Singapore Hawker Centers and upscale restaurants

See also previous posts

Szaszłyki Satay

Guide to best and worst Singapore restaurants

Singapore Food recipies

Singapore food history ,

Malay food history and recipies

Singapore hurry what's in the curry

Yes, eating is one of Singaporeans favourite pastime. Many locals are willing to wait up for hours to eat their favourite dishes at their favourite restaurant/food stalls. Most Singaporeans would not mind less hygienic environment if the food there is great. Taste is their main consideration. This is not to say that eating is a filthy business in Singapore.

Backpackers will be delighted with the variety of food and the price here (Food around the region is cheaper though). There are many eating places to choose from (Singaporeans love good food). From expensive restaurants to coffeshops hawker center that scatters everywhere in the country. The cheap places to eat are food courts, coffee shops (kopitiam) and hawker center. Food court are air- conditioned food courts which is usually located at shopping centre that sells a variety of food. There's no need for reservations (free sitting). Each food court will have at least 10 stalls selling food & drinks. (Australians will find the similarity with this concept)

Coffee shops or hawker centre

In the 60 and 70 most food was sold on the street by the local vendors,that prepared food on the spot.Sometimes hygenic conditions and food quality was not to par.To improve these conditions local goverment decided to create food courts known here is Hawker centers,the only difference between food court is that in Hawker center there is a common seating area for all the restaurants.The restaurants are about 10 sq meters and display kinds of food served.They usually sell depending on location from 75,000-150,000 USD.

Prices range from US$2 - US$7 for lunch or dinner. A typical meal say Chicken Rice for lunch or dinner at a food court in Orchard Road cost about US$2-3. The price is even cheaper at hawker center and coffee shops. Be prepare to pay about US$0.80 for a can of Coke in town. I would recommend that you try eating at a hawker centre at least once for the experience & atmosphere. The food here is clean.

The Ministry of Environment conducts hygiene check regularly. Now, they have implemented a grading scheme base on hygiene. It's graded
A - Excellent
B - Good
C- Average
D - I haven't seen any graded this yet. But If I see the grade, I won't order my meal from the store.

This is not how the food taste but rather graded on the cleanliness of preparing the food. All stores selling food must have this display prominently in their stores.

Tips for Ordering Food

Many locals love chili. So much so that McDonalds & other fast food joint give chili sauce in additional to ketchup. When you order dry noodles, chili is usually added by default. So please say it if you do not want chili.
To avoid hawkers (those in airconditioned food courts are more ethical) adding extra helping to your meal and charging you more, say what you want and the price for fixed price item like "Mee Goreng $3, Fried Noodles $3".

Which stall to buy from? If you are in a hawker center and have no idea which store is good? hang around and observe the local crowd. Stalls with good food typically have longer queues or hawkers busy preparing food. Stalls with not so good food have little or no queue and the hawkers have nothing to do. This trick usually works during peak hours.

Meal Time

No idea of what to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner?

For Breakfast, try things like

· Nasi Lemak (Malay dish. Coconut fragrance rice with fish, eggs and chili)

· Mee Soto (Malay dish. Noodles with chicken in spicy chicken soup)

· Roti Prata (Indian dish. Fried dough with curry)

· Wan Tan Mee (Chinese dish. Noodles with shrimp dumplings)

· The typical chinese breakfast was toast with Kaya (Jam-like stuff made from Coconut, eggs and pandan leaves) and half-boiled eggs. These are usually available in coffeeshops where they sell beverages. The upmarket version of this simple but delicious meal is www.yakun.com, another near Somerset MRT is Killiney Kopitiam @ 67 Killiney Road.

Try these for lunch or dinner

· Mix Dishes with Rice (Look for the sign 'Nasi Padang' for Muslim style or 'Economic Rice' for Chinese Style). Things to try for dishes are spicy food like rendang chicken or beef. The best thing is to go to the store and have a look. S$2-3

· Ban Mee - A handmade thick noodle cooked in soup with mushrooms, minced meat, fried anchovies and egg. S$2.50-3

· Hainanese Chicken Rice - It's fragrance rice with chicken. Please try it with the chili. The chili is a must (Though order a tall cold glass of water first) One of the best is Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, where Anthony Bourdain and Tetsuya Wakuda love it, at Maxwell Food Centre ~S$3

· Murtabak - Indian dish made from flour and filled with chicken or beef or mutton eaten with curry. S$3-5

