Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Canadian Goat Brie

      This one was another find from the alternative ShopRite grocery.  It seems to have a tad more variety than my primary ShopRite.  Or maybe it's just that their choices are slightly different.  Whatever the case, today's selection is a Canadian goat brie cheese, from Woolwich Dairies, out of Orangeville, Ontario.

     Some extremely passionate (or crazy) cheese purists may be quite upset that this cheese is labeled "brie."  Because there are several details that disqualify it.  One, some think that brie has to be made in that particular region of France (formerly called Brie, now called Seine-et-Marne), to actually be "brie."  This is similar to those who claim that bourbon has to be made in Kentucky, or tequila in that place in Mexico, or champagne in that region of France, once more.  Two, traditional brie is made using cow's milk, not goat's.  Three, some may even argue that using milk of a different cream percentage, as is this triple creme kind, also means it's not authentic.  Four, the Woolwich brie is pasteurized, while traditional brie isn't.  Some claim this negatively affects the taste. (Although the advantage is that it severely lessens the chance that the cheese will make you seriously sick, so there's that.)  But, I'm not such a purist, so I'll continue to refer to the Woolwich cheese as brie throughout this post.  In an odd way I'd almost welcome some angry comments about this.

     With that (imagined?) unpleasantness out of the way, let's get into some background for this type of cheese.  Brie is actually very old.  The exact date of its invention isn't known, but it is thought to be sometime in the 7th century, A.D.  Made by the monks at the Priory of Rueil en Brie, which is about 35 miles east of Paris.  At any rate, in 774 the French emperor Charlemagne sampled some, and was quite impressed.  He requested it be regularly delivered to his home, in fact.  It continued to be a favorite of both kings and commoners in France for another millennium.  Although its worldwide popularity only dates back a couple of hundred years.

     Brie is noted for being a soft cheese.  Part of this derives from its brief aging period--on average it's only aged for 4-5 weeks.  There is another variant that's aged for months, or even a year, which is called "black brie."  Black brie has a darker rind color, and a sharper taste.  Because of its softness and lack of aging, brie is susceptible to bacteria, and spoilage.  (I assume black brie is hardier, but probably more delicate than most semisoft or hard cheeses.)

     According to their website, Woolwich Dairy began in 1983, with, "3 family members, a small herd of goats, 10,000 litres of milk, and a simple idea." And then, other online resources provided the names of these folks to be Adizinda Dutra, her son Tony Dutra, and his wife Olga.  I couldn't locate the original company name, but by 1986 it was Nova Cheese, and then switched to Woolwich in 1989 when the Dutras took over a dairy of that name, and just kept it.  Woolwich expanded in popularity over the years, and has won several awards at various cheese competitions.  In 2015 it was acquired by the giant Canadian company Saputo (see my post about kasseri cheese on June 27, 2020 for more information on this behemoth).  In addition to brie, Woolwich also markets other goat milk derived products, such as cheddar, mozzarella, feta, cheese logs, fruit-topped cheese, spreadable cheese, as well as butter and milk.  They also proudly note that their wares are gluten-free, and the company has a zero tolerance for animal cruelty from the 200 local dairy farms that provide milk to them.  Their cheeses are also vegetarian-friendly, since they use a vegetable-based microbial enzyme to make them, instead of the usual animal-derived rennet.  One note of warning, though--the official Woolwich website really enjoys using goat-based puns.

Woolwich Dairy triple creme goat brie cheese:  Had a white rind, and a yellowish-white interior cheese.  The texture was typical for brie--very soft and spreadable.  I had some on crackers, and some plain.  Both ways it was excellent.  Creamy, yet a little tangy too.  Because the rind is edible I eat that too.  I really can't compliment this cheese enough--it was spectacular.  Also, I didn't notice much of a difference between this and cow's milk brie.  Maybe I couldn't even in a blind taste test.  Anyway, I doubt there's many bad ways to eat this.  If you like brie, I think you'll probably enjoy this too.  Highest recommendation.

