Exercise No.

SENSORY EVALUATION OF

FRESH PRODUCE AND CEREALS :

EXOTIC GREENS / 
POLENTA / COUSCOUS
MALAGKIT RICE

Group No. / Name: Group 2 - Peer FRESHure

Group Members: Lhady Kris Dizon
Abegail Jon Domagsang
Josefina Franco
Daniel Karlo Lucas
Anna Bianca Manego
Nicole Andrea Marie San Juan
Date of Sensory Evaluation: 13 July 2010
Date of Submission: 20 July 2010
I. OBJECTIVES

To familiarize the students with the physical properties and characteristics of exotic greens, exotic fruits,
polenta, couscous, and malagkit rice (as substitute for Arborio).

To recognize and compare the quality of raw and cooked stages of exotic greens, exotic fruits, polenta,
couscous, and malagkit rice (as substitute for Arborio).

To develop a better understanding of exotic greens, exotic fruits, polenta, couscous, and malagkit rice
(as substitute for Arborio) through sensory evaluation and determine which products are acceptable.

II. PROCEDURE

Our group was assigned exotic vegetables for this laboratory activity. We were told that it might
be a good idea to go for salad greens that are not familiar to the Filipino taste buds. We decided to go
for arugula lettuce, romaine lettuce, and alfalfa sprouts. It was not very difficult finding the said greens.
The assigned buyer of the group for that activity simply went to the grocery store and all three greens
were available. We didn’t worry much about looking for our greens because some of us in the group
regularly visit the supermarket with our parents and are aware that they would be readily available. It
was a group decision to just personally chip in for our ingredients.

The recipe we decided on doing was tuna and alfalfa sandwiches with cheese and a side of
mixed greens salad with tuna Caesar dressing. The only difficulty we encountered in the storage of our
ingredients was the fact that the greens had to be kept at a relatively low temperature to maintain
freshness. Also, we had to make sure that the greens weren’t kept at a temperature that’s too cold,
because the minute you take them out, they would wilt even faster. We had to do the purchasing as
late as possible too, to make sure that we would serve the greens as fresh as possible. Transporting the
greens was not such a big problem, since the weather was quite cold and humid. As for the other
ingredients like the tuna, cheese, bread, dressing, and chips, we had nothing to worry about – we just
kept them safe and dry.

The sandwiches were made by layering the bottom half of a whole wheat pan de sal, crushed
tuna, cheese slices, a handful of alfalfa sprouts, and finally the top half of the pan de sal. The salad was
prepared by first cleaning the greens very well, tearing them into bite-sized pieces, then setting them
aside for tossing in the dressing later. We placed them in the fridge first. We didn’t have enough time
to decide on dressing so we opted for pre made. We mixed commercial Caesar salad dressing with
some of the tuna oil, and added salt and pepper to taste. We tossed the greens into the dressing right
before we served our dish, and threw in some cheese chips onto the plate to compliment the crispness
of the salad, and the subtle flavors of the sandwich.
III. DATA

A. PURCHASING DATA

Qty Price per Purchase

Food Item Bought where Recipe
purchased kg Price
Grape Fruit SM 0.582 kg P 134 P 77.99
Dragon Fruit Hypermarket 1 kg P 120 P 120 N/A
Chesa North EDSA 0.852 kg P 54 P 46.01
Alfalfa Sprout 125 g P 520 P 65 Tuna Alfalfa
Arugula Landmark, 60 g P 640++ P 40 Sandwiches with
Romaine Makati Cheese and
0.410 kg P 187.50 P 76.90
Lettuce 2 Lettuce Side Salad
Trinoma
Couscous 0.500 kg P 98.83 P 49.15 Vegetable Couscous
Supermarket
Grilled Polenta with
Polenta Säntis 1 kg P 239 P 239
Tomato Basil Sauce
Malagkit (a
Rustan’s, Bacon Mushroom
substitute for 1 kg P 62.50 P 62.50
Katipunan Risotto
Arborio)

