What is vsop on cognac. What do the letters VSOP, XO and similar mean on cognac? Determination of the origin of the drink

There are about 10 different varieties of sesame that came to other cultures from Africa and the East, but the Indian sesame (Sesamum indicum) turned out to be the most common and useful for humans.

Since the discovery, sesame has been actively grown in the countries of India, the Far East, Transcaucasia, Central and East Asia and others. In Russia, sesame gained popularity relatively recently, but has already found its fans.

Cooking, medicine and even cosmetology are the key areas of use for these unusual seeds. Sesame, another name for sesame, is translated from Assyrian as "oil plant", which explains the first use of sesame seeds, namely the production of oils.

Exists a large number of types of sesame with grain color from white to black

This ancient seasoning was highly valued in Babylon, and was considered one of the most important ingredients in the elixir of immortality. Even in the Middle Ages, many women ate a spoonful of sesame a day to maintain their health and beauty.

Back in the Middle Ages, the famous Persian physician and philosopher Avicenna (Ibn Sina) noted in his manuscripts that if you often use sesame seeds raw or boiled, your voice becomes clearer and richer, belching disappears, and tumors will decrease or completely disappear with time. He also advised applying a gauze bandage soaked in sesame and rose oil to the head to get rid of migraines.

Useful properties of sesame

Sesame is widely used in the manufacture of bakery products and oriental sweets.

The range of use of sesame seeds is quite extensive, but the most famous is baking and the preparation of oriental sweets, such as gozinaki or halva. Many bakery products acquire a delicate spicy taste, being sprinkled with sesame seeds.

The seeds are very rich in carbohydrates, vegetable proteins and antioxidants, and also abound in fiber, magnesium, iron, calcium, zinc, phosphorus and other minerals that strengthen bones, teeth and hair.

Among the vitamins in sesame are A, B, E, C and PP. With their help, sesame improves vision, cell regeneration, protects the receptive psyche from stress, normalizes blood clotting and regulates the functioning of the external nervous system.

As for sesame oil, it is widely used in folk medicine and by concentration useful properties ranks third (after almond and pistachio). It has a beneficial effect on digestive system thanks to some organic acids. And the presence of polyunsaturated acids helps to reduce cholesterol.

Rare antioxidants such as sesamol and sesaminol are considered the secret to the long shelf life of sesame oil (up to eight years) and the seeds themselves (up to 3 months).

Sesame oil ranks third in terms of availability useful substances and properties

In medicine and cosmetic purposes, sesame seed oil is used to cleanse and moisturize the skin, as well as for soothing massage. It is literally indispensable for evenly warming up the muscles and pacifying the nerves, it perfectly relaxes, and also easily drives away the tension accumulated in the muscle tissues throughout the day.

As a rule, healing of scratches, corns, bruises or minor burns also occurs much faster after a massage session with this oil.

Sesame oil will help girls who are unsure of their appearance to eliminate minor imperfections of the skin of the face: narrow pores, thereby reducing the number of acne and rashes, and give facial features a natural even shade.

Also, when applied externally, sesame oil helps to relieve abdominal pain in intestinal colic.

Many doctors recommend resorting to these oils if the patient is suffering from hyperthyroidism or joint pain. Sesame oil also has a beneficial effect on human health in case of inflammation of the gallbladder, when it is necessary to painlessly remove stones from the kidneys, as well as stop internal bleeding.

As observations have shown, best result for medical purposes can be achieved if, in the treatment of the digestive tract, drink warm sesame oil 3 times a day (half or one tablespoon). It relieves outbreaks of stomach ulcers and constipation, helps with gastritis, and if you brew and mix fresh sesame seeds with honey, you can cope with diarrhea.

To carry out a total cleansing of the body of toxins and lose extra pounds, you need to drink thoroughly ground three times a day. sesame seeds. For this simple recipe a glass of water will require only one tablespoon of whole seeds.

If you're worried about stubborn gum disease, cavities, or an aching toothache, try a regular mouthwash with sesame seed oil. The optimal procedure time will be no more than 3 minutes, but the effect will manifest itself in a couple of weeks. However, it is better to spit out the oil itself after rinsing.

Grated sesame seeds are used to remove toxins from the body and for weight loss.

Sesame seeds themselves can help in the fight against colds or asthma complications. For example, sesame oil heated in a water bath is rubbed into the chest, which greatly facilitates breathing.

