Climate change is still an ongoing and pressing issue, especially for the agricultural industry. At UC Davis, community members listened to four experts in the field of regenerative agriculture to find that the solution is right under our noses…or, in this case, under our feet.
Is sauerkraut more than just a tangy topping? A new University of California, Davis, study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology suggests that the fermented cabbage could help protect your gut, which is an essential part of overall health, supporting digestion and protecting against illness.
Caviar is known as a delicacy worldwide. Although rightfully expensive due to its 6-10 year long production time and very short six-week shelf life, Tsar Nicoulai Caviar is a company willing to turn these tides. Davis community members paired sparkling wines from Domaine Carneros and sturgeon dishes while discovering the close relationship UC Davis has with this unique industry.
It has only been a month since our last newsletter, but there is so much news to share from both departments and across the UC Davis campus.
For those who knew and admired Anita Oberholster, there will be a celebration of life on Monday, May 12, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm to honor and remember her. Please join us at the UC Davis Conference Center to share memories and stories or join the livestream if you cannot attend in person.
Yeast is an excellent microorganism used for fermenting foods into beer, wine and cheese. However, unwanted yeasts can also spoil dairy products, fruit juices, and more. Currently, yeast identification methods take a long time to process, but many foods are already on the market before then. To combat these problems, UC Davis researchers Hyeon Woo (Howard) Park, J. Mason Earles, and Nitin Nitin experimented with deep learning to create a yeast classification model that can provide accurate results in 1/20 of the typical time.
Think of the smell of freshly baked cookies or the sound of biting into a crisp chip. These are all attributes that make food so memorable and enjoyable. Food sensory science measures the appearance, aroma, taste, mouthfeel and texture with either machinery or human opinion to understand why consumers gravitate towards specific foods.
Strawberries are known for their vibrant color, juicy texture, and sweet flavor. With more than 100 different varieties of strawberries, UC Davis put four to the taste test! The community gathered to try four varieties or cultivars from the UC Davis Strawberry Breeding Program and voted on their favorite by the end of the night. After the event, Guittard Chocolate Company donated chocolate to pair with the strawberries.
Driven by his passion for food science and brimming with ideas, UC Davis student Dion Skaria created Fit Candy – a nutritious treat that blends sweet and sour flavors while reducing food waste. This innovative gummy candy is crafted from upcycled watermelon rinds.
Georgian cheese bread, cilantro-blackened fish tacos, quesabirria tacos with seitan and cinnamon sugar churros – four culinary creations but only one was crowned winner of the Upcycled Iron Chef Competition at UC Davis.
The University of California, Davis, is leading the establishment of a new Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein, or iCAMP. The center will work toward large-scale commercialization and technological advancement of alternative proteins, including cultivated meat (from animal cells grown in large fermentors), plant- and fungal-based foods, and innovative hybrids that combine conventional meat products with alternative proteins.
I was honored to have the opportunity to travel to Japan in November 2023 to participate in the 6th Annual Sakeology event hosted by Niigata University, Niigata Prefecture, and the Niigata Sake Brewers Association. Niigata is located about 150 miles northwest of Tokyo, bordering the Sea of Japan. The region is known for its rice cultivation and high-quality spring water that flows down from the neighboring mountains — two critical ingredients for producing sake!
Instead of spending this past Halloween dispensing candy to trick-or-treaters, I traveled to Seattle to participate in the Google Food Lab. The Google Food Lab is a community of invited members working in the food and beverage space that meet biannually to discuss the sector's future, including pathways toward developing more healthful, environmentally beneficial, and socially responsible products and processes. It is always an engaging event that offers opportunities to learn about innovations and make connections with inspiring individuals worldwide.