B. SENSORY EVALUATION DATA

Exotic Greens

Raw Stage

GROUP MEMBERS APPERANCE/COLOR TEXTURE ODOR

1. Aj DOMAGSANG Alfalfa: fibrous because Alfalfa: smooth. Alfalfa: smell of newly
of the thin strands, off Romaine: rough leaves; sprouted plant – fresh
white color, strands lukot. from the soil.
with brown tips. Arugula: rough due to Romaine: faint, leafy
Romaine: live green leaf stems in each leaf smell.
color, leaves fade to Arugula: smells like
white tips. Chinese dishes, sweet.
Arugula: dry dark green
2. Lhady DIZON Alfalfa: creamy white Alfalfa: grassy fibers Alfalfa: strong grassy
 sprouts with light green
tips.
Romaine: bright green
Arugula: dark green
color
3. Joey FRANCO Alfalfa: fibrous because
of the thin strands, off
white color, strands
with brown tips.
Romaine: live green
color, leaves fade to
white tips.
Arugula: dry dark green
4. Daniel LUCAS Alfalfa: Sprouts are light
in color
Romaine: varies from
light to dark from stalks
to leaves
Arugula: very dark deep
green in color
5. Abbi MANEGO Alfalfa: light light green,
somewhat like baby
bean sprouts.
Romaine: gradient of
light to dark green,
ruffle-y appearance
Arugula: dark green,
resembles a flower
shape with its curvy
edges
6. Nicole SAN JUAN Alfalfa: looks like not-
yet-mature toge.
Thinner in form.
Romaine: light green in
color that fades to
white towards the
stalks.
Arugula: stalky, rich
green in color with
holes in the leaves.
Romaine: soft smell.
Arugula: dry dark green Romaine: has a crisp
smell
Arugula: nutty smell
Alfalfa: waxy texture Alfalfa: fresh, garden
Romaine: rough, waxy. smell.
Arugula: dry, not waxy Romaine: no smell
Arugula: funny smell, a
little stinky
Alfalfa: grassy fibers Alfalfa: smells like toge
Romaine: soft Romaine: almost no
Arugula: dry dark green smell at all
Arugula: odd scent
Alfalfa: stringy, smooth Alfalfa: smells like toge,
surfaces of the strands with a soil-y smell
Romaine: rough, waxy Romaine: very faint soil
leaf, tough stem smell
Arugula: smooth Arugula: strong and
texture, matte and dry. pungent nutty smell
Alfalfa: grassy Alfalfa: smells like toge
Romaine: hard stalk as well
with dry, rough feel on Romaine: almost no
the leaves. scent at all
Arugula: dry, non- Arugula: smells like shit
smooth feel
Cooked Stage

GROUP APPERANCE/C TEXTURE ODOR FLAVOR OVERALL EATING

MEMBERS OLOR QUALITY
1. Aj Colorful Crisp Greens smell, Mix of bitter, Appetizing, my
DOMAGSA greens with sour sweet and sour personal favorite
NG peppery smelling
dressing
2. Lhady Colorful Crunchy and Appetizing smell The arugula was I like the tuna
DIZON appetizing very bitter sandwich with
alfalfa sprouts
3. Joey Appetizing Soft, easy to Nutty and Healthy taste, a Soft, and easy to
FRANCO colors. Nice eat appetizing little bitter eat
use of the greens, tuna
greens against and alfalfa
the light complimented
brown color by wheat bread
of the bread
4. Daniel The colors of Crispy salad Appetizing The arugula Reminds me of
LUCAS the salad and and nice sot vegetable scent tastes bitter, country style
sandwich are sandwich maybe the farm that I see in
very fresh stalks. The movies. The
dressing was alfalfa made a
quite sour very farm-y
effect, looked like
a stack of hay
5. Abbi Very nice Leafy and Healthy, fresh Savory and Nutty and bitter
MANEGO contrast of crisp from smells, citrus-y refreshing from the arugula,
colors the salad and savory smells flavors. Tastes strong flavor
complimente at the same time light and from the greens.
d by the tuna healthy The alfalfa
meat and worked really
creamy well with the
cheese tuna.
6. Nicole The feel is Greens give Garden fresh The tuna and The sandwich
SAN JUAN somewhat crunch to the aroma from the cheese have tastes great! Nice
garden fresh dish & greens complimentary flavors, but the
because of contrast to flavors and the salad has very
the vibrant the lightness alfalfa sprouts’ strong bitter
greens of the fish natural flavor taste that do not
ride along well attract my senses
Exotic Fruits

