Morbid Curiosity #11!

 

     I'm very pleased to announce that the 11th issue of Morbid Curiosity is being shipped from the printer and is ready for purchase as a pre-order.  For those that might recall my post on June 6th, 2026, the original 10 issues of Morbid Curiosity were published from 1997-2006.  Publisher/Editor Loren Rhoads then suspended the annual magazine to concentrate on other aspects of her writing career.  But now it's back, after a 20 year hiatus.  I'll start by listing all of the writers who contributed to this issue, and then at the end I'll post links to where you can learn more about the issue, and then get yourself a copy.

Let's begin with the Legacy Contributors.  These are folks who had at least one article in Morbid Curiosity's original 10 issues:

Dana Fredsti

M. Parfitt

William Selby

Me--Paul Stansfield

Brian Thomas

Then there are new contributors.  Some of these writers were also part of "Death's Garden Revisited," which was published back in October of 2022, and I covered on this blog several times that year as well.

Angela Yuriko Smith                 Denise N. Tapscott                 E.M. Markoff

Emerian Rich                             Francesca Maria                    H.E. Roulo

John Palisano                             L.S. Johnson                          Lisa Morton

Marc L. Abbott                          Rena Mason                           Selah Janel

Ally Ngyuen                              Carole Tyrrell                         Carrie Sessarego

David Fitzgerald                        E.S. Magill                             Halcyon Daze

Jessie Kwak                               Josh Wilson                            L.A. Holtzer

Mariah Southworth                    Maureen Zogg                        T. Thorn Coyle

     Additionally, several artists' drawings are featured in this issue.  These artists are:

Dorian Katz

Erik Quarry

Kimberlee Traub

Cassian Luce

Kelly Dwyer

Samantha Orth

     Finally, two folks took the photographs for the front and back cover:

R. Samuel Klatchko and William Selby

     Here is the home page for Morbid Curiosity #11:

       https://lorenrhoads.com/editing/morbid-curiosity-magazine/

     And here is the link to pick up your copy.  I believe it will also be available on Amazon at some later date.

: https://lorenrhoads.com/product/morbid-curiosity-11-magazine-autographed-1st-edition/

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)

   It's the most wonderful month of the year again!  At least for horror fans such as myself.  I'd like to start off October by doing a trivia quiz on the classic "The Silence of the Lambs."  Some may say that this film is a "thriller," and not horror, but I disagree.  Kidnappings, cannibals, brutal violence and murders--this movie is psychological horror if ever there was one.  Also, this is the rare year when the Academy got it right--"The Silence of the Lambs" was richly rewarded with a slew of Oscars.  Anyway, let's get to it.  The usual format, questions followed by the answers, many SPOILERS ahead.

Questions:

1)    As Clarice Starling makes her way around the outdoor exercise course at the FBI, we see some signs on trees with single words on them.  What do they read?

2)    In Jack Crawford's office, the audience sees a written article hanging on the wall with the headline, "Bill Skins Fifth."  What periodical is this article from?

3)    What university did Starling graduate from?

4)    Crawford notes that during a seminar with Clarice, she grilled him hard about something.  What?

5)    What grade did Starling receive in this seminar taught by Crawford?

6)    What institution did Clarice serve a summer internship at?

7)    What is the name of the facility where Dr. Hannibal Lecter is incarcerated?

8)    According to Dr. Chilton, how long has it been since Dr. Lecter has even seen a woman?

9)    What are the six rules that Chilton tells Clarice to remember while dealing with Dr. Lecter?

10)   On what date did Dr. Lecter attack the nurse in the facility?

11)   While he was eating the nurse's tongue, what number did Dr. Lecter's pulse not exceed?

12)   What is the nickname for Miggs, who is incarcerated in the cell next to Dr. Lecter?

13)   According to Dr. Lecter, what kind of skin cream does Starling use, and what perfume?

14)   What drawing of Dr. Lecter's does Clarice mention and admire?

15)   What city's homicide section gave Buffalo Bill his nickname?

16)   According to a newspaper article, Dr. Lecter killed people and served them to dinner party guests, making them inadvertent cannibals.  What city council member was one of these guests?

17)   What is the name of the storage facility where Starling discovers the head of Benjamin Raspail?

18)   What is "Miss Hester Mofet" an anagram for?

19)   According to Dr. Lecter, what was Raspail's diagnosis?

20)   How does Dr. Chilton punish Dr. Lecter for killing Miggs?

21)   What city does Buffalo Bill kidnap Catherine Martin from?

22)   What clothing size does Catherine wear?  (Bill checks her clothing label.)

23)   What word does Buffalo Bill have tattooed on his left hand?  (Not counting a symbol.)

24)   What county in West Virginia is the latest Buffalo Bill victim found in?

25)   And what river was the victim found in?

26)   What is the name of funeral home where Starling, Crawford, and others examine the victim?

27)   What FBI agent accompanies Starling and Crawford on this trip?

28)   What is the name of the funeral director at this funeral home?

29)   What two features does Starling use to conclude that the latest Bill victim was not local, but from a bigger town?

30)   What are the names of the two insect experts that Starling uses to identify the pupa that was found in the victim's throat?

31)   What is the scientific name for the Death's Head Moth?

32)   How old is Catherin Martin?

33)   Catherine Martin's mother, Ruth, is an important politician.  What is Ruth's political position, and what political party does she belong to?

34)   Starling and Crawford offer Dr. Lecter a deal if he helps them find Buffalo Bill. (later it's proven to be fake).  What are the particulars of this deal?

35)   How old was Starling when her father was killed?

36)   After her father's death, Starling was sent to live with a cousin of her deceased mother, who ran a sheep and horse ranch.  In what state was this ranch located?

37)   According to Dr. Lecter, what are the three major (American) centers for transsexual surgery?

38)   For Ruth Martin's real deal, if Dr. Lecter helps them find Catherine alive, what facility will he be transferred to?

39)   In talking to Ruth Martin and her people, Dr. Lecter recalls several things about Buffalo Bill, including a physical description.  Name them.

40)   During his dealing with Ruth Martin, where is Dr. Lecter housed?

41)   According to Starling, what is the name that Dr. Lecter gave for Buffalo Bill, Louis Friend, an anagram for?

42)   After her futile attempt to save a lamb at her relative's ranch, where was Clarice sent to live?

43)   We see a periodical in Dr. Lecter's temporary cell in Tennessee.  What is it?

44)   What city and state was Frederica Bimmel (Bill's first victim) from?

45)   Most of the FBI head to one of Jame Gumb's previous homes.  In what city and state is this home?

46)   We hear two aliases that Jame Gumb uses.  Name them.

47)   Whose house, in Frederica Bimmel's home town, did Buffalo Bill/Jame Gumb purchase to use as a home base?

48)   We see two FBI seals, one in cake form.  What three words are on it, as mottoes?

49)   What classical song does Dr. Lecter listen to as he kills the guards and escapes from his temporary home in Tennessee?

50)   What kind of gun does Starling carry and use?

51)   What kind of gun do we see Buffalo Bill use?

52)   Was first victim Frederica Bimmel in a romantic relationship with Jame Gumb/Buffalo Bill?  (Conjectural)

53)   Famous horror director George Romero has a small cameo in this movie.  What role does he play?

Answers:

1)    Hurt, Agony, Pain, Love - it.

2)    The National Inquisitor.  Which is fictitious, and seems to be heavily modeled after the real National Inquirer tabloid.

3)    The University of Virginia.

4)    The FBI's civil rights record during the Hoover years.

5)    Crawford says he gave her an "A," but Clarice corrects him by saying it was an "A-".

6)    The Reitzinger Clinic, which is a fictional psychiatric facility.

7)    The Baltimore State Forensic Hospital.

8)    8 years.

9)    1)  Do not touch the glass. 2)  Do not approach the glass. 3)  You pass him nothing but soft paper.  4)  No pencils or pens.  5)  No staples or paper clips on his paper.  6)  Use the sliding food carrier.  With no exceptions.

10)   July 8th, 1981.

11)   85.

12)   Multiple Miggs.  Maybe this is a reference to how many people he killed?

