A Warm Embrace of Comfort and Flavor In classic comfort foods, few dishes evoke the same sense of warmth and satisfaction as French Onion Soup. This timeless culinary creation seamlessly marries simplicity with depth of flavor, making it a cherished favorite for countless individuals worldwide. As you delve into a steaming bowl of this rich and aromatic concoction, you journey through the history, ingredients, and preparation techniques that transform humble onions into a culinary masterpiece. The origins of French Onion Soup can be traced back to ancient times, with onions being a staple in many cultures due to their availability and long shelf life. However, the French elevated this humble vegetable to culinary stardom. The soup's roots are believed to lie in Paris during the 18th century, when the lower classes commonly consumed the dish. Onions, abundant and affordable, were slowly caramelized to improve their natural sweetness and depth of flavor. Over time, the addition o...
Sumptuous to the touch, warmer, more pleasant and lighter, alpaca fiber garments are fast becoming one of the best kept secrets on the planet in the clothing and fashion industry. By the time you have experienced alpaca, you can never go back to wool for winter clothing. computerlg
Alpaca fiber is a natural fiber of animal origin and has a
long and colorful history. The old tribes of the Andean highlands of Peru,
Argentina, Chile and Bolivia were the first to train the wild vicuña that was,
and continues to be, indigenous to the area. Through the selective breeding of
this animal, Vicugna pacos , the alpaca breed developed, becoming a vital
component for the survival of these tribes by giving them meat, fiber, leather,
oxidizer and the basis for monetary exchange.
INCA CIVILIZATION AND THE ALPACA FIBER
The highly developed Inca society that sprouted in the
rugged Andes mountains prized the alpaca for its ultra-fine fleece, and were
responsible, through separation and selective breeding, for developing the
twenty-two colors natural alpaca fleece that we see today. Clothing made of
alpaca was reserved for royalty or the elite class; the common man was not
allowed to use it.
Interestingly, mummified alpacas found in old Inca ritual
burial grounds have considerably finer and more consistent fiber than alpacas
today. The centuries following the conquest of Spain from the Incas and the
subsequent destruction of their beloved herds of alpacas are thought to be to
blame.
Hundreds and hundreds of years of unsupervised breeding and
llama crossbreeding have seen quality decline since those olden days, yet
breeders around the globe are working to bring back the excellence of the
revered Inca alpaca.
LATEST STORY
The Spanish conquerors did not see the value of the alpaca
fiber, preferring the merino sheep of their native Spain, and they slaughtered
ninety percent of the living alpacas at that moment. The alpaca fell into
darkness and was practically forgotten, except for the natives who managed to
conserve a small number of alpacas and who were supported by their herds of
alpacas.
However, in the mid-1800s, Sir Titus Salt of Saltaire,
England rediscover this unique fiber. The newly industrialize English textile
industry was at its peak when Sir Titus began to study the unique properties of
alpaca fleece. He discovered, for example, that alpaca fiber was stronger than
sheep's wool and that its strength was not reduced by the fineness of the
fiber.
The alpaca textiles that he created from raw fleece were
soft, lustrous, and soon began to make their mark throughout Europe. At
present, the center of the alpaca textile industry is in Arequipa, Peru; the
yarn and other products made of alpaca are eminently sold in Japan and Europe.
Alpaca fiber is a unique fiber and comes in twenty-two
natural shade. Its softness come from the small diameter of the fiber, akin to
merino wool. Its brightness is due to the low height of the fiber flakes that
cover each individual fiber. It is 5 times warmer and more durable than sheep's
wool. It is also light due to the air pockets in the fibers, and does not
contain oils or lanolin. The microscopic air pocket give it lightness and high
thermal capacity.
Typically fiber quality is judged by its fineness, length,
fiber fabric, medulation, and tensile strength. Breeding, feeding and handling
can influence each and every one of these peculiarities. The alpaca fleece
grows roughly 5 to 10 inches from year to year and can weigh anywhere from 2 to
10 pounds for a mature animal.
Types of textile alpaca fiber
The fiber of the suri alpaca has unique fiber peculiarities
that grow parallel to the body and hang in long, non-curled pencil strands,
making them look just like they have dreadlocks. The suri fiber is lustrous,
smooth, and has been equated with cashmere. It is durable and warm, more so
than sheep's wool, and is used eminently to produce sumptuous woven products.
The designer Armani has used the Suri alpaca to make suits for men and women.
The fiber huacaya alpaca is thick, wavy and woolly
appearance. This gives them a soft, pleasant look, like a stuffed bear cub, and
makes them overwhelmingly popular in the industry. While not as strange as suri
fiber, they make a highly prized fleece, more suitable for knitwear.
The alpaca has the best hands of any natural fleece. Alpacas
are sheared annually in the spring and generate an average of four pounds of
fiber. Fiber is retailed in the US cottage industry for $ 2.00 to $ 4.00 per
ounce. The first fleece or baby wool is the finest and softest fleece that the
animal will generate and the most appreciated and expensive.
Alpacas lack the natural anatomical oils that most animals
generate. For processing, these oils are frequently washed with chemicals or
strong soaps. This washing process and the natural oil can make the use of
traditional sheep wool unbearable for some people.
Alpacas are believed to have a single coat whose guard hairs
are often so fine that they do not need to be removed for processing. Guard
hairs are typically thicker than the soft undercoat that they are designed to
guard. Alpaca fibers is very soft and can be used next to the skin without
irritation by most people.
The colors of alpaca fiber
Alpaca's extensive range of natural colors eliminates the
need for dyeing, although it lends itself to dying really well. These natural
color come in different shades of white, fawn, copper, gray, black, and many
colors in between . These attribute make alpaca fiber a highly sought after
product.
In the breeding market, certain colors are weirder than
others. For generations the culture of South America has been drawn to bright
colors that are not found naturally in livestock. This requires dyeing, whereby
a white fleece producing animal has been the standard. Today in the US, alpacas
of each and every color are popular, and breeders strive for excellence in the
fineness, density, and uniformity of their colored fleeces.
There are many outlets for alpaca fiber. The highest cost is
paid in the home and hand spun fiber market. A portion of the US alpaca fiber
is shipped through fiber cooperatives to South America for processing and
returned to the US in the form of yarn and finished products.
Multiple small regional cooperatives have been created to
take advantage of the growing amount of alpaca fiber from North America. These
organizations are beginning to generate high-quality alpaca products from fiber
grown in the US, as finished products produced here. There are abundant small
processors in the US that work with alpaca fiber and the number is increasing
annually.
The USA, Italy and Japan are the largest users of alpaca
fiber today. Italy has long used fiber in its fine clothing industry, producing
sumptuous coats and high-end suits. As the popularity of alpaca fiber grows
around the world, the demand for this delicious natural fiber will undoubtedly
continue to increase in the near future.