Raw Stage

GROUP MEMBERS APPERANCE/COLOR TEXTURE ODOR

1. Aj DOMAGSANG Dragon Fruit: fuchsia to Dragon Fruit: soft, Dragon Fruit: like a
yellow tip, liquid white smooth mixture of star apple
inside with dark seeds Chesa: hard, smooth, a and banana smells.
Chesa: egg yellow shiny little sticky. Chesa: smell of boiled
Grapefruit: orange Grapefruit: pressable egg
outside, scarlet red (soft) Grapefruit: sour pomelo
inside, grainy look but scent
shiny to dry, big pulp
bits
2. Lhady DIZON Dragon Fruit: dark, rosy Dragon Fruit: soft Dragon Fruit: sweet
pink outer cover, white Chesa: clay-like interior smell
flesh with black seeds Grapefruit: elongated Chesa: not-so-pleasant
Chesa: heart shaped, pulp bits smell
bright orange interior Grapefruit: pomelo-like
Grapefruit: bright smell
orange skin, circular
shape, light red color
inside
3. Joey FRANCO Dragon Fruit: pink violet Dragon Fruit: smooth Dragon Fruit: faint
shell, with arms white, skin, firm fruit sweet smell
fibrous meat with Chesa: very firm fruit, Chesa: chico smell, only
numerous black seeds soft meat less sweet
Chesa: bright yellow Grapefruit: firm fruit, Grapefruit: citrus smell,
orange, looks like a rough skin like suha
bulb/drop of water,
lighter yellow colored
meat with brown seed,
meat looks like
overcooked egg yolk
Grapefruit: spherical
orange shape & color,
slightly larger than a
regular orange, deep
red meat.
4. Daniel LUCAS Dragon Fruit: light Dragon Fruit: soft Dragon Fruit: very little
pinkish violet in color Chesa: clay-like interior sweet scent
Chesa: dry yellow finish Grapefruit: elongated Chesa: smells like chico
Grapefruit: resembles pulp bits Grapefruit: very citrus
an orange but larger in odor
5. Abbi MANEGO Dragon Fruit: pink and Dragon Fruit: surface is Dragon Fruit: faint
smooth surface with apple-firm and smooth, apple-y smell
bright green leaves flesh is tender and juicy, Chesa: smells like egg!
sticking out, like wild kind of rough because But with a little
spikey hair on an anime of the seeds. sweetness
character, flesh looks Chesa: chalk-like Grapefruit: sweet smell,
tender and juicy with texture of meat, like suha
lots of black seeds and smooth and firm skin,
is translucent white. like that of squash
Chesa: looks like over Grapefruit: wet and
boiled egg yolk, heart juicy pulp, rough skin.
shaped cross section,
dark brown seed.
Grapefruit: dark pink
flesh and pulp bits. Long
pulp strands, rough
orange yellow skin.
6. Nicole SAN JUAN Dragon Fruit: bright, Dragon Fruit: soft body Dragon Fruit: smells like
pinkish red in color, and external accessory grapes, very ripe grapes
turning green towards parts Chesa: smell resembles
the end of the Chesa: hard but more that of chico
accessory parts. press-able when halved Grapefruit: smells like
Chesa: looks like yellow Grapefruit: seems to pomelo, but sweeter.
wood with dry varnish. have more juicy pulp.
The shape is very odd
and playful.
Grapefruit: insides
resemble a pomelo but
more reddish in color.
Cooked Stage