Extremely Difficult Trivia about "Ghostbusters" (1984)

      Today I'm back to a trivia quiz about another extremely popular movie, "Ghostbusters."  The original 1984 one, which in my humble opinion is the only film in the series worth watching.  (Maybe "Ghostbusters:  Afterlife," due out this November, will change my mind, but I'm not optimistic.)  Anyway, as always, these are very detailed questions, so don't feel bad if you don't know the answers to most of them.  Also, obviously there are SPOILERS to the movie.  I'll ask the questions first, and then have the answers below, in case you want to write your guesses down.  Additionally, "Ghostbusters" has had several sequels, and it's also been made into television shows, comic books, etc.  All the trivia presented here is only from the movie itself, no other medium.  So here we go.

Questions:

1)   What building houses the office/lab for Dr. Venkman, Dr. Stanz, and Dr. Spengler?

2)   There is a graffiti message written in red on the door to this office/lab.  What does it say?

3)   What is the stated purpose of the test that Venkman is running with the two students?

4)   How has the female student, Jennifer, performed on the test so far?  Both Venkman's claim, and what we the audience have seen.

5)   How much are the students being paid for participating in the experiment?

6)   There is a picture of a famous person by the door to the office/lab.  Who is it?

7)   According to Ray, how many people witnessed the ghost at the library?

8)   Before they investigate the library, what paranormal event does Ray say he's witnessed?

9)   What is the name of the library administrator?

10)  What's the name of the librarian who we see witnessing the ghost?

11)  In response to Venkman's question about mental illness in the family, the librarian says her uncle thought he was a famous person?  Who was it?

12)  What does the symmetrical book stacking remind Egon and Ray of?

13)  What is the room number of Egon, Ray, and Peter's office/lab?

14)  According to Egon, just the interest payments alone for the next five years on Ray's parent's thrice-mortgaged house will come to what dollar amount?

15)  What is the stated reason for Louis Tully's upcoming party?

16)  What is Dana Barrett's apartment number?

17)  What is the Ghostbusters' phone number?

18)  How much did Ray pay for the Ghostbusters' vehicle (the Ectomobile)?

19)  What does Janine the receptionist say her hobbies are?

20)  And what does Egon say his hobbies are?

21)  Name the three occult/paranormal reference books mentioned throughout the movie.

22)  The Ghostbusters' first job is at what business?

23)  Where does the gluttonous green ghost that resides there appear most of the time?

24)  How much do the Ghostbusters charge for removing this ghost?

25)  What married entertainment couple both have credited roles in the movie?

26)  Besides one of the people asked about in the previous question, what 3 people play themselves in the movie, and are listed in the credits?

27)  During the montage showing the Ghostbusters becoming famous and successful, what 2 newspapers are shown carrying stories about them?

28)  Also during the montage, what 3 magazines printing Ghostbusters articles are shown?

29)  What is the name of the dance club that the Ghostbusters cleanse of a poltergeist, and then stay to party at?

30)  According to Venkman, when were Gozer, Zuul, et. al. first worshipped?

31)  Who worshipped them?

32)  According to Venkman, what field is his doctorate in?

33)  In Egon's analogy, how big is the Twinkie representing the current amount of spiritual energy in the New York City area?

34)  In lieu of Tylenol or Excedrin, what painkiller does Louis keep on hand?

35)  Just before all Hell breaks loose at Louis's party, what is the name of the couple that arrives, and are introduced to everyone?

36)  Outside what famous restaurant does Louis get attacked, and possessed, by the Terror Dog?

37)  The Gatekeeper, who's possessing Dana, is named Zuul.  What is the name of the Keymaster, who possesses Louis?

38)  What is the address of Dana and Louis's apartment building?

39)  According to the Keymaster, what two forms has Gozer taken before?

40)  What structural oddities were used to build Dana's building, in order to attract and concentrate spiritual energy?

41)  What Bible verse does Ray recall, while talking to Winston?

42)  Who was the architect for Dana's building?

43)  What is EPA employee Walter Peck's theory about how the Ghostbusters' business plan works?

44)  What is the Mayor's name?

