The Epic Hidden History of Maraschino Cherries

Join High Touch High Tech in celebrating
International Cherry Pit Spitting Day
July 3rd!

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Here in the glory days of summer, one of the best things about an already stellar season is the abundance of fruit, especially the abundance of CHERRIES!  Enjoyed right across the world from The U.S. to Japan, this beloved fruit has a flavor that is welcome in almost any confection you can imagine, from ice cream to sweet liqueurs.  The finest cherries of the harvest sell from upscale Japanese fruit retailers for 350 dollars a box.  Cherryheads can even participate in the National Cherry Festival in Traverse, Michigan, which attracts half a million people a year, or test their skills at the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Contest, also in Michigan.  (The world record for a spit pit is 30.6 meters, by the way!)

Cherry Pit Spitting Contest in Germany

It is true that cherries are an iconic and beloved fruit, so much so that they have given rise to colloquial sayings such as “the cherry on top,” which makes the red cherry garnish on top of sweet treats a metaphor for the final flourish that perfects something.  But where did that famous bright red cherry on top come from?  The story of the Maraschino cherry that completes the world’s deserts, and makes its cocktails extra tasty, is actually an epic story of persistence and devotion that spans seven generations!  Since 1823, the Luxardo family of Italy have put their name on the world’s most highly regarded brand of Maraschino cherries, still lovingly produced by the clan from blossom to bottle.

If it sounds strange to you that the bright red (or green) Maraschino cherries available at the supermarket, which are known to be bathed in 20th century concoctions such as sulfur dioxide, high fructose corn syrup, red dye # 40, and potassium sorbate, are so highly regarded, you are thinking of the wrong Maraschino cherry.  Cordials and preserves made of the Marasca cherry had been popular in Europe for thousands of years, but it was Girolamo Luxardo and his wife Maria who perfected the first version that was sold widely as a brand in 1823.  The original Luxardo recipe that continues to the present day boasts that “No thickening agents of any type and no preservatives are used, and the dark red color is all natural.”  Cocktail and café culture around the world was just beginning to evolve in the 19th century, and the Luxardo company became the world’s pre-eminent cherry on top from that time forward.  Sadly, 4 of the 5 Luxardo heirs were killed in WWII bombings, and the sole survivor escaped to Northern Italy with one single Marasca cherry sapling to continue the brand.  As that one sapling was slowly growing into the new Luxardo orchards, however, the post-war ethos of “better living through chemistry” had intervened and the mass produced, dye-infused version that we now know as Maraschinos took hold around the world.  Originally invented in the 1920’s as a cheaper version of Luxardo Maraschinos, the bright red, sugar-impregnated Maraschinos commonly bought today are really only chemically enhanced knockoffs of a much healthier, and by all accounts much more delicious, original recipe.  For an interesting cherry’s-eye-view at how much the technological world has changed in 200 years, have a look at the videos below about how the two dueling Maraschinos are produced, preferably while enjoying a seasonal bowl of the fresh stuff (and maybe spitting a pit or two)!

If the idea of testing your skill at launching cherry pits
across the room sounds like a fun summertime challenge, look no further than our
Catapult at-home experiment! Check out the lesson plan below, grab your
supplies, and start experimenting with lift, force, gravity and more!

Catapult Lesson Plan: https://sciencemadefun.net/downloads/Catapult_EOTD_May%206th.pdf

Sources:

How 350 dollar per box Japanese Cherries are Grown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjWajrNcT0A

The National Cherry Festival in Traverse, MI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-LhcQIbqts

The International Cherry Pit Spitting Contest:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrfOppxKTwc

The Creation of Luxardo Maraschinos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFONeb7bNH4

How Conventional Maraschinos are made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1brsg7h6gQ

Gourmet Mixology with Luxardo Cherries:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNSMVA4tTpU

Never Underestimate a Catfish

Join High Touch High Tech in celebrating
National Catfish Day
June 25th!

Image Source: Pixabay.com

When you hear the word “catfish” it may bring up different associations in your mind. For many of us, “catfish” refers to an internet scam where a person is lured in by a fake dating profile and then targeted for money.   If you are a Southerner, catfish refers to a delicious food served battered and deep fried, always with a side of French fries and a sweet tea.  When you look at how versatile and widespread actual Catfish, Siluriformes, are, it seems perfectly appropriate that there are so many associations attached to their name.  Sometimes underestimated as gross bottom feeders (they have been known to nibble on dead bodies) or a cheap trash fish, in reality, catfish boast a dinosaur-era lineage, a worldwide range, impressive adaptability, AND the biggest freshwater fish in the world, the Mekong Giant Catfish, Pangasianodon Gigas.  There is even a species that can “walk” on land.  Underestimate the humble catfish at your own peril, because not only are they tough, but they are everywhere, and they are BIG!  (And yes, even the biggest ones are said to be delicious.)

