You've already seen the cupcakes, sipped the milkshakes and possibly even slathered cream cheese on the multicoloured bagel, and yet the craze for food inspired by the mythical unicorn shows no sign of galloping off into the sunset just yet.
Unicorn water is another beast altogether, though. The first thing to note about this up-and-coming incarnation of the colour-crazy trend is the absence of refined sugar, glitter, rainbow sprinkles and artificial food colouring that have so far acted as something of a signifier. That’s not to say unicorn water isn’t still ever so pretty, with its own sense of mystique.
Try the trend
At this point, homemade unicorn water is the way to go – and it’s really quite easy to make. Roughly chop half a red cabbage, put in a saucepan and cover with 500 millilitres of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. After five minutes or so, the water will have turned indigo, with the colour deepening over time. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and the liquid magically (yes, magically – this is unicorn water, after all) takes on a pinkish tone.
The science behind it
Cast your mind back to high school science lessons and you might well remember learning that, just like beetroot, red cabbage contains a natural pigment called anthocyanin, which can be used as a basic pH indicator. In this case, the anthocyanin in the cabbage leaches out into the water and dyes it – the higher the ratio of cabbage to water, the darker the colour achieved. When an acid is introduced (for example, lemon), it reacts with the anthocyanin and turns the water pink.
How to use it
There are plenty of people who advocate drinking unicorn (cabbage) water. The cruciferous vegetable is packed with vitamin C, contains beta-carotene, fibre and folic acid, and is known for both its immunity-boosting and antioxidant properties.
If you can’t quite get your head around guzzling the strained and cooled water straight up, or if it’s too reminiscent of the 1980s cabbage soup fad diet, then you could try blitzing both the cabbage and water in a blender and treating it as the base for a fruit smoothie.
Still not convinced?
Fear not, unicorn water isn’t just for drinking. The most interesting thing about it is that it can be used as a natural, additive-free food colouring. This is quite the game changer if you or your little ones dream of making rainbow cakes of many colours, but can’t quite embrace the inevitable sugar rush and subsequent downward spiral that ensues, thanks to all those E numbers.
Here’s how to do it: put the roughly chopped leaves from a small head of cabbage in a saucepan filled with 600ml of water and simmer for 30 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by approximately two-thirds. Remove the cabbage from the pan and discard, then add two tablespoons of honey, agave or maple syrup (this is optional), and continue to heat the liquid until it is a deep purple and has reduced to about 125ml. Leave it to cool completely, then gradually add it to cake batter, buttercream or royal icing until the desired colour is achieved (for pink icing, just add lemon juice to the reduced liquid).
If you want to extend your natural food-dye options beyond these blues, purples and pinks, saffron and ground turmeric are great for creating subtle shades of yellow-orange, while matcha powder will provide a lovely green hue, and activated charcoal will allow jet black icing.
For keen Instagrammers
Say hello to unicorn noodles. In a similar vein, these are made by soaking glass noodles in unicorn water until they turn shades of pastel blue and purple. While naysayers might dismiss doing so as pointless, given that it makes no difference to the flavour of the dish, we say au contraire. It’s a fun little project that’s perfect for entertaining crafty kids during school holidays, and the noodles look so good you’ll struggle to resist sharing snaps of them on social media – #unicorngoals.
For maximum visual impact, pile the noodles into a serving bowl, surrounded by a rainbow of other ingredients – think thinly sliced radishes, chopped green salad leaves, crumbled feta and wedges of lime.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.
54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
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