Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Vietnamese/American Coconut Water

      I'm kind of irritated.  I picked up this container of coconut water because it was made in Vietnam.  I thought I'd discussed coconut water before, years ago.  But I was mistaken.  As I scrolled through all of my posts, I never found any about it.  Apparently I was confusing coconut water with aloe, or cactus flavored drinks.  Whatever the case, coconut water will get its debut today.  Specifically it was from the Goya company, which is based in the U.S.

     Looking through all those past posts, I was reminded that I've featured Goya products many times.  In order of appearance, I talked about Brazilian cookies on May 25, 2016, Spanish cookies on January 6, 2018, pigeon peas on February 10, 2018, sugarcane juice on March 17, 2018, and cuitlacoche on January 30, 2021.  So I won't repeat myself yet again--the first one, in 2016 has the most information about the company itself.

     Coconut water is the clear fluid found inside of the coconut.  It's distinct from coconut "milk," which is a combination of coconut water and grated coconut pulp.  (The pulp is the soft whitish layer inside the tough outer husk.  This pulp is clearly edible.)  Technically coconut water is a juice, but no one seems to call it that.  If you're so inclined, you can ferment coconut water into coconut vinegar, or make it into a jelly, even.  Usually the younger coconuts, which have green outer husks rather than the brown ones, are the type used for coconut water.  In some places street vendors just chop a hole in a coconut using a machete, and then stick a straw in it and hand it to the customers.  Probably the most talked about aspect of coconut water is its nutritional value, and its perceived medical uses.  This beverage is sometimes referred to as nature's sports drink, since it contains electrolytes.  However, the healthiness of coconut water is a bit overblown, to say the least.  Coconut water does have B vitamins (electrolytes), but not in huge amounts--the Daily Value percentage of each is 1-5%.  It actually has more manganese and magnesium in it, at a "whopping" 7%.  Other adherents go beyond the electrolyte/hydration issue.  Alas, the scientific evidence is conclusive, and coconut water is not an effective antiviral agent, nor does it lower cholesterol or balance blood glucose levels, as some have claimed.  In fact, one producer of coconut water, the Vita Coco brand from All Market, Inc., was reportedly forced to pay a $10,000,000 settlement in 2012 for falsely saying that its product contained 15 times the amount of electrolytes as popular sports drinks.  And, to get much darker, reportedly during the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia doctors substituted coconut water for saline in their patients, with disastrous results that are listed as a crime against humanity by the Documentation Center of Cambodia.  Finally, drinking too much coconut water can have serious health hazards.  The relatively high amount of potassium can cause kidney failure, heart arrhythmia, loss of consciousness, and even death.  This is very rare, but it is possible.  The overall point being that coconut water is nutritious, is relatively low on calories and sugar, and does have electrolytes.  But it's not magic.  Don't think it's a substitute for, you know, actual real medications or anything.  And a "gallon challenge" of coconut water sounds like an exceptionally bad idea, given the potassium issue I just mentioned. 

Goya pure coconut water:  I had mine chilled.  It looked like slightly cloudy water, with no visible coconut pulp pieces.  Had a distinct coconut-y odor.  It tasted kind of weak.  The other coconut waters I've tried had a bolder taste, stronger, more flavorful.  This one was, well, watery.  Disappointing.  Not terrible--it wasn't hard to finish.  It was just kind of boring.  

     As I said, I've had coconut water from other companies many times over the years, perhaps over a decade.  And I enjoyed it much more those other times.  Along with aloe it's one of the few juice-type drinks that I like to have pieces of pulp in--these seem to improve the taste.  Unfortunately I can't remember which brands these were.  I'll try to remember, or I'll just try to get these again, when it's feasible.  So, I definitely recommend coconut water in general, but not the Goya brand specifically.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Dutch Goat Cheese

      I know I did another Dutch product, Bols, back in October, but I'm doing another one.  In my defense, after ten years of putting out this blog, it's tough to find new, appropriate fodder for this type of post.  Anyway, this one was a Boer'n Trots goat cheese with honey flavor, from Kaamps Estate, by way of our old friend Saputo.  (See my post about kasseri cheese on June 27, 2020 for more info about that company.)