13)   She uses Evyan skin cream, and sometimes wears L' Air du Temps perfume.  But not today, for the latter.

14)   It's of the Duomo as seen from the Belvedere, in Florence, Italy.

15)   Kansas City.  They don't clarify if it was the one in Missouri, or the one across the border in Kansas.

16)   Michael Ronboz.

17)   Your Self Storage.

18)   "Miss the rest of me."

19)   He was a garden variety manic-depressive.  Reportedly a tedious one.

20)   They took away his drawings, and force him to listen to/view a television showing religious gospel programs.

21)   Memphis, Tennessee.

22)   14.

23)   Ironically, it's "love."

24)   Clay County.

25)   The Elk River.  Which may also be the name of the town they visit--it's unclear.

'26)   Grieg.

27)   Special Agent Ray Terry.

28)   Lamar.

29)   Her ears are pierced three times, and she's wearing glitter nail polish.

30)   Roden and Pilcher.

31)   Acherontia styx.

32)   25.

33)   She's a  U.S. Senator for Tennessee, the junior one, and she's a Republican.

34)   He'll be transferred to the VA hospital in Oneida Park, NY, and his cell will have a view of the woods.  One week every year he'll be taken to the beach at Plum Island, on Long Island, NY, and be allowed to walk on the beach, or even swim in the ocean, under supervision, obviously.

35)   10 years old.

36)   Montana.

37)   Johns Hopkins, the University of Minnesota, and Columbia Medical Center.

38)   Brushy Mountain State Prison in Tennessee.

39)   His name was Louis Friend, and he was referred to Dr. Lector in April or May of 1980 by Raspail, his lover.  Louis murdered a transient, and....did things with the skin.  He was about 5 foot 10 inches tall, strongly built, about 180 pounds, with blonde hair and pale blue eyes.  He'd be about 35 now, and said he lived in Philadelphia, although that might have been a lie.

40)   Shelby County Courthouse.

41)   Iron sulfide, or fool's gold.

42)   The Lutheran orphanage in Bozeman, Montana.

43)   Bon Appetit, which is a real magazine, and still published currently.

44)   Belvedere, Ohio.

45)   Calumet City, Illinois, on the edge of Chicago.

46)   John Grant, and then he tells Starling his name is Jack Gordon, so he evidently likes to keep his initials consistent with his real name.

47)   Mrs. Lippman.

48)   Fidelity, bravery, and integrity.

49)   Johann Sebastian Bach's "Goldberg Variations," first published in 1741.

50)   A Smith & Wesson Model 13, which is a .357 Magnum, although it can fire heavier loads like a .38 special.

51)   A Colt Python.  Like Starling's weapon, this is a .357 Magnum that can also fire .38 special rounds, among other loads.

52)   Possibly.  The movie makes a point to show us photos of Frederica posing for someone in her underwear hidden in her jewelry box.  Also, we learn from her dad that the last day he saw her she was going to Chicago for a job interview, which she attended, but she never made it home again.  Maybe when she got back to Belvedere from the interview she visited Jame Gumb first, and he then threw her down the well and imprisoned her.  It would appear that he also did sewing work for Mrs. Lippman, as did Frederica, and he may have met her there.  He then tricked her into thinking that they were in a romantic relationship so he could gain her trust and eventually kill her.  Since he was apparently into men sexually this would require some more faking on his part.  But maybe he strung her along, and didn't actually have sex with her.  Poor Frederica, with her complete lack of experience with dating and sex, would probably be easy to manipulate.  True, Frederica's friend Stacy said if Frederica had a boyfriend Stacy would have known it, but maybe Frederica successfully hid it from her.  Maybe because Jame Gumb was so much older, etc.  All of this, if true, makes Frederica's murder even more tragic and sad.

53)   Romero plays a character that's part of the group with Dr. Chilton that interrupt and remove Starling from her final conversation with Dr. Lecter.  I believe he even has a line--someone says "We found her," and it seems to be said by his character.

  

  

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Vietnamese/American Mushroom

      This one was a happy accident.  While shopping for canned mushrooms recently, I saw a different kind--straw mushrooms.  They were the same price as the regular mushrooms, so I bought a can.  Later I happened to look more closely at the label, and saw that they were grown in Vietnam.  So score!  I love when stuff like that happens.  The brand of the can I got was Roland.

     I've reported on a few Roland wares before, such as a post about Chinese mussels on May 6, 2023, and another about Turkish stuffed grape leaves on June 25, 2022.  The latter article had a detailed history of the Roland company.  Therefore, I won't repeat myself too much--those interested in the company's background and history now know where to find it.

     I've also had straw mushrooms before.  I checked through my entire post history, and finally discovered exactly when--it was way back on November 28, 2013.  (In that post I also discussed some other, more obscure mushroom I've tried, such as chanterelles, morels, and namekos.)  Unfortunately, I didn't mention what brand provided the canned straw mushrooms I sampled.  I don't think it was Roland, but I'm not 100% sure.  So it's probably not a repeat, but I wouldn't testify to this in court or anything.  As for the mushroom type itself, it appears that the name is derived from what they're cultivated on in Asia, rice straw.  They're very popular in Asian cuisine.  So much so that they're reportedly the 3rd most consumed mushroom in the world.  Alas, during certain stages of the straw mushroom lifecycle they resemble a poisonous variety, the death cap.  Some Asian immigrants have accidently poisoned themselves by mistaking the death cap for the straw while wild collecting in California and Australia.  Additionally, straw mushrooms are sometimes added to soy sauce, both as a flavor enhancer, and to darken the color.

Roland broken straw mushrooms:  These slightly chopped up mushrooms were a light brown color, with a darker brown color around the perimeter of the cap.  Their texture was wet, and chewy.  I had some plain, some with just ketchup on them, and some mixed in with spaghetti and meatballs.  Their taste was a lot like regular mushrooms.  Maybe a tad lighter and airier.  I don't know if I could have told the difference between these and regular mushrooms in a blind taste test.  Which is still a compliment, as I enjoy regular mushrooms.  But these weren't dramatically better or worse.  So if you like typical mushrooms, you'll probably like these too.  I'd recommend them to anyone, unless you're a person who doesn't like mushrooms.

     While researching this post, I got interested in dangerous mushrooms.  Which can be pretty scary.  There are at least a dozen kinds, some quite common, that if eaten can result in a hospital stay, an organ transplant, or even death.  Some have a delayed reaction, too, so someone might think the mushrooms they ate were safe, and then days or even a couple of weeks later the symptoms appear and they might die.  There have been a few famous people who might have died of mushroom poisoning, whether accidental or intentional.  The Roman Emperor Claudius is thought by some historians to have been assassinated via mushrooms in A.D. 54.  Although some historians dispute this.  Pope Clement VII's death in 1534 may also have been from (accidental) mushroom poisoning.  And Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI is alleged to have died this way in 1740.  Obviously, all of these deaths were before the days of thorough and competent autopsies and lab testing, so it's not known for sure.  If you're curious, the death cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides) is reportedly the cause for 90% of human deaths from mushrooms.  Also very dangerous is Conocybe filaris, the webcaps (Cortinarius rubellus and Cortinarius orellanus), and the autumn skullcap (Galerina marginata).  Finally, there are several varieties of destroying angel mushrooms (in the Amanita genus) that can end your days as well.  So, as a public service announcement, I would have to strongly advise against picking and eating wild mushrooms unless you're an expert mycologist (fungi and mushroom specialist).  Mushrooms are quite tasty, but they're not worth dying over.  Especially since you can easily get safe ones in pretty much every supermarket or grocery store.

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Two Jordanian Spreads

      Several years ago my local main grocery store, Shop-Rite, went through extensive renovations.  Which ended up taking a long time in total--perhaps even over a year?  (If it wasn't that long, it sure seemed like it.)  That period of time was very irritating.  It seemed like every time I shopped, some foods and/or drinks had been moved to another aisle.  I'm very much a creature of habit, so when something wasn't where I expected it to be, I was annoyed.  Anyway, eventually it was over.  For the past couple of years things have stayed in their usual, predictable spots, right where I expect them to reside.  And, I'm forced to admit that some of the permanent changes were positive.  One of these weas the addition of a specialty spread section.  Which is mostly things like hummus, dips, and such, often from around the globe.  That's where I got today's topics:  I tried two of Mezete's offerings--their classic hummus, and something called muhammara.

