Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Still Yet Another Spanish Cheese

      Happy new year!  I thought I'd start off 2026 with an example of my favorite food type ever--cheese.  Today's offering is the black garlic infused sheep's milk cheese from the Solera brand.  Which, as the title informs, is based out of Spain.

     I couldn't find an official website for Solera.  However, there was one for its American importer and distributer, Specialties, Inc., out of New Jersey.  Alas, it provided no real information on Solera's origins.  But, after Googling it I was able to learn a bit.  Solera was founded in 1967, by the husband and wife team of Mariano Verdeju Solera, and Generosa Monfort Orti.  And their factory was based in---oops.  That's what the AI explanation was.  However, a little more online checking indicated that this was for another company of the same name.  One which appears to be involved with connectors, mounting, breakers, and other electronic products.  I've heard that AI is often questionable with its accuracy, and this seems to be the case here.  Anyway, I couldn't find out much of anything about the cheese-making Solera company.  So, moving up the chain, the incredibly generically-named Specialties, Inc. company began in 1991, and its focus is on importing and distributing European cheeses and cured meats.  Aside from the Spanish Solera, which includes both cheeses and meats, the brands handled are Bellentani (Italian meats), Hotos (Greek cheese), and two French brands--Ermitage (cheese), and La Bistro (meats).  Other Solera products include Manchego cheese, Iberica cheese, Mahon cheese, and two infused goat cheeses--Winey Goat and Rosey Goat.  Plus more cheese made from three different animals' milk--one infused with chili, one with red berry, and one with truffles.  Also, if you're curious, "solera" is Spanish for "on the ground," but it refers to "a process for aging liquids, by fractional blending," chiefly used with wines, brandies, beers, sherries, and vinegars.  (The "on the ground" part indicates the lowest level of barrels used for the mixing.)  So either this cheese company wanted to associate its cheeses with fine mixed wines and spirits, as some of its cheeses are also mixed and blended, or maybe the founder's name was Solera, just like the other company named Solera.

Solera black garlic infused sheep's milk cheese:  This had a pale yellow color, with streaks and edges of black.  It had a mild cheese odor.  The texture was semisoft.  The flavor was mild, with the garlic taste evident but not overpowering.  I had some of this plain, and some as part of a sandwich.  Overall it wasn't among the best cheeses I've had, but it also wasn't among the worst.  And, as I've stated many, many times, even the "worst" cheeses are still pretty good--none that I've tasted are actually bad.  But this one was a more mild cheese, without a strong, distinctive flavor.

     I should be doing a video interview with the publisher of my last anthology, "It's Dark in Their Minds," soon.  Details forthcoming.  

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Two Moroccan/American Canned Seafoods

      I've been on a canned seafood phase lately, so when I saw a new brand on the shelves in Shop-Rite recently, I checked them out.  Specifically, the sardine fillets, and the mackerel fillets from the Season Brand LLC company, out of New Jersey.  However, both types of these fish were actually caught in Moroccan waters.  And there are other Moroccan connections, too, which I'll get into.

     The official company website history of Seasons is one of the more terse ones.  A Polish man named Isaac Epstein immigrated to the U.S. in an unspecified year.  (But presumably in the late 1910's or early 1920's.)  He started the Seasons company in 1921, and it was designed to "sell specialty fish to grocers in the Northeast (U.S.)."  At some unnoted date the company was acquired by RAB Food.  Then in mid 2021 the business was sold to a Moroccan company named Mutandis.  Aside from sardines and mackerel Seasons also offers yellowfin tuna, anchovies, kippers (which are herring of a certain age), and mock caviar made from seaweed.  (If this last product sounds familiar, it's because I covered "CaviArt" in my post on March 11th, 2023.  CaviArt is made by the Jens Moller Products company, based in Denmark, which clearly has a partnership with Seasons to sell the pseudo caviar in addition to their regular fish products.)  The Seasons official company website is also proud that their fish are free of GMOs and their packaging lacks BPA.  They also use sea creatures that are fished in sustainable ways.  But, the focus of Seasons seems to be about how healthy their fish is.  The website goes into some detail about how protein-rich their fish is, and how some are low in salt.  Plus, most notably, how their products are so high in Omega 3 fatty acids.  (Seriously, the Omega 3 notation is on the front of their boxes, even.)  Otherwise, the labels on the boxes of their seafood mention the exact species that customers are eating--in my case the Scomber Colias (aka Atlantic chub mackerel) and Sardina Pilchardus (aka European Pilchardus, and more commonly, one of the many species called "sardines").  (As I think I mentioned before, "sardines" aren't an actual individual species of fish--they're a catchall term used for over a dozen small fish commonly used as human food.  In this case young Pilchardus are called "sardines," while older members of the species are known as Pilchardus.)

