazelnut and walnut. Hosts and symptoms Xanthomonas arboricola has a vast host range, however,…
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Filbertone
Filbertone is the principal flavor compound of hazelnuts. It is used in perfumery and is designated as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in foods. Because filbertone is found in hazelnut oil, its presence can be used to detect the adulteration of olive oil with less expensive hazelnut oil. The natural compound is mixture of both enantiomers, and the composition can vary depending…
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Dowsing, doodlebugging and water witching
Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, claimed radiations (radiesthesia), gravesites, malign “earth vibrations” and many other objects and materials without the use of a scientific apparatus. It is also known as divining (especially in water divining), doodlebugging (particularly in the United States, in searching for petroleum or treasure) or (when searching for water) water finding, or water witching (in the United States). Radiesthesia describes a…
