Amuse Bouche: A Brief History of Beer from Executive Chef Scott Mechura

This article originally appeared in Explore Big Sky

A Brief History of Beer

Beer is more complex than wine. That might sound like utter nonsense to some, but it’s true. We sip wine; we age wine; we smell wine; we swirl wine. We talk about wine endlessly … It certainly is complex.

Using only three ingredients: grapes, yeast and water, the possibilities are, without question, vast. Contributing to the diversity of grape varietals from around the world are terroir (the microclimate of a grape); the blending of multiple grapes; and temperamental weather, which affects the sugars in a grape. While nature does much of the work, it nevertheless takes great skill to grow and nurture those wine grapes.

Enter beer, also a fermented beverage using yeast to ferment sugars – in this case malted barley – and water. Once harvested, barley isn’t ready to go the way grapes are. It needs to be malted. Malting begins with soaking the barley in water to germinate the endosperm, then heating and drying it to stop the germination. The final malting step involves the desired roasting time and temperature. Different temperatures and schedules for each variety of barley, the country of origin, and the time of year make for additional variances.

Then there’s a fourth ingredient: hops. The female flowers of the Humulus lupulus, hops are the spice and bittering agent in beer, and also work as nature’s preservative. Factor in the hundreds of hop varieties, and you begin to understand why adding that fourth ingredient, with its own variables, makes beer so complex.

Some things you may not know about this historic beverage:

Hops are the predominant seasoning in beer today but historically many fruits, herbs, and spices were used in its place. Some include: chamomile, wormwood, thyme, cherries, myrtle, and spruce.

Until the mid-1800s, when the process of malting barley was perfected, all beers were quite dark.

Beer has a deeply rooted history with humans and, much like wine, is territorial and comes with regional pride. Today, beers are still made in Germany, Belgium, Poland and Czechoslovakia that possess up to 85 percent of their local market share (no U.S. city comes close), yet as little as 20 km away, neighboring communities may have never heard of that beer.

Beer predates bread with regard to yeast being used to ferment grains. Archeologists have traced variations of beer as far back as 6000 B.C. to Egypt and what is now Iran. Ironically, alcohol is banned in Iran today.

A now virtually extinct style, known as “stein beer” (German for stone), was made by heating large rocks, usually granite, to a white-hot temperature. The stones were then submerged into the unfermented beer, or wort, to bring the liquid to a boil.

We’ve enjoyed two renaissances of craft beer here in the U.S., one in the early 1980s through the late 1990s, and one during a resurgence over the last five years. But we still have a fraction of the breweries we had before prohibition.

Belgium is roughly the size of Iowa, yet has some 600-plus breweries. Imagine how fun Iowa would be with that many brewpubs!

The next time you enjoy a beer, whether it’s an obscure ale from the far reaches of the globe, a light beer made in America, or a quality craft beer brewed right here in Big Sky, think about the many technicians and artists that made it possible. Sláinte!

Amuse Bouche: Our Culinary Roots from Executive Chef Scott Mechura

This article originally appeared in Explore Big Sky

Explore Our Culinary Roots

In America, we tend to have a myopic view of food and its origins, but as a nation comprised mostly of non-indigenous people, it stands to reason we have adopted ingredients and cuisines from all over the globe.

But every place tells a similar story about food origins. Here are a few misconceptions:

U.S.: There may be no cooking method that garners more pride right here in America than barbeque. The method of indirect heat and smoke using any variety of flavored woods creating that succulent, smoky rib, brisket, or other protein you may find regionally, is a source of much pride.

Having lived in Texas for three years, I feel there is no other cuisine that possesses a greater facade of being homegrown in the red, white and blue. But this method of cooking has roots that run centuries deep. The Spanish and Portuguese took the barbecue idea to Brazil and Argentina. And, sorry Texas, Florida was the first state to see what became barbeque, as we know it.

Italy: Stop anyone on the street and ask him or her what foods define Italy. They’ll probably mention items like pasta and tomatoes.