Seasons mackerel fillets, in water:  Had a tuna-like odor.  The color of the fish itself was light brown.  The texture was soft and chewy.  The flavor was a little dry and blandish.  Not as good as the oily mackerel I've had as sushi or pickled.  To be fair, I did eat this plain, not as a sandwich or anything.  But, in the past I usually eat canned fish plain, and it tastes better than this.  Overall it wasn't bad, but it was disappointing, since I typically enjoy canned fish significantly more.

Seasons sardine fillets, in water:  These fillets, like the previous one, filled the can, or were about 3 inches long (about 7.5 cm.), with a brown and off-whitish color, and a fishy odor.  The texture was chewy and soft.  These tasted like typical sardines, or good.  They were blander than sardines packed in oil, or with seasoning or a sauce, but still, they were pretty good.  If you like sardines in general, you'll probably like these.  In closing then, I would recommend the Seasons sardines, but probably not the mackerel.  But I will look for other Seasons offerings--maybe the packed-in-water mackerel are a kind of negative anomaly.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Couple of Pre-Mixed Cocktails

      I've been seeing these for quite some time at liquor stores, and recently I finally decided to give them a go.  These were BuzzBallz cocktails, from the LLC of the same name.  I tried the berry cherry limeade, and the grapes gone wild flavor.

     As the origin story on the official BuzzBallz website revealed, this company was begun by one person, a woman named Merrilee Kick.  While working toward her Master's degree, in the early 2000s, she was also employed as a teacher (or maybe as a teaching assistant?  It's unclear.).  While grading papers by her pool one hot summer day, Kick desired an adult concoction, an alcoholic beverage.  Specifically one served in a plastic container rather than in a glass, since the latter is more breakable.  Kick thought it over, and was inspired by a glass votive she'd gotten on a vacation.  (Votives are religious offerings, such as candles, etc.)  Her resulting drink container was, well, a ball shape.  The easy open top was then inspired by the tops of a typical tennis ball can.  Anyway, Kick finished off her MBA, at Texas Women's University, and then started researching the alcoholic beverage industry in earnest.  With some financial help from her family, Kick founded BuzzBallz in 2009.  Since then the business has flourished.  BuzzBallz makes four types of drinks, with the main difference between them apparently being the size of the bottle.  Chillers are 187 mL, or 6.32 ounces.  The mixed drinks are 192 mL, or 6.5 ounces.  Cocktails are 200 mL, or 6.76 ounces.  And the Biggies are 1.75 liters.  All the drinks are 15% alcohol, or 30 proof.  The flavors are often a bit unusual for an alcoholic drink, and may be combined flavors.  Some examples include a passion fruit martini, pineapple jalapeno, espresso martini, horchata, forbidden apple, and choc tease.  Some flavors, like the grapes gone wild, are available in more than one size.  Also, Buzzballs was acquired by the mammoth liquor company Sazerac in 2024, although Kick is still the reigning CEO.

BuzzBallz cocktails, berry cherry limeade flavor:  Had a blue color, and a limey odor.  I didn't taste any berry, nor cherry flavors.  I did detect the lime flavor, though.  It still was pretty decent.  Not great, but pretty good.  So it didn't have most of the advertised flavors in it, to my palate, but the one that was there was well expressed.  I would recommend it slightly.  If anyone cares, the liquor base to this was vodka.

BuzzBallz cocktails, grapes gone wild flavor:  This was a purple hue, obviously, and smelled of grapes.  The taste was grape-y too.  I would have preferred a slightly stronger grape flavor.  This one also tasted boozier--it didn't hide the alcohol as well as the previous one.  Overall the grapes gone wild variety was only mediocre--it wasn't as good as the berry cherry limeade.  However, since there are so many alternate flavors, some quite odd, I do plan on trying more.  If/when that happens I'll amend this post.