Of course, we at High Touch High Tech would NEVER condone eating a Mekong Giant Catfish, because they are critically endangered.  Catfish are known to get exceptionally large, with the Wels Catfish in Europe reaching 8 feet and the Piraiba of the Amazon reaching 7 feet.  However, the Mekong Catfish is considered King of All Catfish because it is the largest catfish in the world, with one caught in 2005 tipping the scales at 646 pounds and measuring 9 feet!  This incredible catch means that the Mekong Giant Catfish is the largest freshwater fish ever recorded. 

Although catfish species can be found in rivers, lakes,
marine environments, sometimes even on land, and are hugely popular with
aquarium keepers in homes all over the world, the Mekong Giant Catfish has
sadly not fared well in the last few decades. 
The Mekong Giant Catfish was once seen regularly in its home, the
massive Mekong River in Southeast Asia, but now scientists report they are
lucky to get a sighting once a year.  The
bounteous Mekong River supported these enormous fish easily in the past,
because the river itself, which flows through six nations in Asia, is spacious
and full of diverse fish and plant species. 
But the Mekong Catfish is a highly migratory species, and in recent
decades, dams and development along the river have especially affected its favored
spawning ground.  Fortunately, scientists
like Zeb Hogan are committed to tracking and understanding the exact habitat
needs of the Giant Mekong Catfish, and are working with locals to support and
protect the precious Mekong Catfish.   Check out Dr. Hogan’s efforts in the link
below and be sure to wish your local catfish a happy Catfish Day on June 25th!

If learning about unique aquatic species gets you excited, check
out our Sea Urchin Symmetry at-home experiment. Review the lesson linked below,
grab your supplies, and start exploring!

Sea Urchin Symmetry Lesson Plan: https://sciencemadefun.net/downloads/EOTD_Sea_Urchin_Symmetry_Lesson.pdf

Sources:

Impressive Catfish Facts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaCQ4ZAsAgc

The Biggest Catfish Ever Caught All Around the World:
https://largest.org/animals/catfish/

Dr. Hogan’s Conservation Efforts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JvRyYyMoA8

Tracking the Spawn of Mekong Catfish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIBv6yJcVKE

An Excellent Documentary on Life along the Mekong:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AqvJaHk-N4

National Hollerin’ Day!

Join High Touch High Tech in celebrating
National Hollerin’ Day
June 19th

Image Source: https://www.carolinaxroads.com/2020/01/spiveys-corner.html

OORAH!  If you instantly heard the distinctive sound of the US Marine battle cry in your head as you read that word, you know the power of a strong, powerful shout.  Gentle face-to-face spoken communication is a wonderful thing, but there’s definitely something to be said for a full-throated holler so loud that it leaves rolling echoes behind to prove its point.  People across times and cultures have woven the art of hollering into not only their fearsome military battle cries but into their day to day lives.  Prior to the advent of phones (and cups attached by strings), communicating long distances was a problem that all humans faced.  You might have heard of the Pony Express or Carrier Pigeon as examples of people’s ingenious solutions for long distance communication, but for sheer usefulness, how about the good ol’ fashioned Southern-style holler?

On the surface, giving a good holler seems like something mindless, but the “Hollerin’ Capital of the World” in Spivey’s Corner, North Carolina would like to assure you it’s not. As one champion hollerer of the “National Hollerin’ Contest,” once held annually in Spivey’s Corner, explains, a holler is a controlled sound that rural people used to communicate before the era of phones.  Thought to have originated in West Africa and then brought over by enslaved people, Southern-style hollers vary between individuals, but they are designed as a pattern of sounds that send a distinct message.  The best hollers have a rhythm and modulation that creates an echo and can be heard up to a mile away!

