Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Canadian/American, Basketball Player-Affiliated, Colossal Gummy Candy

     While browsing the candy aisle in my local grocery recently, I saw something new.  Shaq-a-licious XL sour gummies.  And I was intrigued.  I enjoy gummies in general, and sour kinds are usually tasty, too.  A bigger gummy just means more of a (potentially) good thing.  Finally, I usually find Shaquille O'Neal to be amusing--he was clearly a great NBA center, he has definite charisma, a solid sense of humor, and is an appealing and knowledgeable sports analyst.  So I bit, and brought home a bag, which of course was also larger than normal.

     Shaq-a-licious gummies are a new phenomenon, having started in 2024.  The regular ones are simply in the shape of Shaq's face and head, and come in three flavors--peach, berry punch, and orange.  The sour ones I tried are in three distinct shapes--a diesel truck, a cactus, and a shamrock.  I was initially puzzled by these last two shapes, but a little checking revealed that "big cactus" and "big shamrock" are two more in the long list of nicknames for Shaquille.  The actual maker of this candy is a bit convoluted.  According to the official website, Shaq met with candy experts, and together they decided on the exact type of gummy he wanted.  (Or, put another way, Shaq employed "gummi artisans, who worked exclusively in the medium of gummi."*)  But, the bag's label mentions that the candies are actually made in Canada.  However, the brand listed is Fantastic Candy Brands, LLC, out of Broomfield, Colorado.  Moving on, when you consult the official website (www.shaq-a-licious.com) it's revealed that the ultimate owner of this candy is the giant Hershey candy company.  Which, in addition to Hershey's chocolates, also owns many other brands, such as Reese's, Kit Kats, Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers, Ice Breakers (a chewing gum), Payday, Dot's Homestyle Pretzels, Pirate's Booty, Fulfil, and One, among others.  Hershey's owns product lines in the chocolate, snack, sugar-free, fruity chewy and refreshing, and plant-based categories.  If you're curious, Hershey's was started by Milton S. Hershey in 1894.  He even founded the Pennsylvania town of Hershey for his employees in 1903.

Shaq-a-licious XL gummies:  I'll list the three different kinds separately.

"Diesel":  Looked like the front of a diesel truck, and was colored yellow, with white dusting on it. It measured about 3.5 cm. by 2.5 cm (about 1.5 inches by 1 inch).  It was sour, pineapple-y, and pretty good.  Very chewy, and I enjoyed it.

"The Big Cactus":  Was a purple cactus shape, about 1.75 inches by 1.25 inches (or about 4.5 cm. by 2.75 cm.) with a white dusting on it.  This one was also very chewy, and also very good.  Sour, and a strong berryish flavor.

"The Big Shamrock":  This one was a green shamrock shape, about 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches (or about 4 cm. by 4 cm.).  Had a sour melon-ish flavor.  Also good.  Which surprised me, since I don't usually like melons, or melon flavored foods.  But the sour flavor helped, I think.  Chewy and tasty.  So, all in all, I would definitely recommend these gummies, and all three of the separate sour kinds, as well.

     

     Returning to the namesake, Shaquille O'Neal has had a busy, exciting life.  He was a center in the NBA for 19 season, and was named to the Hall of Fame.  He was part of 4 NBA Champion teams.  Total, in 1207 games (1197 starts) he averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game.  Lifetime he's 11th in points scored, 16th in rebounds, 9th in blocked shots, and 13th in win shares, with 181.7.  Otherwise, he's been in a bunch of movies, sometimes as the star, and has been a successful sports analyst.  (It's a been confusing, but he's apparently been nominated for 3 or 4 Sports Emmys.)  Moving on, he's also been a podcaster, a philanthropist, and (along with this candy) a entrepreneur.  Shaq also has a doctorate.  I assumed this was an honorary one, but it's apparently legit, as he got a doctorate in education from Barry University.  Additionally, he was reportedly an undercover police officer, for a program targeting pedophiles.  Which sounds weirdly funny, as how could anyone not recognize a 7 foot, 1 inch tall, world famous athlete, but obviously this was Shaq trying to fool criminals online.  So good for Shaq--he seems to have used his athletic ability, and resulting fame to continue to bring joy to people, and to try to make the world a better place.  Although I don't hear great, or even decent things about his rapping.  And I think it's weird that some of his candy is shaped like his head.  But otherwise, good for him.

*  Simpsons ultra fans are correct--this is a reference to the "Homer Badman" episode, episode #9 of the sixth season, which featured a Venus de Milo made out of gummi candy.