In addition, sesame is among the most potent aphrodisiacs. A mixture of linseed, poppy and sesame seeds increases sexual activity and has a huge effect on sexuality, regardless of gender.

As for medical cosmetics, sesame oil has found its main calling in preparations or protective creams against ultraviolet rays.

Not only the sesame fruits themselves are useful for a person. With dandruff, scalp irritation or eczema, a hot decoction of sesame leaves will cope, it will add softness to the hair and allow it to grow back much faster.

Harm of sesame

Even if we take into account the impressive amount of useful properties and chemicals contained in sesame seeds, these seeds should be consumed in moderation.

Sesame contains a large amount of fat and calories, so a large amount of sweets with sesame seeds can spoil the figure.

The result of nausea or thirst may be excessive sensitivity of the esophageal mucosa or eating sesame seeds on an empty stomach. It is for this reason that sesame seeds are first roasted or eaten in combination with honey, which in addition will facilitate their effective absorption.

Sesame is known to reduce appetite, but large portions of its seeds, especially in sweets, will only worsen the figure. If you purposefully overdo it with sesame desserts, you can quickly gain weight, because, like other vegetable seeds, they are high in calories and fat.

You should not abuse the volume of sesame seeds eaten - 2-3 tablespoons per day will be more than enough for the normal functioning of the body.

Contraindications

The antioxidants in sesame stimulate the flow of blood, so women's periods are faster and less painful. However, this property can be a potential threat to the health of a pregnant woman and her fragile fetus, despite the beneficial effects of calcium on the bone marrow. Expectant mothers should avoid extra servings of sesame seeds.

If you have an increased risk of blood clots, urolithiasis or high blood clotting, it is better to refrain from eating sesame seeds.

Choice should be made responsibly sesame seeds. First of all, they should be dry, crumbly and without a bitter taste in the mouth.

We can safely say that sesame deservedly received the status of an ancient remedy and an excellent spice for many desserts, cereals, salads and baked goods. It gives dishes a delicate spicy taste and nutty aroma.

Thanks to a successful combination of vitamins, acids and other useful substances, sesame oil and roasted sesame seeds are stored for a long time and have positive effects on human health. With the measured use of sesame seeds in the right dosages, you can improve your health, cope with depression and restore the natural beauty of the body.

15 July, 2010

We can talk about cognac endlessly, going into the historical details of the origin of the drink, recalling the subtleties of production, listing the aromatic and taste advantages ... We decided to talk with Vladimir Nagorny, the sommelier of the Lipsky Osobnyak restaurant, on topics that are most interesting and close to the consumer. Moreover, our regular reader, entrepreneur Alexander, was sent on a mission, who is not so strong in cognac intricacies, and, frankly, loves whiskey more than cognac. Let's see how Alexander's opinion about cognac will change (if, of course, it does) after a few practical lessons.

First of all, let's deal with the classification of cognacs. I think you are aware that only distillates produced in the French province of Cognac can bear the name cognac. Everything else is called brandy.

Alexander: This I know. XO, VSOP... Cognac aging is regulated by French law.

It is important that the classification is determined by the youngest spirit in the blend. If you build a line from the youngest to the oldest and rare cognacs, it will turn out like this:

V- exposure of the youngest alcohol must be at least 2 years.

VS- the exposure of the youngest spirit in VS cognac is at least 2.5 years.

VSOP- aging of the youngest cognac spirit - at least 4 years. Cognac VSOP was made by order of Napoleon himself, who wished that the drink was old, but light.

VVSOP- the exposure of the youngest cognac spirit is at least 5 years.

XO- the exposure of the youngest cognac spirit must be at least 6 years. But this is only under French law. Producers tend to age cognac longer than required by law. Unfortunately, this complicates the selection process for the consumer, as the XO label can hide both a twelve-year-old and a twenty-five-year-old cognac. Basically, all cognacs are blends (made from different cognac spirits), and it is very, very difficult to determine the presence of older spirits by tasting. Classification of cognac older than 6 years is prohibited.

Napoleon- mind you, this is not a brand of cognac, but also a designation of aging, as a rule, of the youngest cognac spirit for at least 15 years.

Extra, Grand Extra- not less than 30 years of exposure. Each manufacturer has its own interpretation XO and Extra, so it is best, before buying such cognac, to ask the manufacturer (on the website of the cognac house) how many years of aging he hides behind these inscriptions.

