I was interested in this week's post topic, since I believe these were the first foods from Barbados that I ever had. (I did have some Barbadian beer once, though, from the Banks brewery.) And once again, as regular readers will recall, a "biscuit" to much of the world (especially in parts of Europe, or some former European colonies) is what we Americans call a "cookie." Basically both of these are portable dessert pastries. I sampled two kinds of biscuit from the Wibisco company, from their Shirley line--the original, and the coconut flavor.
The roots of Wibisco date back to 1850, when a small bakery, the Barbados Biscuit Company, was established by John Hoad & Company. In 1910 Weiting &Richter started up Wibisco, which stands for the West Indian BIScuit Company. Then in 1945 Sir Kenneth Russell Hunte bought the Barbados Biscuit Company, and then merged it with Wibisco. Finally, in 1996, after some transfer of company shares, Wibisco became part of the Bermudez Biscuit Group of Trinidad. Bermudez includes some other subsidiary companies, including one of the distributors of Wibisco, the Jamaica Biscuit Company. Wibisco employs 300 people, and currently exports to various Caribbean nations, the U.S., Canada, parts of South America, and the U.K. Wibisco, as its name suggests, basically makes biscuits/cookies and crackers. Also, I noticed that the company is not very active on their social media accounts, especially the blog on their website.
Moving on, Barbados is an island of 430 square miles (1113.6 square kilometers), and has a population of about 285,000. About 80,000 folks reside in the capital city, Bridgetown. Barbados achieved its independent state/Commonwealth Realm of the U.K. status in 1966. Aside from sugarcane, its biggest commodity is tourism. Several Barbadians, or those with Barbadian heritage, have become quite famous. For example, in music there's Doug E. Fresh, LL Cool J, Grandmaster Flash, and Rihanna. As far as actors/actresses go, there is Cuba Gooding, Jr., who acted is such films as "Coming to America" (1988), "Boyz n the Hood" (1991), "Jerry Maguire" (1996, for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award), "As Good as It Gets" (1997), and "The Butler" (2013). Jada Pinkett Smith, who was in such films as "Menace II Society" (1993), "The Inkwell" (1994), "Demon Knight" (1995), and the last two "Matrix" movies (2003) also has Barbadian heritage. Sam Seale played 10 years in the NFL (1984-93) as a defensive back, with the L.A./Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, and the Los Angeles Rams. Robert Bailey also played defensive back in the NFL, in a career lasting from 1991-2001, with many teams. He was part of two Super Bowl winning teams (the Dallas Cowboys for the 1995 season, and the Baltimore Ravens in 2000) and holds the record for the longest punt return ever, 103 yards, on one of my favorite plays of all time. Two men with Barbadian heritage had important roles in American politics, too. Adrian Fenty was the mayor of Washington D.C. from 2007-11, and Eric Holder was the Attorney General of the U.S. from 2009-15. Finally, in the world of interesting historic crime, the "Gentleman Pirate," Stede Bonnet (1688-1718) was from Barbados. He was a collaborator with the infamous pirate Blackbeard (Edward Teach).
1) Wibisco Shirley biscuits, regular flavor: These were flat rectangles, about 6 cm. by 4.5 cm (about 2.5 inches by 1.75 inches), with a yellowish-brown color, and embossed designs. They were okay, but not great. Kind of bland. So a little disappointing.
2) Wibisco Shirley biscuits, coconut flavor: Same size, shape, and color as the regular ones. Strong coconut taste. Since coconut is not my favorite flavor, I didn't love these. But I do appreciate that they had a stronger taste than the regulars. Overall, then, just mediocre.
In summation, I wasn't wowed by either of these biscuits. I often find that European style biscuits are a little bland. Maybe I'm spoiled by American cookies, which usually are much sweeter. Anyway, it you prefer a more subtle, less sugary biscuit/cookie, you might really enjoy these. Also, if coconut is one of your favorite flavors, you'll probably like that kind, too.
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Japanese Fried Bean Curd
This one I discovered in the Asian food section in Wegman's. I wasn't sure what it was all about. Therefore, I had no reasonable choice but to take it home. To be exact, it was called Inarizushi-no-moto, and was listed as being from the Hime brand, from JFC International, Inc. JFC is based in Los Angeles, CA, but the label indicated that the food itself was a made in Japan.