GROUP MEMBERS FLAVOR OVERALL EATING QUALITY

1. Aj DOMAGSANG Dragon Fruit: mildly sour, mildly sweet Dragon Fruit: the seeds get
Chesa: faintly sweet stuck between my teeth
Grapefruit: sour and bitter Chesa: I like it. I love it
Grapefruit: the scent is
deceiving
2. Lhady DIZON Dragon Fruit: not so sweet taste
Chesa: sweet, with an egg yolk texture.
Grapefruit: sour taste
3. Joey FRANCO Dragon Fruit: refreshing, watery, sweet flavor Soft and easy to eat and
Chesa: dry and pastey, a little sweet chew
Grapefruit: salty then strong flavor
4. Daniel LUCAS Dragon Fruit: it has a touch of sweetness and Delightful presentation,
sourness. The seeds feel weird in the mouth very tropical, and yes, it’s
Chesa: egg yolk texture, like cooked liver, tastes creative!
sweet but there’s something that hinders the
full sweetness, maybe it’s the dry texture.
Grapefruit: smells like pomelo bur tastes like
lemon/calamansi, very sour
5. Abbi MANEGO Dragon Fruit: bland, light sweet taste, you can I really enjoyed the dragon
barely feel the seeds in your mouth fruit the most. Its mild
Chesa: dry & likesweet chico but with the sweetness and juiciness
texture of yolk that’s hard boiled was very refreshing and
Grapefruit: a little bitter and juicy and smooth in was such a delight.
the mouth; bitter aftertaste
6. Nicole SAN JUAN Dragon Fruit: very soft, the flesh as well as the The playful colors make the
seeds plating of the fruits more
Chesa: dry and creamy feel in the palette, flakey enticing to munch on
when scraped
Grapefruit: very pulpy, pomelo taste but less
sour
Polenta

Raw Stage

GROUP MEMBERS APPERANCE/COLOR TEXTURE ODOR

1. Aj DOMAGSANG Yellow in color Grainy finish Little/no scent at all
2. Lhady DIZON Bright yellow orange Sandy, fine grain No smell
texture
3. Joey FRANCO Bright yellow color Sandy texture No smell
dotted with white. Tiny
grains, like colored sand
from National
bookstore
4. Daniel LUCAS Yellowish in color Grainy fine texture Almost no smell
5. Abbi MANEGO Bright, orangey yellow, Rubs in between the No smell (?)
like artificially colored fingers like fine grains
sand of sugar, leaves a
powdery residue in
fingers
6. Nicole SAN JUAN Looks like sugar with Like well-milled grain or Smell resembles that of
yellow color but finer sugar bits finely ground bird feed
to yield powdery form

Cooked Stage

GROUP APPERANCE/ TEXTURE ODOR FLAVOR OVERALL

MEMBERS COLOR EATING QUALITY
1. Aj Egg yellow, Soft, grainy, but Sour and Sweet, salty, Inconsistent
DOMAGSANG neat and dry with mashed fried egg margarine/butt texture
potato feel in the smell er garlic taste
mouth
2. Lhady Golden yellow Buttery smell Garlic-y Strong garlic Crumbly texture,
DIZON color flavor too much garlic
taste
 3. Joey Bright yellow A little burnt Grainy, soft, Lacks Would’ve been
FRANCO color, looks buttery smell rough salt/flavor, kind better with
like a thicker of like the something else
version or covering of inside (kind of
pancakes corndogs like a sandwich)
4. Daniel Golden dry Smells like butter Grainy Has a very Just like a Monte
LUCAS yellow in texture is strong garlic Carlo sandwich
color revealed flavor toasted with
butter
5. Abbi Bright, Very buttery Smooth Garlic-y flavor, Would’ve been
MANEGO vibrant yellow smell with a hint surface but a very homey better with meat
with golden of garlic little coarse and maybe, very
brown in the mouth, Mediterranean light and tasty
accents, like
complimente scrambled
d nicely by eggs but
the bright red firmer
salsa.
6. Nicole SAN Looks like Cooked in butter Grainy Bitter garlic The buttery
JUAN bread toast, so all I can smell texture, the flavor from the taste and
very light is butter exterior is strongly creamy texture
yellow and firm and flavored salsa in the pallets do
looks perfect supports the not seem to
with the salsa soft interior catch my fancies