     While looking into BuzzBallz LLC, I did learn that the company has its detractors.  Some people, and organizations, accuse it of targeting underage customers.  They cite its bright colors, bright labels, drink names, and overall design as being overly appealing to adolescents.  I didn't see BuzzBallz's, or Merrilee Kick's response to this--presumably they/she would point out that other drinks have eye-catching, vibrantly-hued labels and bottles, with fun and unusual names, and they're just trying to attract drinkers of legal age.  Additionally, Generation Z (typically this generation is defined as being those born between 1997-2012) BuzzBallz consumers allegedly have a dare, or game attached to a BuzzBallz product.  Individuals try to consume an entire Biggie container (or 1.75 liters) in one sitting.  Which, given its size, and alcohol content, is foolhardy, and could result in a trip to the hospital, or even death by alcohol poisoning.  So I'm certainly strongly recommending against attempting this.

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "Trading Places" (1983)

      This is one of my very favorite movies.  I think it's the one I've actually seen the most times, incredibly, as it's the kind of film that when I've encountered it while channel-surfing over the past several decades, I pretty much had to finish watching it.  It's a perfect comedy--well written, well acted, well everything.  Anyway, let's get to it--the usual format, questions followed by the answers, many SPOILERS ahead.

Questions:

1)    We see many of Philadelphia's famous statues and monuments throughout the movie, and especially in the opening credits.  What's the first one seen?

2)    A very large prop from another movie is briefly shown during the opening credits as well.  Name it.

3)    Louis Winthorpe is greeted repeatedly as he enters the Duke & Duke building.  Who is the only person he mentions by name in his return greeting?

4)    Randolph Duke reads an article in a magazine that sets in motion the events of the whole movie.  What is the name of this periodical?

5)    Winthorpe makes the right call on pork bellies in an early scene.  According to Randolph, how much money didhe thus make for the Dukes?

6)    What is the name of the private social club that the Dukes and Winthorpe belong to?

7)    When was this organization founded?  (It's posted on the plaque outside.)

8)    The Dukes are seen giving their cheap Christmas gift to a butler at this club.  What is his name?

9)    During the movie we see two checks made out to Clarence Beaks.  How much are they for, total?

10)   Winthorpe's fiancé Penelope is related to the Duke brothers.  How? 

11)   Billy Ray Valentine aggressively hits on a woman while pretending to be a disabled vet.  What movie does he reference during this flirtation?

12)   According to Billy Ray, as he talks to the police, how did he lose his eyesight?

13)   In the same diatribe, where does Valentine say he was stationed in Vietnam?

14)   Also in the same diatribe, what part of the military was Billy Ray a member of?

15)   How many guns does Billy Ray have pointed at him as he emerges from under the table at the club?

16)   What do the police charge Valentine with?

17)   What is Penelope's last name?  (Louis says it once.)

18)   According to Billy Ray in prison, what kind of belt does he have in kung fu?

19)   What later famous actor plays Cellmate #2 during this scene?

20)   According to Valentine, how many cops (plural) did he beat up?

21)   What cell number, and on what floor is Billy Ray being held?

22)   What yearly salary do the Duke brothers offer Valentine?

23)   Billy Ray accidently breaks a vase in his new home, but in doing so the Dukes say he made a profit, as it was insured for more than what it's worth.  How much was it worth, and how much was it insured for?

24)   What organization is Clarence Beaks officially employed at?

25)   In his lie about Louis, Beaks say Winthorpe stole paper money marked with "X's" on it.  What denomination were the bills, and how many?  

26)   What famous writer/director plays the cop who finds the (planted) drugs in Winthorpe's clothes?

27)   What five types of credit cards does Winthorpe possess, according to the police?

28)   What opera does Louis have two tickets to?

29)   What is Winthorpe's prison number?

30)   How much money does Billy Ray owe Terry the bartender?

31)   How much does Beaks pay Ophelia to pretend that Winthorpe is her drug dealer?