We associate the tomato with Mediterranean cuisine and Italy probably tops that list, but this fruit is actually native to the Andes. The tomato moved through South America and was introduced to Europe via the Spanish Revolution. In fact, Italians regarded the tomato as poisonous – it’s a member of the nightshade family like potatoes and eggplant – for centuries.

Pasta didn’t originate in Italy either. Historians widely believe that Italian explorer Marco Polo brought it back from China on his more than two-decade exploration of Eastern Asia.

Ireland: Here’s some news: Ireland is not the original home of the potato. South America is rich in flavor – spices, chilies, roots, and vegetables – and it’s also native to many of the world’s staples that we now see commonplace in other cultures and continents, including the potato.

How did the spud make its way from the Peruvian Andes Mountains to Ireland and elsewhere? Most South American peoples were prolific farmers but not conquerors, so rather than exploring and taking their native foods and practices with them, foreign explorers, merchants, soldiers and traders actually took these foods from them. In this case, Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors brought the potato back to Europe.

Africa: Peanuts are entrenched in Western African diets, as well as in many Vietnamese and Thai dishes. The peanut is almost commonplace in Southeast Asia, yet its provenance is actually quite lengthy.

Peanuts made their way from South America across the Atlantic to Asia, then back again to North America, with some stops along the way, including Western Africa. Peanut butter first appeared in the U.S. at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, and my grandfather said peanut butter was a commonly issued food for the troops in World War II.

New Zealand: The kiwifruit (in New Zealand, to simply refer to a “kiwi” is to refer to the bird, not the fruit) is yet another food native to China. Originally called the Chinese gooseberry, it initially made the trip to New Zealand in 1906.

Oddly we never see kiwifruit in, or associated with, Chinese cuisine. The kiwifruit was also introduced to the U.S. via the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. And, despite the relatively recent flight of the kiwifruit from China’s nest, this little green gem is now commonly eaten from the U.S., to Canada, Chile, France, and Greece.

Germany: Schnitzel is a German and Austrian tradition, no doubt, but ironically it’s prevalent on Israeli menus from Tel Aviv to Brooklyn. This is a prime example of how cultures readily adopt not only foods, but also dishes, no matter their history.

Studying foods and their history can be incredibly interesting, just make sure you’re sitting next to a globe or a map of the world.

Amuse-Bouche: Is Gluten Free A Trend? from Executive Chef Scott Mechura

This article originally appeared in Explore Big Sky

Is Gluten Free A Trend?

Over the last 30 years, from my days as a young cook to those as a chef, I’ve seen many food trends, innovations and movements. A few that come to mind are the popularity of Southwestern cuisine in the early ‘90s; the Atkins diet of limited carbohydrates; and the South Beach diet, which temporarily eliminates then slowly reintroduces carbohydrates while decreasing protein portions.

I see food trends come and go, and in chefs’ circles we often try to predict how long a particular trend will last. We usually all agree: not very long. And we’re usually right.

The gluten-free diet seems to be front and center as the current haute food trend. As a chef, I initially believed it to be just that, a trend. But maybe now it’s time to eat crow.

A couple years ago, my wife was suffering from what was eventually diagnosed as Hashimoto’s disease, which comes with a list of symptoms too long to mention. The first order of business from her naturopathic, or natural-path doctor, was to eliminate wheat – to “go gluten free.”

What a silly concept, my chef brain thought. Wheat, barley, and other grains are good for you, right? We have been eating them for 10,000 years. I played along however, wanting to support her, to eat like her so she felt more comfortable. “Who knows? I may even learn something,” I thought.

After about two weeks of eating gluten free, I remember one day telling her that I felt the same as before and that I thought it was all a bunch of “nonsense.” The naturopath told me to be patient, informing me it takes more like three to five weeks for gluten to leave your system.

Chefs are not known for patience. Besides, we know what is good, flavorful food and what is healthy. While I patiently adhered to my gluten-free diet for another two to three weeks, I was certain I’d be able to call out the naturopath and tell her it was still nonsense. But I couldn’t. I was more focused, I had more energy, and when I ate a fairly large meal after not eating all day (it’s a chef thing), I didn’t feel like I’d just consumed a bowling ball.