45)  What is the Archbishop's name?

46)  During the final encounter, a police car rolls into a giant hole that erupts in front of Dana's building.  What precinct is it from?

47)  Where does Ray reminisce about eating Stay Puft marshmallows as a kid?

48)  What is Winston's salary?  (He states it near the end.)

49)  We hear 5 titles for Gozer in the movie.  Name them.

50)  We see four individual ghosts in the movie.  Describe them.  (I'm not counting Gozer and his minions, nor the beams of spiritual energy/light that fly out of the Ghostbusters' headquarters and soar around the city.)

51)  Which singer/musician appears briefly at a birthday party held in the restaurant where Louis gets attacked and possessed?  (This person is uncredited, but it seems to be legitimate.)

52)  As for product placement, who won the Coke/Pepsi war for this movie?

53)  Why does Venkman bring at least 300 ccs of Thorazine to a business meeting/dinner date?

Answers:

1)   Weaver Hall.

2)   "Venkman Burn in Hell."

3)   The effects of negative reinforcement on ESP ability.

4)   He claims she's guessed a perfect 5 out of 5.  Although we see her go 0 for 2.

5)   $5.  Which the male student refuses, as he leaves the test early.

6)   A pinup of Marilyn Monroe.

7)   10.

8)   An undersea, unexplained, mass sponge migration.

9)   Roger Delacorte.

10)  Alice.

11)  St. Jerome.  Reportedly the patron saint of libraries.

12)  The Philadelphia mass turbulence of 1947.

13)  205A, according to what's printed on the door.

14)  $95,000.

15)  It's to celebrate Louis's 4th anniversary of being an accountant.

16)  2206.

17)  555-2368.

18)  $4,800.

19)  Reading and racquetball.

20)  Collecting spores, molds, and fungus.

21)  Spates Catalog, Tobin's Spirit Guide, the Roylance Guide.

22)  The Sedgewick Hotel.

23)  The 12th floor.

24)  $5,000.  $4,000 for entrapping the ghost, and $1,000 for proton charging and storage of the ghost.

25)  Casey and Jean Kasem.  Casey's role is a voice one as himself--he's most noted for his radio countdown shows.  Jean is the tall blonde who briefly dances with Louis at his party.  She's arguably best known for playing Loretta Tortelli on television's "Cheers," and later on the spinoff series "The Tortellis."

26)  Journalists/hosts Roger Grimsby, Joe Franklin, and Larry King.

27)  The USA Today and the New York Post.

28)  Time, Omni, and The Atlantic.

29)  The Rose.

30)  6,000 B.C.

31)  The Sumerians, Mesopotamians, and the Hittites.

32)  He claims he earned 2 Ph. D's, in parapsychology and psychology.

33)  35 feet long, and weighing approximately 600 pounds.

34)  Acetylsalicylic acid.  The generic kind.  (This is just a more scientific name for aspirin.)

35)  Ted and Annette Fleming.

36)  Tavern on the Green, which was located within Central Park.

37)  Vinz Clortho.

38)  550 Central Park West.  (The street is mentioned several times, and you can see the number briefly at the very end.  By the way, the real number of this building is 55 Central Park West.)

39)  A large and moving Torb, and a giant Sloar.

40)  The roof cap is made from a magnesium-tungsten alloy, and its made with cold-riveted girders with cores of pure selenium.

41)  Revelation 7:12.  (Actually Ray is misremembering, as the verse that features the opening of the sixth seal is really Revelation 6:12.)

42)  Ivo Shandor, who was also a homicidal surgeon and Gozer worshipper.

43)  Peck thinks the Ghostbusters use sense and nerve gases to give people hallucinations, so people think they're seeing ghosts.  Then the Ghostbusters remove the "ghosts" using a fake electric light show.

44)  In the movie we only hear his (presumed) first name, Lennie, from the archbishop.  So his full first name is probably Leonard.  It's also not listed in the credits.  However, other entertainment media provide his last name as "Clotch," probably mocking real life NYC mayor Ed Koch.

45)  As with the mayor, we only hear his apparent first name, familiarized--Mike.