And the highest clissification - nominal cognacs. These are the top positions of famous cognac houses. For example, Hennessy has Richard Hennessy, created in honor of the founder of the house - Richard Hennessy. Remy Martin has Rémy Martin Louis XIII cognac, glorifying the French King Louis XIII.

Vintage cognacs- cognacs, which are made from spirits of one year of harvest. They are quite rare. In fact, producing vintage cognacs is a very risky business, because no blender can predict how a drink consisting of spirits of one vintage will turn out. Such cognacs are interesting for tasting: each vintage is not like the previous one, it has its own individual character. Thus, vintage cognacs immediately fall into the category of collectibles and are often the pride of any cognac collection.

As I said earlier, in the same cognac there can be a part of four-year-old cognac spirits and a part of twelve-year-old ones. In the same blend, there can be from three to a hundred or more cognac spirits of different aging.

Alexander: And why is this being done?

So that you can always recognize your favorite cognac by color, aroma and taste. Every year the manufacturer receives a different grape harvest, different spirits, but in the end you need to have a familiar, characteristic for this brand, recognizable image of the drink. That is why they are looking for a balance with spirits of different years of exposure.

In the next lesson, choose the right dishes for cognac tasting.

Choosing alcohol, including cognac, a person is repelled by his own taste preferences. When choosing cognac, the primary attention is paid to its manufacturer, brand and aging. However, no less important aspect when choosing a drink, the decoding of the mysterious combinations of letters on brandy from Western countries: vsop, xo, vs, and an understanding of what the stars on domestic cognac mean. Below we will try to bring some clarity to this issue.

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Previously, drink producers had their own labeling systems, which made life difficult for buyers: it was difficult to establish the exact aging time for cognac. But after the formation of the National French Bureau, common abbreviations (vsop, xo, vs), deciphering the age of cognac, finally came into use.

In Western cognac culture, a six-step gradation of cognac by age is used, according to which they are divided into the following categories:

• V.S. (very special)- stands for cognac aged from two to three years;
• Superior- the drink was aged for three years;
• V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale)– cognac 4 years old;
• V.V.S.O.P. (Very Very Superior Old Pale)- cognac of the 5th exposure;
• X.O. (Extra Old)- stands for a drink with an exposure of 6 years or more.

The subsequent time gradation is meaningless, since cognacs aged in barrels for six and a half years or more are practically undetectable by tasting.

What do the stars on cognac bottles mean?

Have you ever wondered - what do the stars placed on the labels of bottles with this drink mean? What is the difference between cognacs with different numbers of stars? It's easy to understand - one star symbolizes one year of cognac aging, respectively three and five stars indicate at least two years or longer exposure. Note that only the domestic classification involves the designation of stars of drinks with an age of less than five years.

Domestic classification involves the division of cognacs into the following types:

• 3 stars - a young 2 or 3 year old cognac product;
• 5 stars - 5-year-old cognac.

Letter designations are provided for vintage cognacs:

• KV (Cognac Aged) – age such a drink is equal to at least 6 years;
• KVVK (Cognac Aged Top Quality)– 8 year old product;
• KS (Cognac Old)– 10 year old drink;
• OS (Very Old)- 12 year old cognac.

Cognacs with an aging of 23 years or more are called collectible, they are distinguished by high cost and are purchased by private collectors.

The purchase and consumption of low-quality alcohol is not just a waste of money, but also a serious threat to one's own health. Therefore, when choosing cognac, the buyer will need some knowledge and skills. When making a purchase, connoisseurs of elite cognac recommend starting from the following criteria: the origin of the drink, the price and place of purchase, aging, appearance and organoleptic properties. Let's talk more about each criterion.