· Yong Tao Foo - Minced fish paste is spread on Tofu, vegatables and a variety of things to create this local dish which is eaten with noodles. ~S$3

· Nonya Laksa - If you love hot and spicy stuff, try this Chinese/Malay curry noodles. S$2-3

Great food that should not be missed

· Satay - grilled meat dipped in spicy peanut gravy eaten with rice cubes(Satay Club at Clark Quay)S$0.40 per stick (minimum order 10 sticks), rice @ S$0.50

· BBQ stingray (S$10-15), Sri Lankan pepper crab or chili crab (try Newton Circus food centre) ~S$40-50 per crab

· Frog legs rice porridge in Chinatown ~S$8-12. Yes, I am serious, this is a great dish despite its name.

Variety of Food Here

The food variety here is unbelievable. And I can't list everything here. My advice is eat a different kind of food every meal, if you travel with friends, share several dishes. There are Chinese, Nonya, Malay, Indian, Thai, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese eating places here. Muslim travelers should find no problem in finding halal food. Even McDonalds, KFC, Burger King serve halal food, certified by MUIS. I once received an email from a Muslim from Malaysia berating me for incorrectly stating here that BK serves halal food when they sold burgers with bacon (it was actually stated clearly in BK it is turkey bacon not pork) while she was here. She had the audacity to called me ignorant, insensitive and told me to get my facts right first or shut this website down when she was the one who was mistaken. Being a nice gentlemen that I am :), I replied with a polite explanation and pardoned her rude conduct which I believed was caused by a bad case of PMS. Oh well, that's me sidetracking and being mischievous.

Vegetarian should not find too much problem as there are quite a few vegetarian restaurant and food stalls. There are also for the homesick, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Delifrance, Taco Bell and the likes (Safe choice for the unadventurous). There are also numerous places for Italian, French, American, Mexican and Brazilian food.

If you must do McDonalds (you unadventurous %&*@!), it cost about S$6 for a value meal. ie burger, fries and drink

Some places with cheap food

An average of US$8 for food ought to keep you happy for a day if you are on a tight budget and know where to eat.
Here are some cheap places to eat near town.

Best Hawker centers by specific dishes

One of the largest and the best Hawker centers is on the east coast it is outdoors and it has a roof,has a lot of fresh ,fish,seafood and of course satay

· If you have finished shopping at Scotts (near Orchard MRT), dropped by the basement of Scotts Shopping Centre and enjoy inexpensive meals in an airconditioned food centre. You will find chinese, malay, indian & thai food sold here.

If you are near the Istana (near Dhoby Ghaut MRT) just dropped by Meridian Hotel and you will see a large food centre at the basement with huge variety of food. Here you will find cheap food with samplings from Chinese, Muslim, Indian and many others. This is a clean and airconditioned place to eat.

· 2 hawker centers beside Allson Hotel (near Cityhall MRT) offer you another place to sample local dishes. This hawker centre is a open air one. You will find some variety of food here not offered in airconditioned places.

· If you are done at looking at the Raffles Hotel, dropped by at Westin Stamford next door for an airconditioned food centre.

· If you are around Singapore World Trade Center (about to visit Sentosa) there's a typical hawker centre beside the Bus Interchange.

· Although not that cheap but still inexpensive, Newton Circus Hawker Centre next to Newton MRT offers great Seafood and local dishes. Some hawkers are agressive in promoting their food but touting, not only to tourists but to locals as well. Be courteous declining them and have a walkabout first. Decide on the dishes before patronising any stores. If someone offers to find you a table, chances are you will have to order something from his/her store. (I can get very irritated with the touting even as a local, there are times I acted like a uncouth hooligan to get them to back off)

• Newton Hawkers are infamous to mark up their price for foreigners (esp Japanese). At stores that display prices, e.g. "Mee Goreng" at $3, say your order this way "Mee Goreng $3" ie food name and price. Otherwise, some assholes will put half a chicken in it and charge you $10.
  If you are getting seafood that cost by the kg, agreed on the portion and the price before hand. Sri Lanka Chilli Crabs shouldn't cost more than $40-50 per crab. Sri Lankan Crabs have pincers about 8-10cm long.

· And if you are really on a tight budget, I guess buy some instant noodles (US$2 for a pack of 5) or go to Carrefour at Suntec City or any supermarket where they sell roasted spring chicken for around S$5 that comes in a microwavable bag.