46)  The 41st.

47)  Camp Wokanda.

48)  $11,500 per year.

49)  The Gozerian, the Traveler, the Destructor, Volguus Zildrohar, and the Lord of the Sebouillia.

50)  The library ghost (presumably a deceased librarian), the gluttonous green blob, later named "Slimer," an unnamed spirit who emerges from the subway entrance, and the unnamed spirit who forms into a zombie shape and then (badly) drives the taxi cab.

51)  Debbie Gibson, best known as a teen singer in the late 1980's.

52)  Clearly Coca-Cola, since we see many Coke cans, and at least one Diet Coke can, and a couple other sodas from their corporation, like Sprite and Tab.

53)  There's no non-creepy answer to this one!  The 80's were a different time.

 

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Another Peanut Butter Flavored Whiskey

         I needed some new blog fodder, so I went back to the Buy Rite liquor store, which is located in the same shopping center as the alternate ShopRite grocery.  A few months ago it paid dividends with Kijafa (see my post on June 5th, 2021), and this time it paid off even better.  I was able to pick up three new liquors to try.  Today's is Skrewball Whiskey, which is peanut butter flavored.  This means this post is actually a sequel of sorts, since back on December 19, 2020 I covered another peanut butter whiskey, from the 99 brand.

     But first, a history digression.  As far as I could learn, the first peanut butter flavored alcoholic drink, or at least the first one to gain even marginal national popularity, was Peanut Lolita, from Continental Distilling, out of Linfield, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia).  The details were vague, but this liqueur was produced from the 1960's to (apparently) 1985.  Peanut Lolita was billed as a quasi-dessert liquor--one print advertisement I saw for it recommended it be poured over ice cream.  In fact, ne'er-do-well Presidential brother Billy Carter, also known for being the inspiration for and spokesman for the flop specialty Billy Beer, was also a spokesman for Peanut Lolita for a time.  Which makes sense when you remember that the Carter family was known for being peanut farmers.  Despite it being available for about 15-20 years, and its "celebrity" endorser, Peanut Lolita seems to have been a niche, cult drink at best.  And the story gets worse.  One of the main facilities where it was made also made industrial chemicals, which apparently weren't handled or disposed of carefully enough, as the site became a Superfund hazardous waste cleanup project after the plant closed.  Even though Peanut Lolita was only a modest success, other distilleries have attempted their own peanut butter flavored alcoholic beverages since.  Such as Van Gogh Vodka, Castries Creme (which is rum-based), and NutLiquor (another vodka, and who obviously went with the incredibly obvious double entendre product name).  And just googling "peanut butter whiskey" I was presented with several more--Sheep Dog, Sqrrl (not a typo), Skatterbrain, Blind Squirrel, and Ole Smoky (which won a reported 10 awards at whiskey competitions as of November, 2020).

     Which leads to the subject of today's post, Skrewball Whiskey, made by Skrewball Spirits.  Unlike some of my recent post topics, the official Skrewball website has a fair bit of background information about the company's founders.  (Also some of their employees--it's quite informative.)  They are a wife and husband team, Brittany Merrill Yeng and Steven Yeng.  Steven is both a Cambodian refuge and a polio survivor.  He also owned several bar/restaurants in Ocean Beach, California, and in surrounding areas.  Meanwhile Brittany has a Master's Degree in chemistry, and a law degree.  She spent years as a pharmaceutical patent lawyer.  In an interview, Brittany said that Steven's favorite food is peanut butter, and he has a long history of putting it on and in just about every consumable.  Therefore, it's not shocking that he experimented with creating a peanut butter flavored whiskey, which he then served at his establishments.  When this proved popular, he and Brittany decided to sell it commercially.  So in 2018 Skrewball Spirits was born, based out of San Diego, with the Skrewball peanut butter whiskey being its sole product.  Those with peanut allergies should take note--Skrewball's flavor does not come from artificial means--actual peanuts are put into the drink, so it's not safe for them to have it.  