     The roots of Mezete are decently old--they just celebrated their centennial this year.  Back in 1926 a man named Hajj Raslan Kasih founded a company which he named, creatively, Raslan Kasih and Sons.  This Amman, Jordan-based business made halvah and tahini.  In 1996 one of Kasih's sons, Hajj Muhammad Adnan Kasih founded the Kasih Factories Group.  Apparently this was just a renaming, or reshuffling of the original company, as this business also primarily sold halvah and tahini.  Other products under the Kasih brand name include olives, beans, mushrooms, chickpeas, tomatoes, and hummus.  At some unspecified point Kasih introduced their Mezete brand.  Its products include dips like baba ghanouj, muhammara, and hummus, sauces like various flavors of tahini sauce, a couple of soups, a few stews, and some more portable "to go" versions of the previous products, some which come with breadsticks.  The current CEO of Kasih is Khaled Kasih, who is Raslan's grandson.  Most or all of Kasih's products undergo a process called ultra heat treatment (UHT), which enables their wares to have long shelf lives without using preservatives.  Kasih/Mezete products are exported to over 40 countries around the world.

     Hummus has become quite common in the past few decades, I think, so I assume most or all readers are familiar with it.  But, some may not know what muhammara is.  (I didn't.)  Muhammara is another kind of dip, which was developed in the Syrian city of Aleppo.  The origin date is a bit vague, but I saw a date of 1981 as the latest possible birthdate.  This dip is made with walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, bread crumbs, salt, olive oil, and sometimes lemon juice, tahini, and/or spices.  Aside from being a dip, muhammara is sometimes also used as a topping for a savory pastry called manakish, or as a sauce for kebabs.  A Turkish version is called acuka.

Mezete classic hummus:  Had an off-white color, and a slight, chickpea-ish odor.  The texture was smooth.  The taste was like regular plain hummus, creamy, smooth, and very good.  Not spicy, but I got the classic, non-spiced version.  So this was a very respectable example of the style.  I had some plain, and most of it on chips.

Mezete muhammara:  This one had a brownish-red color, and a slightly spicy odor.  Its appearance was not as smooth as the hummus, as I could see some chunks of pepper and such.  The flavor was very nice.  It was kind of sweet and spicy at the same time.  I had a little plain, and most of it on chips.  I was impressed either way.  As tasty as the hummus was, I preferred this one a bit more.  Therefore, my first experience with muhammara was a very positive one.  All in all, then, I would recommend both of these enthusiastically.  I'll also have to try Mezete's other products.

     Additionally, I learned that a "Hajj" before the other words in a personal name signifies that they have made the sacred Muslim journey to the city of Mecca.  The trip itself is called a "hajj."  So it's an honorific title, based on a religious accomplishment.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Some Ecuadorian/American Plantain Chips, and Some Obscure Slang Trivia

      A while ago, in my local grocery, I saw what can only be described as a small plastic drum of plantain chips.  Since it was an unfamiliar brand/company name, and the plantains were grown in Ecuador, I quickly decided to buy one.  For the record, this was a container of the garlic flavored plantain chips from the El Sol company, out of Florida.

     I've complained umpteen times about companies that provide little to no information about their history, founders, and such.  And I'm going to do it again today.  Apparently, the owner of El Sol is either hiding from the Mob, or is a bigger Luddite than even myself.  The official company website just basically had product lists, recipes, and the like.  El Sol. which means "the sun" in English, sells Latin American and Caribbean fruits, vegetables, and a few prepared/processed fruit and vegetable items.  Some of these include tamarind, tomatillos, sugar cane, long beans (I didn't know exactly what these were--after some checking they're a relative of the cowpea, originally grown in parts of China and Southeast Asia.  These beans are also known as asparagus beans, Chinese long beans, snake beans, bodi, borboti, bora, long-podded cowpeas, and yardlong beans), chili peppers, yuca, breadfruit, bananas, avocados, coconut milk, and squash.  Some of the countries that grow their wares are the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Honduras.  And that's about all I could get.   Business-related websites did indicate that the owner and current CEO of El Sol is Carl (aka Chris) DelPrete, and that the company started over 20 years ago.  Alas, Googling that name mainly showcases another man named Carl DelPrete, who co-founded and runs the Uncle Giuseppe's Marketplace, a New York-based Italian supermarket.  And, in previous posts I've already reported on fun facts about Ecuador, and some famous people with Ecuadorian heritage.  Furthermore, I've previously gone into some detail about plantains in posts about plantain and banana products.  So I'm kind of stuck--sorry.  Therefore, the final paragraph will be some unrelated information about an obscure bit of slang that I used in the first sentence of this paragraph.

El Sol Brands, Inc., plantain chips, garlic (or in Spanish ajo) flavor:  These chips were yellow circular discs, about 1.5 inches (about 3.5 cm.) in diameter.  The texture was dry and crunchy.  The flavor was kind of bland.  The garlic flavoring wasn't that strong.  They grew on me a little as I ate them, but they were still not one of the better plantain chips I've sampled.  I also tried some with ranch dressing on them, and this improved things.  Therefore, in conclusion, I would recommend these only slightly--if you're looking for an alternative to regular potato chips, these are okay, especially if you dip them in something.  But there are definitely better plantain chips out there.

     On to the expression.  For starters, "umpteen," or "umpteenth," refers to large but unspecified position in a sequence.  So in my sentence earlier, I'm using it as an exaggeration, to indicate that I've discussed companies that provide little to no information about their founders, and company history, many, many times.  I've been using this expression for years, but I didn't know the origins.  Which, as I discovered, are not conclusive.  The term "umpty" seems to date back to around the year 1905, as a slang term for the dash in Morse Code.  Telegraph operators would sometimes start a long story with a string of dashes as placeholders, so this became synonymous for an indefinite number.  Then, in the era of World War I (1914-18), soldiers took the "umpty" and substituted a "teen" for the ending "ty" of umpty, or "umpteen."  This was used to indicate an unspecified amount of something.  The Oxford English Dictionary notes a 1918 writing by pilot J.T.B. McCudden as the first appearance in a published work.  However, this is disputed.  The Canadians were allegedly earlier, as there are supposedly published account using the word from 1908 or even 1902, although the word was used in a different way.  Moving on, folks in the opposite side of the globe may have used the term even earlier than this.  A New Zealand article reportedly used the expression, in the modern definition, back in 1878.  And the Australians were supposedly using it throughout the late 1800's as well.  So, it would appear that I've been using a late 19th century New Zealand/Australian slang term, which was also popularized in North America during World War I.  Maybe independently, or perhaps borrowed from our friends Down Under.  Ultimately the most important thing is that I use a slang word that is probably only understood by folks over the age of 60 or more.

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Chinese/American Ginger

      A while ago I saw some jarred sushi ginger (which is sliced strips of pickled ginger), and it brought back memories.  As I've probably mentioned previously, I've had a ton of sushi in my life--surely hundreds of pounds of it, or more.  On some of my archaeological projects on the road I literally ate sushi 4-5 times a week.  (Looking back, it's a wonder that I didn't die from mercury poisoning.)  Anyway, sushi ginger is a very common garnish on sushi servings, kind of like a type of solid, warm sorbet.  Meaning I've also eaten quite a lot of sushi ginger in my time on Earth as well.  Which I've liked so much that I've also consumed containers of sushi ginger without the sushi, all by itself.  All of this is to try to explain some of my culinary obsessions.  The jar I'll discuss today is from The Ginger People brand, made by the Ginger People Group out of California.

