Glossary S
Silver Tequila refers to thestandard quality of Tequila, silver sees little or no oak aging.
Silverside is a culinary term in Great Britain that refers to a cut of beef that is taken from the crown of the rump.
Single Malt Scotch refers to a variety/kind/type of malt scotch that made entirely from distilled barley and produced uniquely at one distillery.
Sarsaparilla refers to the flavor which was originally derived from the dried roots of tropical smilax vines. Today, products featuring Sarsaparilla use artificial flavors.
Sarsaparilla is native to South America, Jamaica, Mexico, and other parts of the Caribbean. It is been used throughout the world for many centuries, and in more recent history, since the 1400’s, where it was introduced into European medicine by contact with the indigenous tribes in South America.
The word Sarsaparilla, or ‘Zarzaparilla’ comes from the Spanish ‘Zarza’, meaning a bramble, and ‘parilla’, a vine. It is a woody vine that grows up to 50 meter long, and produces small flowers in black, blue or red berry-like fruits. It is the tuberous root, which is odourless and tasteless, that is used for medicinal purposes.
Sarsaparilla became popular in Europe in the mid 1500’s, and was traded mainly through Jamaica into Europe. It was prized as highly medicinal with many healthy properties. It has many properties. Detoxifying, pain relief, blood cleansing and helps to stimulate digestion. It has also been used for the treatment of arthritis and the common cold. Sexual impotence, syphilis, gonorrhoea, rheumatism, wounds , fever, coughs, hypertension, digestive disorders, skin diseases, and cancer. There are no known side-effects for Sarsaparilla, however, ingestion of large dosages may cause gastrointestinal irritation.
Sarsaparilla is becoming more widely available in health food stores, as well as tablets, capsules, and tincture products. Most of the Sarsaparilla root used commercially today comes from Mexico and Latin America as well as China.
When I was small, there was a famous drink which we can purchased cheap in my hometown in Valenzuela . Its name is Sarsi and it was always advertised as a Sarsaparilla drink. Sarsi was manufactured by Cosmos Bottling Company in Valenzuela,Metro Manila (previoulsy known as Valenzuela, Bulacan) where these Sarsaparilla/Sarsi drink were manufactured and bottled.
Sarsi is a sarsaparilla-based soft drink sold in Australia, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries
Sauterne refers to a sweet, rich and intense wine from the Sauternes region of France. Sauterne is made from Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon grapes that have been infected with a special mold that causes them to shrivel and leave a sugary fruit with highly concentrated flavors.
Moreover, Sauternes are late harvest wines from a region in the southern part of Bordeaux, and are a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and sometimes Muscadelle. They are naturally very high in sugar and do not have any alcohol added to them like Port. The common flavor characteristics for Sauternes: dried pineapple, apricot, caramel, vanilla, honey and peach. Sauternes are naturally very high in acidity, which balances the sugar very well. Sauternes have the ability to age for decades (due to the high sugar and acid levels), and they generally pick up more nutty and caramelized flavors as they age.
While Sauternes go very well with fruit desserts and things like Crème Brûlée, they are not only made for dessert. The acid cuts right through fat, and the sugar is a great match for salt. For this reason, one of the best possible food and wine combinations is Sauternes and foie gras (goose liver).
Sauternes is the cream of the crop when it comes to dessert wines. Sauternes may be paired with buttery, salty or fatty foods for a delicious food experience. Likewise, pair Sauterne with fatty food, such as foie gras, and with smoked and strong blue cheeses, like Roquefort, or serve with something as simple as toasted walnuts. It is good to serve it at the end of a meal to enjoy its mixture of acidity and fruit flavors.
Sauterne is pronunced "saw-turn".