32)   What bank do we see Louis futilely try to get cash from?

33)   According to Winthorpe, how much money did he have in this account?

34)   What five visual aids do the Duke brothers show Valentine to explain their jobs?

35)   What three men does Ophelia greet right outside her apartment?

36)   How old does Ophelia say she is?

37)   Where is she from?

38)   How much money does Ophelia have saved up, in T-bills earning interest?

39)   How much longer does she say she'll need to spend as a prostitute before she can retire?

40)   How much money, in cash, will Louis owe Ophelia in exchange for her help?

41)   At the racket club, four of Winthorpe's friends serenade their girlfriends (including Penelope). What four women do they mention in this joke song?

42)   Aside from Todd (the one who moved in on Penelope), who are the other three of Louis's male friends?

43)   Winthorpe sells his watch at the pawn shop.  What brand is it?

44)   How much money does Louis say this watch retails for, and how much does the pawn shop owner give him for it?

45)   What six other cities does Winthorpe say his watch simultaneously tells time in?

46)   What three reasons does Valentine give to George to not go long on April wheat?

47)   When is this movie set?  (We see the exact date printed on Beak's later check.)

48)   What illegal drugs and paraphernalia does Louis plant in Valentine's desk?

49)   Where are the Dukes and Beaks going to meet at midnight to exchange the crop report and the money?

50)   Jim Belushi has an early role at a guy on the train dressed in a gorilla costume.  What is his character's name?

51)   What book is Beaks reading on the train?

52)   What fake names do the costumed Winthorpe, Valentine, Ophelia, and Coleman adapt on the train?

53)   What commodities does Louis mention to Billy Ray at the stock exchange?

54)   What amount does the price of frozen concentrated orange juice open at (presumably per share)?

55)   And at what price do Winthorpe and Valentine start selling at?

56)   What is the final price of the orange juice?

57)   How much money do the Duke brothers need to pay at the stock exchange for the margin call?

58)   What is the name of the butler serving Coleman at the tropical beach in the final scene?

59)   One of Jamie Lee Curtis's relatives plays a role in the movie.  Name her, and her character.

60)   Winthorpe still has his drug, embezzlement, and theft charges hanging over him.  How is he able to travel to the tropics?  This place is definitely out of state, and possibly in another country. (Conjectural)

  

Answers:

1)    It's either called the Benjamin Franklin, Craftsman statue, or Young Benjamin Franklin.

2)    The statue of Rocky Balboa, from "Rocky 3."

3)    Folsey.

4)    The rather generically named "Science Journal."

5)    $347,000.

6)    The Heritage Club.

7)    1776.

8)    Ezra.  Who mocks the Dukes by noting the $5 could pay for a single movie ticket.

9)    The first check is for $50,000, and the second for $10,000, so $60,000 total.  Although Beaks doesn't actually receive the second check, of course, since he's kidnapped and all.

10)   She's the grandniece of Randolph and Mortimer Duke.

11)   "Porgy and Bess."  Which was a 1925 novel, then a play, movie, but most famously, an opera.

12)   He claims it happened when he stepped on a landmine in "Vietcong" in 1972.

13)   Sang Bang, Dang Gong, and then "all over the place."

14)   He says he was a Green Beret, special unit battalion commando, airborne tactic--specialist tactics, unit battalion.  "Really hush hush."

15)   6.

16)   Assault, attempted robbery, and resisting arrest.

17)   Witherspoon.

18)   A chain belt.  Which I don't believe is a real belt.

19)   Giancarlo Esposito.  Who, long before he was Gus Fring in "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," was in this movie, and such films as ""Do the Right Thing" (1989), "Malcolm X" (1992), "The Usual Suspects" (1995) and "Ali" (2001).

20)   10.

21)   Cell 4, on the 9th floor.

22)   $80,000

23)   They claim it's worth $35,000, but was insured for $50,000, so he made them a $15,000 profit.

24)   Lyndhurst Security.

25)   Three $50 bills.

26)   Frank Oz.

27)   Mastercharge, American Express Gold Card, Visa, Diner's Club, and Carte Blanche.

28)   La Boheme.