Couscous

Raw Stage

GROUP MEMBERS APPERANCE/COLOR TEXTURE ODOR

1. Aj DOMAGSANG Big: big grains, pastel Solid, hard and rough. Starchy smell, like rice
yellow color grainy grains. Corn smell
Small: smaller grains,
pale yellow
2. Lhady DIZON Creamy yellow, cube Sand-like No smell
like shape
3. Joey FRANCO Dull yellow color. Small Hard, wavy-edged No smell
box-shaped grains
4. Daniel LUCAS Semi spherical beans Hard and dry to touch No smell
5. Abbi MANEGO Big: sago-ish Like coarse sand or Cardboard-ish, old
 appearance, light small sago. Hard and smell, faint smell
yellow dry
Small: light yellow and
uneven balls/grains
6. Nicole SAN JUAN Looks like small diced Very hard and dry, like Almost no scent at all
fresh round strands of pebbles
pasta

Cooked Stage

GROUP APPERANCE/COLOR TEXTURE ODOR FLAVOR OVERALL EATING

MEMBERS QUALITY

1. Aj Colorful and rice Soft and Herby scent Herby The grains are
DOMAGSAN shaped chunky flavors like pasta
G
2. Lhady Light yellow color Soft grain Basil and Strong basil I’m not so fond
DIZON texture pepper smell flavor of the basil
flavor
3. Joey Dark dull yellow Smooth and Like rice with Uneven Lacking taste,
FRANCO with bright mixed tender a little middle spread salt, but appealing
veggies eastern overall overall
touch tasteless
4. Daniel Looks very The grains are Smells like Tastes like The spherical
LUCAS Moroccan/continent quite slimy pesto pesto orientation of
al the grains makes
it even more
slimy
5. Abbi Looks sort of dry but Rice-like except Smells like Delicious, Probably my
MANEGO very colorful with more round chicken flavorful favorite among
the added and firm, I broth, quite and tasty. all the dishes.
ingredients thought it herby, Very middle The herbs really
would be dry maybe eastern and entice the
but it wasn’t lugaw? exotic palette.
6. Nicole Rich, oriental colors, Hard grains, Smell For me lacks The mixture of
SAN JUAN the vegetables look would get resembles the flavor. all the
overcooked because stuck to my rice with vegetables and
of the lighter colors braces little hint of herbs makes the
herbs. dish so neutral
Malagkit

Raw Stage
 GROUP MEMBERS APPERANCE/COLOR TEXTURE ODOR
1. Aj DOMAGSANG White, long strands, Smooth and hard Faint smell of ordinary
bigger version of rice rice
2. Lhady DIZON White and spherical, Hard and smooth Light odor
medium sized grain surface
3. Joey FRANCO Dirty white, Smooth Rice smell
long/medium grain rice
4. Daniel LUCAS White in color just like Smooth and powdery Light scent of rice grains
rice grains
5. Abbi MANEGO Opaque white, like rice Hard, dry, smooth Very faint smell, almost
with rounded edges surface of grains no smell
6. Nicole SAN JUAN Very white in color with Hard, dry and smooth in Smells like usual grains
very little streaks of feeling of rice
brown and yellow

Cooked Stage

GROUP APPERANCE/COLOR TEXTURE ODOR FLAVOR OVERALL EATING

MEMBERS QUALITY

1. Aj Shiny, brown, Sticky Bacon-y Salty taste Too salty

DOMAGSANG decorated with carrots smell
and leaves
2. Lhady Gravy color, light Soft and Smells like Chicken The flavor
DIZON brown chewy bacon flavor was just right
texture
3. Joey Brownish color, sticky Smooth soft Smells like Tastes like Sticky
FRANCO look feel and a lugaw broth; rice consistency
little sticky taste was a little
too much
4. Daniel Could be more the rice was Smells like Quite too The chunks of
LUCAS appealing quite chunky barbeque. salty rice were
and sticky Even quite weird
through the topped with
 smell, you bacon and
can tell it’s the vegetable
salty garnish
5. Abbi Pale brown color, nice Soft and Bacon-y, A little salty, Very different
MANEGO accents from the creamy, very buttery, reminds me in a good
added vegetables, savory smells really of congee way, like a
cute garnish and texture good cross of
creamy looking congee and
paella and
suman.
6. Nicole SAN Very sticky and the Very sticky, Smell of Has hints of The taste of
JUAN meat does not slightly bacon chicken the bacon
improve overall resembles overpowers broth, and is makes up for
appearance real risotto the dish very salty the bland
lugaw taste
of the dish