     Regular readers with astounding memories may recognize the company and brand name, since I covered another Ginger People Group product in my post on April 16th, 2017, about "gin gins," their ginger based candy.  So this is admittedly a repeat of sorts.  However, the gins gins were made with ginger that was cultivated in Fiji, and the sushi ginger I'll talk about in this post was grown in China.  So I think that's different enough, at least technically.  With all that in mind, I'll try not to repeat myself too much.  The Ginger People Group founders were Abbie and Bruce Leeson, and their company is nearing its 40th anniversary, meaning it started in the mid to late 1980's.  The Leesons are major fans of ginger, to the point that they think it has "healing powers" and such.  Aside from China and Fiji, the business also imports ginger from Australia, Indonesia, and Peru.  And aside from the gin gins and sushi ginger, other Ginger People products include tablets and lozenges, health shots (which are drinks), juices, beverages, cooking and baking products, sauces, and specialty deli items.  All, clearly are ginger-based.  Somewhat surprisingly, for a company that prides itself on being organic and health-based, there is a risk of allergens in Ginger People's products, as the facility they're made in also process peanuts and soy.  So keep that in mind if you're allergic to these things.

The Ginger People, organic sushi ginger:  The ginger strips were the typical sushi ginger size and shape--very thin pieces, roughly rectangular, and ranging between 1-3 inches (or 2.5 to 7.5 cm.) in length and about half an inch to a inch (or about 1.25 cm to 2.5 cm.) in width.  The color and odor were regular too--dull yellow and a slightly spicy, respectively.  And the texture was slightly chewy and wet (they were suspended in a liquid).  The taste was fairly typical too--maybe a tad sweeter than most at first, but it ended with the usual gingery spice bite.  So, all in all, this was a good example of the style.  I would recommend this ginger, definitely.  I did have my ginger plain, since I'm not a sushi chef.  But I'm sure it would pair nicely with sushi as pickled ginger usually does.

     I often note, and sometimes make fun of company mascots and advertising logos.  But in this case, it did what it was designed to do, and stuck in my brain.  I had forgotten The Ginger People brand and company name, but the mascot struck a chord when I saw it again on the official website.  This character, Mr. Knobs, is basically an anthropomorphic ginger man, with a head, and separate arms and legs, all made out of ginger.  Who might be a cannibal--see my post on April 16th, 2017 for more about that.  Actually, when I reread that earlier post, it also mentioned real, human eating human cannibalism, too.  So if that intrigues you, give it a read.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A French Mustard

      So today we're back to condiments.  In general I'm not a huge mustard fan--I do enjoy it on certain foods though, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, and subs.  The one I'll be discussing in this post is the honey Dijon mustard from the Maille company.

     The Maille company is old--impressively so.  It's actually older than the U.S.A., since it dates back to 1747.  In that long ago year, a French man named Antoine-Claude Maille opened up a business called La Maison Maille in Paris.  It sold vinegar.  Maille was actually a second generation vinegar maker, as his dad (who had the same name as his son) had already become notable for his vinegar in the 1720's.  The older Maille even thought that imbibing vinegar could protect folks from the plague.  (For the record, this wasn't true.)  Well, the younger Maille's vinegar quickly became renowned, so much so that he became the official vinegar supplier to the court of King Louis XV.  In 1760 Maille became the supplier to the royal courts of Hungary and Austria as well.  And in 1771 the company achieved the same distinction to Catherine the Great's Russian court.  In 1800 Maille sold his business to an associate named Andre-Arnoult Acloque.  Although one of his sons still was involved in the family business, just not as an owner, or the son of the owner.  In 1885 the Maille company was sold to another famous mustard/condiment business, Grey Poupon.  Ownership changed hands several more times over the next century, including a Rothschild, and Poupon on and off, until finally it was sold to the behemoth Unilever in 2000.  In addition to selling various types of mustard, Maille also markets cooking oils, cornichons (see my post on February 17, 2016 for more info about this food type) salad dressings, and even stoneware and kitchen gifts.

     Moving on, the history of Dijon mustard is very extensive, too.  Its roots go all the way back to 1336, when it was made for the French King Philip VI.  However, the French town of Dijon, in Burgundy, became the center of its manufacture, as this place was granted the exclusive rights to produce it in the 1600's.  In 1856 a Dijon resident named Jean Naigeon made a revolutionary change--substituting verjuice (the acidic juice from unripe grapes) for the traditional vinegar.  Although, confusingly, this alternative doesn't appear to be strictly followed, as many modern Dijon mustards still use vinegar instead of verjuice.  The traditional ingredients for Dijon mustard are brown mustard seeds, white wine, vinegar (or verjuice), salt, and water.  Finally, unlike some products, which have to be produced in an officially designated area, like champagne has to be made in that region of France, or ouzo has to be created in Greece or Cyprus, or Roquefort cheese has to originate from a specific area in France, Dijon mustard isn't protected in that way.  So if you're in Tasmania, or Djibouti, or in Toledo, Ohio, you can make and sell Dijon mustard, under that name, and no one can stop you. 

Maille honey Dijon mustard:  Had a light yellow color, and a rich, heady odor.  I had a bit plain, some on a hoagie (aka sub, grinder, etc.), and some on Vienna sausages.  It was really good for all of these.  A great flavor--savory and sweet.  Very respectable condiment.  I would highly recommend this, unless you're a person who actively hates mustard, I guess.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Off Color Blueberries

      A few months ago (given what I later learned about this food's growing season, it was presumably in April or May), I saw something new in the berry section at my local Shop-Rite--blueberries which weren't, in fact, blue.  These "Color Rush" berries were instead "blue"berries that were green, and purplish.  Needless to say, I had to give them a try.  The company that behind this was Naturipe.

     I've reported on a Naturipe product before--another type of blueberry, this one grown in Peru, way back on January 14, 2023.  In that post I covered the history of the Naturipe company.  To avoid repetition, if you're curious about the founders of Naturipe and such, please consult that earlier post.  I will mention that the Color Rush blueberry variant was created by Naturipe, and they're grown in Florida.  The berries can be yellow, pink, green, or fuchsia.  Many consumers claim that their texture is especially crisp and snappy.  And that their flavor is extra sweet.

     As for blueberries, they are native to North America.  Although they've been successfully introduced to many other places, such as parts of Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South America.  (Maybe Africa too?  I'm not sure.)  The blueberry plant is known for being tolerant of cold temperatures.  Also, some of them put out rhizomes, which are underground stems.  Which then often grow to the surface and bloom themselves.  Meaning a cluster of blueberry plants may be basically one plant with many parts.  I'm surprised that a sci-fi/horror story hasn't been written about a huge blueberry plant cluster that becomes super intelligent and aggressive--a single organism with a "hive mind" bent on world domination.  Returning to reality, Hammonton, New Jersey is known as the Blueberry Capital of the World.

Naturipe Color Rush premium blueberries.  These blueberries were the typical size and shape as regular blueberries.  The color was obviously different, as they were green, or purplish, or a bit of both.  I didn't notice a shaper or crisper texture, as I'd read I would--they just seemed like a normal blueberry texture.  Also, I didn't find them sweeter than regular blueberries.  At all--they were significantly worse, being very bland, almost tasteless.  I found these to be extremely disappointing--the different colors were kind of cool, but the flavor was very dull.  I would strongly recommend against buying these.

     I did just learn something about blueberries which I found amusing.  Mainly, despite the name, the berries aren't actually blue.  They contain a pigment called anthocyanin that makes them dark red.  However, tiny structures (nanostructures) in the waxy outer layer reflect blue and ultraviolet light, making them appear blue to our eyes.  This is rather amazing to me.  What's next--are the citrus fruits called oranges not really an orange color?!  My whole world doesn't make sense anymore, all because of a tiny little berry.

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "Prince of Darkness" (1987)

      I know this is a bit early, being only mid August, but I would like to take a break from writing about food and drink.  So I'm going to do another movie trivia quiz this week.  Also, I'm breaking from my tradition of only featuring very popular and successful movies for a quiz.  "Prince of Darkness" was only moderately successful at the box office, and only received middling reviews.  Clearly I think it's very good to excellent, though, so that's why I picked it.  It's the second film in John Carpenter's so called "Apocalypse Trilogy," with 1982's "The Thing" and 1994's "In the Mouth of Madness" being the others.  Usual format otherwise--questions followed by the answers, many SPOILERS ahead.

Questions.

1)    What is the name of the super secret sect that guards the evil cannister of green liquid?