29)   74745058.  Which was the same as the prison number of John Belushi's character in "The Blues Brother" (1980).

30)   $27, which he pays back, with unspecified interest.

31)   $100.

32)   First National.

33)   Over $150,000.

34)   Coffee, bread (made from wheat), bacon (made from pork bellies), frozen concentrated orange juice, and gold.   

35)   Rachim, Mohamed, and Larry.

36)   24.

37)   A small miserable mining town Louis has probably never heard of.

38)   $42,000.

39)   3 more years.

40)   Five figures, or at least $10,000.

41)   Muffy, Margaret, Susan, and Constance.

42)   Harry, Andrew, and Phillip.

43)   A Rochefoucauld.  Which is a fictional brand.

44)   $6955, and $50.  To be fair, Louis didn't have the receipt for it.

45)   Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Rome, and Gstaad.

46)   One, Russian wheat isn't going to be as bad as everybody thinks, two, (we don't hear what Valentine and the others are saying for a moment), and three, judging from the jewels around his girlfriend's neck, he'll need every penny he's got to keep her happy.

47)   The check is dated December 24th, 1982.  Although the movie continues a bit into January of 1983.

48)   Marijuana joints, pills, quaaludes, valium, yellow ones, red ones, a cocaine grinder and drug needles.

49)   The parking garage in the Hilton Hotel, Parking Level D, Section 4, which is the Orange Section.

50)   Harvey.

51)   "Will," which is the autobiography of G.Gordon Liddy.

52)   Respectively, Lionel Joseph, Nanga Eboko, Inga, and Coleman is an unnamed Irish priest.

53)   Gold, silver, platinum, heating oil, propane, cocoa, sugar, cotton, and, of course, frozen concentrated orange juice.

54)   102.

55)   142.

56)   29.

57)   $394,000,000.  Which, clearly, the Dukes can't pay.

58)   Demitri.

59)   Surprisingly, it's not either of her famous actor parents, Tony Curtis or Janet Leigh.  It was her sister Kelly Curtis, who played Muffy--one of the 4 women at the racket club.  Who I think only says, "And she stepped on the ball."

60)   The optimistic theory is that once Winthorpe became rich again, he was able to hire a talented lawyer.  Who maybe got the D.A. to drop the charges, since the drugs were so clearly planted.  And/or, perhaps Winthorpe and co. bribed the same cop again, to say he was mistaken or to "lose" the evidence.  As for the embezzlement charges from Duke & Duke, maybe since they're bankrupt and homeless they didn't follow up on these charges, and they were dropped.  Or Winthorpe's good lawyer challenged this obvious setup, and got them dropped for that reason.  As for the theft charges at the club, Clarence Beaks went missing, so maybe this screwed up that case.  Or, more pessimistically, Winthorpe went on the lam, and is currently in a place that won't extradite him back to the U.S.  And I know, I'm reading too much into this--we wanted a happy ending.  I'm just looking for the in-universe explanation.

 

 

  

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--An "Adorable" Dairy-Free Frozen Dessert

      Originally I was going to discuss and rate two kinds of non-dairy frozen desserts.  Alas, after checking into it, one of my potential choices wasn't new--I'd already covered the So Delicious company's wares back on April 24th, 2023, about yogurts.  So, it'll just be one product today--the Cuties from the Tofutti company, based out of New Jersey.

     The Tofutti company was founded by David Mintz.  Mintz, who'd been born in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg, had been the proprietor of a Kosher restaurant called Mintz's Buffet.  While at this establishment, Mintz wanted to help out his Kosher customers who required non-dairy substitutes.  Mintz recalled the tofu he'd first tried from Chinatown in the early 1970's, and developed non-dairy items using this as a base.  In 1981 Mintz made the manufacturing of these new products his main business.  Currently Tofutti makes dairy-free versions of cream cheese, sour cream, dips, cheese slices, ricotta, and frozen desserts.  If you're curious, and/or have specialized dietary needs or food allergies, all Tofutti wares lack dairy (including byproducts) and eggs.  Any lactic acid used comes from vegetables, and not animal sources.  Sesame and coconut are also absolutely not utilized.  However, some Tofutti wares do have wheat and gluten, and some also contain peanuts and tree nuts.  Notably, all of their products have soy, tofu, and corn.  And sugar, although this is not processed with bone char.  (I didn't know what this meant, so I looked it up.  Some (most?) sugar gets its bleached white color from being filtered through incinerated cow bones.)  As you might have already guessed from the references to Kosher consumables, Mintz was Jewish, and apparently very devout.  He contributed to many Jewish charities.  He passed only a few years ago, in February of 2021, at the age of 89.