I was unsure what the difference is between fried bean curd and tofu. As it turns out, the distinction is essentially meaningless. Both are made from coagulated soy milk, which in turn is derived from grinding up soy beans. Tofu is usually a whitish color, with a soft texture, while the kind I had was brown, and firmer. But these aspects were a result of being fried. So medium story short, fried bean curd is just a kind of fried tofu. Tofu itself dates back about 2000 years, and originated in China. Some credit Prince Liu An (179-122 B.C.) with developing it, but this is somewhat conjectural, and perhaps just a legend. The type I got, inarizushi, is a Japanese take on tofu, and like the name suggests, is typically filled with sushi rice. The "inari" part of the moniker is from the Shinto god of the same name, who is a spirit of a great range of things. Specifically, of agriculture, industry, general prosperity, worldly success, sword smiths, merchants, tea, rice, fertility, and foxes. Foxes are therefore believed to be the messengers of Inari.
JFC International stands for, not shockingly, Japanese Food Corporation, International. The goal of the company is to provide Japanese food, and other Asian delicacies, around the world. JFC's original progenitor date back to 1906, when the Dupont Company was established. In 1914 this had become the Pacific Trading Company. After a few more name changes, and mergers, the company became the Japanese Food Corporation in 1958. And in 1969 it joined with the huge Kikkoman company. The Hime line is just one of the firm's five brands.
I really messed up in sampling this food. I didn't read up on it before I tried it. Since inarizushi-no-moto is designed to be filled up with sushi rice, by eating it plain I was doing the equivalent of consuming empty taco shells, or chowing down on a pie crust bereft of filling. So bear that in mind. Anyway, as I mentioned before, the fried bean curd was brown, and kind of resembled meat. The texture was tough, which made sense when I later found out that the can held several separately formed pouches. So getting through these was a chewy experience. The taste was slightly sweetish, but still rather bland overall. The flavor was also very soy-y, too, of course. To be fair, I recall having this, in appropriate filled-with-sushi-rice format, in Japanese restaurants in the past. I think I found them to be rather disappointing in that way as well, particularly as compared to regular (fish) sushi, sashimi, etc., which I adore, almost to an obsessive degree. So I believe my latest impression of this food is probably accurate, but I'll try to revisit this one properly the next time I get the chance. (It's very unlikely that I'll feel up to buying this canned kind again, and actually take the time and effort to make sushi rice to fill it up myself.) All in all, like most tofu dishes, fried bean curd is mostly tasteless in and of itself, and is palatable only if it's with something interesting, or covered in a tasty sauce, or the like.
I was unsure what the difference is between fried bean curd and tofu. As it turns out, the distinction is essentially meaningless. Both are made from coagulated soy milk, which in turn is derived from grinding up soy beans. Tofu is usually a whitish color, with a soft texture, while the kind I had was brown, and firmer. But these aspects were a result of being fried. So medium story short, fried bean curd is just a kind of fried tofu. Tofu itself dates back about 2000 years, and originated in China. Some credit Prince Liu An (179-122 B.C.) with developing it, but this is somewhat conjectural, and perhaps just a legend. The type I got, inarizushi, is a Japanese take on tofu, and like the name suggests, is typically filled with sushi rice. The "inari" part of the moniker is from the Shinto god of the same name, who is a spirit of a great range of things. Specifically, of agriculture, industry, general prosperity, worldly success, sword smiths, merchants, tea, rice, fertility, and foxes. Foxes are therefore believed to be the messengers of Inari.
JFC International stands for, not shockingly, Japanese Food Corporation, International. The goal of the company is to provide Japanese food, and other Asian delicacies, around the world. JFC's original progenitor date back to 1906, when the Dupont Company was established. In 1914 this had become the Pacific Trading Company. After a few more name changes, and mergers, the company became the Japanese Food Corporation in 1958. And in 1969 it joined with the huge Kikkoman company. The Hime line is just one of the firm's five brands.