Skrewball Whiskey:  Has a strength of 70 proof, or 35% alcohol content.  The color was brown, and it had a distinct peanut butter odor.  The taste was shockingly good.  I don't like whiskey in general, and about the only format during which I enjoy it is combined with other ingredients in a mixed drink.  But this was very good on its own.  Probably because it didn't really taste like whiskey, but instead kind of like peanut butter juice, or something.  The peanut flavor was very strong.  So I was very pleasantly surprised by this.  I went in expecting to hate or dislike it, but I really enjoyed it.  I would definitely have this again.  Neat take on a drink style I normally avoid.

     I was curious about what other folks think about Skrewball, especially whiskey fans.  (Also, people in Europe usually spell it "whisky," and I'll use both spellings from here on out.)  And from what I read online its reputation is decidedly mixed.  One website noted that it's especially polarizing--people tend to either really love it or hate it.  Another one, Whisky Monster, was quite critical.  It mentioned that first of all, Skrewball isn't technically a whisky, since purists maintain strict rules for this spirit that Skrewball doesn't follow.  For example, Skrewball's alcohol content is 35%, and to the purists a whisky has to be at least 40%.  The website gave it a very poor rating overall.  It seems that the big whisky aficionados tend to dislike whiskies that are flavored in general, as far as I can tell. (By that I mean flavored with anything other than that imparted by the wooden aging container, or the type of fermented grain itself.)  So adding peanut butter flavor is probably seen as gimmicky, lame, and too bizarre.  Perhaps Skrewball Whiskey, and other flavored ones, are seen as the whiskies for people who don't like "real" whiskies.  Which, to be fair, perfectly describes me.  Whisky purists are free to make fun of me, and my apparent inferior palate.  To sum up, it you don't like regular whiskies as a rule, but do like peanut butter, I'd emphatically recommend Skrewball to you.  But if you are a big regular whisky fan, you might find it too sweet, to non-whisky-like for your taste.

     Finally, if for whatever reason you're motivated to start making your own commercially sold peanut butter flavored whiskey, I hope you come up with a brand name that doesn't include "squirrel" (of any spelling), or a name which starts with "s" but you then replace the following "c" with a "k."  The quota for these has been reached, I think.  Be a little more creative!  

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Various Snacks From Universal Munchies

      This was a new experience.  For the first time, a company reached out to me about their products, via email.  They mentioned that they saw that I often discuss exotic snacks, which is just what they handle.  This company, Universal Munchies, is a New York City-based "middle man," so to speak.  It acquires foods and drinks from other companies, often foreign ones, and then sells them to customers.  I took a look at their website, and indeed, it was right up my alley--foreign foods, or odd, regional flavors of American products.  Therefore, I placed an order, and here we are.  Full disclosure, Universal Munchies did give me a promo code that knocked a chunk off the price.

     The countries represented by Universal Munchies are many--they import edibles and drinkables from Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, Turkey, Germany, and the U.K.  And, like I said, some of these things aren't imported, but are instead brought in from different isolated sections of the U.S.  When you look at the product list on their website you see a lot of big famous brands, largely American-based--Mountain Dew, KitKat, Oreos, Doritos, Lays, and Fanta, to name some.  I wasn't able to learn much about the company's background online--only that the founders are two guys who started the company in their 20's, while on summer break from college (or "university" for my British or Australian readers).  They reportedly discovered exotic flavors of snacks, candies, and drinks while on their international family vacations, and seek to introduce them to new consumers.  Additionally, I was struck by their prices, which are a bit high.  The Frequently Asked Questions section on their website acknowledges this, and provides an explanation--the cost of importing, shipping, distribution, and customs fees of their products is the cause of this.

