Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Alternative (Milk-less) Yogurts

      I've done previous posts about non-dairy "milks" (see my posts on June 16, 2018 and April 25, 2020), and non-dairy "cheeses" (check the November 28, 2020 one), so I thought I'd tackle non-dairy yogurts.  I guess after today's post, the only item in the genre left would be non-dairy "ice creams," if such a thing exists.  And all of these despite the fact that I'm still not lactose intolerant, nor did I abruptly become vegan.  Anyway, I tried the strawberry flavor almond milk yogurt from Silk, the mixed berry flavor oat yogurt from Silk's Oat Yeah, and the salted caramel cluster coconut milk yogurt from So Delicious.

     I thought I was being diverse with the companies I chose, only to find out that was a crock, since ultimately all of these are now owned by one giant business.  With that informational tidbit, Silk was started as a brand of WhiteWave Foods, which was founded by Steve Demos, in Boulder, Colorado back in 1977.  WhiteWave started using soy and tofu as the non-diary bases, but over the decades it branched out to include almonds, oats, coconut, and cashews as the main sources.  In addition to non-dairy yogurts, Silk also makes non-dairy milks and creamers.  They are proudly vegan-appropriate, and free of all lactose and casein, and the calcium comes from limestone, not animal sources.  Some of their wares do contain nuts, obviously, and the oat ones, among others, clearly contain gluten.  WhiteWave was owned by Deans Foods between 2002-13, but in 2017 they were bought out by Danone.  More on that firm in a bit.

     So Delicious was begun in Eugene, Oregon in 1987 by Mark Brawerman.  Like Silk, all of their products are dairy-free.  They also use coconut, soy, cashews, and almonds to replicate milk.  As such, once again, some of their products contain gluten, and nuts.  Also, somewhat surprisingly, some ingredients have GMOs.  Alternate So Delicious products include beverages, frozen desserts, melting shredded "cheeses," and creamers.  In 2014 So Delicious was acquired by WhiteWave.  And, as you know, three years later WhiteWave was then acquired by Danone.

     Danone is by far the oldest of these companies, starting way back in 1919, in Barcelona, Spain.  Founder Isaac Carasso was a doctor by training, and he wanted to improve the health of Spain's children especially, since they often had intestinal disorders.  (And let's be real, he also wanted to make money, as he was running a business.)  So he started making and marketing yogurt to pharmacies.  He named his company Danone, which means "Little David," after his son.  Danone moved its headquarters around several times--going to Paris, France for a while, then New York, in the U.S., and then back to Paris.  They changed their brand name to "Dannon" in the U.S., thinking this new title sounded more American.  Danone also owned cheese manufacturing brands, and even Kronenbourg beer for a time, but not anymore.  But the company also bought out many other yogurt brands/companies, aside from the two I already mentioned.  Danone is HUGE--it currently employs over 100,000 people, operates plants in over 55 countries, and exports to over 120 countries.  So, when it comes to buying yogurt, it's rather challenging to find brands that aren't owned by them.  And even if they're not now, chances are they'll be bought up eventually.

1) Silk's Oat Yeah oat milk yogurt, mixed berry flavor:  Purple color, no discernable odor.  Weird.  Light and airy, with some berry overtones.  Tart, but not in a good way.  Off putting somehow.  Doesn't resemble actual (dairy) yogurt.  I like oats in general, and in milk form they're good, but this wasn't pleasant.

2) So Delicious, coconut milk yogurt, salted caramel cluster:  This one came in two compartments--the yogurt side, and the pretzel/chocolate piece side.  No particular smell.  The yogurt was white in hue.  It had almost no flavor at all, and it had the odd light and airy texture that the Oat Yeah one had.  (It might have been plain yogurt.)  When I mixed in the pretzel and chocolate chunks, the result was pretty good, as they gave the concoction some much needed taste, and texture.  So plain the yogurt was like light beer, impossibly bland and flavorless, but with the snack and candy put in it, it was alright.  Although I found it kind of a strange pairing, since yogurt is usually considered healthy, and adding in a sugary candy and salty snack seems to offset this idea.

3) Silk almond milk yogurt, strawberry flavor:  Brownish-pink color, and again, no real odor.  The chunks of strawberry were evident, and gave it a lumpy texture.  This one impressed me, as it tasted a lot like regular yogurt.  The strawberries were nice, too.  I don't know if I could tell the difference in a blind taste test.  Maybe it's a tad more sour, but just a smidgen.  Easily my favorite of the bunch.