I really messed up in sampling this food. I didn't read up on it before I tried it. Since inarizushi-no-moto is designed to be filled up with sushi rice, by eating it plain I was doing the equivalent of consuming empty taco shells, or chowing down on a pie crust bereft of filling. So bear that in mind. Anyway, as I mentioned before, the fried bean curd was brown, and kind of resembled meat. The texture was tough, which made sense when I later found out that the can held several separately formed pouches. So getting through these was a chewy experience. The taste was slightly sweetish, but still rather bland overall. The flavor was also very soy-y, too, of course. To be fair, I recall having this, in appropriate filled-with-sushi-rice format, in Japanese restaurants in the past. I think I found them to be rather disappointing in that way as well, particularly as compared to regular (fish) sushi, sashimi, etc., which I adore, almost to an obsessive degree. So I believe my latest impression of this food is probably accurate, but I'll try to revisit this one properly the next time I get the chance. (It's very unlikely that I'll feel up to buying this canned kind again, and actually take the time and effort to make sushi rice to fill it up myself.) All in all, like most tofu dishes, fried bean curd is mostly tasteless in and of itself, and is palatable only if it's with something interesting, or covered in a tasty sauce, or the like.
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Underrated Horror/Science Fiction Films--"God Told Me To"
Larry Cohen, who I just learned died only a few months ago, alas, was quite the interesting filmmaker. Working in the low budget film world, he wrote for 86 movies and television shows/movies, and directed 21 movies/television movies, most notably in the horror/sci fi genres. I didn't like everything he did, but I give him props for his individualistic creativity. Anyway, "God Told Me To," his 1976 offering, is my favorite of his movies, and one that I don't think gets enough attention. Following my usual pattern, I'll give a spoiler-free synopsis, then a longer, spoiler-rich recap, then a discussion of some of the film's themes and positive aspects, and conclude with some cast and crew information.
A terrifying crime wave is rocking New York City. Seemingly normal, law-abiding citizens are viciously slaughtering people, sometimes even their own families. When questioned by the police, they always give the same explanation for their crimes--"God told me to." Detective Peter Nicholas gradually follows the clues, learning more about the mysterious figure claiming to be "God," as well as learning secrets about himself. What does this apparent deity want? And can He be stopped?
(SPOILERS AHEAD UNTIL NOTED) After the credits are shown, accompanied by church music and singing, the movie opens on the busy streets of midtown Manhattan. Shots ring out, and many pedestrians are wounded or killed. The police discover that the sniper is perched upon a water tower atop a tall building. Detective Peter Nicholas bravely climbs the ladder and confronts the shootist. This man, Harold Gorman, calmly says that "God told me to," and then jumps to his death.
Peter is frustrated by this bizarre crime, and has nightmares. The audience meets his girlfriend, a substitute teacher named Casey. Peter is still married to Martha, who he claims won't grant him a divorce. However, during Peter's visit to Martha's residence, we learn that Peter's lying--he doesn't want the divorce, he just doesn't want the current situation to change. He's also revealed to be very religious, as he goes to Mass every day.
Peter visits a man in the hospital, who also killed strangers for no apparent reason. His stated reason is the same as Harold Gorman's. Meanwhile, an anonymous caller warns the police that there will be another shooting at the upcoming St. Patrick's Day Parade, and that the murderer will be a police officer. Peter's attempts to have the parade cancelled are futile, and sure enough, a cop does kill more people, and once again says that "God" told him to do it.
Gorman's mother, and other witnesses, mention an odd figure seemingly influencing the killers--a hippie type man with long blonde hair and a weird, indistinct face. Gorman's mom even recalls the mystery man's name--Bernard Phillips. A check of the records reveals little--Phillips has evidently never worked, was never drafted, never went to school, etc. Peter locates the address of Phillip's mother and attempts to question her. She tried to kill him with a knife, before she dies falling down the stairs. The autopsy reveals that Phillip's mother died a virgin, and gave birth via a Caesarian operation. The obstetrician who delivered Bernard reports that the boy was born of indeterminate, mixed gender.
