Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Belizean/Bolivian/Ecuadorian/American Chia Seeds

      When I saw chia seeds for sale in my local supermarket several months ago, I almost didn't buy them.  Because I thought I'd covered chia seeds already.  But I was unsure, so I got them anyway.  And looking back through 12 years of posts, I couldn't find any about chia seeds.  I think I confused them with basil seeds.  Anyway, here we are.  The chia seeds I purchased were from Paramount Foods LLC, and were listed as being products of Belize, Bolivia, and Ecuador.  Hence the longer title.

     I went into detail about the New Jersey-based Paramount Foods company in my post on August 12, 2023.  So consult that if you're curious, but I won't repeat myself much now.  Instead I'll focus on chia seeds themselves.  Chia is a member of the mint family, and is indigenous to Mexico.  These tiny seeds (their average length, width, and depth are 2.1, 1.3, and .08 millimeters respectively) have been cultivated since at least 500 years ago or so, since there are representations and references of them by the Aztecs in the 16th century.  It's easy to see why they're a staple, as they are undeniably nutritious.  They're high in carbs, protein, fat, and fatty acids, and also have high amounts of thiamine, niacin, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, and iron.  Thye also have decent amounts of folate and riboflavin    How they're eaten varies.  Some are eaten raw, and others are eaten as a gel-like paste.  Other folks mix them into other foods, such as into breakfast cereals, energy and granola bars, yogurts, breads, tortillas, and into drinks like smoothies.  Chia seeds are also a substitute for eggs for those with allergies, or for those who follow vegan diets.  Some people regard them as being a superfood, and others believe that they have medical benefits.  To date there's no evidence of any medical benefits (other than being a nutritious food), but on the plus side, no adverse medical effects, including drug interactions, have been found, either.  Currently, chia is grown and consumed in Mexico. Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Argentina, Ecuador. Australia, the U.K., and the U.S.

Paramount Foods, LLC, Chia Seeds:    The seeds were as tiny as advertised--so small it's very difficult to pick up just a single one at a time.  Like the size of coarse grains of sand.  Multi-colored, as most were dark gray, but a few were white, and others brownish.  The texture was crunchy.  In fact, texture was basically all there was--they didn't really have much of a taste.  I had some plain, and others mixed in with a rice and beans dish.  This change didn't make much of a difference.  So, overall if you're looking for flavor, these are utterly useless, and I strongly recommend against them.  If you're looking for nutrition, yes, they're healthy and all, so there's that.  But unless your taste buds are completely different than mine, you won't get any enjoyment out of them.

     I was amused to be reminded that growing chia plants became a slightly weird fad back in the 1980's and beyond.  In the form of Chia Pets, the terracotta animal figurines that you could grow chia sprouts in and upon.  Which made them look like they were growing green hair after a while.   I recall the ubiquitous, annoyingly catchy television commercials, but I was unaware that Chia Pets are still a thing.  And what a thing--as recently as 2019 15,000,000 Chia Pets were sold.  So good on Joe Pedott for coming up with a popular and surprisingly long-lasting fad.  Evidently they even had a Chia Pet that was a model of television artist Bob Ross's head, which makes me laugh.  And just to pass along the annoyance, for people over 35 or so, here's the television ad jingle---"Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!!!"  (Sorry, this might get in your head (or even atop your head?) for quite some time, if you're anything like me.) 

   

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Yet Another Spanish Cheese, and "Scream and Cream" Info

      Let's get back to discussing the best food there is, cheese.  I know I've talked about Spanish cheeses quite a bit on this blog, and today I'm going to do it again.  This time it'll be El Cortijo Dorado cheese.  Which is distributed by Saputo Cheese, USA, out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