Additional Food Lists

Here are some more dishes that you might want to explore.

· Bak Koot Teh is a chinese dish. It's pork ribs cooks in herbal soup and eaten with plain rice. The herb is pleasantly fragrance with a touch of bitterness. For some reasons Japanese love this dish

· Chinese Roasted Duck, Roasted Pork Rice is something we love eating. Once you finish looking at Raffles Hotel, Talk a five minutes walk along Beach Road towards the direction of Arab Street & you will find a good coffeeshop selling these dishes. It's called 'Alex Eating house'. The roast pork or 'char siew' is really good. A dish with rice cost only about S$3. li>

Fish Head Curry. As the name implied, a huge fish head is cooked in curry eaten with rice. Don't be disguted, the meat around the head is especially tender. Some locals even eat the eyeballs of the fish. A good place to try it is Muthu's Curry Restaurant @ 138 Race Course Rd (Little India). The smallest portion enough for 2 cost about S$18.

Beer & Cigarettes

My overseas friends always complain about the expensive cigarettes and alcoholic drinks like beer. You can bring limited alcohol in but not cigarettes. Cigarettes in Singapore (pack of 20 sticks Marlboro) cost S$9.50 (this is heavily taxed and cost rise by at least S$0.10 every 6 months). A Jug of draft beer at Boat Quay cost around S$36 (S$18 during happy hour). From 7-11, S$3-5 a can depending on brand. If you drink during happy hours at pubs (approx 5pm - 8pm), it will cost cheaper at around 50% discount. In some pubs and on some nights, ladies get to drink for free throughout the night. Someoffer guys the same thing on a limited duration. Entry to such pubs may incur 'cover charges'

Try the local Tiger Beer also all the other imported beers are also aviable

Fruits & Desserts

You should guess by now that there are many fruits & desserts. Tropical fruits are plenty here. The problem is that some fruits are seasonal and you might not get to taste them while you are here. Of course, when Singaporeans talk about fruits, none is as favoured as the King of Fruits called the Durian. This fruit has a very pungent smell but durian worshippers will tell you it's taste is heavenly. So go ahead, pinch your nose & try it. BTW, durians are seasonal fruits. One should not leave Singapore without experiencing the durian.

Other stuff includes Rambutan, Jambu Air, Mango, Jackfruit, Mangosteen ,Guava. Try Durian ice cream ,delish

Many food courts have desserts shops that sells local desserts like Ice Kachang, Ice Jelly & etc. This are usually cold dessert (shaved ice with fruits & sweets). Just go to the store look at the menu & choose what you like or ask for a recommendation. It usually shouldn't cost more than S$2-3 per serving. My favourite is something called the Red Ruby

Chewing Gum

Yes, sad to say that the sales or import of chewing gum is somewhat banned here. Not that it is illegal to chew gum here. One reason for the ban is that people tend to dispose gum by sticking it somewhere & this cost quite a lot of money to clean up. The government's expensive toy, the MRT was littered with gum and door sensors made unworkable because of gum on them. It cost delays on trains and money to clean or repair. The recent FTA with the US allows import & sales of chewing gum for medical reasons such as nicotine gum, teeth whitener gum. Wrigley lobbied for this during the negotiation of the FTA.

Food Culture

If you step into a food court or hawker centre or any free sitting restaurant (including McDonalds), you will observe one culture that may looks rude or uncivil to you. Westerners tend to buy the food first before looking for seats. Over here, unless you are alone, you will look for tables first, get someone to 'reserved' the tables before embarking on buying your food. So, if you find locals reserving seats for their friends, please do not find it rude. It is a way of life here. We find it a more practical way, Imagine standing there unable to find table to sit for 10 mins, your food will turn cold spoiling your enjoyment of your meal. You will find that Singaporean in general view practicality more important than courtesy. The worst case of 'table reservation' is putting a pack of tissue paper, umbrellas etc on the table. So if you find such items on a table, it means that the table is 'reserved'. Yes, weird.

Oh, ignoring this culture may lead to a health hazard. I have seen some tourists ignoring this fact due to ignorance or 'it's my right' attitude, they have no idea that if you chose a wrong table with the wrong crowd, that particular crowd could have welcomed him to Singapore with a tour to a local hospital or the mortuary.

Dining Upmarket.