2)    And what is the name of this organization's head guardian priest?

3)    What is the name of the church where most of the movie is set?

4)    What is the full name of the physics professor character that Victor Wong portrays?

5)    What school does this professor teach at?

6)    Brian briefly watches a television segment about a science topic.  What is it?

7)    How long did the head guardian priest live at the church?

8)    When was the church built?

9)    According to the priest played by Donald Pleasence, the huge book about the Cannister is written in what language, or languages?

10)   According to the head guardian priest, how long ago did the evil Sleeper awaken?

11)   What two reasons or life goals does Catherine give for getting a doctorate in physics?

12)   And what reason does Walter give for getting a doctorate in physics?

13)   What is Catherine's last name?  (She only says it once, and it's not listed in the credits.)

14)   What school did Brian transfer from?

15)   What subtype of physics is Brian a student of, and what subtype is Catherine in?

16)   One of the characters knew someone who attended the church back in the 1950's.  Name them.

17)   Walter says he had to break a date with a beautiful trial attorney.  Where was this person from?

18)   What is Calder's field of science, and what is Lomax's?

19)   What is Lisa's field of study, and specialty?

20)   Walter briefly watches a cartoon show on television.  Which one?

21)   Walter mentions that at age 12 he broke out in a strange rash due to a psychosomatic cause.  What caused this rash?

22)   Who is the first character seen being killed?  (Not counting the guardian priest, who died of natural causes, the first murder victim.)

23)   According to the carbon dating of the corrosion on the lid of the Cannister, how old is it?

24)   What is Susan's science specialty?

25)   Lisa is working in a room that had a previous function, as it's written over the door.  What was the room previously used for?

26)   One character is killed, and then possessed, and gives the remaining characters a dire verbal message.  Who is this character?

27)   And what is their message?

28)   What is Possessed Lisa typing as Calder enters the room?

29)   By what method are the future scientists sending back messages in time to the characters within the church while they're dreaming, according to the characters' best guess?

30)   What song does Possessed Calder sing as he ascends the stairs?

31)   Which Possessed character tries, unsuccessfully, to pull the Devil through the full-length mirror before Kelly awakens?

32)   What animals do we see throughout the movie?

33)   What is the symbol on Kelly's arm, according to Catherine?

34)   The priest tries to stop Possessed Kelly at the mirror twice.  Describe the results.

35)   The message seen by every character in their dreams was sent from people in the future.  From what year?

36)   What is the name of the priest played by Donald Pleasence?

37)   Who wrote this movie?

38)   How many characters enter and work in the church for the weekend, and how many survive to the end?  (At least in our dimension.)

39)   How many of these characters are possessed by Evil in the movie?

40)   Who is the only character who gets possessed by Evil, but not from ingesting some of the green liquid?

41)   Who is the only character definitely killed, but who then doesn't return in a possessed state?

42)   Who is the only character seen being killed twice?  (As in, once as a human, and once in possessed form, before the Devil's son in Kelly's body is pushed into the other dimension by Catherine.)

43)   Was Walter gay?  (Conjectural)

44)   The movie appears to be set in the real year of release, or 1987 or so.  But the message from the future people in characters' dream is from the 1990's, perhaps the late 90's (see Question #35).  Why the several year, or over a decade gap?  Why isn't the Devil leaving the church immediately after being pulled into our dimension?  (Conjectural)

45)   What is the complete history of the evil Cannister?  (As far as the characters can determine.)

46)   Was Kelly the only person who could be the Host for the Devil's son?  (Conjectural)

47)   Is it possible for Brian to pull Catherine back into his dimension using a mirror, as he's attempting to do at the film's very end?  (Conjectural)

Answers:

1)    The Brotherhood of Sleep.

2)    Father Carlton.

3)    Saint Godard's Church.

4)    Howard Birack.  

5)    The Doppler Institute of Physics, with the University of the Sciences. in Los Angeles, California.  In reality there is a real Doppler Institute, but it's in Prague, in the Czech Republic, and not Los Angeles.  Also, there is a real University of the Sciences, but that's a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based college of pharmacy.

6)   It's about a newly discovered supernova, which has expelled particles from the Precambrian Era that are just now reaching Earth.

7)    Over 30 years.  (That poor guy must have gotten SO sick of that message dream!)

8)    Back in the 1500's with the approval of the Spanish government.  (Presumably the building had been renovated some over the centuries!) (Also, in reality the Spanish didn't colonize the area that became Los Angeles until the mid to late 1700's.  Although it is a super secret group, maybe it was the only building in the area.)

9)    It's written in several, including Latin, Coptic, Greek, and some just in numbers.

10)   About a month ago.

11)   Particle beam weapons, and research grants.

12)   Becoming a millionaire when he's 40.

13)   Danforth.

14)   Kneale.  This is not a real school, it's a fake one named for an author Carpenter liked, Nigel Kneale.  See the answer for Question #37 for more info.

15)   Brian's specialty is theoretical physics, and Catherine's is applied physics.

16)   The parents of Susan's husband attended the church in the past.

17)   Century City.

18)   Calder's field is microbiology, and Lomax's is biochemistry.

19)   She's getting her doctorate in theology, specializing in the analysis of ancient manuscripts.

20)   A "Tom and Jerry" episode which has Tom descending into Hell.  (Foreshadowing?  I think so!)

21)   According to his doctor, it was from homosexual panic.

22)   Etchinson.

23)   7,000,000 years ago!  A couple of problems with this--they said they dated the corrosion on the lid, which would not have carbon, and so couldn't be dated that way.  Also, the limits of carbon dating are only about 60,000 years ago.  There are other radiometric dating methods that can date things millions of years old or even much older, though.  Apparently Carpenter just made a mistake.

24)   She's a radiologist.  And she wears glasses, as every character who describes her mentions.

25)   It was a nursery.

26)   Frank Wyndham.

27)   "Pray for death."

28)   She's been typing "I Live!" over and over for quite some time.  Then, right before she attacks Calder, she adds, "You will not be saved by the Holy Ghost.  You will not be saved by the God Plutonium.  In fact, you will not be saved!"

29)   They theorize that maybe the future scientists are using tachyons, which are theoretical particles that can go faster than the speed of light.

30)   "Amazing Grace."

31)   Calder.

32)   Ants, maggots, earthworms, beetles, and a dead, crucified pigeon.

33)   She says it's the symbol for an astrologer's staff from the Middle Ages.  Checking into it, I read that it's also the symbol for Kronos (Saturn), and is similar to a Greek symbol associated with chaos.  It was also used on the cover of the 1972 self-titled Blue Oyster Cult album.

34)   First he chops off her extended left arm with an axe, and it falls into the mirror dimension.  She quickly regrows it.  Then he cuts off her head with the axe.  She picks it up, puts it back atop her head, and seems to suffer no ill effects.  She even seems darkly amused by his attempts to thwart her.

35)   It keeps getting cut off as the message reveals the year it was sent, but we definitely hear "199--".  Then, in Brian's final dream, we hear it as "1999."  Although this is away from the church, after the Devil is thwarted, so this may be just a regular dream of Brian's, and not an official message from the scientists.  So it's clearly 1990 something, perhaps 1999.

36)   Oddly, it's never spoken, or seen anywhere in writing.  And in the credits he's just listed as "Priest."

37)   This is a trick question, since in the credits it's Martin Quatermass, but that's a joke.  John Carpenter wrote it, and used the name of a character he liked, Bernard Quatermass, who was part of several BBC television series, and created by Nigel Kneale.

38)   14 go into the church--Professor Birack, the Priest, Brian, Susan, Calder, Catherine, Lisa, Leahy, Walter, Etchinson, Kelly, Wyndham, Mullins, and Lomax.  4 survive, at least in our dimension--Birack, the Priest, Brian and Walter.  Kelly's body is presumably in the other dimension, possessed by the son of the Devil, and with him.  It's unknown whether or not Catherine is still alive in the other dimension.  Brian's dream and his final attempt at the mirror seem to postulate that he can pull her back into our world, but if he can, is she still Catherine, or would it be her body possessed by the Devil or his son?

