I've heard the same from South Indian friends, so I guess it's pretty widespread.
replyTotally an urban legend. What do people think Alia seltzer is made from? You know the thing you take to feel better after eating too much?
replyI've sometimes used baking soda to accelerate softening of beans, and I imagine the effect is more appreciable at higher altitudes perhaps? Some of the usage of baking soda could be innocent enough.
replyAlkalinity softens the husk of legumes. Look up nixtamalization. It’s what the Aztecs invented.
replyDid we discover a new diet hack?
replyA few thousand years ago:
replyTry using it on meat. Turns it into pink slurry.
replyYou're using too much! Its commonly used to improve meat texture, especially in Chinese cuisine. It's called "velveting".
replyyou're thinking of corn starch
replyBoth are used, for different reasons, but it's a pretty loose term. Can also use enzymes or other alkaline things. With or without a marinade. Pass through oil or water, or just stir fry with a little extra oil.
replyNo reasonable person would be confused by use of baking soda as an ingredient in cooked food (reasonable) vs the addition of baking soda after cooking as an adulterant.
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