The truth is that while we have, in fact, been eating grains for 10,000 years, we didn't eat them for the previous 90,000 to 100,000 years. We began heavily modifying our wheat sometime in the 1960s to a point where our bodies barely recognize it, let alone are able to digest it. This brings us to where we are today: a society that suffers collective health challenges that were rare a few decades ago.

Over the years, I’ve dealt with many special requests and menu variances. Some still surprise me – I once had a dish sent back because the guest hated the color of the dish their entrée was plated on.

But as a chef, I would like to see the gluten-free diet take its rightful place among the dietary challenges we face today, such as tree nut and dairy allergies, and diabetes, to name a few. So don’t be afraid to ask for a gluten-free meal for fear you’ll be viewed as trendy. In the end, will a gluten free diet be only another passing fad? I certainly hope not.

Amuse-Bouche: The Latest Bite from Executive Chef Scott Mechura

This article originally appeared in Explore Big Sky

The Real History of Food

To study food is to study human history.

In America, we tend to have a myopic view of food and its origins, but as a nation that is comprised of many non-indigenous people, it stands to reason we have adopted ingredients and cuisines from all over the globe. Even right here at home, Native American diets, like most peoples, varied regionally, but three ingredients (affectionately know as the “three sisters”, remained staples throughout the entire future United States: Squashes, beans, and corn (corn and it’s history is worthy of a whole entire conversation on its own). But every continent tells a similar story…

For example, stop anyone on the street and ask him or her what foods define Italy. More than likely they will probably mention items like pasta, and tomatoes. We definitely associate the tomato with Mediterranean cuisine and Italy is probably on the top of that list, but they are actually native to the Andes, moved through South America, and were introduced to Europe via the Spanish revolution. In fact Italians regarded the tomato as poisonous (it is a member of the nightshade family like potatoes and eggplant) for centuries.  Nor did pasta actually originate in Italy. Rather it is widely believed by historians that Marco polo brought it back from China on his more than two decade exploration of eastern Asia.

Some food history creates more questions than answers. For example, the subcontinent is so rich in flavor: spices, chilies, roots, and vegetables, when many of their staples originate elsewhere. And South America is native to many of the world’s staples that we now see commonplace in other cultures and continents. How did the potato make its way from South America to India? Most peoples there were prolific farmers but not conquerors, so rather than exploring and taking their native foods and practices with them, conquerors, merchants, soldiers, and traders took these foods from them. In addition to tomatoes, potatoes and peanuts found themselves headed to new worlds as well.

Peanuts find themselves entrenched in Western African diets, as well as in many Vietnamese and Thai dishes, again, almost commonplace there, yet what was their provenance from South America?

Schnitzel. A German and Austrian tradition no doubt, but the irony is that not only is schnitzel popular in places like Hungary, but it is almost commonplace on Israeli menus from Brooklyn to Televive. Or is it ironic? Food and human history are once again intertwined in such a simple dish. A people that have been persecuted for generations would never hang that cultures flag, or willingly speak their language, and yet without hesitation will adopt their cuisine. Conversely, cultures and entire nations have not only fought over faiths and holy land but something as elementary as hummus. Both Israeli’s and Palestinians have laid claims to hummus and have even shed blood and taken lives over its origin.

Barbeque. There may be no cooking method that garners more pride right here in America than barbeque. The method of indirect heat and smoke using any variety of flavored woods creating that succulent, smoky rib, brisket, or any other protein you may find regionally is a source of much pride. Having lived in Texas for three years, there is no other cuisine that possesses a greater facade of being homegrown in the red white and blue. But this method of cooking has roots that run centuries deep. And they run through the Caribbean. The Spanish and Portuguese then took this cooking method to Brazil and Argentina. And (sorry Texas), Florida was the first state to see what became barbeque, as we know it.

Politics agendas may prevail, armies may conquer, but food is the true trail map of culture and humanity.