IV. RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

It is apparent that most of us in the group observed how the arugula in the salad had a bitter
taste that really stood out. It turns out that like some of the other leaves and greens belonging to the
mustard family, it is a low growing plant. The amount of sunlight it gets and the composition of its
compound leaves contribute much to its bitter and pungently nutty taste. That is why it is usually tossed
with milder flavored greens, like romaine, which we used in our salad, to balance out the strength of its
flavor. As for the other greens, they weren’t so new to everyone since they have mild flavors and could
easily compliment Filipino dishes. The fresh and garden taste proves that the ingredients are fresh and
are straight from their sources.

As for the fruits, it was pretty obvious that the dragon fruit is the most exotic of all that was
presented in class. It is interesting to know that contrary to what people usually think that it’s of Asian
origin, it actually came from Central America! It was brought to Asia through Malaysia. Its tree source is
just as funny looking as the fruit itself. Another fun fact is that it there are also varieties that have
yellow skin and flesh, and those that have blood red flesh! However, one shouldn’t get intimidated by
its alien appearance – it is a good source of vitamin C! It grows mostly on tropical soil, just like the
chesa, which is also an excellent source of Vit C and healthy calories. Chesa starts out green-skinned,
and hard and gummy. As it ripens, it then develops a chalky texture and a faint sweetness that make it
an acquired taste. Reactions from the class were either it was liked, or not liked at all. Majority from
our group are not too fond of it.

It is funny to see how some of us compared the grapefruit to the locally known pomelo, only to
find out that they are one in the same thing! Also, the grapefruit is not round, but is an oblate spheroid!
Grapefruit is a well known diet regimen and is a good source of Vit C as well! It also contains
antioxidants that cleanse the body. Why the bitterness? It is because grapefruit contains this chemical
compound known as Naringin.

As for the risotto, common comments are creamy and sticky. Real Arborio rice, which is what is
authentically used for the risotto dish is expensive. This is because we don’t grow that variety locally.
Originally, it would only be grown in Italy, but is now being grown in the US too. What makes the risotto
dish so creamy and sticky is the fact that Arborio rice undergoes a lot less milling than regular rice. This
allows it to retain much of its starchiness that gets released when it is cooked. The slow cooking process
with continuous stirring also contributes to its texture, making it a lot different from paella. Recipes
include "Risotto alla Milanese," made with chicken or beef stock and saffron, which is traditionally
served with osso buco (a stew made from veal bones) and "Risotto al Barolo," made with fine red wine,
but so many other versions exist, both with vegetables and meat, as well as risottos made with various
other wines, cheeses, or even fruits.

Since Arborio rice is generally an expensive ingredient, more and more people opt for
substitutes that could be just as good, but are more affordable. The general rule is to go for shorter
grained rice varieties. They are starchier than long grain ones. Locally, our malagkit variety rice (which
is considered medium grain) makes quite a good substitute for Arborio. As seen in the reactions of the
class to the risotto dish, it could easily be loved by Filipinos. Although it is a lot heavier in the tummy
than our common rice, we simply have that predisposition in loving this special grain.

Polenta is another popular ingredient in Italian dishes. It is commonly known as corn meal or
grits, and is used in a variety of dishes. It is interesting to know that it is a part of diverse cultures,
ranging from Italian to Mexican, to African American. Here in the Philippines, it is not as popular,
because we already have our much loved rice, and polenta is eaten much in the same way, and has a
very different texture. Its taste is also not as neutral as that of our rice and this might explain why some
people may not be readily interested in it. It starts out as corn, and then is dried and milled and ground
either finely or coarsely. It also ranges in color from bright yellow, and lighter, to white. It is prepared
into forms that would resemble either mashed potatoes or firm scrambled eggs.