• Origin. Cognac is an officially patented name, it can only be used by manufacturers from France, whose product quality is beyond doubt. The quality of cognac and grape brandy produced in the post-Soviet space is not subjected to such careful control. Often this leads to a violation of production technology, which entails a natural decrease in quality.
• The cost of the product and where it was purchased. Making cognac is a difficult and time-consuming process, and therefore there are simply no cheap cognacs. And if you notice a significant difference in cost, for example, the price of a brand is a third less than the price of cognacs from the same price segment, you should not buy it. However, even high cost cannot always guarantee high quality. modern technologies allow fraudsters to fake even expensive cognac. But you can minimize the risk - buy alcohol only in large supermarkets and specialized outlets, where sellers, if necessary, will present you with certificates of quality.
• Excerpt. This criterion has become the basis for pricing; its price directly depends on the age of cognac. But this rule was not without exception - for example, many ten-year-old cognacs have a wonderful aroma, but have rather mediocre taste characteristics. Therefore, for those who are not looking for subtle aromatic notes, we recommend not to overpay, but to do it easier and more economically - buy a three-year or five-year-old drink.
• Bottle design and organoleptic properties. Cognacs are bottled only in glass bottles, which are closed with stoppers made of silicone, wood or pressed sawdust. The drink itself is distinguished by transparency, the absence of sediment and any impurities. When you turn the bottle upside down, you will see how one large drop falls from its bottom, and oily marks appear on the glass. The cognac aroma does not contain any foreign odors and changes slightly when the drink is heated.

The culture of communication on the Internet is developing more and more, and in connection with this, there are also reductions. Understanding their meaning and when and how to apply them correctly sometimes becomes problematic. For example, the popular abbreviation XOXO. It often appears in correspondence, especially in English, but what does it mean?

Abbreviation "XOXO"

At first glance, the meaning of this short series of symbols is clear. By analogy with the well-known reduction XD, which has long taken root in Runet, X must mean eyes closed with laughter, and O- mouth wide open in a smile, that is "HOHO" seems to symbolize unbridled laughter. However, in reality this is not the case at all.

English and Russian meaning

The English meaning of the abbreviation "HOHO" is "hugs and kisses". So, X here shows lips folded for a kiss (the asterisk “*” has the same meaning, and O - closed in an arc for hugging a hand. The Russian-language version can be formulated as “hugs and kisses” or simply “kiss-hug”. As you can see, nothing to do with jellied laughter here.Moreover, if this abbreviation is misinterpreted in correspondence, embarrassment may arise.

For example:

• Honey, you looked amazing in that dress today!

• I've been meaning to tell you for a long time that I really like you.
• You know, you do me too... HOHO

• We spent a wonderful evening in the park today. Was great.
• I agree, especially when you hugged me and told me about the stars HOHO

Indeed, an erroneous understanding of the abbreviation, as can be seen from the examples, can greatly darken the mood or, in general, spoil relations between people.

Abbreviation pronunciation "HOHO" in principle, it is not considered, since it is only a set of characters. We don't use emoticons at the end of a message. However, if there is a need to express exactly this contraction with sounds, the English version of "kso-kso" will do better than the Russian "ho-ho" (and a bottle of rum).

Read also

Popular abbreviations in the Internet environment

Abbreviations and abbreviations that have taken root in the language and are widely used in articles and correspondence are called acronyms. Of course, this term does not only include modern creations of Internet chat rooms, but they also fall into this category.

It should be noted that most of them come to us from across the ocean, from America. Perhaps the culture of the United States is more open to this kind of innovation. Or simply translated into Cyrillic, these constructions do not look so concise. Popular web acronyms include:

BRB- stands for "be right back", that is, "I'll be back soon" and is used in conversation if you need to quickly leave somewhere;

RLY is an abbreviation for "really". In conversation, it can be used both as a statement and as an expression of doubt, for example, “You want to invite me to this lousy diner? RLY??

XYZ- a funny abbreviation, coinciding with the last three letters of the Latin alphabet. Its meaning is no less funny - it is a way to hint to a friend that his fly is unbuttoned. The literal meaning is "examine your zipper";

g2g or AFK- used when you need to leave and leave the interlocutor. “Got to go” or “away from keyboard” in Russian sounds like “I have to go”;

AC/DC- the name of a popular rock band, which literally means "alternating current / direct current", or "alternating current / direct current". Once it also took root as an allusion to the interlocutor's bisexuality. So if you get a message like "Yes, you're right AC / DC" - do not rush to rejoice that you are considered a cool rock and roll guy. Perhaps this is an insult.

There are a huge number of such abbreviations, only the most interesting or funny are given here. It will be useful to get acquainted with them to everyone who actively conducts correspondence with friends.

The next time you type "IMHO this is RLY gr8. I'm g2g, SY" think about whether the interlocutor can understand you. And even more so, you should not use the usual constructions in correspondence with people of the older generation - they probably have great difficulties with this. That's all, TNX, AFK, see you asap.