U.S.A.
September 5, 2022
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 9
Sugar and savory spices
liven up summer berries
Tea drinkers enjoy possible
health benefits, study suggests
By Carla K. Johnson
By Christopher Kimball
The Associated Press
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street
A
up, said Maki Inoue-Choi, who led
the study.
A study like this, based on
observing people’s habits and
health, can’t prove cause and
effect.
“Observational studies like this
always raise the question: Is there
something else about tea drinkers
that makes them healthier?” said
Marion Nestle, a professor of food
studies at New York University. “I
like tea. It’s great to drink. But a
cautious interpretation seems like
a good idea.”
There’s not enough evidence to
advise changing tea habits, said
Inoue-Choi.
“If you drink one cup a day
already, I think that is good,” she
said. “And please enjoy your cup of
tea.”
The Associated Press Health and Science
Department receives support from the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s
Department of Science Education. The
AP is solely responsible for all content.
t’s time to stop thinking about the difference
between sweet and savory spices. Many cooks
around the world don’t make such a
distinction.
In Greece and Turkey, for example, tomato
sauce comes spiked with cinnamon, and in Mexico,
fruit salad is sprinkled with cayenne pepper. In
both cases, the spice is subtle but adds just enough
contrast to make each bite more interesting.
We kept that in mind while searching for an
easy way to enliven a simple summer berry
compote. In this recipe from our book COOKish,
which limits recipes to just six ingredients without
sacrificing flavor, we tried black pepper and chili
powder, a blend that can include not only spicy
cayenne but also cumin, garlic, and onion powder.
The combination of sweet strawberries and savory
spices was a hit, the perfect topping for vanilla ice
cream or yogurt.
A single teaspoon sufficed for a pound of sweet
strawberries, half of which we cooked with a
relatively small amount of sugar and lime zest. We
Milk Street via AP
I
AP Photo/Alastair Grant
cup of tea just got a bit
more relaxing.
Tea can be part of a
healthy diet and people who drink
tea may even be a little more likely
to live longer than those who don’t,
according to a large study.
Tea contains helpful substances
known to reduce inflammation.
Past studies in China and Japan,
where green tea is popular,
suggested health benefits. The new
study extends the good news to the
U.K.’s favorite drink: black tea.
Scientists from the U.S. National
Cancer Institute used a large
database project that asked about
the tea habits of nearly a half
million adults in the United
Kingdom, then followed them for
up to 14 years. They adjusted for
risk factors such as health,
socioeconomics, smoking, alcohol
intake, diet, age, race, and gender.
Higher tea intake — two or more
cups daily — was linked to a
modest benefit: a 9% to 13% lower
risk of death from any cause vs.
non-tea drinkers. Tea tempera-
ture, or adding milk or sugar,
didn’t change the results.
The study, published in Annals
of Internal Medicine, found the
association held up for heart
disease deaths, but there was no
clear trend for cancer deaths.
Researchers weren’t sure why, but
it’s possible there weren’t enough
cancer deaths for any effect to show
lightly mashed the cooked berries and poured
them over fresh ones, which softened with the
compote’s heat.
Substituting garam masala, an Indian spice
blend that includes warming spices like cinnamon
and clove but also black pepper, mustard, and
coriander, was just as good with the citrus zest and
berries, though with a different flavor profile.
Editor’s note: To view additional recipes,
visit <177milkstreet.com/ap>.
Citrus and Spice Strawberry Compote
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 tablespoons white sugar, divided
Grated zest of 1 lime or 1 lemon or ½ medium orange
1 teaspoon chili powder or garam masala
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Pinch of kosher salt
In a medium bowl, toss two-thirds of the berries with 1 tablespoon of sugar and the zest; set aside.
In a small saucepan, toast the chili powder, stirring, until fragrant; add the remaining berries, the
remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, the pepper, salt, and ¼ cup water. Simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes,
then mash the berries to break them down. Cook, stirring, until jammy. Immediately pour over the
berries in the bowl and stir. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Zip, click, pull!
You don’t float. Life
jackets do. The jacket
has to fit to do its job.
Learn how to find the
right jacket for the
right fit.
oregonmetro.gov/watersafety
Parks and nature
Arts and events
Garbage and recycling
Land and transportation
Oregon Zoo