     I know I only gave each yogurt alternative one container each, but on the other hand, I intentionally chose flavors I usually enjoy.  Based on this admittedly miniscule sample size, I don't think oats make a decent yogurt alternative, and coconut milk yogurt needs a lot of help in the way of mixed-in ingredients.  But almond milk yogurt was quite good.  In the unlikely event I develop a dairy allergy, or decide to go vegan, I think I'll go with the almond milk for my yogurt approximation.  And as always, if/when I try other flavors of any or all of these, I'll add my additional ratings. 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Another Swedish Cookie/Biscuit

      It's been a while since I discussed a biscuit/cookie, so here we are.  The one I'll cover today is Annas Swedish Thins, which are ginger-flavored.  And no, I didn't forget the apostrophe at the end of "Annas"--for some reason the company doesn't use one.  Which kind of bugs me.  But let's move on.

     The roots of the Annas company go back to 1929, in a neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden.  Anna and Emma Karlsson had a home bakery, and started making biscuits and other baked goods.  Their Swedish Thins became hugely popular, and the business took off.  In 1963 Annas was sold to the Mattsson family, and in 2008 it was bought up by Lotus Bakeries, out of Belgium.  I've encountered Lotus before, as they also make Biscoff cookies--see my post on November 2, 2019 for more information.  The Swedish Thins are also known as pepparkaka, which means "gingerbread," or alternately, "spicy biscuits" in Swedish.  Evidently the spice in them used to be literally pepper, but in modern times the biscuits get their bite from ginger and cinnamon.  Annas can be found in about 35 countries around the globe, including Turkey, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, the U.K., Israel, Japan, the Scandinavian countries, and various places in Southeast Asia.  Alternate flavors of their Thins include an orange and almond variety.  Some sources claim the company also makes a cappuccino one--maybe it's seasonal, or new.  For those that care about such things, Annas was selected as an appointed purveyor to the Royal Court of Sweden in 2002, which reportedly is an honor held by only about 130 Swedish firms.  The Frequently Asked Questions section on the Annas website states that their products do not contain milk, eggs, soy, soy lethicin, or trans fats.  But they may contain almonds.  (Especially the Almond Thins, clearly!)

     The history of ginger thins themselves is not conclusively known.  Presumably way more than one chef decided to put some ginger in their biscuit dough at various times in history, so there probably wasn't one true inventor.  With that admitted, there is evidence that they were being made in Germany as of the 1300's.  In Sweden, there's a reference to nuns in Vadstena eating them as of 1444.  The Swedish-Norwegian King Hans (reigned 1497-1501) was assigned ginger thins by his physician to curb his alleged bad temper.  (Note--modern scientific research has not proven that ginger cookies can actually do this, alas.)  By the 1500's or so pepperkaka were beginning to be sold commercially in Sweden.      

Annas Swedish Thins, ginger flavored:  These were a brown color, and roundish in shape, with scalloped edges.  About 6 cm. (about 2.25 inches) in diameter, and very thin, as advertised.  Unfortunately, they were reminiscent of quite a few European cookies/biscuits that I've had over the years, as their taste was bland.  So, as often happens, they weren't bad, but they weren't very good, either.  I really enjoy ginger in general, so I would have liked to taste a nice spicy bite, but these were just kind of dull.  Perhaps it's my "Ugly American" palate again--I seem to prefer my sweets to be very sweet, my sours to be very sour, etc., for flavors to be significant and strong, and not subtle.  Usually, anyway.  

    These cookies are associated with Christmas in Sweden.  Additionally, there's a light-hearted superstition about them.  Supposedly, you should hold one of the biscuits in your hand, and then press on it.  If the cookie breaks into 3 pieces, you are rewarded with a wish.  Sadly, I didn't read about this supernatural power until the box of Annas was finished.  So I guess we'll have to wait at least until my next shopping trip for world peace, Salma Hayek's divorce and then quick remarriage to me, and the Philadelphia Eagles starting their run of 50 straight Super Bowl victories.  And, maybe I'll use one of my wishes to force Annas to start using apostrophes in their name.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Alcoholic Teas, and an Aside About Beaver Butts

      It's occurred to me that regular readers might be a little frustrated with the ratings I give to the foods and drinks I often cover on this blog, in that my average opinion is, well, average.  Many (most?) of the things I try are neither spectacular nor horrific--they're just okay.  Which might get tedious to learn about, I guess.  Not that this will probably stop, though, since I try to be honest about my ratings.  Anyway, I bring this up because today's topic is an exception to this, "it's alright, kind of mediocre" typical assessment.  I tried three cans from the Owl's Brew Boozy Tea series--their white tea/raspberry/watermelon flavor, the Matcha/pineapple/chamomile one, and the Darjeeling tea/hibiscus flower kind.