Major League Baseball's Most Unbreakable Season Records

      Over the years, I've heard a lot of talk about baseball's most unbreakable records.  Off the top of my head, I'd say Fernando Tatis's record of hitting 2 grand slams in the same inning is a good candidate, since he's the only one ever to do this, and I certainly can't fathom anyone hitting 3 in one inning!  But, I don't want to discuss single game records here--they're too flukey, too often some mediocre, or worse player's one moment in the sun.  So today I'll cover single season records, since that's enough time to indicate real talent, and not some coincidence.  There is one big caveat, though--most of these records will be two holders, one for pre-1900 action, and one for after.  Baseball before 1900 was much different--different ball, different distance between the bases, different rules, on and on.  I personally regard the post 1900 records at the "real" ones, but I'll include the pre-1900s ones just for completion purposes, and to show just how different the game was.  Finally, there's the matter of different leagues.  Some of these holders played in other pro leagues, such as the American Association, or the Negro Leagues.  Some fans don't count games unless they were American League or National League contests.  But I'll include all of them, and you can judge for yourself.  Anyway, let's get to it.

1)   Most triples hit in a season:  36, by John Owen "Chief Wilson, of the 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates.  This is arguably the hardest batting record to break.  The next closest were Dave Orr of the 1886 New York Metropolitans (American Association), and Henry Reitz of the 1894 Baltimore Orioles (National League), who both had 31.  For comparison, the most in the 2000s was 23, hit by Curtis Granderson in 2007, with the Detroit Tigers.

2)   Most hit by pitch in a season:  (Pre-1900) 51, by Hughie Jennings, of the 1896 Baltimore Orioles (National League).  Jennings is also the lifetime leader in this category, with 287.  (Post-1900) 50, by Ron Hunt of the Montreal Expos in 1971.  Hunt also excelled in this "talent," as he finished with 243, or 6th all time.  Of recent leaders in this category, Ty France of the Seattle Mariners was hit 34 times in 2023.

3)   Most rbi in a season:  191, by Hack Wilson, in 1930 with the Chicago Cubs, in 155 games.  Next highest is 185, by Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees in 1931.  The more modern leader was the 165 total accumulated by Manny Ramirez for the 1999 Boston Red Sox.

4)   Most stolen bases in a season:  (Pre-1900)  138, by Hugh Nicol, for the 1887 Cincinnati Reds of the American Association.  (Post 1900)  130, by Rickey Henderson of the 1982 Oakland Athletics.  The next highest total was the 118 stolen by Lou Brock in 1974.  There hasn't been another player to steal 100 or more since 1987, when St. Louis Cardinal Vince Coleman got 109.  I think this record is particularly safe since modern teams, with the use of advanced sabremetrics, realize that it's unwise to attempt steals if you can't be successful at least 75-80% of the time.  Meaning modern teams don't try to steal nearly as much.

5)   Most runs scored in a season:  (Pre-1900)  198, by Philadelphia Phillie Billy Hamilton in 1894.  (Post-1900), 177 by Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees in 1921.  (Another pre-1900 player, Tom Brown, also scored 177, with the 1891 Boston Reds of the American Association.)  The highest amount in more recent times is the 152 scored by Jeff Bagwell for the Houston Astros in 2000.

6)   Highest batting average in a season:  (Negro Leagues)  .4711 by Tetelo Vargas for the 1943 New York Cubans, with 136 plate appearances.  .4659 by Josh Gibson, of the Homestead Grays in 1943, with 302 plate appearances.  (Pre-1900)  .4397, by Hugh Duffy of the Boston (no team name) team in the American League in 1894.  (Post-1900)  .4265 by Nap LaJoie of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901.  No one has hit even .400 since Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox in 1941.  The highest more recent leader was the .394 hit by Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres in the labor-shortened 1994 season.

7)   Highest WAR in a season:  (Pre-1900)  20.2, by pitcher Tim Keefe for the New York Metropolitans (American Association) in 1883.   (Post-1900)  16.6, by pitcher Walter Johnson, of the Washington Senators in 1913.  The highest WAR for a position player is the 14.1 attained by New York Yankee Babe Ruth in 1923.  The highest more recent total is the 13.3 accumulated by New York Met pitcher Dwight Gooden in 1985.

8)   Most wins by a pitcher in a season:  (Pre-1900)  60, by Old Hoss Radbourn for the Providence Grays (National League) in 1884.  (Post-1900)  41, by Jack Chesbro of the New York Yankees in 1904.  For comparison, the last guy to win even 30 was Denny McLain in 1968, as he won 31 with the Detroit Tigers.

9)   Most losses by a pitcher in a season:  (Pre-1900) 48, by John Coleman for the 1883 Philadelphia squad (National League).  (Post-1900)  29, by Vic Willis of the 1905 Boston Nationals of the National League.  More recently, the last pitcher to lose 20 games was Mike Maroth of the Detroit Tigers in 2003, as he lost 21.