Corn meal in its coarser form could easily resemble another known cereal product known as
couscous. Though they might look closely related, they’re very different products. Couscous is actually
a type of pasta. It is made of crushed, but unground (note: regular pasta products are made from
ground Durum wheat or semolina, and that’s what makes couscous different from pasta, even if it has
the same composition), semolina of hard wheat, using water to bind them. Couscous is popularly used
in Middle Eastern, Caribbean, and Mediterranean dishes, though it actually originated from North Africa.
Couscous is traditionally served under a meat or vegetable broth. It can also be eaten alone, flavored or
plain, warm or cold, or as a side dish.

It is usually cooked using broth or plain water and is tossed with diced meat and vegetables. It
might look easy, but the preparation of couscous can be pretty tricky. The trick is to fluff with a fork
when it cooks, and not to use heavy sauces.
V. CONCLUSION

Overall anyone from the class would definitely say that this particular lab experiment was a
success. We all learned much from what each group had to say about their experiences and products at
the start of the session, and the kitchen experience itself. Many of us hadn’t even encountered some of
the assigned products, and it was exciting to taste new flavors for the first time.

It was a blast setting up our dish in a sort of production line process, as each member was
assigned a task in the sandwich and salad making. Once again, our team work and discipline was tested.
One lesson refreshed in our minds is about time management. We finished quite early again, and had to
temporarily refrigerate our greens, and cover up our sandwiches with cling wrap to preserve their best
states before service. In the end, our dish was okay and still quite good. Another lesson would be
preplanning our recipes well. If only we had done that, then we would have had a lot of extra time to
plan the best and most matching vinaigrette for our salad. Instead we ended up having to opt for
premade. It was not that bad, but of course, made from scratch would have been so much better.

As observed in the purchase analysis, all of the ingredients used in the experiment except for
the chesa, which is locally available, are quite expensive. Consider if Arborio rice was used.  It costs on
average Php200 per kilo in commercial markets.  This is obviously because the products are not grown
and/or processed locally.  Add to that the fact that all of them were purchased from either a specialty
store like Säntis, or grocery stores.  They definitely were purchased with an added value.  Given this
situation, more people would definitely prefer more affordable and more accessible substitutes.

It was also such a good experiment because based on the ingredients used, and dishes
prepared, one would see how healthy our menu for that day was. Mostly vegetarian, with light and
refreshing flavors, anyone on a diet must have had a healthy meal fiesta that day. It is nice to make such
dishes every once and a while, with flavors far from what we’re used to, to tingle our palettes and
expose us to new and exciting flavors.

Anyone who participated in that experience would definitely say that all the objectives were
met – and so much more!

VI. REFERENCES/ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

http://www.apinchof.com/arugula1058.html
http://en.mimi.hu/gastronomy/arugula.html
http://dragon-fruit.biz/
http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/canistel.htm
http://www.plantogram.com/index.php?productID=143
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapefruit
http://www.holisticonline.com/herbal-med/_herbs/h_grapefruit.htm
http://discovermagazine.com/2005/mar/biology-of-bitterness
http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/ricegrains/p/arborio.htm
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060719084325AAyy3Dv
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/polenta.asp
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-polenta.htm
http://www.cubemarketplace.com/p-481-polenta-facts-and-history.aspx
http://www.cliffordawright.com/caw/food/entries/display.php/id/58/
http://www.foodreference.com/html/f-cous-cous.html

VII. APPENDICES

We did our sandwich in an assembly line just like how Ma’am Gugi taught us. One sliced the bread,
another one to place tuna flakes, another for the cheese slices, and another for alfalfa sprouts and final
touches.

When the sandwiches were all ready, the rest of the class was still
busy with preparing and cooking their own dishes, not merely
plating them. So we had to keep the sandwiches in the best
condition possible which is by wrapping the plated sandwiches with
cling wrap.

When the class was almost done, we tossed our salad with dressing
and uncovered our sandwiches and plated them with the 2 lettuce
salad and chips.