Verve’s monthly round up of what’s new, interesting, and happening… in a paragraph!
Matchmaking
Ever wondered why some foods go together like salt and pepper, and others just don’t mix at all? Well, it all boils down to shared chemical compounds – and ones that predominantly relate to aroma (80% of our flavour experiences is defined by our sense of smell, which is why we can’t ‘taste’ anything when we have a cold). Foods that share similar elements will often pair well, with common examples including beef and garlic, ham and cheese, and strawberries and chocolate; though shared compounds don’t always guarantee good combinations – strawberries and mushrooms, anyone? Balanced dishes generally also incorporate 3-4 of the five tastes – sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami (or savoury) – as well as some crunch to counter the softness (a variety of textures stimulate more brain cells for greater culinary enjoyment), and starch or dairy to complement spice.
Cuisine Of The Coast
Wild food foraging for the likes of berries, herbs and mushrooms has been gaining popularity in recent years, but those living close to the ocean might be missing a trick. Coastal foraging isn’t just a good excuse to get to the beach, it offers a wide variety of health-boosting foods such as shellfish, fungi, and seaweed. Seaweed, a staple diet item in Asia since prehistoric times, isn’t just rich in nutrients and great for heart health – it could help save societies and the planet too. As noted by Vincent Doumeizel, a senior advisor on oceans to the UN, in his recently published book, The Seaweed Revolution, the marine plants and algae “could feed people, replace plastic, decarbonize the economy, cool the atmosphere, clean up the oceans, rebuild marine ecosystems and reduce social injustice by providing jobs and income to coastal populations”.
Tilting Trending
The canthal tilt concerns the angle between the inner and outer corner of the eyes and is said – on social media at least – to measure beauty. Recently trending on TikTok, the angle is measured by (digitally) drawing a red line across the eyes, with a positive canthal tilt (whereby the outer corners of the eyes are angled slightly upwards) considered more attractive. But why? A positive tilt implies youthfulness because as we age our eyes tend to sag, creating a ‘negative’ effect. However, as with many social media beauty trends, the canthal tilt leans in with highly problematic ideals which may force more people to seek out unnecessary procedures or surgeries. Dr Samuel J Lin of Harvard Medical School tells HuffPost that there has been significant increase in inquiries about canthal tilts in recent months. But, for those that are worried that their eyes might slope the ‘wrong’ way, both Elvis Presley and Marylin Monroe were in possession of negative canthal tilts, and we certainly don’t think anyone would question their beauty would they!
Scam Off
Research has found online scams and fraud to cost Kiwis nearly $19 million annually, and according to Ernst Young, nearly nine in 10 New Zealanders were targeted this year. While the average loss per victim is $4,700, New Zealand Seniors reports that it rises to nearly $19,000 for romance scams, which are more common for the over 50s, along with cold calls, email phishing, and emergency scams. Produced by the Commission for Financial Capability (CFFC) – and free to download from sorted.org.nz – the Little Black Book of Scams is a booklet which details common cons, how to avoid them, and what to do if you do fall victim. “We needed a resource that people could download to read and share to help everyone raise awareness about the different types of fraud,” CFFC fraud education manager Bronwyn Groot tells Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission. “This booklet could be given to friends or family members or distributed among community groups.”
Byron Beater
Perched at the mouth of the Clarence River in the northern reaches of New South Wales, the coastal town of Yamba is being billed as ‘the new Byron Bay’ as the once bohemian mecca becomes ever more overcrowded, overpriced, and under-bohemian. Like Byron, Yamba boasts breathtaking beaches that give way to incredible surf breaks, beyond which awaits marine parks that sustain dolphins, turtles, and migrating whales. Back on dry land, Yamba’s streets host produce markets, boutiques, and exceptional eateries. Surfing, sunbathing, and sea creature viewing cruises are complemented by other must-dos like breakfast at the Mediterranean-inspired Beachwood Cafe, sipping an ice-cold beer with a view of Main Beach from the Pacific Hotel, and a picnic at beneath the century-old Yamba Lighthouse. Long one of the country’s best-kept secrets, don’t expect it to remain so, described by Australian Traveller as “an impressive beachside destination, which still manages to maintain its unpretentious essence and strong sense of community”.
You Beauty!
And finally, we’re thrilled to announce the launch of Beauty by Verve, an online publication that aims to inspire readers to engage and explore more curated beauty content, including trends, interviews, skincare, haircare, makeup, wellness, giveaways, and more! Verve beauty editor Danielle Feneridis says that the concept was inspired by this year’s bumper Best in Beauty issue which was the most successful ever. “We realised how much interest we had from readers and advertisers around beauty content and have hopefully created a publication to achieve this for everyone,” she says. “We wanted to create a space online where readers can go to for more specialised, regular content, and a place for advertisers to know they are reaching readers who are interested in purely beauty content.” As well as trending treatments and products, there will be the latest industry updates and local business directories. “Essentially, it will be a timeless beauty edit,” adds Danielle.