Another New Yorker has brutally murdered his wife and children. He says the same reason for it, and that "God" guided his hands during the attack. And that sacrifice for God was reasonable, like the Abraham and Isaac story in the Bible. A witness to Mrs. Phillip's conception night tells Peter that he found her naked, on a New Jersey road. She claimed that she was lifted up to a mysterious aircraft while walking on Nantucket, and was impregnated via an odd light.
By this time, Peter's superiors encourage him to go on vacation. He refuses, and gets a reporter friend to publish an article about the religious connection to the murders. This in turn sparks angry rallies, and a panic. The police question Casey about Peter's state of mind. It's recounted that he was adopted from a Catholic orphanage, and never knew his birth parents. At the same time, a group of powerful men meet and talk about God/Bernard Phillips. Some disapprove of the violence he's causing, but other defend it as being a necessary punishment, and a way to convert non-believers. They also decide to try to convert Peter to their movement, as he's seen as a danger. One of the men, Richards, tries to do this, but he dies of a mysterious heart attack after Peter discusses Bernard's weird conception. Another member of the group, Logan (the man who warned the police by phone), tries to assassinate Peter in the subway, but fails. Peter then forces him to take him to Bernard.
Bernard is deep underground, in a furnace room. He's surrounded by a yellowish glow, and looks as his followers have described. After a tense talk Peter realizes that Bernard can't kill him, that Peter's different for unknown reasons. Peter leaves, while Logan kills himself. Peter then tracks down his birth mother after meeting with a nun from the Catholic orphanage where he was adopted. He goes to meet Elizabeth Mullin at her nursing home. She tells Peter a similar story as Mrs. Phillips--she was a virgin, but was impregnated via a light in a weird ship, which lifted her up in the air. She gets upset when she realizes that Peter is her missing son, and he leaves in a rush.
Casey goes to visit Martha, who receives her politely. Peter hasn't come home for three nights. Martha tells Casey that she got pregnant three times, but lost each fetus in the fifth or sixth month. And that Peter pretended to be sympathetic, but seemed secretly relieved. Peter arrives unexpectedly, and says his goodbyes to both women. He goes to a pool hall to confront a pimp, Zero, who he thinks killed a corrupt colleague earlier. Zero tries to stab Peter, but some weird force causes him to miss, and then compels the pimp to murder his accomplices, and then himself.
Finally, Peter goes to Bernard's building. Bernard reveals that they are brothers of a sort. Peter took after his human half, so that's why he didn't find out what he was for so long. Bernard, on the other hand, was more like his alien half, and less like his human side. Peter's potential children with Martha would have been like Bernard, so Peter subconsciously willed them to die. Bernard talks about the nature of Moses and Jesus, and virgin births in religious histories. Who were they, really? He shows Peter a strange, vagina-like opening on the side of his stomach, and says he can bear Peter's child. Peter responds by attacking Bernard, and tries to strangle and then shoot him. The building starts to collapse around them, apparently from Bernard's doing. Bernard seems to push Peter away and down the stairs, via his mysterious power, as the building continues to crumble. The final scene sees Peter arrested for the murder of Bernard. When questioned by the press he says he did it because, "God told me to." A caption on the screen tells the viewer that he's been committed to a hospital for the criminally insane.
One of this movie's strengths, in my opinion, is how it successfully manages its frequent tonal shifts. In many cases, tonal shifts in films can be a negative, of course, and can even ruin a movie if the shift(s) isn't earned. "God Told Me To" starts off as a gritty murder mystery. Multiple people are staging mass murders for seemingly no reason. Then, we slowly learn of the link with the odd Bernard, and then the group of powerful people who follow him, which makes it seem like the movie is now about a weird religious murder cult. Then things get progressively stranger--we learn that Bernard is an alien, and so now the film is basically science fiction. Then a final twist occurs, as we, and Peter, find out that our hero is also an alien, with comparable powers to his "brother" Bernard. Maybe some viewers were unhappy with this journey, but I wasn't. By starting off in a realistic way, and gradually becoming more bizarre, it felt more reasonable. And the fact that the actors, and the script played it straight helped too, and helped suspend disbelief in what is undeniably a ridiculous premise and plot.