     I've covered cheeses distributed by Saputo several times before, as they're a major player in the American cheese game.  So, I won't repeat myself much here.  If you're dying of curiosity about Saputo, I'll refer you to my post on Kasseri cheese back on June 27, 2020.  However, the cheese I'm discussing today was actually made in Spain, and was developed by the CEO and President of another company, called Quesos Navalmoral.  Quesos Navalmoral's roots go all the way back to 1940.  A man named Domingo Garcia Martinez began working as a general manager at the Central Quesara Espanosa cheese making company.  Under his leadership, the business was #1 in sales in Spain from 1940-70.  Then, Domoingo's son Pedro Garcia Martinez took over.  Finally, in 2001, Domingo's grandson, Pedro Garcia Navalmoral finished up his schooling at the Dairy Industries and Cheesemaking, and received his Master's degree in International Cheesemaking in France.  Navalmoral started his own business, named Quesos Navalmaoral S.A. in 2003.  Their first cheeses were available in 2005.  Although the company markets a variety of wares, including ham, sausage, fig bread, jams, nuts, and olive oil, and various kinds of cheese, they're best known for their Manchego cheese (see my post on August 29, 2015 for more information on that cheese), Iberico cheese, and goat cheese.  For whatever reason, Pedro Garcia Navalmoral decided to partner up with Saputo, and have their specialty cheese distributed in the U.S.  The El Cortijo Dorado cheese I tried is a 50/50 split of pasteurized cow's milk and sheep's milk.  The milk is from the La Mancha region of Spain, and the cheese is matured for 6 months.  The cheese itself is prized for its smooth texture, and complex flavor profile.  Literally prized, as it's won awards.  Finally, if you were wondering, "El Cortijo" translates from Spanish into "The Farmhouse," in English, and "Dorado" means "golden."

El Cortijo Dorado Cheese:  The rind was brown, and the cheese was whitish-yellow.  The texture was semisoft.  The taste was salty, tart, and savory.  I had mine plain.  And overall it was very good.  Once again, a cheese has failed to disappoint me.  So it's yet another recommendation.

     As for the "Scream and Cream" horror/erotica anthology, wheels are in motion.  A presale code is available now----SCREAM AND CREAM PreOrder  Also, the authors of the book will be appearing on the publisher's podcast, some as soon as the next week or so.  I'll provide more information as I receive it.

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" (aka "Mad Max 3")

      We're up to the third movie in the "Mad Mad" series of movies, the one that came out in 1985.  "Beyond Thunderdome" is often cited as the weakest film in the series and even a bad movie overall, but I disagree.  It was clearly more kid-friendly than the others, but I still very much enjoyed it.  It continued to have the consistent dystopic future. excellent world building, awesomely grungy sets and costumes, bizarre characters, and great action scenes.  Anyway, here we go.  Same format as always--questions followed by the answers, many SPOILERS ahead.

Questions:

1)    In the opening scene, we see Max's vehicle being pulled by camels.  How many?

2)    On the sign for Bartertown, it also lists the community's slogan.  What is it?

3)    We see a transaction taking place in Bartertown before Max confronts The Collector.  What is being traded, and in exchange for what?

4)    Dr. Dealgood is seen offering up Max's stolen camels for sale.  What attributes does he list for them?

5)    What is the name of Dealgood's establishment?

6)    We see a bar in Bartertown, which has a neon sign.  What is its name?

7)    Aunty has a musician on staff in her elevated tower apartment.  What instrument does the musician play?

8)    What is the name of this musician?

9)    What is the name of the methane refinery in Bartertown, which MasterBlaster manages?

10)   Why did Pig Killer kill the pig that resulted in his sentence?

11)   Pig Killer says he received a life sentence.  But, given the living and working conditions, how many years does he estimate he has to live?

12)   What is the name of Bartertown's mechanic/chief vehicle engineer?

13)   How many pounds of dynamite are attached to Max's vehicle, as a security measure?

14)   In Max's deal with Aunty, what will he receive in exchange for killing Blaster?

15)   What weapons do we see available in Thunderdome?

16)   How does Dr. Dealgood introduce Blaster at Thunderdome?

17)   And how is Max introduced?

18)   How many times does Max hit Blaster with the hammer?

19)   What are the 10 possible outcomes on the punishment Wheel?

20)   Does what is done to Max as punishment fit the usual definition of gulag?

21)   After Savannah drags the unconscious Max back to the kids' home, who is the first child to greet her?

22)   What is the kids' name for their lakeside home?