     Kaamps Estate is located in the small village of Deurningen, in the Twente region of The Netherlands.  This farm passed into the current owner's family back in 1920, and for the next 65 years was a regular cow, pig, and chicken farm.  However, in 1985 Herbert Nijland and his wife Yvonne started to sell cheese.  As well as some other things.  The farm also currently has a coffee house, a reception area for holiday and company meetings, and even a petting zoo and playground for children.  (Also, in the detailed family history information on the official website, it's noted that an ancestor of Herbert's married a 31 year old woman when he was 71.  Which is kind of an odd tidbit to include on the company website, but whatever.)  Kaamps Estate has some innovative, or quirky, or both ideas about how to run their farm.  For one, the grazing fields are heavy on clover, which has the stated benefit of needing less fertilizer and adding a creamier taste to the milk, resulting in smoother cheese.  Also, unlike most dairy farms (I guess?), the cows call some of the shots--if they don't feel like going outside because of the heat, or cold, they're not pressured to do so.  Also, they have (special, cow-sized) waterbeds to recline on, and massage brushes to help work out the muscle kinks, and I guess scratch those hard to reach itches.  It's not mentioned how the goats are treated, but hopefully also in a nurturing fashion.  Then there's the cheeses.  Pretty much all of them are washed in either honey or caramel a few times.  The reported reason is to give the rind a different, yellow-brown color, and to give the cheese itself a sweet taste.  (I didn't realize that consumers cared about the color of the rind around the cheese they buy, but what do I know?)  Some of Kaamps' alternate cheese flavors include maple syrup whiskey, X.O. (a crumbly, aged cheese variety), goat cheese with honey and truffles, mushroom and chestnut, pumpkinseed and carrot, chili, and 4 seasons pepper.  Also the traditional Dutch staple, regular old gouda.

Boer'n Trots goat cheese, honey flavor:  The cheese itself was a pale yellowish-white, with a, not shockingly, honey-brown rind surrounding it.  The odor was very slight.  The texture was semi-soft--not dry and crumbly, but not spreadable like a brie.  As far as the taste, it was salty, and a bit creamy.  Tangy.  I had some plain, and some on crackers.  Both ways were about the same--very good.  So definitely a winner, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly.  Two things did strike me, though.  First, it didn't taste like many of the other goat cheese I've had--it had more a regular cow milk cheese flavor.  Also, despite it being bathed in honey, I didn't detect a sweetness to it.  Overall it didn't have the most distinctive taste for a cheese, but at the same time I can't say much of anything bad about it.

     So no surprises here--it's cheese, so of course I enjoyed it.  My only faint criticism is that the Boer'n Trots honey goat cheese was expensive--$17.99 per pound, so my half pound or so set me back about $8.  But it was really good, so I would try alternate flavors of Boer'n Trots if given the opportunity.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Spanish/American/Italian Artichokes

      Artichokes are one of those foods that I think I tried somewhere along the line, years ago.  But, at the same time, I couldn't remember this sampling clearly.  Therefore, when I came across a can of them a few months ago, I bought one, to give this veggie an official, fair trial.  The fact that they came from Spain just was just icing on the cake, so to speak.  My container was a 14 ounce (396 gram) can of artichoke hearts from the Rienzi company, based out of Astoria, New York, in the U.S.