Related to this, I thought the killers were portrayed in an especially effective way. They're all formerly normal people, which adds to the scariness--apparently literally anyone can be manipulated into violent murder by Bernard Phillips. And the two killers that talk to Peter for a while (Harold Gorman, and the father who shot his wife and kids) are so calm and reasonable-sounding, even as they describe their awful, homicidal deeds. Especially the latter man, since he's killing people he knows and (presumably) loves. He details how he tricked his daughter into opening the locked bathroom door by saying that told her that the family was just playing a pretend game, and then, "I was laughing when I shot her." It's very creepy and disturbing.
Obviously religion, and particularly Judeo-Christianity, is the major them of "God Told Me To." Similar to author Arthur C. Clarke's famous "law" that sufficiently advanced technology can be interpreted by those unfamiliar with it as being magic, it seems that Bernard Phillips interpreted his alien powers as meaning that he was divine. (At least I think--he could have been cynically adapting this persona to gain power and influence, I guess, but it seems like he sincerely believes it to be true.) In the DVD's commentary track by Larry Cohen, he mentioned that one of his inspirations for the story was imaging if Superman had assumed he was a god, given his incredible powers. Since Bernard, and Nicholas, were products of virgin birth, just like Jesus, Bernard thinks that Christianity's Savior, and other prophets like Moses, might have been aliens, too. You can see the obvious influence of Erich von Daniken's theories, as well, especially from his best-selling book "Chariots of the Gods?", which was still popular in the mid 1970's. As an archaeologist I despise von Daniken, since his books misinterpreted, or outright lied about, many real ancient human accomplishments (especially if they weren't made by Caucasians). I find it depressing that people still believe in those types of absurd "Aliens did it!" theories, but as a basis for a work of fiction like a movie, twisted a bit, it's fun. Peter's spiritual journey is intriguing, too. We learn, and see, how important his Catholicism is to him, and has been his entire life. So the character of the murders, and the eventual realization that he and Bernard are aliens, and hold deity-like powers, clearly cause him to question everything he's held dear. He seems insane at the end, which surely was aided by losing the comfort and help that his religion had formerly provided. Sacrifice is another important part of the religious theme. Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son is mentioned. And the father killer mentions that even destroying one's family isn't an unreasonable request from a Supreme Being. Obviously the Judeo-Christian tradition (as well as most other religions, to be fair) has quite a lot of extreme violence associated with it, both "legitimate," or done in its name, and this movie just expands upon this, in a sly social critique. Even the usual Christian villains are played with in an amusing way. It's not Satan, or demons manipulating people into doing evil, it's extraterrestrials instead. (Unless all demons and the Devil are misidentified aliens, too, I guess!)
Furthermore, I found Peter's self-delusion interesting. It seems like on a subconscious level that he knows that he's different, and perhaps even how much. When Mrs. Phillips cuts him with the knife, he remarks that it's the first time he's ever been hurt, in his whole life. How could he not have noticed this, unless he was deliberately ignoring it on some level? And then there's his response to his wife's pregnancies--he can't hide his relief when the fetuses die, and Bernard tells him that Peter used his powers to actually kill them. On a certain level he did know what he was, and he felt conflicted. He didn't want to produce more alien-human hybrids. Perhaps in part because it would force him to acknowledge his alien nature. As Martha remarked during their discussion about his relationship to Casey, Peter clearly didn't like change, whether it was getting a divorce, or realizing that he wasn't 100% human.
The ending was a bit enigmatic, I thought. Bernard seems shocked, and incredibly disturbed, when Peter rejects his advances, and then hits him, causing the first moment of pain that Bernard's ever experienced, evidently. The question remains--did Bernard kill himself, out of grief, and the knowledge that he might feel more pain? Or was he trying to kill Peter via the building collapse, and accidentally got caught and engulfed himself? And why did Peter accept his mental hospital sentence? Was he truly insane, or was he sane, and wanted to stop himself from doing what Bernard, and his alien parents wanted, and he thought this was the best way?