If you have money to spare, you should try eating at a restaurant here. The dishes are more authentic and some not found in food court or hawker center or food court.

Chinese Cuisine
Drunken Prawns (live prawns drown in wine or XO) and steamed
Shark Fins Soup - An expensive delicacy (Try Rama Thai Sharkfins Restaurant, 81/81A Tanjong Pagar Rd ~S$50/pot)
Kung Pow Fried Frog Legs - Those who haven't tried frog legs will find them tasting like chicken.
Stirred fry veggies with Abalone

Peranakan Cuisine
The Peranakans is basically Chinese or Indian with Malay Ancestry. This unique culture has it's own customs & tradition, cuisine, costumes and food etc. Learn more about Peranakan. Blue Ginger Restaurant (97 Tanjong Pagar Rd)

Will add North Indian & Cuisine later

Singapore Food Festival

Held during July, this promotional gimmick tries to lure tourist this way. But locals knows that you don't need a festival to have a feast everyday. For us, the feast is a everyday affairs.

Please see this official page for more details - about the most up to date information.

Makansutra

Makansutra (Makan - to eat in Malay ...Sutra from the word karmasutra). Here you will find a list of places to eat. Just go to the Makan TV link and check out the dishes.

Hot Dogs Get Your Hot Dogs and recipes for unusual toppings and hot dogs

unusual hot dog toppings

all about hot dogs, wieners, franks and sausages

Whether you call them hot dogs, wieners, franks or sausages, those tasty tubes of meat are pure summer. Who doesn't remember firing up the grill or the campfire to char a hot dog black and crispy, or hailing a vendor at a ball game for a couple of hot dogs with mustard? What is the super bowl without a hot dog recipe in the wings?

"Hot dogs are classic American fare. They never go away and people never tire of them," says Alex Pink, owner of Code 10 (police code for lunch break), a Boston restaurant specializing in hot dogs.

There are as many kinds of hot dogs as there are states to eat them in. "Each major city or state has their own local favorite hot dog," Pink tells us, "New York has Nathan's, Boston has our very own Pearl Hot Dogs, and Chicago has their own. In America, hot dogs are universal food." We hardly call them frankfurters any longer, just franks. We hardly even call them hot dogs, just dogs. There are several kinds of hot dogs on Code 10's menu, from locally produced fat and juicy Pearl hot dogs to classic Hebrew National Kosher hot dogs, and slim and tasty Rhode Island Reds, distinguished by the brightest color a hot dog ever wore. Turkey hot dogs and veggies hot dogs round out the menu for the more health conscious diners. "Choosing a hot dog is a very personal decision and dressing it is an art," says Pink.

So what makes a good hot dog? Good ingredients, first and foremost. Natural casings that have a snap when you bite into them. Good meats: all beef, all pork or a combination of beef and pork. Look for the shortest list of ingredients you can find and avoid anything that lists 'parts' or anything that looks like soy or cereal filler. Those are the ingredients that give hot dogs a bad name. "Hot dogs aren't as bad for you as most people think," Pink insists, "Good high end hot dogs are relatively good for you. They're high in protein. I have many dieters who swear by my hot dogs." Smaller, local producers have more control over their ingredients and put more care into their hot dogs than the mass market manufacturers. You may pay a bit more for quality local hot dogs, but you'll taste the difference.

How, or even whether, a hot dog is cooked is also a matter of personal preference. While a few brave folk love to snack on cold hot dogs straight from the package (which is fine as they are already fully cooked when you buy them), most people prefer the added flavor and texture imparted by their heating method of choice. They are called hot dogs after all. Fried, steamed, grilled or boiled, a piping hot dog in a warm roll is a tasty treat no matter how you top it.

Grilling is Pink's preferred method for both dog and bun. At Code 10, the hot dogs happily spin to grilled perfection on a rolling grill, while the rolls are toasted in a bit of butter on a sizzling griddle press. What to do if your home kitchen isn't sporting the latest rolling grill or sandwich press? Any good griddle pan or nonstick frying pan will work. Use medium to medium high heat depending on whether you want a gently warmed or crisply browned hot dog.

Watch your hot dogs carefully and turn frequently as they tend to brown quickly once they start cooking. On an outdoor grill, place your hot dogs over medium heat unless you like them charred beyond recognition (some do!) and turn as soon as one side starts to brown. Imagine your hot dog has a square shape and turn four times to brown all four sides. A minute or two on each side ought to do the trick.

