Holiday Card 2014: USC Dornsife

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we experience peppermint differently.

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enses of smell and taste evoke powerful memories of childhood, traditions and comfort. Peppermint is unique because it transcends geography, time and purpose — forging cultural connections worldwide. Take a moment to breathe in the essence of this card, and explore the thoughts it conjures for you.

Wishing you the best for a fresh New Year.

Steve A. Kay Dean of USC Dornsife Anna H. Bing Dean’s Chair

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ho put the unbroken crook in the peppermint candy cane? That would be the Rev. Gregory Keller who invented the Keller Machine in 1957. Before the priest’s invention, the cane had to be manually bent using a wooden mold when still warm and soft freshly off the assembly line. Many of those canes were broken.

The automated process twists the soft candy into spiral striping then cuts them into precise lengths. Keller designed the machine as a favor to his brother-in-law, Bob McCormack, whose company became among the world’s leading candy cane producers.

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he next time you bite into a piece of peppermint bark consider the reaction taking place in your body. A protein called TMPR8 receives the sensation produced by menthol — the active ingredient in peppermint — and triggers cold-sensing nerve fibers to send an electrical signal to the brain. That tricks the nervous system into thinking it’s colder than it actually is.

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t’s hard to imagine a time when The Doors were still an unknown Los Angeles band struggling to find airplay. USC Dornsife alumnus Sid Davison ’82 (a.k.a Dave Diamond), however, decided to be a trailblazer as one of the first disc jockeys to play “Light My Fire” on his popular The Diamond Mine rock radio show in 1967. That same year, through his company, Black Hills Music, Diamond was the publisher of the pop song “Incense and Peppermints” as performed by The Strawberry Alarm Clock. The song ultimately reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 list.

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azing at Paul CÊzanne’s Still Life with Peppermint Bottle does wonders for the senses. The upright bottle and carafe, decorative bondi blue rug and starched white napkin become more misshapen the more you look at them. The round fruits, some nestled firmly, some floating and falling, make you feel as though you could reach out and grab one.

Knowing one of the glass vials is filled with peppermint essence conjure a strong minty smell that further awakens the senses. At the time CĂŠzanne created the painting, around 1893, peppermint essence was used as a remedy for ailments such as nausea, headaches and stomach pains.

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he colorful liquid you see sloshing around the large barrel-shaped glass containers in Mexican cafés, taquerias and on some street corners is a delicious thirst quencher.

Called agua fresca — Spanish for fresh water — the non-alcoholic drink is also popular throughout Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. To make the refreshment, any number of combinations of fresh fruits, grains, seeds and hibiscus flowers may be mixed with sugar and water.

Agua Fresca de Pepino, Limón y Yerba Buena Cucumber, Lemon and Peppermint Water

2 large cucumbers, chopped 8 lemons, squeezed 1 cup peppermint leaves, packed 1 cup water Add all ingredients to a blender and blend well. Strain over a pitcher.

Sweeten with sugar, honey or agave syrup to your preference.

Serve with ice and fresh peppermint sprigs.

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f you’re looking to shake off the doldrums of winter, perhaps placing a crown of peppermint around your head will do the trick. The Roman natural philosopher Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79) wrote that peppermint or Mentha piperita stimulates the mind and the soul. Greeks and Romans used peppermint to adorn themselves and their tables at feasts as well as to flavor wine and sauces.

Gently move your thumb across this card’s surface to release a holiday scent that will stimulate your senses.

Olfactory Overload Gently move your thumb across this card’s surface to release a holiday scent that will stimulate your senses.

University of Southern California dornsife.usc.edu