Moving on to more practical aspects, the production values for "God Told Me To" were impressive for such a low budget genre movie. The special effects for the alien abduction scenes were admittedly weak, and in one case borrowed from an old British science fiction television show, but the rest were good. The many gun shot blood squibs were solid, and the "stomach vagina" on Bernard was suitably graphic and off-putting. Bernard's overall appearance was neat too, the way he was always bathed in a yellow light, and his face was often kept vague and hard to see. (Part of his odd look was due to unfortunate real issues, as the actor who played him, Richard Lynch, had suffered extensive burns, which happened during a drug-induced event.) Many of the most cool-looking scenes were outright "stolen," as Cohen admitted. He wanted shots of the Feast of San Gennero festival, so he had his camera operator just take them, without permits. (Later he allegedly paid off some, ahem, local Italian crime family members to smooth this over.) But it's the St. Patrick's Day Parade scenes that are truly spectacular. They look real because they are--getting thousands of extras to march down New York City streets would have been prohibitively expensive, after all. They did add some blended scenes re-shot in Los Angeles with the help of a local Irish group, but most of it is genuine. Somehow I don't think a low-budget genre movie would get the permission in modern times to shoot scenes involving a mass-murdering police officer in the midst of a real parade. (Now I guess this would be accomplished using mostly CGI, and probably would appear less convincing, and more artificial.)
(END OF SPOILERS--SAFE FOR EVERYONE) As I mentioned in the introduction, Larry Cohen had a long and active career, both as a director and writer. Highlights of it include writing and directing such films as "Black Caesar" (1973), "It's Alive" (1974), "The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover" (1977), "It Lives Again" (1978), "Q" (1982), "The Stuff" (1985), and writing movies like "Phone Booth" (2002), and "Messages Deleted" (2009). Protagonist Peter Nicholas was played by Tony Lo Bianco, probably best known for roles in "The Honeymoon Killers" (1970), "The French Connection" (1971), "Serpico" (1973), "F.I.S.T." (1978), "Nixon" (1995), and "Kill the Irishman" (2011). Actress Deborah Raffin (Casey Forster) appeared in such films as "The Dove" (1974), "The Sentinel" (1977, and see my August 9, 2012 post for more info on that movie), "Death Wish 3" (1985), and "Morning Glory" (1993, which she also co-wrote). Peter's wife Martha was played by Sandy Dennis, who won two Tony Awards and one Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Other roles for Dennis include "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (1966, her Oscar role), "The Out of Towners" (1970), "976-EVIL" (1988), and "Parents" (1989). Peter's mother Elizabeth Mullin was played by Sylvia Sidney, who had a very long acting career. Highlights of her career include "Sabotage" (1936), "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams" (1973, for which she received an Oscar nomination), "Damian: Omen II" (1978), "Beetlejuice" (1988), and "Mars Attacks!" (1996). As I mentioned previously, Richard Lynch portrayed Bernard Phillips. Other famous roles of his were in "Deathsport" (1978), "The Ninth Configuration" (1980), "H.P. Lovecraft's Necronomicon" (1993), "Halloween " (2007), and "The Lords of Salem" (2012). Sammy Williams (Harold Gorman) had a very successful career on the stage, as he won a Tony Award for his major role in the Broadway musical "A Chorus Line" (1976). Finally, the small role of the murderous policeman was played by Andy Kaufman, best known as a performance artist/unconventional comedian, and for his role in television's "Taxi" (1978-83).
In closing, then, if you're a fan of creative, different, genre-bending films, you might really enjoy "God Told Me To." And perhaps some of Cohen's other offerings which focus on such things as killer monster babies, resurrected Aztec gods, and addictive, mutating desserts (really!). I will say, though, I don't like the alternate title for this movie, which was "Demon." "God Told Me To" is perfect--it kind of introduces the major plot point, without giving too much away. While "Demon" is too run-of-the-mill, cliche horror, and simplistic, in my view.
A terrifying crime wave is rocking New York City. Seemingly normal, law-abiding citizens are viciously slaughtering people, sometimes even their own families. When questioned by the police, they always give the same explanation for their crimes--"God told me to." Detective Peter Nicholas gradually follows the clues, learning more about the mysterious figure claiming to be "God," as well as learning secrets about himself. What does this apparent deity want? And can He be stopped?