23)   What is the name of the kid who lives apart from the others, and paints his face to look like a skull?

24)   What were Captain Walker's first and middle initials?  (They are written on the wall.)

25)   What is the name of the oldest, and biggest male kid, who appears to be at least a co-leader?

26)   During the final chase, the kid's record is played on Master's record player.  What is on it?

27)   We see Ironbar go through many physical traumas.  Name them.

28)   What city does the airplane group go to?  (We see many of its recognizable landmarks.)

29)   What is the name of the pilot, and his son?

30)   Is this pilot the same Gyro Captain character from "The Road Warrior" (aka "Mad Max 2")?

31)   At the start of their introduction, how many kids were living in their lake community?

32)   How many people do we see Aunty and her guards kill in the movie?

33)   Why didn't Aunty kill Max at the end?  (Conjectural)

34)   Why did the kids want to leave their lakeside community?  (Conjectural)

35)   What kind of monkey does Max have as a pet?

36)   This is the only Mad Max universe movie (so far) not to be directed solely by George Miller.  Name his co-director.

37)   What is Aunty's full name, according to the credits?

38)   What kind of whistle does Max use to disable Blaster?

39)   In what approximate year does this movie take place?

40)   A few of the kids from Crack in the Earth leave, and make it to Sydney after a brief time in Bartertown.  Name them. 

Answers:

1)    6.

2)    "Helping Build A Better Tomorrow."

3)   For a stack of furs the man gets either a sack of grain, or a woman for two hours.

4)    These "ships of the desert" allegedly have independent suspension, power steering, and emission control.

5)    The House of Good Deals.

6)    The Atomic Cafe.

7)    A saxophone.

8)    Aunty calls him Ton Ton, and the credits give his last name as being Tattoo.

9)    Underworld.

10)   He had to feed his kids.

11)   2-3 years.

12)   Blackfinger.

13)   12 pounds.  Weird that former Australians don't use metric units, but whatever.

14)   He gets back his camels, his vehicle, food, water, and methane.

15)   At least 1, or maybe 2 poles with blades on the end of them, a large hammer, a spiked club, and a chainsaw (which alas, doesn't have much gas in it, evidently).

16)   "Ball Cracker, Death on Foot, you know him, you love him, he's Blaster!"

17)   "The challenger direct from the Wasteland, he's bad, he's beautiful, he's crazy, he's....the man with no name!"

18)   6.

19)   Forfeit Goods, Death, Underworld, Amputation, Life Imprisonment, Aunty's Choice, Gulag, Acquittal, Hard Labour, and Spin Again.

20)   Gulag was actually the official name for the organization in charge of collecting enemies of the Soviet state, and putting them in concentration work camps.  Most folks use it as meaning the work camps themselves.  Whereas what's done to Max is more like a forced exile into a very harsh desert with no supplies.  Maybe Aussies use the word "gulag" in another way?

21)   Finn McCoo.  In some alternate media he's Savannah's son.

22)   Planet Earth, although most fans call it Crack in the Earth.  The former is the only one said in the film.

23)   Scrooloose.

24)   G. L.

25)   Slake.

26)   It's a class explaining how to speak French.

27)   Max hits him with his own pole, and sends him flying nearly out of Aunty's elevated apartment.  He's then hit with a large feed pipe on the head, and knocked into a giant vat of pig shit.  Later he hits the train head on in a vehicle, and appears burnt in the explosion.  He then falls off a bridge when the pipe he's dangling from is cut.  Finally, he has another head on vehicle collision with Max at the end, which finally kills him.

28)   Sydney.  You can see the destroyed Harbor Bridge and Opera House.

29)   Jebadiah for both, Senior and Junior.

30)   According to creator George Miller, no.  It's confusing, since Bruce Spence plays both roles, dresses similarly, and flies planes in both, but they're different guys.

31)   According to the credits, there's 46.

32)   Surprisingly, only one--Blaster is shot to death with crossbow bolts by Ironbar.  Ironbar does shoot Pig Killer with the harpoon, but he's still alive at the end of the movie.