39)   8 are seen being possessed--Susan, Calder, Lisa, Leahy, Kelly, Wyndham, Mullins, and Lomax.  As I mentioned in the previous question's answer, Catherine may be possessed, but in the other dimension, and we can't be sure.

40)   Frank Wyndham.  He's seen being killed by a homeless lady wielding some scissors, and then is seen possessed later without ever getting any green liquid inside his mouth.  Although he doesn't last very long in this state, dissolving into a pile of bugs after his short declaration.

41)   Etchinson--he's impaled on a broken tricycle by Alice Cooper's homeless guy, and killed, and we never see him again.  He's killed outside, so no possessed characters are around to spit green liquid into him, so maybe that's why.  (Although Wyndham was possessed--I don't know the reason why.  Maybe the actor only had like 2 days available to work on the movie.)  

42)   Mullins.  Possessed Susan breaks his neck, killing him, but later some of the green liquid drips into his mouth and possesses him.  Then Birack stabs him through the eye with a pencil, and this seems to "kill" his possessed state body, as he doesn't move anymore.

43)   Maybe.  There are several references to ponder.  When he mentions having to break the date with the lawyer, Brian asks what "his" name was, which seems to piss Walter off, and he doesn't answer the question.  He then tells the story about getting the weird rash allegedly caused by homosexual panic.  Both of these might have been jokes, but still.  Finally, he's trapped in a closet by the Possessed Lisa and Susan while Kelly "gestates" into the Son of the Devil, before eventually escaping, so maybe that was "subtle" symbolism.  Alternately, he hits on Lisa in an obnoxious way, which could be overcompensation, to pretend to be hetero in front of others, or it could be genuine.  Ultimately I think it was some dated attempts at humor.

44)   This doesn't make much sense to me--why would the Devil wait?  So my answer to this is the following:  In an alternate timeline, the events of the movie play out as shown, BUT Catherine and the Priest don't stop Possessed Kelly from pulling the Devil into our dimension.  Therefore, the Devil does get through.  He and his minions then kill the remaining non-possessed survivors.  He directs the homeless to unblock the front door.  Then, as the Devil emerges, someone outside of the church sees him, and presumably videotapes or films him.  The Devil rampages the Earth, killing tons of people, overthrowing human civilization, etc.  But not completely.  At least a handful of scientists remain.  Over the next 3-12 years they learn how to send messages, including video footage of the Devil coming out of the church, back through time into people's dreams within the church, perhaps using tachyons.  In at least one timeline, this helps the students and Catherine prevent the Devil' from traveling into our dimension.  I know, this is convoluted.  I'd welcome alternate explanations.

45)   Sometime before 7,000,000 years ago the Devil built the Cannister, to house his son in liquid form, as a bizarre insurance policy to get back to Earth if he was banished to another dimension.  The Devil buried the Cannister somewhere in the Middle East, and then was indeed banished.  Then, around 2,000 years ago an alien of a human-like race, Jesus, warned humans about the Devil, and his son.  (And maybe about the Cannister specifically?  It's unclear.)  Most of the people of this time thought Jesus was crazy, and was getting too powerful, so they had him killed.  But, his disciples kept the secret, and somehow recovered the Cannister and kept it hidden.  They started The Brotherhood of Sleep, which continued to do this, and decided to transport the Cannister to what would become Los Angeles as long as 400-500 years ago.  They were waiting for science to progress sufficiently until it could prove what the Cannister was and contained scientifically.  Then about a month before the Devil's son woke up and started to gain in power.  So the Priest investigated, and called in the scientists.

46)   Part of me wants this to be true, because then we're presented with the absurd image of the Devil and his son, the latter still in liquified form, flailing about helplessly.  I mean, I guess they could possess a lot of people, but the whole point was to bring the Devil over to our world.  If Kelly had to miss the weekend because she'd make vacation plans, or had a sick relative, and thus the world was saved from Evil, that would be hilarious.  But, that said, I think the more likely answer is "no," and Evil just chose her from the 14 people in the church that weekend.  Presumably, if Kelly was absent, it would have picked someone else, and they would have gotten the bulk of the green liquid inserted inside them, and thus would have become the host for the Devil's son.  Because no one was able to resist become regularly possessed when infected with a mouthful of green liquid, no matter how "good" or "bad" they were, so it stands to reason that any human would become the host for the Devil's son if they had most of the liquid put inside of them.

47)  I'm going to guess that no, he couldn't.  Because pulling someone through a mirror from another dimension appears to be something only very powerful supernatural creatures can do.  We see that Possessed Calder can't do it, for example.  So I think only the Devil's son, possessing a human body, could manage this, and maybe his opposite, i.e. the Son of God.  Since Brian isn't Jesus, or the Devil's son, or even a saint or anything, I don't think he could accomplish this.  I think his final dream was just a regular dream, not a message from the future scientists, since he's not in the church, and the Devil and his son are safely trapped in the other dimension.  Therefore, there's no important reason for the scientists to send another message.  I mean, I guess you could say God might intervene and let Brian perform a miracle to rescue Catherine, but this seems far-fetched.  Or it's the Devil tricking Brian into doing this, and managing it, so the Devil could sneak into our world by possessing Catherine's body, This also seems unrealistic.  But, in conclusion, it does make for an interesting final scene for the movie, though.  Again, I'm open to other explanations or theories.

   

   

   

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A German Cheese, Plus a Brief Blog Announcement

      It's back to my favorite food ever once again--lovely, wonderful cheese.  In this case, an Edelblu kind from the Bergader brand.  Will this be the first cheese I've ever disliked?  Keep reading to find out!

     Bergader is a moderately old company, having started in 1902.  Basil Weixler, German man living in the Bavarian town of Waging am See, started a small cheese dairy.  In the 1920's he developed his own cheese, one that was similar to the French Roquefort.  The major difference was that Weixler's was made using cow's milk, not sheep's milk.  Weixler didn't try to hide the similarity, as he named his cheese "Bavarian Mountain Roquefort."  Which caused some legal problems for him.  The folks who owned the rights to Roquefort brought him to court, and beat Weixler.  Therefore, he had to rename his cheese "Bergader Edelpilz" instead.  However, the attention sparked by the media's coverage of the court proceedings actually helped, and Weixler's cheeses gained in popularity.  Weixler died in 1945, but Bergader has remained in his family, with his descendants continuing to own and control the company up until the present day.  Bergader's line of products isn't that extensive.  Most are soft, blue cheese variants, including Edelblu (aka Edlepilz), several kinds of Bavarian blus, and other types of soft cheese.  And a couple of semi-hard types as well.  If you're curious about the name, "Bergader" translates directly into "mountain vein."  "Berg" is German for "mountain," and "ader" means "vein."  Usually this word refers to a vein of metallic ore, as in what fuels a mining operation.  But, Weixler picked the name because the blue mold streaks going through his cheeses reminded him of the veins of metal that can pass through a mountain or rock formation.

Bergader Edelblu cheese, gourmet variant:  This cheese was white, with bluish-black streaks of mold visible.  It had a strong, almost pungent odor.  The texture was fairly soft, although not spreadable.  The flavor was salty and sourish.  I had some plain, and it was very good.  Not my favorite blue cheese, but still very tasty.  On a potato chip was even better--the texture and taste of the chip improved the experience.  So, to answer the kind of ridiculous, click-bait-y question I posed in the opening paragraph, no, this wasn't the first cheese I disliked.  It was very respectable and tasty, and I would recommend it enthusiastically, unless you're a person who doesn't enjoy strong, blue-type cheeses.  (On a spelling note, I've been using the spellings used by Bergader throughout this post--most notably, they spell "blue" as "blu."  Which seems to be something that Bergader does on their own, as the internet claims the German word for "blue" is "blau," not "blu."  But just so you know.)