At Hattie's Restaurant in Maine, hot dogs are scored with a sharp knife in a half-inch diamond pattern before grilling on a flat top griddle. Kids love the way the 'Designer Dogs' curl up in a porcupine shape, and those condiments really stick in the crevices.

It only takes a few minutes to cook a hot dog no matter what the method. Steaming is best done in a commercial steam cabinet where the flavors can permeate the pillowy white buns. If you really want to try steaming at home, use a Dutch oven fitted with a steamer rack, or a bamboo steamer. Fill the pan with enough liquid to reach just below the steamer rack. You don't want liquid bubbling up onto your hot dogs or worse, your rolls. If you're feeling adventurous, try chicken or beef broth, or even tomato soup for added flavor. (Eat the soup, too - it will have a distinctive hot dog flavor!) Bring your liquid to a boil, reduce heat to low, add hot dogs to the steamer basket. Cover tightly and steam 5-7 minutes or until hot dogs are heated through. To steam your rolls, stack them on top of the dogs in the last two minutes of cooking.

As for boiling hot dogs: "If you must boil your hot dogs, at least do it in beer - it adds more flavor!" Alex Pink's catering clients choose their favorite beer for large scale hot dog boils.

Hot dog buns are another area where personal taste rules. The basic choices are top loading; a New England favorite, and side loading; preferred in the South and Midwest.

The advantages to a top loader are that it holds the hot dog securely and fits nicely into those little three sided paper boxes you get at the ballpark. Top loaders are generally baked side by side and torn apart as needed, leaving a flat side surface for grilling.

Side loaders, on the other hand, tend to be doughier, so if you like a lot of bread with your hot dog, these are the buns for you. Side loaders are more likely to successfully sop up all the juices from your chili or sauerkraut without falling apart.

"Dressing a hot dog is an art," Pink says, "'Everyone has a very personal way of doing it." She supports that belief by stocking a vast array of unusual condiments along with the standard hot dog toppings. Chili, cheese, and sauerkraut are among the hot toppings offered at Code 10 and there's the old three sided condiment tray of chopped onions and two kinds of relish. Of course there's classic yellow mustard and spicy brown mustard, and good old red tomato ketchup. But these are for the traditionalists. For anyone on a quest for the ultimate hot dog personalization, Pink has lined the counter at Code 10 with rows of more exotic condiments. Honey mustard and horseradish mustard start the lineup. An extensive ketchup section is home to varieties including roasted garlic and pepper ketchup, sweet and tangy banana ketchup, hot and mild curry ketchups from Germany, and jalapeño ketchup promising the breath of a boar. Hot sauces include an African peri peri pepper sauce, several jalapeño concoctions and a few sauces so hot their names contain expletives.

Whether you like your hot dogs plain or fancy, summer is the time to enjoy them. Have a hot dog party with all the fixin's and invite a few exotic condiments along just for fun.