     First off, on the cans it says their drinks are canned for Double Brew LLC, out of New York, New York.   I couldn't find out much of anything about Double Brew.  So I'm not sure if Owl's Brew is the brand for the overall Double Brew company, or if it's a producer or distributer, or what.  Therefore, I'll just go with discussing it as Owl's Brew, since that's where the information is.  Owl's Brew was started in 2013 by Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield.  The company still seems pretty small, claiming it employs only 12 people.  However, their products are available all across the East Coast of the U.S., along with Arizona and California, so they're not a tiny niche outfit, either.  Aside from the kinds I got, they also make a jasmine/blueberry/lemon variant, and an English breakfast/lemon & lime flavor.  Additionally, Owl's Brew make drink mixes, such as a couple of margaritas, a pina colada, etc.  As with many of the companies I report on, Owl's Brew is super focused on avoiding artificial ingredients of any kind.  Their website included a criticism of the FDA, since they allege that this organization allows ingredients to be billed as "natural flavors" even when they're made from chemicals.  Not shockingly, Ripps and Littlefield are concerned with the relative lack of opportunities for women in the world of business.  Given what I've already mentioned, it's also not surprising that Owl's Brew products are gluten-free, vegan-appropriate, and made using organic teas.  Although the tea leaves used are kosher, the resulting drinks aren't kosher overall, if you follow these rules.  Evidently their drinks have amassed a decent following, as they've won various culinary awards, such as SIPs, Sofis, and BevNets.  Moving on, the founders admit to being "kind of obsessed with hibiscus" (see my post on June 9, 2017 for more information about this flower).  Finally my discussion about the personal anatomy of beavers is in the final paragraph, if you're either intrigued, or put off and repulsed.

1) Owl's Brew Boozy Tea, Darjeeling tea/hibiscus flower flavor:  Like the others, this came in a 12 ounce/355 mL can.  Color was pinkish-red, and I couldn't detect any odor.  No apparent carbonation.  It was awful--cloyingly sweet.  Just terrible.  A bad aftertaste, too, to go along with the bad fore and during tastes.  Didn't taste like the hibiscus flowers I ate previously.  Drain pour, dumped most of it, as I couldn't go on punishing my taste buds.

2) Owl's Brew Boozy Tea, white tea/raspberry/watermelon flavor:  Same size can, and lack of smell.  Little to no (?) carbonation.  Light yellow hue.  Again, awful.  The tea part tasted bad.  Overly fruity, in a negative way.  Usually I like raspberry flavors, but not like this.  Another drain pour.

3) Owl's Brew Boozy Tea, Matcha/pineapple/chamomile flavor:  Same relative lack of odor, and only slight carbonation.  Very pale yellow color.  Maybe slightly better than the others, but still pretty disgusting.  Once again, I typically like pineapple, and things flavored with it, but not this.  Yet another drain pour.

     I stand by my opinions about these Boozy Teas, since they were my honest reactions.  But I do feel a little bad about saying this, since the owners seem to mean well, and I certainly support women having a fairer shot in business, along with supporting civil rights for traditionally oppressed minorities across the board.  And it's true that I'm not a big tea fan in general, so I'm clearly not the target audience.  On the other hand, the iced teas I do enjoy are usually fruit flavored, so there's that.  I should also mention that all of these teas had a 4.8% alcohol content, or about the same as a typical beer. 

     On the official Owl's Nest website, it mentioned that some so-called natural flavors "can come from the butts of beavers."  This caught my attention, so I checked into it a little.  And this is mostly accurate, but there are some issues.  A substance called castoreum has been used in drinks, candies, cakes, ice creams, etc., and it does come from a personal region of a beaver.  But, at the same time, there are several common misconceptions about castoreum.  First off, beavers don't have the same type of plumbing as most mammals, in that they don't have a separate external anus, urethra, and sexual organs.  Instead, their setup is like that of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and a few other mammals, such as the echidna, platypus, tenrecs, and some moles--they have one hole that serves for all of these things, called a cloaca.  So, in essence, they pee and poop out of the same place, and when they get busy the males' genitals emerge out of this same hole, and enter the female's same aperture.  Also, the castoreum does not come from the anal glands, but from a sac that's next to them.  Furthermore, castoreum is sometimes characterized as being used to mimic vanilla and raspberry in cheap, crappy foods.  The opposite is true--castoreum use has dwindled sharply since the 1980's, and now it's rarely used in consumables.  Part of the reason is because it's so expensive to buy and use, since harvesting it is way more labor intensive than buying inexpensive artificial flavors.  Another writer adamantly stated that castoreum does not produce the flavor of vanilla or raspberry in and of itself, but it instead enhances these flavors derived from other sources.  If you want more information on this, I recommend Nadia Berenstein's article in "Vice," and Eric Troy's piece in "Culinary Lore," both of which were online.  The former article had a great line at the end--"Maybe we should all be eating more beaver butts."  In closing, I clearly don't have the same disdain for artificial flavors, etc., that the Owl's Brew ladies do.  For one thing, defining "natural" is kind of difficult, since even the harshest, most complicated to produce chemicals are derived from natural sources at heart, since that's all there is on Earth.  I don't care if something in my consumables is natural or artificial--I only care about its safety, taste, shelf life, and so on.  Lastly, it kind of cracked me up that Owl's Brew is against all non-natural flavors, but is also against the "beaver butt" castoreum.  Isn't something taken directly from an animal the most natural thing of all?  (I'm having some fun here, obviously, but hopefully you get my point.)  There's a bourbon, Eau De Musc, from Tamworth Distilling, that intentionally uses castoreum as an additive.  I'd love to try some, even though I'm not really a bourbon guy. 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Honeysuckle