     After doing a little research on the Rienzi company, I discovered a bit about its history and background.  This business was started in 1967 by a Mike Rienzi, in New York City.  Rienzi began by making and selling mozzarella cheese and flour to bakeries and pizzerias in New York.  However, by the early 1970's the company branched out, and started importing Italian delicacies, such as pastas and tomatoes.  By the 1980's and 90's Rienzi was available throughout the Northeast U.S., and in addition to its previous products also manufactured olive oils, vinegars, cheeses, beans, bread crumbs, and clam sauces.  Currently Rienzi wares are sold throughout the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic states, as well as pockets of Illinois, Ohio, and Texas.  Rienzi also owns 2000 acres in the Basilicata region of Italy, where they grow many of the crops used in their own products.  There are some Rienzi factories in Italy, too.  Although it wasn't explicitly mentioned on their website, they clearly also import from Spain, since my can was stamped "Product of Spain."  Which explains the convoluted title of this post.

     Artichokes themselves are members of the thistle family, whose more famous relatives are usually distinctly inedible and harsh.  Artichokes are actually only edible, or at least palatable, during a short window of time, when the flower is budding, but not fully in bloom.  The origin of domesticated artichokes is somewhat nebulous.  The where is fairly well known--the Mediterranean region.  But the when is disputed.  There are references to it as far back as the classic Roman era, or even in Ancient Greece, but some historians believe these mentions are about a wild precursor, and not the artichoke as we know and enjoy today.  It's now grown in various hot weather places.  The leading cultivators are Italy, Spain, Egypt, and Peru, although France, Argentina, China, Morocco, Algeria, Turkey, Tunisia, and the state of California also produce large amounts of artichokes.  The town of Castroville, California, bills itself, evidently somewhat exaggeratedly, as the "artichoke center of the world," and has an annual festival devoted to this vegetable.  Nutritionally artichokes have some B vitamins, Vitamin C, and decent amounts (over 10% of the USDA daily serving) of folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and sodium.  As for preparation, this food is sometimes boiled, or used as a pizza topping, but the most common manner is to stuff them, usually with meat, bread crumbs, and spices.  It's even utilized as a beverage--the Vietnamese and Romanians make an herbal tea out of it, and the Italians make an artichoke-flavored liquor, Cynar.

Rienzi artichoke hearts:  The hearts themselves were yellowish green, about 4 cm. by 3.5 cm (or about 1.75 inches by 1.5 inches), kind of shaped like a rolled up carpet.  They didn't have much of an odor.  For this sampling I was a bit more detailed, and mixed the artichokes with other meals and such.

Plain:  Not very good.  Chewy, kind of salty, bitterish.  But oddly bland somehow, too.  Not a good way to eat them, I suppose.  Kind of sour and vinegar-y, too.  (Although there is no actual vinegar in them.)

With Lean Cuisine spaghetti and meat sauce:  Better, certainly.  Still not great or anything.  Kind of an odd texture.  Rather like a weak veggie in a salad.  Okay, but not a strong contributor.  It wouldn't be missed.

With Smart Ones three cheese ziti with meatballs:  Not as good as the previous spaghetti one  Vinegary like taste of the artichokes doesn't mesh as well with this meal.  Still better than plain, but again, not great or necessary.

With Evol. butternut squash and sage ravioli:  Weird.  Kind of works the best of the ways I tried.  Still not awesome, but okay.

With just ketchup:  Better than plain, but once again, not great.  Vinegar of ketchup mixes better with the artichokes than some of the meals.  But still "meh" at best.

     In conclusion, then, I'm not very impressed with artichokes.  If I see the stuffed kind in a restaurant maybe I'll give it a try, but I'm not optimistic that I'll love them that way, either.  They're not the worst vegetable I've ever had, by far, but they're also far from the best.       

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Hippeas Snacks

      It's been a while, but today I'll be talking about a product from the same country I'm from--the U.S.  With a slight foreign twist, as you'll see.  Anyway, this post is about Hippeas chickpea snacks, from Green Park Brands.  I tried two types of their puffs--the nacho vibe kind, and their vegan white cheddar one.

