Global and Plant-Based Cookery Flashcards

When fermenting tempeh from soybeans, which mold is responsible for knitting the beans into a firm cake and developing its nutty flavor?

Answer: Rhizopus oligosporus

Rhizopus oligosporus is the primary mold used in tempeh fermentation, forming white mycelium that binds beans and produces enzymes that enhance digestibility and flavor.

A CMC exam scenario requires producing a Vietnamese pho broth that is crystal clear. Which technique is most critical for achieving this clarity?

Answer: Blanching bones, then simmering uncovered at a low, barely-bubbling temperature

Blanching bones removes blood and impurities, and maintaining a bare simmer (not a boil) prevents emulsification of fats and proteins that causes cloudiness in pho.

In high-level plant-based pastry, which combination is used to create a convincing vegan butter that layers properly in croissant dough?

Answer: A high-melting-point cocoa butter and refined coconut oil blend with emulsifiers

Cocoa butter's sharp melting curve combined with refined coconut oil and lecithin creates a plastic fat that stays firm during lamination and melts cleanly in the mouth like dairy butter.

Which fermented Korean condiment, made from salted and fermented napa cabbage with gochugaru, is recognized by UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list?

Answer: Kimchi (kimjang tradition)

Kimchi and kimjang (the communal kimchi-making tradition) were inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2013.

In traditional Indian ayurvedic cuisine, the technique of 'tarka' (or tadka/chaunk) serves what primary culinary function?

Answer: Flash-frying whole spices in hot oil or ghee to bloom fat-soluble aromatic compounds

Tarka blooms whole spices in very hot fat, rapidly extracting and volatilizing fat-soluble flavor compounds that water-based cooking cannot access, then the infused oil is poured over the dish.

A chef is developing a plant-based 'bleeding' burger. Which ingredient is used to create the red, hemoglobin-like color and umami flavor of the bleeding effect?

Answer: Soy leghemoglobin produced via fermentation (heme analog)

Soy leghemoglobin—an iron-containing protein from soybean roots, produced at scale via yeast fermentation—replicates the color, aroma, and cooking behavior of myoglobin in meat.

In classical Chinese cuisine, the technique of 'velveting' (上浆, shàngjiāng) protein before stir-frying is used primarily to achieve which result?

Answer: Create a protective starch-and-alkaline coating that keeps protein tender in high-heat cooking

Velveting coats proteins in a mixture of cornstarch, egg white or bicarbonate, and sometimes oil, creating a moisture-trapping barrier that yields silky, tender texture even in a 400°C wok.