Tofutti Cuties, vanilla flavor:  These are mock ice cream sandwiches, or chocolate "bread" pieces enclosing a vanilla ice cream filling.  They were about half the size of a typical ice cream sandwich, being only about 7 cm. by 4.5 cm. (about 2.75 inches by 2 inches), rectangular in shape.  And they tasted like....regular ice cream sandwiches.  The chocolate outer halves were tasty, and the inner "ice cream" was very good as well.  So these were a triumph, a more than competent imitation of a familiar treat.  They did have a slightly different aftertaste, but this was only slight.  If you like ice cream but are looking for a substitute, for religious, moral, or health reasons, these Cuties are a very good choice.  And even if you still enjoy dairy, but want to eat a bit healthier sometimes without sacrificing the flavor, there's also good.  I'll have to seek out some other flavors of Cuties, or other Tofutti products to see how they are.

     Just as a preview, I will be doing another movie quiz next week.  Not shockingly, it will be associated with Christmas.  More in the "Die Hard" sense--as in it's set at Christmas time, but it doesn't really incorporate Christmas themes in the plot or anything.  See you next week.

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A "Revolting" Candy

      Several months ago, I saw a dramatic candy.  It was labeled "Rotten," with a monstrous character on the front label, who had a mohawk, hideous bulging eyes, and very sharp teeth.  The candy itself was gummy worms, to be exact.  Anyway, it will surprise no regular readers that I picked some of this candy up at once.  Specifically, I bought the original gummy worms, and then some sour gummy worms, from the Rotten brand, based out of Santa Monica, California.

     Like some other products--the one that springs to mind is Dr. McGillicuddy from the booze of the same name (see my recent post on August 23rd, 2025 for more info on that brand), Rotten's "creator" is fictitious.  Only this time it's much easier to tell this.  Allegedly, Rotten gummy candy is made by a Doctor Rufus P. Rotten, who along with his clones has developed a candy which can "release your freak in a flash."  If you go by the official company website, that's all you get.  However, I read an interview with the actual creator on another website, which is much more mundane and businesslike.  Michael Fisher was a student at Stanford University, who graduated with a degree in management science and engineering.  He was a big fan of gummy candy, but at the same time he wanted to eat in a healthier manner.  To try to solve this contradiction, after graduating Fisher teamed with some food science partners to do some research and development, in 2021.  A Kickstarter project in 2021 was beneficial, and by October of 2023 Rotten was launched.  Fisher was inspired by brand names such as Liquid Death (see my post on April 15th, 2023 for my take on this water brand), as well as late 20th century brands like the Garbage Pail Kids, and Creepy Crawlers.  Meaning he decided that calling a food "rotten" had a reverse, cool kind of cache to it.  He embraced this philosophy across the board.  Among his company merchandise offerings are a line of "un-fresheners."  And if you join the company's club it's called a "slimescription."  But perhaps paradoxically, Rotten candies are healthier than most.  They use 60% less sugar to sweeten their candies, utilizing alternate sweeteners such as monk fruit and allulose.  Furthermore, their wares have more fiber and protein than typical candies, and Rotten avoids using artificial colors, sweeteners, and high fructose corn syrup.

Rotten original gummy worms:  These had a fruity odor.  They were shaped like traditional gummy worms, or worm-shaped.  They were multi-hued, being either orange-yellow, black and red, or red and green.  They were about 1.75 inches long (about 4.5 cm.).  The texture was chewy.  The outer colors didn't seem to affect the taste, as all of them seemed identical.  The flavor was fruity, but not extremely so.  I would have preferred a stronger taste.  Overall then, they were disappointing.  I guess I could really tell that they had less sugar than a typical, better-tasting gummy.