ahoy matey hot dog

cheesy corn pups

corn dogs

corn dog twists

cheesy mexican hot dog

crispy corn dogs

how to make a coney island

coney island II

coney island iII

quick chicago style hot dog

hot dogs and spuds

crockpot appetizer

hot dog surprise

indiana corn dogs

slow cooker dogs sweet

slow cooker dogs spicy

south of the border dogs

southern style corn dogs

grilled hot dogs

potato pups

arizona dogs

beer dogs

chuckwagon wieners

cocktail dogs

more than dogs - recipe for a crowd, including sausage

bbq franks

Italian hot dogs I

Italian hot dogs II

Italian hot dogsIII

Halloween "Mummy" Dogs

Pool Room Dogs

Hot dog dishes

baked beans and hot dogs casserole

granny's hot dog casserole

dogs and noodles

hot dog casserole II

hot dog and bean casserole

hot dog, bean and cornbread casserole

hot dog casserole with macaroni

hot dog and sauerkraut casserole

hot dog nuggets

hot dog pie

dogs and cabbage

ASPERTAME SWEET POISON

With faux sugars, real suspicion latest article from LA Times

Author Dr. Janet Starr Hull

http://www.sweetpoison.com

In October of 2001, my sister started getting very sick. She had stomach spasms and she was having a hard time getting around. Walking was a major chore. It took everything she had just to get out of bed; she was in so much pain.By March 2002, she had undergone several tissue and muscle biopsies and was on 24 various prescription medications. The doctors could not determine what was wrong with her. She was in so much pain, and so
sick.she just knew she was dying. She put her house, bank accounts,life insurance, etc., in her oldest daughter's name, and made sure that her younger children were to be taken care of. She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip to Florida(basically in a wheelchair) for March 22nd.On March 19 I called her to ask how her most recent tests went, and she said they didn't find anything on the test, but they believe she had MS.I recalled an article a friend of mine e-mailed to me and I asked my sister if she drank diet soda? She told me that she did. As a matter
of fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment. I told her not to open it, and to stop drinking the diet soda!I e-mailed her the article my friend, a lawyer, had sent.My sister called me within 32 hours after our phone conversation andtold me she had stopped drinking the diet soda AND she could walk! The muscle spasms went away. She said she didn't feel 100% but shesure felt a lot better. She told me she was going to her doctor with this article and would call me when she got home.Well, she called me, and said her doctor was amazed! He is going to
call all of his MS patients to find out if they consumed artificial sweeteners of any kind.In a nutshell, she was being poisoned by the Aspartame in the diet soda...and literally dying a slow and miserable death. When she got to Florida March 22, all she had to take was one pill,and that was a pill for the Aspartame poisoning! She is well on her
way to a complete recovery.And she is walking! No wheelchair! This article saved her life.
If it says 'SUGAR FREE' on the label; DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE on 'ASPARTAME,' marketed as 'NutraSweet,' 'Equal,' and 'Spoonful.'

In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the United

States in 2001 there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic

lupus. It was difficult to determine exactly what toxin was causing

this to be rampant.

I stood up and said that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject.

I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous: When the temperature of

this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME

converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes

metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of

fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics, among other condit ions,

multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. Many people were being

diagnosed in error. Although multiple sclerosis is not a death

sentence, Methanol toxicity is!

Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis,

especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. The victim usually

does not know that the Aspartame is the culprit. He or she continues

its use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that it may become a

life-threatening condition.

We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once

taken off diet sodas.

In cases of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, most of the

symptoms disappear. We've seen many cases where vision loss returned

and hearing loss improved markedly.

This also applies to cases of tinnitus and fibromyalgia.

During a lecture, I said, 'If you are using ASPARTAME (NutraSweet,

Equal, Spoonful, etc) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms,

spasms, shooting, pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo,

dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, unexplainable depression,

anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss you

probably have ASPARTAME poisoning!'

People were jumping up during the lecture saying, 'I have some of

these symptoms. Is it reversible?'

Yes! Yes! Yes! STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame on

food labels! Many products are fortified with it! This is a serious

problem.

Dr. Espart (one of my speakers) remarked that so many people seem to

be symptomatic for MS and during his recent visit to a hospice, a

nurse stated that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke

addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence!

Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered, multiple

SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you

crave carbohydrates. It is far more likely to make you GAIN weight!

These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat

cells, particularly in the hips and thighs. Formaldehyde is an

absolute toxin andis used primarily to preserve 'tissue specimens.'

Many products we use every day contain this chemical but we SHOULD NOT

store it IN our body!

Dr. H. J. Roberts stated in his lectures that once free of the 'diet

products' and with no significant increase in exercise; his patients

lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period.

Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics.

We found that some physicians, who believed that they had a patient

with retinopathy, in fact, had symptoms caused by Aspartame.

The Aspartame drives the bloodsugar out of control. Thus diabetics

may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that aspartic acid and

phenylalanine are NEUROTOXIC when taken without the other amino acids

necessary for a good balance.

Treating diabetes is all about BALANCE. Especially with diabetics, the

Aspartame passes the blood/brain barrierand it then deteriorates the

neurons of the brain; causing various levels of brain damage,

seizures, depression, manic depression, panic attacks, uncontrollable

anger and rage.

Consumption of Aspartame causes these same symptoms in non-diabetics as

well.

Documentation and observation also reveal that thousands of children

diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have had complete turnarounds in their

behavior when these chemicals have been removed from their diet. So

called 'behavior modification prescription drugs' (Ritalin and others)

are no longer needed. Truth be told, they were never NEEDED in the

first place! Most of these children were being 'poisoned' on a daily

basis with the very foods that were 'better for them than sugar.'

It is also suspected that the Aspartame in thousands of pallets of

diet Coke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the

Gulf War, may be partially to blame for the well-known Gulf War

Syndrome.

