LESSON 2

SPECIALIZED FOOD ITEMS

Learning Objectives:
 Identify specialized food items
 Familiarize specialized food items
 Create a specialized menu

Key Topics and Learning Points:

 Specialized Food

 Specialized foods contribute to culinary diversity and the richness of global

cuisine. They offer a wide range of flavors, textures, and preparation
methods that add depth and variety to the food landscape.
 The production of specialized foods frequently involves artisanal
craftsmanship.
 Some specialized foods offer health benefits. For example, specialty cheeses
may be lower in lactose, and certain mushrooms (e.g., porcini) are known for
their nutritional value.

ACTIVITY 1

GROUP ACTIVITY

Specialized Food Item Scavenger Hunt

Objective:
 To help students identify and familiarize themselves with specialized food items through an
interactive scavenger hunt.

Instruction:
 Gather the students and distribute a copy of the list of specialized food items to each group.

 Display the images/descriptions of the specialized food items, giving participants a limited time (e.g.,
1 minute) to examine each image or description.

 Participants should match each image/description to the corresponding item on their list.

 Set a timer for the scavenger hunt.

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 Think and Reflect

1. Discuss the importance of becoming familiar with specialized food items in culinary contexts, such
as working in a restaurant or foodservice industry.
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Key Facts

A specialized food is a food that is typically considered as a "unique and high-value food item made in
small quantities from high-quality ingredients". Consumers typically pay higher prices for specialty foods,
and may perceive them as having various benefits compared to non-specialty foods.

Compared to staple foods, specialty foods may have higher prices due to more expensive ingredients and
labor. Some food stores specialize in or predominantly purvey specialty foods.

Specialized food

Artisanal food encompasses breads, cheeses, fruit preserves, cured meats, beverages, oils, and vinegars
that are made by hand using traditional methods by skilled craftworkers, known as food artisans.

Caviar is a food consisting of salt-cured roe of the family Acipenseridae. Caviar is considered a delicacy
and is eaten as a garnish or a spread.

Artisanal cheese refers to cheeses produced by hand using the traditional craftsmanship of skilled
cheesemakers. As a result, the cheeses are often more complex in taste and variety. Many are aged and
ripened to achieve certain aesthetics.

Foie gras is a specialty food product made of the liver of a duck or goose. According to French law, foie
gras is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by gavage. In Spain and other countries, it is
occasionally produced using natural feeding.

Serrano ham is normally made from a specific breed of pig -- Landrace breed of white pig. Iberico ham is
processed in the same way as serrano ham and prosciutto, but its name is given based on the pig it comes
from -- the Iberico pigs.

Porcini is a meaty mushroom with a robust, heady aroma. The term "porcini mushroom" technically refers
to several different species but the most sought after of the lot is the Boletus edulis, or the king bolete,
which is usually the mushroom people refer to when they say porcini.

Black Truffle is a French epicurean Brillat-Savarin famously declared them the 'diamond of the kitchen'.
Truffles are so prized for its deliciously earthy and distinct aromas.

Chanterelle grow in clusters in mossy, coniferous forests as well as in the grass among lowgrowing herbs.
In central Europe, including Ukraine, chanterelles are often found in alpine forests among the European
beech trees.

Morel- To date, the ecology of morel mushrooms, or morchela, remain a mystery. Each species of the
morel seems to have its own relationship with nature and its surroundings. Yellow morels are more
commonly found at the foot of deciduous trees while black morels are usually discovered found in
coniferous forests, on the disturbed grounds of recently burned areas.

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Matsutake Also known as red pine mushrooms, matsutake has a home range that includes Japan, Korea,
northeastern China and southeast Russia. There are several species of matsutake mushrooms that can
also be harvested from Canada.

White Truffle Four thousand dollars for a kilogram might seem like a lot to pay for a mushroom but it sells.
Enter the white truffle, the even more luxurious, extravagant sibling of the black truffle.