Rotten sour gummy worms.  These were the same size, shape, and color schemes as the previous.  The only difference was that these worms were shiny, and dusted with powder.  They were also noticeably sticky to the touch.  The flavor was improved from the original ones.  Nicely tart.  Once again, the particular colors of the worms didn't change the taste.  I enjoyed these.  In conclusion then, I would recommend the sour worms, but wouldn't recommend the originals.  But I did appreciate the morbid artwork and character, though.

     Rotten did receive some blowback from other "Big Gummy" competitors.  Rotten has reportedly gotten some threatening letters from Nerds, through their parent company Ferrara.  Although, since gummy candy isn't unique, nothing apparently came of this--it appears to have been an empty threat.  Moving on, according to its official company website, I was amused to read that Rotten candy does cause some side effects--namely, "neon tongue" and "uncontrollable spewing of slime."  Clearly this is a joke, but I like that type of levity in a world where businesses are usually much more paranoid about lawsuits and such.  For the record, after eating the Rotten worms I did spew some slime, but it was only in moderate amounts, and very much under my control.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Couple of Prebiotic Sodas

      When it comes to beverages, my intake is very limited.  I basically drink three things--water, beer, and Powerade Zeroes.  I'm particularly opposed to sodas/soft drinks--I haven't regularly had them in well over a decade.  There is one caveat, though--I do try a few exceptions to these big three every year.  But really only for blog posts.  Anyway, today's exception is a couple of prebiotic sodas from the Olipop line--their cherry vanilla kind, and their peaches & cream one.

     The Olipop origin story is refreshingly easy to find online, and is detailed and complete.  One of its co-founders, Ben Goodman, was already in the beverage business in the early aughts.  But, by 2008 he wanted to start his own drink business, so he quit his position at a kombucha-making company.  The source I consulted claimed he spent $300,000 of his own money developing his own probiotic drink, utilizing a homemade laboratory and the services of a microbiologist.  (Which implies that Goodman had either saved a substantial nest egg from his previous job(s), and/or he was independently wealthy.)  The result of this was a probiotic drink that Goodman dubbed Obi, and he started marketing it in 2012.  In 2013 Goodman had a fruitful meeting at a coffee shop with David Lester, which concluded with Lester becoming a business partner.  Alas, Obi never really was successful, so by 2016 the pair decided to sell it, for an undisclosed amount.  Goodman and Lester then founded Olipop in 2018, using $100,000 they'd gotten from the Obi sale.  Setting up in Oakland, California, Olipop's initial line was three flavors--cinnamon cola, strawberry vanilla, and ginger lemon.  Their territory in the early days was Northern California, but once they made deals with the mammoth Target and Walmart chains their drinks were available across the U.S.  Periodically Olipop gets funding from outside investors, including several celebrities in 2022.  These were actress Gwyneth Paltrow, writer/actress Mindy Kaling, and musicians the Jonas Brothers.  As of August of 2025 Olipop reportedly has 373 employees, which is much more precise than the numbers I usually discover online.  Somewhat unusually for a soft drink, because of its ingredients Olipop sodas need to be refrigerated constantly.  If you didn't know the distinction, probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that (hopefully) live in human digestive systems.  Prebiotics are what these bacteria feed on.  So, Olipop's key ingredients are the meals for the "good bugs" that help folks digest food efficiently.  Finally, the name for this company is a portmanteau of the beginning of the prebiotic fiber oligosaccharide and "pop," (which means soda/soft drink).

Olipop soft drink, peaches & cream flavor:  This had a fruity odor, and a light yellow color.  The taste was good--both peachy and creamy.  Not an intensely strong flavor, but not bland, either.  Solid, but not great.  If you're looking for a healthier soda alternative, this seems to be a good choice.  So I'd give it a slight recommend. 

Olipop soft drink, cherry vanilla flavor:  This offering had no real odor, and a deep red color.  The taste was decent--I could detect both the cherry and vanilla flavors.  So it was similar to the previous one--good but not spectacular.  Although it was a bit better than the peaches & cream.  Another slight recommendation.  Also, both of these drinks were much better, calorie-wise, than most sodas, as they only had 45 or 50 calories for a 12 ounce/355 mL can, instead of the typical 150 or more.