Dr. Roberts warns that it can cause birth defects, i.e. mental

retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early

pregnancy.

Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and should

NEVER be given artificial sweeteners. There are many different case

histories to relate of children suffering grand mal seizures and other

neurological disturbances talking about a plague of neurological

diseases directly caused by the use of this deadly poison.'

Herein lies the problem:

There were Congressional Hearings when Aspartame was included 100

different products and strong objection was made concerning its use.

Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings,

and still nothing has been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have

very deep pockets.

Sadly, MONSANTO'S patent on Aspartame has EXPIRED!

There are now over 5,000 products on the market that contain this

deadly chemical and there will be thousands more introduced.

Everybody wants a 'piece of the Aspartame pie.' I assure you that

MONSANTO, the creator of Aspartame, knows how deadly it is.

And isn't it ironic that MONSANTO funds, among others, the American

Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association and the

Conference of the American College of Physicians?

This has been recently exposed in the New York Times.

These [organizations] cannot criticize any additives or convey their

link to MONSANTO because they take money from the food industry and

are required to endorse their products.

Senator Howard Metzenbaum wrote and presented a bill that would

require label warnings on products containing Aspartame, especially

regarding pregnant women, children and infants. The bill would also

institute independent studies on the known dangers and the problems

existing in the general population regarding seizures, changes in

brain chemistry, neurological changes and behavioral symptoms.

The bill was killed.

It is known that the powerful drug and chemical lobbies are

responsible for this, letting loose the hounds of disease and death on

an unsuspecting and uninformed public. Well, you're Informed now! YOU

HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!

Please print this out and/or e-mail to your family and friends.

They have a right to know too

Recent Entries

• 09/18/07 - Study Advocates Aspartame is Safe?
• 09/13/07 - Aspartame Safety Review
• 06/26/07 - FDA Should Reconsider Aspartame Cancer Risk, Say Experts
• 06/ 1/07 - Coca-Cola & Cargill, Inc. Patent & Will Sell 'Stevia' In Drinks & Foods
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Black Truffles -The Pungent Smell Of Success Wafts Over Alba's Truffles

Black Truffles -The Pungent Smell Of Success Wafts Over Alba's Truffles

Others in Italy Try and Fail

To Steal Auction Action; Gubbio Digs for White Gold

By GABRIEL KAHN

November 9, 2007 WSJ

ALBA, Italy -- For 60 years, this medieval town east of the Italian Alps has been the uncontested capital of the white truffle, a pungent-smelling tuber that is one of the world's most expensive delicacies.

Alba's market, set in a square at the center of town, is the white-truffle equivalent of the Big Board -- the best place for buyer and seller to connect. And on fall weekends, the market's center, known as "the Ring," is teeming with customers from as far away as Tokyo who haggle over a few grams of the precious fungus. A dry summer this year has increased its scarcity and pushed prices as high as $850 for 100 grams -- sometimes twice that for a prized specimen. Beluga caviar, by comparison, at around $720 for 100 grams, seems cheap.

WSJ's Gabriel Kahn reports on the lucrative market for white truffles, an expensive delicacy found only at certain times in Italy and a sliver of the former Yugoslavia.

Alba always gets the best prices. Last year, the city sponsored a televised charity auction for a 1.5 kilogram white truffle that was bought by a Hong Kong real-estate tycoon for $160,000. Another auction is set for Sunday.

"We have the best, biggest and most professional truffle market in the world," boasts Mauro Carbone, director of Alba's National Center for Truffle Studies. "No one else can come close."

Truffles have also become the economic juggernaut of this town of 30,000. About $1.5 million worth of truffles were sold in October, the peak season. All that truffle-trading led to more than $35 million in hotel and restaurant revenues.

Movie about black truffles

But Alba's preeminence has planted spores of envy. Other parts of Italy, having gotten a whiff of Alba's success, now want to win back some of the lucrative market for themselves.

"We have always been the serfs of Alba," says Maurizio Bazano, head of the truffle-hunters' association in Italy's northwestern Liguria region. He complains that top-notch white truffles from Liguria are shipped up to Alba, where they are sold as "tartufi bianchi d'Alba," robbing his region of fame, and a small fortune.

"That's simply the nature of the market," replies Alba's Mr. Carbone.

Halfway down the Italian peninsula, in the remote medieval town of Gubbio, local officials have been struggling in vain for years to grow their own brand of truffle tourism.