33)   It is a somewhat puzzling act of compassion.  I guess she realized that Master was gone for good, so killing Max wouldn't change anything.  And she seemed to like and respect Max in general.  Evidently she wasn't that sadistic, and made the decision to pass on revenge.

34)   This has always confused me.  They clearly had plenty of food, water, and shelter at Crack in the Earth, enough so that a large group of kids were happy and healthy there for years.  High-scrapers and v-v-video are nice and all, but cities also have more danger, possibly radiation, and possibly less resources.

35)   A capuchin.

36)   George Oglivie.

37)   Aunty Entity.  She's only referred to as "Aunty" throughout the film, though.

38)   It's a sailor's tool, to communicate and signal on the high seas.  It's called a boatswain's (or bosun's) pipe, call, or whistle.

39)   As we covered in the first "Mad Max" quiz, the first one is set in about 1985-87.  The second one is then set 3 years later, or about 1988-1990.  This one is set 15 years after that, or about 2003-2005.  Also, unlike between the first and second movies, there were definitely nuclear weapons used in Australia between films 2 and 3.  The "Pok-eclipse," mushroom cloud images, the fallout in the water-seller's wares, etc.  

40)   Savannah Nix, Cusha....the pregnant girl (yes, that's how she's credited), Mr. Skyfish, Scrooloose, Finn McCoo, and Gekko leave Crack in the Earth first.  Anna Goanna, Tubba Tintye, and Eddie join Max in looking for them.  Alas, along the way Finn and Gekko die in a quicksand accident.  So, in the end Savannah, Cusha, Mr. Skyfish, Scrooloose, Anna, Tubba, and Eddie make it to Sydney, joined by Jebadiah Sr., Jebadiah Jr., Pig Killer, and Master.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Colombian Golden Berries

      Several weeks ago, I had a moment of Deja vu.  In the fruit section of my local Shop-Rite I saw some yellowish-orange fruit.  They were labeled "peeled physalis," but I was convinced that I'd had them before, as "golden berries."  Well, it turns out that my memory was sound, as I had tried golden berries/physalis before, and had posted about them on June 13th, 2015.  As such, I'll try not to repeat myself much today, so if you want more detail about the fruit itself, you can read that former post.  Today's post is about golden berries/physalis from the Colombian company Caribbean Exotics.

     Caribbean Exotics was founded in 1986, in the Colombian city of Medellin.  By whom, you may ask?  I don't know.  I did quite a bit of checking online, but to no avail--I can't tell you who the founder of this company is.  Nothing was on the official company website, nothing was on alternate business websites, there were no interviews with the owner, etc.  I did see that a person named Alejandro Angel Manrrique is the managing director, as he was quoted in an article.  And the official website noted that the company's management team included 37 professionals in addition to 230 workers in their facilities and their farms.  But that's about it.  Otherwise, Caribbean Exotics also sells pitchaya, feijoa, tamarillo, yellow passion fruit, orange passion fruit (aka granadilla), baby bananas, mangosteens, lulu, soursop, cactus fig, and of course, golden berries/physalis.  The company's products are exported to at least 16 countries, including some in North America, Europe, and Asia.

     If you're curious about the golden berry itself, as I said, my 2015 post goes into a lot about it.  Otherwise, the folks as Caribbean Exotics report that this fruit is round, shiny, and orange, with a bittersweet flavor.  Some consumers like them by themselves, raw, and others enjoy them in salads, juices, sauces, desserts, cakes, cocktails, and as a chocolate-filled snack.  Golden berries are closely related to tomatillas, and more distantly related to tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant.  The individual berries grow in a papery outer covering called a calyx.  Previously the ones I had were still inside this natural "wrapper," but the berries I had this recent time had all been shelled.  Thus the "peeled" part of their title.

Caribbean Exotics peeled physalis (golden berries):  These were small berries, which strongly resembled smallish cherry tomatoes in size and shape.  They were round, and about 1.5 cm (about .75 of an inch) in diameter, with a yellow color.  Their flavor was similar to cherry tomatoes as well--they were tart, but more savory than sweet.  I had mine plain, after rinsing.  Overall then, they were good.  If you like cherry tomatoes you'll probably like these as well.