10)  Most innings pitched in a season:  (Pre-1900)  680, by Will White of the Cincinnati Reds (National League) in 1879.  (Post-1900)  464, by Ed Walsh of the Chicago White Sox (American League) in 1908.  For comparison, the last pitcher to throw even 300 innings was Steve Carlton for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980, with 304.  The leader in the 2000s was Randy Johnson, with 260.

11)  Most complete games by a pitcher in a season:  (Pre-1900)  75, by Will White again, of the Cincinnati Reds in 1879.  (Post-1900)  48, by Jack Chesbro, in his sterling 1904 season with the New York Yankees.  The leader for the 2000s was James Shields, with 11 for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011.  The last guy to have 20 complete games was Fernando Valenzuela in 1986, with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  And the leaders in 2024 had a grand total of 2!

12)  Most shutouts by a pitcher in a season:  16, by two pitchers.  George Bradley had 16 for the St. Louis Brown Stockings (National League) in 1876.  Grover Cleveland Alexander had 16 with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1916.  Otherwise, the highs were 13, for Jack Coombs of the Philadelphia A's in 1910, and for Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1968.  The leader in the 2000s was 6, for Cliff Lee of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011.  The last guy with 10 was John Tudor of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985.

13)  Most fielding errors in a season:  (Pre-1900), 122(!) by two players.  Herman Long of the Kansas City Cowboys (American Association) in 1889, and by Billy Shindle of the 1890 Philadelphia Athletics (Players League).  (Post-1900)  98, by John Gochnaur for the 1903 Cleveland Naps (American League).  More recently, the 2000s leader was Jose Valentin, with 36 errors for the Chicago White Sox in 2000.  The last player with 40 or more was Jose Offerman, with 42 for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992.

     So there you have it.  Forget DiMaggio's consecutive games hitting streak, I think these records are almost impossible to break.  Especially the pitching ones--with the way pitchers are used today, surely no one will ever pitch as many innings, complete games, shutouts, etc., as the pitchers in the "Dead Ball" error of 1900-1920, and never as many as guys in the 1800s.  As I hope I demonstrated with the more recent leaders in each category, it's almost silly to even consider it.  But, as usual, I would welcome dissenting opinions from readers.  I doubt you'll convince me, but you can give it a try.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Costa Rican/American Yuca Strips

      This one was a blast from the past for me.  Or, more accurately, an event from the past.  Whatever the intensity, I first had yuca over 11 years ago, and reported on it in my post on April 10, 2014.  This brush with yuca was in a canned form, and from the mammoth Goya corporation.  This time it was bagged yuca strips, from the relatively tiny Mayte brand.

     I went into some detail about the yuca plant in my 2014 post, so I won't repeat myself much now.  Briefly, yuca, aka cassava and manioc, is a very popular carbohydrate food source in the world, especially in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.  It's not to be confused with "yucca," which is an ornamental plant.  To add to the fun, dried yuca is often known as "tapioca," and is then rendered into the strange looking, eyeball-looking, pudding.

     The Mayte brand is plantain-focused.  The company makes many flavors of plantain chips--sweet, garlic, chile-lemon, salted, lime, sweet maduritos strips, and in strip form.  Additionally, Mayte sells "Danny's Roots," which is a bag filled with a combination of plantains, cassava (yuca), sweet plantain, taro, and sweet potato chips.  Other than these chips, and of course, the yuca ones I had, they also make dulce de leche (a milk chocolate spread) and a guava paste.  Mayte's wares are currently sold in Florida, Alabama, Washington D.C., New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and a few other places in New England.  According to the official website, Mayte was started in Miami, Florida in 2002, by a woman who goes by the same name.  She came to Miami seeking independence, and to strive to fulfill her dreams, and to liberate her true self.  Mayte is passionate about music, her roots (both literal plant roots, and her history, I think), and she likes to be the center of attention.  And that's all I could learn.  I couldn't even find out what her real full name is.  "Mayte" is a common nickname in Hispanic communities, as it's usually a shortening of "Maria Theresa," or sometimes "Maria Esther."  Reportedly it means "lovable" or "loved one" in various Spanish dialects.  And I guess Danny of the Danny's Roots product might be Mayte's husband, or father, or son, etc.

Mayte yuca strips:  These were thin yellow strips, with brownish cooked edges, and of various shapes and sizes.  They were dry and crunchy.  By themselves, they tasted kind of like bland potato chips.  Okay, but a little tame.  Combined with a good dip or spread they were much better.  So they were a decent canape or dip vehicle.  Therefore, eating them plain I wouldn't really recommend, but with a good dip they're pretty solid.  And I will try Mayte's plantain offerings if I see them, since it is their flagship product.

