Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-06-20
WHY room Is COOKED.


Summary OF the Reasons frex@ -
sefeatsac Pofnt 81 View.
We cook our food 10 render II more
agreeable to our sense Of taste and
smell. Cooking develops fiavors and
odors not present in the raw state.
This is particularly true Of the animal
foods, but IL is also true to greater
or less extent with regard 10 yege-
table foods. and. indeed, some sege-
tables. as potatoes and beans, would
he repugnant were they uncooked. The
superior favor. appearance and taste
OF piece OF beefsteak nicely cooked
is a case In point The development
of pleasant fiayors In the coffee berry
aud peanut illustrate the same prin-
ciple.
A second reason why we should
cook our food Is 10 be found in the
fact that thereby we facilitate the pro-
cess of mastieation. Some foods are
tough or hard and can neither be fine
~ divided nor well mixed with saliva.
Cooking softens these so that the work
of the teeth is performed with great
er ease, and the results. SO far as the
digestibility and the amount OF nutri-
ent matter obtained are concerned, are
vastly more efficient.
Again ii is often desirable that the
food be chemically changed; thus some
foods or portions of them are absolute
ly indigestible in the unlocked state;
the fibrous tissue OF meat. for example
can not be considered a food until by
the application of heat IL has been
changed chemically to gelatin Sim
ilarly starches, though not entirely In
digestible when raw. are changed into
a more digestible form by cooking.
and the cooked starch. as In bread. is
by the process of toasting converted
into new chemical substance called
dextrin, which closely resembles sugar
both in its chemical properties and in
the ease with which IL Is digested.
Again sugar Is changed into carmel
and fats are partially decomposed into
other more digestible substances.
A fourth reason for cooking food Is
that the warmth which is thus Inn
parted promotes digestion by causing
an Increased flow Of blood to the di-
gestive apparatus. and hence a more
copiOus secretion of the digestive fluids.
IL is TO stimulate the flow Of digestive
juices that hot soup il given as the
first course at dinner. As a result OF
this increased flow the digestion OF the
| food is we'll advanced by the time din
ner is over. The general stimulating
effect of tea and coffee Is enhanced
considerably by their warmth.
The general result OF all these
changes mentioned. the development
of flavor. the increased ease OF masti-
cation, the chemical changes, and the
warmth impaired by cooking. Is that
more nutrient matter is obtained from
the food at the same time that It's d.
/ gestion is promoted.
Finally. cooking destroys any para
sites that may be present in the food
OF these. trichinae In pork and the
scolex. or encysted head Of the tape
worm. In what is known as measly
beef. are the most common. To show
that these are not so rare | may men
/ ton that between . and per cent OF
1 all the hogs slaughtered at the Chi.
cago stock yards are found 10 be in
/ fected with trichlnae. Most food ma
teriais serve as favorable media for the
propagation and growth OF bacteria
Many OF these are harmless, but we
/ must remember that no dangerous
I must remember that we can not lie
/ sure at any time that no dangerous
I ones are present. AS heat destroys
4 bacteria, we are taking fewer chances
+ when we cook our food tan when we
4 do nOt.-Chautauurau