Identify a Douglas fir

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How to identify a douglas fir? I find identifying the sometimes subtle differences of tall evergreens rather difficult, but fortunately, that's not the case for the douglas fir.

Identifying a douglas fir, a tall, straight and very impressive evergreen conifer is easy with this simple reminder if you find any cones. Normally, the cones are easy to find around the base of a tree. For such a large tree, like the redwood or sequoia, the cones are quite small.

Douglas fir cones have many small 3-pointed tongues (or bracts) that emerge from the tight cones. Typically, they are of unequal lengths with the longest in the centre. After it came to mind to name each one Dougie, Douglas, and Doug, in turn, after the length of each point, I haven’t forgotten since and identifying a douglas fir is easy.

Mature douglas firs typically have grey, tough and deeply-fissured bark to go with it.

The douglas fir, one of my favourite trees, might even have grown above the tallest redwoods living today making the douglas fir one of the tallest known trees .

The Douglas fir is named after Scottish botanist David Douglas and is not a true fir tree and so it's sometimes written Douglas-fir.

Also see: Ponderosa pine fire protections, nurse log, phoenix trees

Published 29 Apr 2014

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I don't know about you, but I love sushi. We didn't have a Japanese restaurant in the town where I grew up until I hit my 20s. A conversation around sushi was always, "You eat raw fish?!" accompanied by "ew" s and amazement. Of course, since then, I've learned it's delicious. It took me a little while to become familiar with the various types of sushi and how to decipher a sushi menu. I have a lot still to learn, but I wanted to capture the common sushi types—with names and pictures—in case it helps others. I'm not an expert, so if you've got wisdom to share, feel free to write to me. Here's the breakdown reflected in the sketch: Sashimi Raw fish or seafood served on its own or with simple garnishes. Sashimi is not technically sushi, as there's no rice, but it's a classic that's virtually synonymous with sushi. Nigiri A shaped piece of seasoned sushi rice with a slice of fish or other topping laid on top. I've seen the literal translation of nigiri as something like "two hands to make rice ball food." Maki Maki means "rolled" and refers to sushi wrapped in sheets of nori (dried seaweed). Classic maki rolls have the nori on the outside and are sliced into mouthful-sized pieces. The genius of maki, much like the genius of the sandwich, is that it allows you to eat the delicious filling by only touching the nori with your fingers. Here are a few types: Hosomaki - Thin rolls Hosomaki are typically filled with just one ingredient, such as tuna or cucumber. Tekka maki ( tuna roll) was popular in casinos and was sometimes called the "casino roll." Futomaki - Thick rolls Futomaki are much larger than hosomaki and can have several fillings inside. They're often served at festivals and celebrations. Uramaki - Inside-out rolls Uramaki was developed with the California roll and have the rice on the outside, hiding the nori. They're medium-sized and can fit a few more fillings than hosomaki. Incidentally, several people claim to have invented the California roll. Since the California roll, an amazing variety of rolls have been created, such as the rainbow, dragon, spicy tuna, caterpillar, Philadelphia, spider, and others. Temaki - Hand rolls Meaning "roll in hand", the temaki is a little like the burrito of sushi. Wrapping the nori around the filling in a cone shape makes it easy to hold. Other Types of Sushi Inari Named after a Shinto god said to ride a fox and love fried tofu, inari are pouches of fried tofu filled with sushi rice and other fillings. Chirashi Meaning scattered, chirashi is a sushi plate where the chef lays the main ingredients on top of a bed of rice in a bowl. Temari Temari are small, decorative sushi balls. A small ball of rice is wrapped in fish or vegetables, making an amazing-looking snack. The language of sushi is vast, but if you're not fluent yet, I hope this provides a few pointers. If you want to try making your own, which is both fun and delicious, I recommend: Let's Make Sushi! by Chef Andy Matsuda I also created this version with additional callouts. Related sketches Kawaii - the Japanese culture of cute The Open-Air Kitchen Know your b'linis - bellini vs blini Fruit vs Vegetable Cuba libre - Santo libre When drinking tea, just drink tea Hara hachi bu Stock, Broth, Jus Mandarins, clementines, satsumas and tangerines Cuts of beef Gelato, sorbet, ice cream Still more food and drink sketchesI don't know about you, but I love sushi. We didn't have a Japanese restaurant in the town where I grew up until I hit my 20s. A conversation around sushi was always, "You eat raw fish?!" accompanied by "ew" s and amazement. Of course, since then, I've learned it's delicious. It took me a little while to become familiar with the various types of sushi and how to decipher a sushi menu. 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Other Types of Sushi Inari Named after a Shinto god said to ride a fox and love fried tofu, inari are pouches of fried tofu filled with sushi rice and other fillings. Chirashi Meaning scattered, chirashi is a sushi plate where the chef lays the main ingredients on top of a bed of rice in a bowl. Temari Temari are small, decorative sushi balls. A small ball of rice is wrapped in fish or vegetables, making an amazing-looking snack. The language of sushi is vast, but if you're not fluent yet, I hope this provides a few pointers. If you want to try making your own, which is both fun and delicious, I recommend: Let's Make Sushi! by Chef Andy Matsuda I also created this version with additional callouts. 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