     A few weeks ago, in my June 14th post, I reported that one of my stories might be out in the first issue of Horrorsmith:  The Magazine, due out on June 30th.  This was a misunderstanding, as this issue did come out, but my story is not a part of it.  It will be in an issue of this magazine, but obviously in a later issue--perhaps the issue that comes out in late July/early August, or in late August/early September.  I'll try to find out and keep everyone informed as soon as I do.  In the meantime, I certainly recommend that folks give issue #1 a read.  There's no risk--it's free.  You can access it at the publisher's website, which is:   https://www.horrorsmithpublishing.com

     Finally, the other story I've mentioned recently is coming along nicely.  The edits are complete, and my author biography has been turned in.  It's slated for an August 2025 release at this time, in the Volume II anthology.  More info will be shared on this blog as soon as I receive it.  Stay tuned!

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Turkish-American Savory Spread

      I happened upon this while waiting my turn at the deli counter.  It was amongst the spreads, such as hummuses, cheese spreads, etc.  Specifically, it was red pepper labneh from the Bezi brand and company.

     Looking back through my memories, and former posts, I re-learned that I'd had labneh before.  That example was spelled lebni, but it was the version made by Family Mediterranean Cuisine, which was a restaurant located fairly near me.  (Sadly, it closed down recently.)  Consult my October 24, 2020 post if you're interested.  There are several types of labneh, and as I just covered, several different names and spellings, even.  The one constant is that all lahnehs are dairy, made with some sort of strained milk.  Many are strained yogurt, which has had the whey removed, and are very soft, having the texture of a dip or spread.  These types can be sweet or savory.  Other folks make a dry, solid type, often rolled into balls and eaten with olive oil.  These dry labnehs can once again be savory, or sweet in flavor.  And some labnehs are made with different kinds of milk, which can also affect their taste.  Labnehs made using cow's milk are considered to be the most mild, while those made using goat or camel milk are much stronger.

     Moving on to the maker of the kind I tried, the Bezi Foods Club is the brainchild of two people--Ilay Karateke and Hasan Bahcivan.  Both were born in Turkey, but have since relocated to the New York City area.  Bahcivan is from a cheesemaking family, and Karateke spent a while learning the cheese trade, by interning at a Brooklyn ricotta making operation, and then even working on a dairy farm in the Mediterranean.  Their version of labneh is a bit different than the various types I previously mentioned.  They don't define theirs as a strained yogurt.  Instead, Bezi's is pasteurized milk passed through three membranes, which removes the water and most of the lactose, in a process called ultrafiltration.  This results in a soft, spreadable product, which is less tangy than most labnehs, and is between a yogurt and a cream cheese.  I couldn't learn the exact founding date for Bezi Foods.  It may have been as recently as 2024, or as "long ago" as 2019.  Aside from the roasted red pepper one I ate, the company also makes a plain, and an everything kind.  The official website also proudly noted that their labnehs are higher in protein than most other kinds, while having fewer calories.

Bezi Labneh:  This was an orange colored spread with red pepper specks visible in it.  The odor was peppery, not surprisingly.  The texture was very soft, smooth, and spreadable.  The flavor was rich, and tasty.  Only a slight spice bite, but I really liked it.  I had some plain, and some on crackers.  It was better on crackers, as the crunch and the saltiness of those combined well with the labneh.  It kind of reminded me of lobster, or seafood salads.  (Although there was no seafood or meat of any kind in it.)  So all in all, I would strongly recommend this.  I am a fan of spreads and dips in general, so this wasn't much of a risk for me.  I'll also look for the other flavors of Bezi, and if I locate them I'll update this post.

     I did kind of enjoy how obsessed the Bezi founders are with labneh.  On their website, they included a (probably exaggerated?) account of how they badgered the hosts of every social event they went to about serving labneh.  They also use "labneh" as a verb, meaning the act of preparing and eating the product.  Hence Bezi's posted motto, "There's actually no wrong way to labneh."  An immature part of me wants to accept this challenge and propose outrageous and possibly even criminal uses of labneh, just to get them to admit that there are actual exceptions to their adage.  Finally, there is the company's name.  I Googled translations of it, and consulted some Turkish to English language websites.  Some, and I assume that these are the most accurate and reliable, claim that "bezi labneh" means "cloth labneh," in Turkish, and "bezi" itself also means "hand towel" or "washcloth."  Which probably was chosen by the Bezi folks to refer to the cloth that strains the milk for their labneh.  However, I did see alternate definitions--one translation claimed "bezi" meant "gland," and another one said "bezi" means "diaper."  Which amuses me, because if either of these definitions are true, especially the latter one, that would be a very bold, but stupid name for a food.  It reminds me of the famous 1970's "Saturday Night Live" sketch that mocked the real Smuckers jam ad motto--"With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good."  The SNL troupe came up with many funny and gross parodies of this--Monkey Pus, Death Camp, Dog Vomit, Mangled Baby Ducks, and Painful Rectal Itch.