     As for the companies whose products I sampled, some of these are very familiar to me, and some are new.  Nestle is obviously a monster in the food game, as is the maker of Lay's potato chips--Frito Lay.  (For more info on Frito Lay, check my post about pork rinds/chicharrones  on March 13, 2021.)  Otherwise, Yupi, or PT Yupi Indo Jelly Gums, is an Indonesian-based confectionary company.  It exports to the Middle East, Europe, Australia, Asia, and North America.  Alternate flavors of their gummies include Dino Land, Fang, Mummy, Aquarium, Lunch, Lips, and Burger.  Presumably some or all of these refer to the shape of the candy, and not the actual flavor of, say, an ancient preserved corpse.  They also sometimes partner up with the final confectionary brand represented today, Trolli.  Trolli, a brand of the Trolli GmbH company, is based in Germany.  It was started in 1948 by Willy Mederer, as a pasta making business named Mederer GmbH.  However, when wartime sugar rationing was lifted, the company switched to making candy instead.  The Trolli brand began in 1975.  Like Yupi, this brand sometimes has creative, unusual flavors and shapes.  One of these was a little too "out there," though.  In 2004 Trolli introduced a road kill-themed gummy, consisting of snakes, squirrels, and chickens with tire tracks on them.  Protests caused this line to be discontinued in 2005.  As with Yupi's wacky flavors, I'm assuming that the road kill gummies only had the appearance of splattered, rotting animal carcasses.  

Lays potato chips, scallop garlic butter flavor, sold in Thailand:  These were orange in color, and ribbed.  And they were good--the garlic and scallop flavors were evident, and a decent pairing.  This probably seems like a weird flavor to Americans (and others?), but it worked.  The scallop taste in particular was almost an after taste, and kind of built up on me.

Lays potato chips, salted egg flavor, sold in Thailand:  The chips were yellow, and were smooth--not ribbed.  And the flavor was solid.  Odd, but evidently egg flavor works as a chip.  It had a nice spice bite, too--not too overpowering, but enough to make it interesting.  This flavor seemed bizarrely random to me, but I can't really argue with the result.

Yupi gummy pizzas, sold in Thailand:  These gummies looked like, of course, tiny little slices of pizza, triangles of about 1.25 inches (about 3 cm.) to a side.  The base color was yellow, with red, orange, pink, and green "toppings" on them, mimicking pepperoni, etc.  The taste was mediocre--mostly fruity.  So not great, but not bad, either.  I did enjoy the shape, and look, and appreciate its weirdness.  Although part of me almost wishes these gummies completed the illusion and actually tasted like a pizza.  A savory gummy would be a bold choice.  (Probably terrible, but bold!)

Trolli gummy worms, sold in Thailand:  These looked like typical gummy worms, a long thin worm-like shape, about 3 cm. (about 1.25 inches) long.  There were three color pairings--red/yellow, pink/blue and orange/green, with some whitish powder dusting on the outside.  As it turns out, each color type tasted the same.  And this flavor was really good, nicely sour.  I'd have to rate these as superior sour worm gummies.

Nestle crunch nuts wafer, sold in Malaysia:  Came in two halves, with the pieces being 6 cm. by 2.5 cm. (or about 2.25 inches by 1 inch).  Brown, lumpy, exterior (due to rice bits?).  Layered inside, with a thin yellow wafer layer, and then chocolate.  Rice-y taste.  Similar to a regular Nestle Crunch bar, or a regular KitKat, I suppose.  So good.  Not especially strange or anything, but a nice chocolate candy.

     Overall, then, my experience with these treats from Universal Munchies was a positive one.  If you're an ex-pat longing for a taste of home, or just like trying new and different flavors of typical brands, you might want to check them out.  Finally, the delivery was quicker than the prediction--I was informed it would take 8-10 business days, but it only took 4 days (which were business days).  Granted, I'm fairy close to New York City, but still, I was impressed.   Their website is just what you'd think it would be---universalmunchies.com

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Indian/New Jerseyan Cookies

     This was yet another find from the alternate ShopRite grocery in my general, but not immediate area.  Which, as I covered before, was worth visiting, since it did have some culinary nuggets that my more local ShopRite does not.  Anyway, I tried three kinds of cookies/biscuits from the Sherwood company--their Danish butter cookies, their Kingsland chocolate wafer rolls, and their Kingsland vanilla wafer rolls.