     Spooky Month, known more boringly as October, is approaching fast, and I've been working on my posts for that time.  As I always do lately, I'll include several horror movie trivia quizzes.  I am making a concerted effort to cover slightly more recent movies this time.  So two of them will be 21st century offerings.  And the one that is from the (late) 20th century is VERY famous and popular, so if you're not familiar with it, that's your mistake. 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Puerto Rican/Dominican/Filipino/American/Irish Alcoholic Drink

      In about four decades of drinking booze, sometimes illegally, more times legally, I've had my decent share of different alcoholic drinks.  Probably all of the major types of alcohol, and probably most of the major mixed drinks.  But, I realized recently that at least one was still missing--the pina colada.  I vaguely recall having something pina colada-flavored--a candy perhaps--but I don't remember having the adult alcoholic drink type.  If I ever did, it was very long ago, and it didn't make an impression on me one way or the other.  So, I set about rectifying this.  And since some of the ingredients were foreign, I could then write about them on this blog.  For the record, my pina colada was made using Coco Lopez cream of coconut (from the Dominican Republic), Dole pineapple juice (an Irish-owned company, using pineapples grown in the Philippines), Caribaya coconut rum (from that tropical hotbed, Maine), and the drink itself was almost certainly developed in Puerto Rico.  (I realize that Puerto Rico is technically American territory, and its citizens are American citizens, but it's also a Caribbean Island, and not a state, so I'll mention it separately.)

     Coco Lopez was created by a Puerto Rican man named Ramon Lopez Irizarry, who lived from 1897-1982.  A World War I veteran, he later became a professor of agricultural sciences at the University of Puerto Rico.  In his spare time he tried to solve the issue of extracting the cream from coconut pulp.  Working in his small laboratory, he was eventually successful in 1949, using a secret blend of the cream with cane sugar.  Sensing a viable commercial idea, he left teaching to sell cream of coconut, and later other coconut-related products, with his company named Coco Lopez.  The creation of the pina colada drink in 1954 (or at least the latest, most popular form of that drink) helped the business enormously, since Coco Lopez cream of coconut was one of the libation's core ingredients.  Lopez joined with Industrias La Formosa Puerto Rico in the 1960's to expand his production.  And in 1966 he sold the brand to his partner company's owners, the Parkhursts.  Later the Parkhursts sold the brand to the American Borden family, and my can was put together in Miramar, Florida, from coconuts grown in the Dominican Republic.  Coco Lopez has very few products.  Aside from the cream of coconut, they sell coconut milk, pina colada mix, and coconut water.  Which makes sense, since "coco" means "coconut" in Spanish.

     Like a lot of drinks (and foods, really), the exact inventor of the pina colada is disputed.  The oldest, and probably most apocryphal version is that the pirate Roberto Cofresi created it for his crew, sometime before his death in 1825.  In the 1920's there were pina colada-like beverages--one type was made with sugar, lime, pineapple juice, rum, and ice, and a 1950's Cuban variant consisted of rum, pineapple juice, and coconut milk.  However, the official recipe for the drink uses cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and rum, sometimes garnished with a pineapple wedge and/or other fruit chunks like cherries.  A Spanish guy named Ricardo Garcia claimed he developed it in 1953 while working at the Caribe Hilton Hotel, which was located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  But, most folks attribute the drink to another employee at that same Caribe Hilton, a bartender named Ramon "Monchito" Marrero, who invented the pina colada in 1954.  The initial pina colada was more like a milkshake, and kid-friendly, but Marrero quickly added rum to it for adult customers.  This is by far the most accepted, "official" invention story--the governor of Puerto Rico endorsed this version while honoring the drink's (alleged) 50th anniversary in 2004.  Some folks maintain that Don Ramon Portas Mingot invented the drink while working in the Barrachina restaurant (in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico), also in 1954.  Whoever actually invented it, Puerto Rico definitely seems to be the place of origin, and in 1978 it became the island's official drink.  Over the years many folks have added a few tweaks to the pina colada.  Some add heavy cream, and others add Angostura bitters to balance it out.  Still other people mix the drink in layers with a strawberry daiquiri (called a "lava flow" or a "Miami Vice"), or layer it with Scotch (called, not very creatively, a "Scotsman Colada.").  And some drinkers add tepeche, which is an alcohol derived from the fermentation of pineapple rinds and peel.  Additionally, I missed out on an opportunity--July 10th is National Pina Colada Day in the U.S.

Pina colada, made with Dole pineapple juice, Coco Lopez cream of coconut, Caribaya coconut rum, and ice.  I followed the recipe on the Coco Lopez can as well as I could--Combine 4 ounces (about 118.3 mL) Coco Lopez cream of coconut with 4 ounces (118.3 mL) of pineapple juice, 3 ounces of rum (about 88.7 mL), and 2 cups of ice.  Then you're supposed to mix it well in a blender, and garnish it with pineapple and cherries.  I didn't have a blender on hand, and I didn't bother buying the pineapple chunks or cherries.  So instead I just mixed it up as well as I could in the glass with a spoon.  It looked milky and frothy.  I could pick out the extreme sweetness of the cream of coconut, and the tart/sweet taste of the pineapple juice.  The rum was pretty hidden, but since it was coconut flavored, it probably didn't stand out from the cream of coconut.  Overall I really enjoyed it.  I've wasted my life.  Just kidding!  That's a bit strong, but I did miss out on a tasty drink.  Unless you really hate pineapple juice or something, I think people should give this one a try--definite recommend.  I will say that the cream of coconut is ridiculously high in calories--130 for 2 tablespoons (39 grams), so it's probably not a good idea to drink a lot of these, unless you're super thin or burn calories like a champ.  It was also messy to make, to throw out a very minor complaint.

     Finally, this post has a personal record for me--5 areas of origin, as seen in the absurdly long title.  (Or 4 if you don't want to distinguish Puerto Rico from the U.S.)  I hope to break this record at some point.

 

 

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Couple of Portable Protein Balls

      This was yet another discovery from my Shop-Rite's nutrition/protein bar section.  This brand was at least a little different in that it was protein balls rather than the usual protein bars.  Anyway, I tried the cinnamon bun protein balls from Day Out, and their peanut butter cup ones.

     Day Out is a fairly recent brand and company, having started only in 2018.  Both its founder, and its brand name have changed from their initial versions.  Becky Pleat became Becky Dheri after getting married, and Protein Power Balls became Day Out.  The label on the ones I purchased were called "portable protein balls."  Which kind of amuses me.  Aren't all protein bars/balls and such snacks portable?  Are there any that are like 400 pounds (about 181.5 kilos), that you need a vehicle and/or a few strong friends to help carry around?  I'd like to think so, for absurdity's sake.  But back to Becky Dheri.  She's a pharmacist by trade, and got tired of the snacks that she would pick up for lunch and breaks at the local stories every day, worrying that they were unhealthy.  So she started developing some of her own, with "ingredients you could pronounce, no gums, emulsifiers, questionable oils, and artificial preservatives."    Her protein balls are plant-based, fiber-rich, protein-packed, and lack gluten, soy, dairy, GMOs, and artificial preservatives.  Her products have become decently popular.  They were featured on NBC's "Today Show" in a segment called, "Best Healthy Snacks," and were also in a Men's Health Magazine article titled, "17 Best Healthy Snacks on Amazon."  Day Out's reported marketing scheme is to focus on attracting Millennial females of ages 28-45, who are doing shopping for their families.  But, they got at least one sale to a Generation X male over 50, who was just shopping for products to talk about on his blog.  Alternate flavors of Day Out protein balls include brownie batter, cookie dough, and occasional seasonal ones like peanut butter crunch. blueberry muffin, peanut butter & jelly, peppermint bark, apple cider donut, and pecan pie.  Also, Day Out is based in Montville, NJ, so I'm representing for my home state once more.

Day Out portable protein balls, peanut butter cup flavor:  There were three balls in the bag, and they were roughly oval, being about 1.25 inches by 1 inch (or about 3 by 2 cm.) with a dark brown color.  Not much of an odor.  The texture was chewy, and a little grainy.  The taste was very peanut buttery, not shockingly, and pretty good.  Not great, but better than average

Day Out portable protein balls, cinnamon bun flavor:  These also came three balls to the pack, and were about the same size as the previous.  Although the shape was slightly different, as they were a bit rounder, with a nose-like protuberance on one end.  The color was brown, with some streaks of white.  Again, not much of a smell.  The texture was dense and chewy.  And these were...very cinnamon-y, to the snack's credit.  Nicely sweet.  I enjoyed these more than the peanut butter cup ones, surprisingly, given my love of peanut butter in general.  These were just shy of exceptional.  