Mostarda is spicy condiment made of candied fruit in a syrup with varying amounts of white mustard mixed
into it. The name is French in origin and comes from the word moutarde (mustard). Mostarda from
Cremona, its city of origin, is now a commercial product.
Edible seaweed, or sea vegetables, are seaweeds that can be eaten and used for culinary purposes. They
typically contain high amounts of fiber. They may belong to one of several groups of multicellular algae: the
red algae, green algae, and brown algae.

Food that has been described as specialty foods as per not precisely corresponding to
other food categories include:
• Kimchi.
• Olives.
• Royal jelly, bee pollen and propolis.
• Sauerkraut.
• Sea vegetables.
• Umeboshi

Let’s Apply!

Specialized Food Item Menu

Instructions:
 Students will create a menu that includes one of the specialized items that have been discussed in
the lesson.
 They can choose if it is a soup, salad, appetizer or main course.

Let’s Exercise

What defines a specialized food?

a) Low cost and mass production
b) Unique, high-value, and made in small quantities from high-quality ingredients
c) Highly processed and widely available
d) High cost and industrial production

Answer: b) Unique, high-value, and made in small quantities from high-quality ingredients

Why do consumers typically pay higher prices for specialty foods?

a) Because they are always healthier
b) Due to marketing strategies
c) Because they are considered delicacies and made with premium ingredients
d) As a result of government regulations

Answer: c) Because they are considered delicacies and made with premium ingredients

What is the main characteristic that distinguishes specialty foods from staple foods?
a) Staple foods are more expensive
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b) Specialty foods are always organic
c) Specialty foods are made in small quantities
d) Staple foods are considered delicacies

Answer: c) Specialty foods are made in small quantities

Which of the following is an example of artisanal food?

a) Mass-produced bread
b) Handmade bread using traditional methods
c) Canned fruit preserves
d) Frozen meals

Answer: b) Handmade bread using traditional methods

Caviar is considered a delicacy. What is caviar made from?

a) Salt-cured roe of the family Acipenseridae
b) Pickled vegetables
c) Salted fish
d) Dried fruits

Answer: a) Salt-cured roe of the family Acipenseridae

What is the defining feature of artisanal cheese?

a) It is always made from goat's milk
b) It is aged for a minimum of five years
c) It is produced by hand using traditional craftsmanship
d) It is processed using industrial methods

Answer: c) It is produced by hand using traditional craftsmanship

How is foie gras defined according to French law?

a) It is the liver of any bird fattened by natural feeding
b) It is the liver of a duck or goose fattened by gavage
c) It is the liver of a turkey
d) It is the liver of a wild bird

Answer: b) It is the liver of a duck or goose fattened by gavage

Serrano ham is typically made from which breed of pig?

a) Berkshire
b) Iberico
c) Landrace
d) Duroc

Answer: c) Landrace

Which mushroom is often referred to as the "king bolete"?

a) Shiitake
b) Morel
c) Porcini
d) Chanterelle

Answer: c) Porcini

What is a notable characteristic of black truffles?

a) They are white in color
b) They are commonly found in North America
c) They have a distinct earthy aroma

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d) They are always used in desserts

Answer: c) They have a distinct earthy aroma

Where are chanterelle mushrooms often found?

a) In deep oceans
b) In desert regions
c) In alpine forests among European beech trees
d) In tropical rainforests

Answer: c) In alpine forests among European beech trees

What is one unique characteristic of morel mushrooms?

a) They are always black
b) They are commonly found at the foot of deciduous trees
c) They are always found in coniferous forests
d) They have a distinct spicy flavor

Answer: b) They are commonly found at the foot of deciduous trees

Which of the following is NOT a type of matsutake mushroom habitat?

a) Japan
b) Korea
c) Mexico
d) Canada

Answer: c) Mexico

What distinguishes white truffles from black truffles?

a) White truffles are less expensive
b) White truffles have a smoother texture
c) White truffles are more expensive and luxurious
d) White truffles are always used in desserts

Answer: c) White truffles are more expensive and luxurious

What is mostarda?
a) A type of cheese
b) A spicy condiment made of candied fruit with white mustard
c) A type of seafood
d) A traditional Italian beverage

Answer: b) A spicy condiment made of candied fruit with white mustard

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