Dec
SUSU, we need to have a chat
Take a look around, pick up a newspaper or turn on the telly and you will see a nice long list of all the ways in which we are different! When it comes down to it though there really is only one divisive line that matters, that will always matter; on one side we have those who love sprouts and on the other those that hate them with a passion!
Over the next week, and in build up to the one time of year that sprouts will end up on your plate, we shall be looking at both sides of this particularity rocky discussion and what better way to get things rolling than by dropping a comment made on a Soton Tab article in regards to advice for Freshers moving into halls:
On the plus side then we have anecdotal evidence that sprouts offer both nutrition and value for money but the underlying theme of this particular comment is that somehow sprouts make sharing space difficult (told you that line was ever so divisive). So what’s the deal?
Nutritionally speaking raw sprouts contain a plethora of wonderful goodies, including high levels of Vitamin C & K and moderate amounts of Vitamin B6 & Folic acid. Other notable compounds present in sprouts include Sulforaphane (a potential anti-cancer compound) and Indole-3-Carbinol (a chemical studied for its use in DNA repair and ability to block cancer cell growth). Looking good so far, but why then all the sprout hate!?
The hate seems to sprout from (sorry) the way in which the sprouts are cooked. The traditional way would be to boil them which often leads to over cooking (breaking down of the cell walls) which in turn leads to a release of a lovely chemical called Glucosinolate Sinigrin, an organic compound that contains sulphur: hence the somewhat overpowering smell! As we know, taste and smell are very closely linked senses so it is no wonder the vegetable gets the sharp end of the stick!
Having covered the good, the bad and the just plain smelly, why not Join Us this week in our adventures in sprout land! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll turn your nose up but above all we hope you’ll at least take on board some of what we’re talking about and then maybe, just maybe we can take one step closer to a harmonious world!
Tags: SUSU