     Overall I'd recommend both of these--the peanut butter cup ones slightly, and the cinnamon bun kind more enthusiastically.  I'll have to look for different flavors of Day Out as well, and if these are available I'll add to this post.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--English Baked Beans (aka "Beanz")

      I've been vaguely aware that English folks were into baked beans, but I hadn't taken the opportunity to explore them until now.  I saw some Heinz baked beans in tomato sauce in the alternate Shop-Rite, in the same aisle that had some foreign foods.  A quick look at the label confirmed that they were indeed made in England, so I bought myself a can.

      I've heard about the English loving baked beans in general, and Heinz's beans in particular, and this caused me some confusion.  Because Heinz is an American company, based out of western Pennsylvania, starting in the late 1800's.  (If you want a more detailed account of Heinz's origins, check out my post on the Dutch made salad cream dressing on June 8th, 2019.)  So what gives?  Well, all of that is true.  However, Heinz exported some canned baked beans to England starting in 1886.  For quite some time this was a niche treat, as only one store, the upmarket department store Fortnum & Mason, sold them.  Because of this store's "upmarket-ness" and because they were imported, the beans were relatively expensive.  However, in 1905 the first Heinz bean factory was opened in England, in South London.  Another followed in 1919.  Because they were now locally made, prices plummeted.  Thus, Heinz's baked beans became popular to people of all economic classes.  During World War II, they even received an "essential food" designation for wartime rationing purposes.  Therefore, baked beans, and Heinz's baked beans in particular, became an addition to the traditional "full English breakfast."  Similar versions are called the "full Scottish breakfast," or the "full Welsh breakfast,"--you get the idea, part of breakfasts for folks with United Kingdom backgrounds, such as former colonies.  If you're curious (I was), the traditional full English breakfast has some variants, but most commonly it consists of bacon, sausage, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, and fried bread or toast, washed down with tea.  Other fairly common additions include the Heinz baked beans (often put on the bread or toast), black (blood) pudding, and coffee.  Aside from being part of traditional breakfasts, Heinz beans are also typical fare in cafes and pubs.  (You usually don't find them on the menus in posh, high-end restaurants, though.)  Otherwise, English baked beans differ from their American counterparts in that the latter usually are made with molasses and/or brown sugar, while the British ones aren't.  Meaning the English beans are less sweet, and more savory.  On the cultural front, Heinz baked beans have been featured in the English television program "Dr. Who."  And a popular advertising campaign in the 1960's and beyond came up with the slogan "Heinz Meanz Beanz," and even up until the present some English Heinz cans (mis)spell "beans" that way.  (Not mine, alas.)

Heinz beans with tomato sauce:  The beans were tannish-white, in a red tomato sauce.  They had a slight beany odor.  And they tasted like beans in tomato sauce.  Or decent.  Oddly, considering what I later learned about the ingredients, the sauce was a tad sweet.  (Despite the lack of molasses and/or brown sugar.)  Plain I liked these, but didn't love them.  With some hot sauce mixed in they were improved, as the spiciness helped.  I also mixed in some Vienna sausages, and this also made them more interesting.  I didn't have them on bread or toast--I didn't find out that this was one of the traditional English ways of eating them until afterwards.  All in all I would recommend these beans slightly.  They weren't spectacular or anything, but they were okay.  Maybe I'll pick up another can and try them on toast.  If I do, I'll re-edit this post and include my thoughts on that combination.

     Perhaps not surprisingly, given their cultural importance, baked beans have been the subject of at least two museum exhibits.  A man named Captain Beany (nee Barry Kirk) ran a museum dedicated to beans, including Heinz's contribution, out of his council flat (aka apartment) in Port Talbot, Wales from 2009-23.   And in 2019 there was a pop up exhibit about Heinz Beanz specifically in Covent Gardens, in London.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Two Thai Tunas

      Regular readers will probably recall that I post a fair bit about canned seafood.  So, it's not too surprising that I happened upon a new-to-me brand a while back, Genova.  When I saw that the fish included inside the can was a product of Thailand I bit, buying two cans--the yellowfin tuna in olive oil seasoned with lemon and herbs, and the albacore tuna in olive oil.

     There wasn't much online about the origins of the Genova brand, so I'll have to provide what little I could find out, which was largely indirect.  Way back in 1914, a man named Gilbert Van Camp bought up the California Tuna Company, and renamed it the Van Camp Sea Food Company.  (Although his father, Frank Van Camp, is listed as the founder.)  Van Camp's most popular product was its tuna, which it called "chicken of the sea," a slogan which eventually became a brand name.  Ralston Purina bought the company in 1963, and then in 1988 an Indonesian company named PT Mantrust briefly acquired it.  Shortly thereafter Prudential Life Insurance owned it for awhile.  Finally, in 1997 a partnership made up of three companies bought Chicken of the Sea.  These three firms were Edmund Gann's Caribbean Marine Services Company, the Singapore-based Tri-Marine International, and the Thailand-based Thai Union International.  Their partnership was called Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC.  In 2000 Gann and Tri-Marine sold their shares to Thai Union International, so it became the sole owner of Tri-Union.  So, I'm not sure if Genova started as an independent company and then was acquired by Chicken of the Sea, and then Tri-Union, or if it was a brand of Van Camp/Chicken of the Sea from the beginning, or if it was a brand of Chicken of the Sea after Tri-Union bought that company.  Moving on, Thai Union is a mammoth seafood company, which owns many brands and subsidiaries aside from Chicken of the Sea and Genova.  It has had its share of controversy, though.  In 2015 Greenpeace accused it of conducting human trafficking.  Other human rights organizations have also made this claim.  (In short, the company is said to have forced its employees to work in unfair, or unsafe, or underpaid conditions while out on the fishing boats, which may be away from land, and thus the law, for weeks or months at a time.)  Predictably, Thai Union has denied these claims, and its official company website documents their fair working conditions, and concern about fair labor practices and such.  I'd like to believe that these employees are being treated well, but, we live in the real world.  It wouldn't shock me to learn that Greenpeace and the other organizations may be right, or at least partially correct.  Sorry, this blog post about a couple of cans of tuna took a turn for the serious, I know, with it being largely about company acquisitions and mergers, and possible labor abuses.  Sometimes that's where the information takes me.  Getting back to the food, Genova does make a couple of premade tuna-based salad bowls, but most of their products consist of canned yellowfin tuna packed in various liquids, and/or different seasonings, or canned albacore tuna packed in various liquids, and/or different seasonings.

Genova yellowfin tuna packed in olive oil, with lemon and herbs:  The tuna itself was a pinkish-tan color, and it had the usual tuna-ish odor.  Plain it tasted like regular canned tuna, or okay but bland.  It was the usual chewy and soft texture.  Next I mixed up some with potatoes, squid, sauce, and ketchup, and this was improved, and pretty good.  But overall it was like most of the canned tuna I've had in my life--no better, no worse.  I don't know if I could have distinguished it from cans of Starkist or Bumblebee, etc.

Genova albacore tuna packed in olive oil:  Had the same pinkish-tan color, and typical tuna smell.  Same soft and chewy texture.  Plain it was fairly bland, and tasted like regular canned tuna.  Mixed up with mayonnaise it was quite good, a solid tuna salad.  Once again, this was like pretty much every other canned tuna I've had.  If you like canned tuna, both of these were fine.  But if they're more expensive than another common brand, I don't think I'd pay the extra price.  (I forgot to save the receipt, so I can't remember if these did cost more than the other brands of canned tuna.)

     To end this on more light-hearted note, I did find out that the human model for the Chicken of the Sea mermaid logo was Grace Lee Whitney.  Who is best known for playing Yeoman Rand in the early episodes of the original Star Trek television program (1966).  She also appeared, apparently as Rand, in many Star Trek movies, and other Star Trek television programs.  Otherwise, she was in movies such as "House of Wax" (1953), "The Naked and the Dead" (1958), and "Some Like it Hot" (1959).