It's not for lack of supply. The pristine woods around Gubbio are fertile ground for white truffles, and 2,400 of the area's 57,000 inhabitants are licensed truffle hunters.

The problem? "We have more truffles, but Alba has the better market," says Ermanno Rosi, an agronomist who runs the local government's truffle department.

Gubbio worked with Italy's national research institute to try to map the DNA of its local truffle to prove that it was genetically unique. That might have qualified it for a prestigious European Union label conferring on Gubbio a special label for its truffles. But after six years of research, scientists never reached conclusive evidence.

So Gubbio launched another plan to create a detailed map of its best truffle-producing woods by crossing forestry records, private property deeds and plant-life studies. Truffles grow near the roots of certain trees, often just below the surface. And truffle hunters need trained dogs to sniff them out. The map was aimed at helping tourists nose around the best trees.

But that also hit a snag. Local truffle hunters wouldn't let slip where they dig up their bounty for fear of tipping off rivals. "There is intense jealousy," says Mr. Rosi, the agronomist. "They won't tell us a thing!"

Also struggling is a plan to get everyone in Gubbio involved in the local truffle business -- from hunters to wholesalers and restaurants -- by introducing a special "Gubbio white truffle" label. It turns out there is a vibrant black market in white truffles, so few buyers and sellers want to come forward for fear of attracting the tax man.

Gubbio's truffle merchants have enjoyed some moments in the spotlight. Last year, when a hunter came across a prime half-kilo white truffle in central Italy, word quickly spread. Emanuele Musini, who runs a company that exports white truffles, got tipped off by a phone call, and told one of his drivers to race to the site of the find and offer a premium price: €4,000, or about $5,800. Before the truffle reached his office, he had already sold it for €8,000 to a wealthy German who was planning a banquet.

From Gubbio, the truffle then traveled to Rome, where it made a brief appearance on Italy's national morning news show, before boarding a plane for Germany. "You have to move fast. Truffles lose 3% of their weight a day," says Mr. Musini, "and at these prices that's a disaster."

But most often, prize truffles wind up in Alba, where there is a cadre of ready buyers.

Over the years, Alba has labored to professionalize the truffle trade to keep demand -- and prices -- high. The city has a top-flight truffle-research center. It publishes weekly average prices on its Web site http://www.tuber.it and offers comparisons with historical prices. A panel of experts inspects each white truffle before it goes on sale at the market to certify authenticity and quality. Alba even has a customer-complaint window which can issue refunds to truffle buyers who claim they've been wronged.

In the "Ring" at the Alba market, Tohomisa Kida, a Tokyo native who works for an ad agency in London, was poking his nose into rows of small white truffles. Nearby, Turin retiree Vito Ruisi sniffed a dozen tubers before haggling down the price of one 15-gram piece -- enough to season a dinner for one -- to €40 and sealing the deal.

The tuber magnatum pico is found only in Italy and in a sliver of neighboring Slovenia and Croatia, and it grows for just a few months of the year. It is much rarer, more aromatic and many times the price of its more common cousin, the black truffle.

Despite soaring prices, top chefs around the world covet the white truffle. And the world's fanciest restaurants use the white truffle in the simplest fashion, shaved over risotto or pasta.

"It's like eating an extinct animal," says Fernando Stovell, chef at the Cuckoo Club, a private eating club in London.

Alba didn't win its truffle title overnight. In the 1940s and '50s, a local hotel owner began sending the largest truffle he could find each year to celebrities. Among the recipients: Marilyn Monroe, Alfred Hitchcock and President Truman, who got the largest white truffle in memory, 2.5 kilos.

The publicity stunts helped put Alba on the map. But locals have also devoted time and resources to discovering the secrets of the white truffle. The city's National Center for Truffle Studies recently cordoned off 16 stretches of woods to conduct experiments on how temperature, rainfall and other factors affect truffle growth. Alba also has a "dog university" where people can get their puppies trained in the art of truffle hunting.

Isabella Gianicolo, one of the center's researchers who wrote her university thesis on truffles, was in her office recently, studying a Web site with recent prices paid for truffles at the Alba market. Prices have exceeded €600 for 100 grams, approaching the €700 record set in 2003. But speculation among buyers is currently so high, she says, that even if white truffle supplies were suddenly to increase, prices would hold. "It's a free market," she shrugs.

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