In addition, there are four basic categories of holler.  There are functional hollers designed for
calling up and down between a house and a field to ask for things like water or
food.  There are hollers designed to pass
a certain message, such as to announce oneself on a neighbor’s land.  An especially important type is the distress
holler, to be used only in case of emergency or if someone finds themselves
lost.  Last, there is the expressive
holler, which gives voice to the hollerer’s particular feelings at the moment.  If you’re in a place where a few hollers here
and there won’t disturb anybody, why not celebrate National Hollerin’ Day with
an expressive holler of your own?  You
might be surprised how far your voice can carry!

If you are feeling the “call” to holler, then we invite you
to try our Paper Cup & String Phone at-home experiment. See if your holler
will carry all the way to the other end of the string! Learn about vibrations
and how sounds carry! Grab your supplies & check out the lesson plan linked
below:

Lesson Plan:
https://sciencemadefun.net/downloads/Paper-Cup-String-REV-7-20-2020.pdf

Sources:

The Story of Hollerin’ and the National Hollerin’ Contest in Spivey’s Corner: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-to-win-a-hollerin-contest

Some Champions of Hollerin’ explain the Art:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r0ThUN2YKs

Old Timer Leonard Emanuel tells the story of Hollerin’ in his Community and provides some expressive examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvY4i4TeHiQ

Everybody Loves Flip-Flops

Join High Touch High Tech in Celebrating
National Flip-Flop Day
June 11th!

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Modern-day fashionistas may disparage flip-flops, and some doctors warn against wearing them constantly.  But aside from a few objections, the archaeological and historical record both testify to the fact that humans the world over have been rocking flip-flops and sandals, flip-flops’ close relatives, since before civilization even began.  The basic design of flip-flops and sandals, a sole covering held on to the foot with a rope or strap, is much older than the earliest known closed-toe leather shoes.  The oldest sandals on earth were found in Fort Rock, Oregon in the 1930’s.  Made of woven sagebrush ropes, the oldest Fort Rock Sandals date from about 13,000 years ago!

Another culture that had no problem with the flip-flop as fashion was the Ancient Egyptians, whose preferred style was anchored between the first and second toe just as modern people wear today.  Many Ancient Egyptian sandals were made of humble woven papyrus, or more upmarket leather, but they also could be covered in gold and gems depending on the status of the wearer.  It is said that the Pharaoh of Egypt even had a servant who did nothing but carry his sandals until needed.  The Ancient Greeks were huge fans of the sandal, and so were the Romans, although their designs often involved more straps and foot coverage than the minimalistic flip flop design that Ancient Egyptians and present-day people appreciate. 

With such a wealth of ancient footwear to draw from, which design and time period gave us the flip flop we use today?  Look no further than Japan.  Japanese traditional footwear has long been adapted towards the easy-on, easy-off design people prize in contemporary flip- flops.  Japanese homes often had floors covered in delicate reed tatami mats that could be easily damaged by shoes, and so an abundance of flip-flop-like designs emerged, including the geta and the zori.  After WW2, Japan’s decimated economy still held a large reserve of rubber from the Southeast Asian nations that Japan had attempted to colonize during the war.  Japanese manufacturing began to build back by using the rubber to create mass-produced zori, and thus the flip-flop as we know it was born.  Originally marketed as “Jandals,” a combination of “Japan” and “Sandals,” as the shoes gained popularity in the West, some time in the 1960’s they came to be called “flip-flops” for the ubiquitous sound they make when they strike the heel. 

Image Source: Pixabay.com

So go ahead and rock your flip-flops for National Flip-Flop
Day this June 11th!  If anyone
criticizes your toes as they catch the breeze, just remind them that flip-flops
are one of the oldest human designs still in wide use. It is said that a great
design is timeless, and in the case of flip-flops, that is definitely true!

So, grab your flip-flops and head to the beach for this week’s at-home experiment! Put your toes in the sand as you make sand observations and seashell imprints! Check out our lesson plan, collect your materials and investigate cool coastal science…all while sporting your favorite flip-flops!

Lesson Plan: https://sciencemadefun.net/downloads/EOTD_Sand_Seashells_Lesson.pdf

Sources:

The Great Flip-Flop Fashion Debate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijEmTr9jdtM

The Fort Rock Sandals:
https://pages.uoregon.edu/connolly/FRsandals.htm

Worldwide use of Sandals through Cultures and Times: http://historyofsandals.blogspot.com/2010/10/egyptian-sandals_22.html

Introduction to Japanese Traditional Footwear:
https://www.japan-zone.com/culture/footwear.shtml

The Japanese Zori Industry and the Modern Flip-flop:
https://www.heddels.com/2018/04/history-flip-flop/