Global and Plant-Based Cookery Flashcards

A CMC candidate is preparing a plant-based version of French cassoulet. Which ingredient best replicates the gelatinous body traditionally provided by duck confit and pork skin?

Answer: Kombu-simmered white beans enriched with smoked cashew cream

Kombu adds glutamates for umami depth while its natural alginates contribute body, and smoked cashew cream provides fat richness that replaces duck confit's role.

In Mexican cuisine, the term 'mole negro' refers to a sauce distinguished by which ingredient that gives it its deep color and bitter complexity?

Answer: Burnt or charred dried chilies and Mexican chocolate

Mole negro gets its near-black color and bitter depth from charred dried chilies (often mulato, pasilla, and chihuacle negro) combined with Mexican chocolate.

Which hydrocolloid, derived from red algae, is preferred in plant-based panna cotta over gelatin because it sets firmer at room temperature?

Answer: Agar-agar

Agar-agar, extracted from red algae, sets at room temperature (around 35°C) and produces a firmer, more stable gel than gelatin, making it ideal for plant-based panna cotta.

The Southeast Asian spice paste 'rempah' forms the flavor base of many dishes. Which technique is essential when cooking rempah to develop its full flavor?

Answer: Frying the paste in oil until it darkens, splits the fat, and smells fragrant (tumis)

Tumis—frying rempah in hot oil until it darkens, the fat separates, and raw aromas transform into deep, complex fragrance—is the non-negotiable technique for proper flavor development.

A chef is preparing an authentic Georgian (country) satsivi sauce. Which distinctive spice defines this walnut-based cold sauce?

Answer: Blue fenugreek (utskho suneli) and marigold petals (calendula)

Satsivi's unique profile comes from utskho suneli (blue fenugreek) and dried marigold petals, spices central to Georgian khmeli suneli spice blends.

In plant-based cooking, what is the primary functional role of sunflower lecithin when added to a nut milk foam?

Answer: It acts as an emulsifier, stabilizing air bubbles in the foam

Sunflower lecithin's phospholipid structure reduces surface tension, stabilizing the air-water interface to produce firm, lasting plant-based foams and emulsions.

Which ancient grain, originally from the Andean region, is classified as a 'complete protein' because it contains all nine essential amino acids?

Answer: Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa)

Quinoa is a pseudocereal native to the Andes that is one of the few plant foods containing all nine essential amino acids in adequate proportions, qualifying it as a complete protein.