     One final bit of warning--while ripe golden berries are edible, and to some, delicious, other forms of the plant are not.  The unripe fruit, as well as the flowers, stems, and leaves contain a substance called solanine, and solanide alkaloids, which can cause poisoning in humans, cattle, and horses.  (I didn't see how serious this could be--if it just makes consumers sick, or if it can even kill them.  Presumably it depends on how much is eaten, any anaphylactic reactions, etc.)  So be aware of this if you live in an area where golden berries are cultivated or grow wild.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Canadian Indian-Style Baked Snacks

      Ever since I first had it, way back in the mid 1990's or so, I've been a fan of Indian food.  (As in the cuisine of the Asian country, not of Native Americans.)  And, as any consumer of the food knows, Indian flatbread is ubiquitous with practically every meal.  The bread is used to dip into the entrees, or to make wrappings of them.  Anyway, one of the most basic types of this flatbread is naan.  So when I saw a package of cracker-like things advertised as being "naan crisps," I was intrigued.  That they were made in Canada only sweetened the deal.  I tried two kinds of the naan crisps, both from the Stonefire brand--the classic cheddar ones, and the everything kind.

     The background of Stonefire was murky.  The official Stonefire website was lacking, as was the one for the parent company of the Stonefire brand, FGF Brands, Inc.  From these and other online sources I learned that FGF began in 2004, and it was founded by Sam Ajmera and his sons Ojus and Tejus.  And that's about it for the history.  I couldn't even discover what "FGF" stands for, if anything.  I can reveal that FGF owns quite a few brands.  Santosh is their line of vegetarian and vegan naan breads.  Simple Joys makes cakes, muffins, and cafe-style baked goods.  ACE Bakery makes bread.  FGF also bought up the Canadian rights to several brands from other countries, most notably American ones.  Some of these include Wonder (makers of the famous, or should I say infamous? Wonder Bread), Casa Mendosa, Gadova, and Dave's Killer Bread.  The Stonefire brand basically consists of naan breads, albeit in several different forms.  They have several kinds of regular naan, including different flavors, as well as Mini-naan (smaller pieces of naan), and Naan Rounds (smaller, round, sandwich-sized naan chunks).  As well as, obviously, Naan  Crisps, which are tinier, dryer, cracker-like versions of naan.  Finally, Stonefire also makes a thin pizza crust made out of naan.  Stonefire and other FGF brands are made in, and marketed across the border in the U.S. as well.  I couldn't tell if they're exported elsewhere in the world, though.

Stonefire Naan Crisps, Classic Cheddar flavor:  These were roughly heart shaped, about 1.5 inches (about 4 cm.) to a side.  Their color was orange, with occasional holes punched through them.  The texture was crunchy.  Plain the taste was alright, kind of like a Cheese-It, as I recall.  Dipped in baba ghanoush was better, a nice pairing.  Overall they were decent, but unspectacular.  Oddly, they didn't really taste like naan bread.

Stonefire Naan Crisps, Everything flavor:  Same size and shape as the previous, and there were also the holes punched through them here and there.  The only difference was that these were an off-white color.  Once again, they were crunchy in texture.  Plain they were rather....plain.  I was a bit confused--surely everything meant lots of different herbs and spices and such, right?  But they didn't taste spicy at all.  Dipped in baba ghanoush improved things once more.  So once again, they were maybe okay, but not dazzling or anything.  And they definitely could have a bolder taste, especially considering their title.

     I'll end with a bit of scandal about FGF that I discovered from simple Googling.  Just to balance things out a little.  In February of 2021 the company was forced to pay a settlement in a class action lawsuit.  Judge Robert W. Gettleman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois presided over a case that held that the company had duped consumers into thinking that their mass-produced breads were all hand-baked.  The settlement was just shy of $1,900,000, which worked out to $2.50 for individual customers who bought their products.  I guess as scandals go this one if pretty mild.  I don't condone false advertising, but at least their products weren't killing anyone, nor was the company donating to Nazis or something especially abhorrent like that.