     The official Hippeas website (hippeas.com), was a bit terse, especially about the product's history, and about who makes it.  It was mostly a list of their products, associated recipes, and a "where to buy" section.  For the record, aside from the two I tried, for the puffs they also make a Bohemian barbecue and then a srircacha sunshine flavor.  Their chickpea chip (crisp) flavors include rockin' ranch, straight up sea salt, and jalapeno vegan cheddar.  Like a lot of hippy-type products, these snacks are proudly touted as being gluten-free, kosher, vegan, organic, non-GMO, and free of milk, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.  (Although some of the facilities where their snacks are made do use milk and soy for other company's wares.)  Plus, the FAQ section notes that Hippeas mimic cheese via onion, garlic powder, and chili powder.

     Fortunately, other online sources provided a little company history.  The founder of the Hippeas brand is Livio Bisterzo.  He's moved around a lot in his life.  He's Italian in heritage, but spent most of his adult life in London, England.  However, he then moved to California, in the U.S., and made it his home.  He's described as being an entrepreneur.  Other ventures he's been involved with in the past include the hospitality brands Maddox Club and Pollen Street, and the men's grooming brand Kyoku.  Hippeas is just one of the brands under his Green Park Brands umbrella.  His other Green Park brands are Betr (medication), Reel (eco-friendly toilet paper), Maverick (snacks), and the surprisingly named Ugly (flavored sparkling water).  A chocolate brand is on the horizon.  Hippeas began in 2016, and has been a huge success.  After a start combining with Starbucks, the brand is now sold in most of the big supermarket chains across the country, and is also exported to the U.K.  As of April 13, 2021, the CEO of Hippeas is Paul Nardone, as Bisterzo is now the Executive Chairman.

     Since Hippeas is so obsessed with chickpeas, I thought I'd delve into them some.  Chickpeas are one of the oldest domesticated crops, as evidence indicates that they were being cultivated for at least 9500 years, beginning in the areas that are now the Middle East and Turkey.  The chickpea is undeniably nutritious--in addition to being a good source of protein, it contains decent amounts of Vitamins B1 and B6, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus.  Although pretty much every part of the world utilizes it, it's especially prevalent in Middle Eastern, Indian, and Southeast Asian cuisines.  Also, I was shocked to learn that it's even sometimes a beverage.  In the late 1700's and during World War I, it was ground, roasted, and then made into a drink.  This seems mostly done during times of coffee shortages (like during the War), but some still enjoy it as a beverage today.  To me it sounds off-putting, to say the least, but at the same time I'd love to try it.

Hippeas chickpea puffs, nacho vibe flavor:  These were a thick rod shape, about 4.5 cm (about 1.75 inches) long.  They looked like Cheese Doodles, or cheese curls, but with a light orange-yellow color.  The taste was similar to Cheese Doodles/curls as well.  They were airy and crunchy, with a nice cheese tang.  I don't know if I could have distinguished between these and real cheese curls/doodles in a blind taste test.  Which is impressive, since these Hippeas don't have any actual cheese in them, of course.  So all in all, these were quite tasty.  If you're looking to be vegan, but miss the taste of Cheese Doodles/curls, these are a very good imitation.

Hippeas chickpea puffs, vegan white cheddar flavor:  These looked the same as the other kind, except that their color was a dull yellow.  These were also good.  Puffy and cheesy-tasting, with a nice crunch.  Maybe a hair less great than the nacho vibe ones, but still very respectable.  Like before, I would definitely recommend these, even to folks who aren't vegan.  I'll have to try the Hippeas chips when I get the chance.

     One final note.  If you dislike puns, you might want to avoid Hippeas' social media and such.  Hell, even their brand name is one, obviously.  But other than that, the company also talks about "giving peas a chance," "Peas, love and giving back," and about their "philosoPEA."  Jesus, Hippeas, we get it--you adore chickpeas!  Maybe show a little restraint, and try using some more sophisticated chickpea-related humor.  (I know this an awfully small nit to pick, about a product I really enjoyed, but it did strike me.)