Love Letters in Crayon: Bittersweet
Perhaps the most flavorful crayon in the box...culturally speaking.
Every Friday afternoon, “64 to Infinity: Love Letters in Crayon” will illustrate the long, strange story of humankind in one of the 64 colors that make up this world-famous primary palette. After sampling various preparations of Asparagus last week, we keep it in the kitchen with Bittersweet, a signature shade of intriguing culinary experiences.
Bittersweet entered the crayon community in the expansions of the 1950s, with the newest options introduced reflecting both new frontiers in commonly accessible color and expanded resources for artistic endeavour, which was tragically deemed “non-essential” during the Second World War.
Fittingly, the Official Name of the shade highlights its prominence in the world of flavor.
The tart tone is perhaps best encapsulated within the flesh of a grapefruit, where an acidic assault awaits adventurous eaters, curiously counterbalanced by the sugary citrus undertone that makes this a particularly intriguing fruit.
At the other end of the spectrum from this simple delight is the exalted indulgence of salmon caviar, with the intense salty punch and subtle sweetness that can cost upward of 80 USD/oz to experience as of Year 2020.
This pretty yet piquant color claims consistent culinary complexity in cured meats such as salami, a preparation prized since antiquity for its ability to preserve meat supplies for up to 40 days in warm climates as well as its contributions to stellar sandwiches. Bittersweet also shows shades of shawarma, a street food that has become popular around the world since its origins in Southwest Asia, and that also answers to the name "Al Pastor."
Bittersweet, a standby in The 64, has wide-ranging credentials in the everyday divinity of deliciousness, but can also grant an observer the gift of gratitude in more awe-inspiring ways.
The humbling hue is also part of the palette painted across the darkest night skies on The Planet as stargazers since Galileo have pondered the unfathomable expanses of The Milky Way, and now you see why I am obsessed with this color.
Hope you’re not too full after Bittersweet…our next color may not be all that common culinarily, but still offers plenty to digest. Check your inbox next Friday to discover the surprising significance and intrguing depth of The 64’s Black crayon!
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