     Alas, I wasn't able to find out much about the manufacturer in question.  Sherwood does have an official website, but it's basically limited to product lists, a "contact us" link, and a very brief mission statement.  I did utilize their email address to try to learn more about them, but I haven't heard back yet.  (I'll update this if/when they do reply.)  Therefore, all I can tell you is that they have offices in the towns of New Brunswick and Roselle in New Jersey.  The labels on their cookie containers all clearly state that they're made in India, however.  I couldn't find out where, or if this baking is done in Sherwood facilities, or if these are other companies which work in conjunction with Sherwood.  As for their products, Sherwood is noted for its chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, wafer rolls, butter cookies, butterfly pastries, nut clusters, fudge, and line of cappuccinos.  Another website claims that the company has 10 employees, and had a recent annual gross of $1,790.000.00.  (I'm guessing this total of 10 employees does not include the workers that actually make the cookies in India.)  Also, this alternate website says that Sherwood's CEO is a guy named Steve Deusch.  (At the risk of being juvenile, it must have been rough growing up with a surname like that--he must have been teased about that regularly.)  And that's it--other online mentions were just cookie sellers who carried Sherwood products, or reviews of the same. 

     I did get some history of the Danish butter cookie, luckily.  Which goes by a few other names, such as sweet biscuit, sable (mainly in France), and brysslkex (in Sweden).  The exact inventor(s) and origin place is a bit murky, though.  Given how simple the basic ingredients of the cookie are (flour, butter, sugar) folks have presumably been making versions of it for thousands of years.  One website claimed that it was being made in Denmark as early as 1100.  The sable, the French version, can be dated back to at least 1670, in the community of Sable-sur-Sarthe.  By the 1800s, the cookie was being made very commonly in Denmark, typically in peoples' individual home kitchens.  One major Danish commercial manufacturer, Kjeldsen's, starting marketing Danish butter cookies in 1933.  Another Danish brand, arguably the most popular, is Royal Dansks, which has been selling these treats since 1966.  Whatever their exact history, or what title they are called, these cookies are avidly consumed around much of the world.  In North America and Europe they are often associated with the Christmas season.  Meanwhile, in China, the cookies are often eaten to help celebrate the New Year.  Some Danish butter cookies can be a bit bland in their basic form, so it's not uncommon for flavoring to be added, such as vanilla and chocolate.  Other than the holiday seasons I previously mentioned, these cookies are also enjoyed as snacks, sometimes at school, for breakfast, at afternoon tea, or crushed up and mixed in with certain cakes.

Sherwood Danish delights butter cookies:  These were yellowish-brown in color, and came in five shapes, which were all flat--round, round with scalloped edges, rectangular, pretzel-shaped, and kind of an incomplete bagel shape.  Each was about 4 cm. by 4 cm., or about 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches.  The taste of all five was the same, and all were crunchy and powdery.  And this taste was rather mediocre.  Butter cookies aren't my favorite type, so there's that.  But these were just "meh" or average even by the standards of this variety, in my opinion.  So if you're big into butter cookies these might dazzle you, but otherwise you'll probably just think they're okay.

Sherwood Kingsland wafer rolls, chocolate flavor:  These were twisted rods, about 4.5 inches (about 11 cm.) long, and about .25 inch in diameter (or about .5 cm.), with a dark brown color.  The flavor was chocolate-y, obviously, and they were crunchy in texture.  Decent, but not as strong a taste as I would have preferred.  So solid, but not great.

Sherwood Kingsland wafer rolls, vanilla flavor:  These wafer rolls were the same size and shape as their chocolate kin, only they were whitish in color.  And they tasted similar to typical vanilla wafers, only in a different shape.  However, they were a touch sweeter and creamier than most vanilla wafers.  Which made them very good, these stood out.  So they were a superior cookie, which I'll definitely be interested in buying again, the pick of this litter of three by far.

     It's been my experience in general that European cookies/biscuits sometimes come across as bland to my "ugly American" taste buds.  This could be said about the Danish butter cookies, and maybe the chocolate wafer rolls to an extent.  But not the vanilla wafer rolls--they were bold, and wonderful.