      This one's a bit unusual, as I didn't ever attain the substance in question from my local supermarket or liquor store, or, indeed, any business at all.  When I was a kid, we had honeysuckle growing on some other foliage, and on our fence, at the rear of our property.  So technically the flowers were probably considered to be on our neighbors' property, but I don't think they cared.  Or if they did, I'm confident that the statute of limitations on stealing nectar has probably passed.

     The over 180 species of what's commonly referred to as "honeysuckle" are native to Asia, Europe, and North America.  However, as of now they can also be found in South America, Africa, and Australia.  In some cases, to an excessive degree, as honeysuckle is considered to be an invasive species.  Meaning it often thrives a little too well in new locations, and out competes native plants, causing them to die from lack of resources.  The reason honeysuckle made it to these new homes is because it has some positive attributes--people usually find its odor to be nice, and it's also good at fighting soil erosion.  Additionally, many animals like to eat it, including such creatures as deer, which makes it easier for hunters to bag them.

    As far as being safe for humans to consume, honeysuckle is hit and miss.  The flowers, leaves, nectar, and berries of some species are edible, and often enjoyed by people.  Some folks eat the leaves in salads, and use the flowers and nectar for jellies, jams, or to make flavored teas.  Honeysuckle is even used as a flavoring agent for wines, and liquors.  Important safety tip, though--whether or not the honeysuckle plant is safe to eat, and which parts of it are so, depends on the species.  And occasionally it's a serious distinction, since some honeysuckle variants are quite poisonous.  So as with, say, mushrooms, make sure you've positively identified the species before you partake.  But it goes further.  In the traditional medicines of both Native Americans and the Chinese, honeysuckle is said to have significant healing and treatment qualities.  It's alleged to help versus sore throats, coughs, headaches, fever, and skin infections.  Or it's used to treat bruises, encourage hair growth, or serve as a contraceptive.  I'll include my usual caveat--none of these have been proven scientifically.  So I'd go with widely available and proven treatments like aspirin, Minoxidil, condoms, etc.. instead.

     It's been around 30 years since I had it, but I did check on some images and descriptions of the various honeysuckle species online.  It appears that I sampled from Lonicera japonica, which as the name suggests, is native to Japan, and some neighboring Far Eastern countries.  This species was introduced to the U.S. in the early 1900's.  It's considered invasive, and annoying, in many parts of America.  I'm not 100% sure of this, but the honeysuckle I ate from had yellow and white, distinctive flowers, which Lonicera japonica has.  Alas, I just checked to see if the honeysuckle on our fence was still there, and it's gone, so I can't check the leaves now, or the flowers and berries when they would appear later in the spring or summer.

Lonicera japonica honeysuckle nectar:  I think it was my mother who taught me and my siblings how to consume honeysuckle nectar.  First you carefully pull a flower off the plant.  Then you pinch off the green tip of the base of the flower, and gently pull.  This causes the inner tendrils to emerge, including a longer, main one.  A drop of nectar should be on that main tendril, and you then touch that to your tongue before it drips off, or seeps down into the flower.  I recall liking it--it had a nice sweet taste.  Something like honey, only less sticky and goop-y.  It was a cool little treat, a pleasant break after a day of running around, playing tag, getting into rock fights, playing with Lawn Darts, and such.  I do recommend it, and I'm inspired to try it again, assuming I can locate any in the area.  I'd be interested in trying things flavored with honeysuckle, too--the jams, jellies, wines, and liquors, and maybe even the leaves in a salad.  But thinking about collecting the honeysuckle nectar is exhausting--talk about labor intensive, since each flower has only a tiny drop!