(SPOILERS AHEAD UNTIL NOTED) After the credits are shown, accompanied by church music and singing, the movie opens on the busy streets of midtown Manhattan. Shots ring out, and many pedestrians are wounded or killed. The police discover that the sniper is perched upon a water tower atop a tall building. Detective Peter Nicholas bravely climbs the ladder and confronts the shootist. This man, Harold Gorman, calmly says that "God told me to," and then jumps to his death.
Peter is frustrated by this bizarre crime, and has nightmares. The audience meets his girlfriend, a substitute teacher named Casey. Peter is still married to Martha, who he claims won't grant him a divorce. However, during Peter's visit to Martha's residence, we learn that Peter's lying--he doesn't want the divorce, he just doesn't want the current situation to change. He's also revealed to be very religious, as he goes to Mass every day.
Peter visits a man in the hospital, who also killed strangers for no apparent reason. His stated reason is the same as Harold Gorman's. Meanwhile, an anonymous caller warns the police that there will be another shooting at the upcoming St. Patrick's Day Parade, and that the murderer will be a police officer. Peter's attempts to have the parade cancelled are futile, and sure enough, a cop does kill more people, and once again says that "God" told him to do it.
Gorman's mother, and other witnesses, mention an odd figure seemingly influencing the killers--a hippie type man with long blonde hair and a weird, indistinct face. Gorman's mom even recalls the mystery man's name--Bernard Phillips. A check of the records reveals little--Phillips has evidently never worked, was never drafted, never went to school, etc. Peter locates the address of Phillip's mother and attempts to question her. She tried to kill him with a knife, before she dies falling down the stairs. The autopsy reveals that Phillip's mother died a virgin, and gave birth via a Caesarian operation. The obstetrician who delivered Bernard reports that the boy was born of indeterminate, mixed gender.
Another New Yorker has brutally murdered his wife and children. He says the same reason for it, and that "God" guided his hands during the attack. And that sacrifice for God was reasonable, like the Abraham and Isaac story in the Bible. A witness to Mrs. Phillip's conception night tells Peter that he found her naked, on a New Jersey road. She claimed that she was lifted up to a mysterious aircraft while walking on Nantucket, and was impregnated via an odd light.
By this time, Peter's superiors encourage him to go on vacation. He refuses, and gets a reporter friend to publish an article about the religious connection to the murders. This in turn sparks angry rallies, and a panic. The police question Casey about Peter's state of mind. It's recounted that he was adopted from a Catholic orphanage, and never knew his birth parents. At the same time, a group of powerful men meet and talk about God/Bernard Phillips. Some disapprove of the violence he's causing, but other defend it as being a necessary punishment, and a way to convert non-believers. They also decide to try to convert Peter to their movement, as he's seen as a danger. One of the men, Richards, tries to do this, but he dies of a mysterious heart attack after Peter discusses Bernard's weird conception. Another member of the group, Logan (the man who warned the police by phone), tries to assassinate Peter in the subway, but fails. Peter then forces him to take him to Bernard.
Bernard is deep underground, in a furnace room. He's surrounded by a yellowish glow, and looks as his followers have described. After a tense talk Peter realizes that Bernard can't kill him, that Peter's different for unknown reasons. Peter leaves, while Logan kills himself. Peter then tracks down his birth mother after meeting with a nun from the Catholic orphanage where he was adopted. He goes to meet Elizabeth Mullin at her nursing home. She tells Peter a similar story as Mrs. Phillips--she was a virgin, but was impregnated via a light in a weird ship, which lifted her up in the air. She gets upset when she realizes that Peter is her missing son, and he leaves in a rush.
Casey goes to visit Martha, who receives her politely. Peter hasn't come home for three nights. Martha tells Casey that she got pregnant three times, but lost each fetus in the fifth or sixth month. And that Peter pretended to be sympathetic, but seemed secretly relieved. Peter arrives unexpectedly, and says his goodbyes to both women. He goes to a pool hall to confront a pimp, Zero, who he thinks killed a corrupt colleague earlier. Zero tries to stab Peter, but some weird force causes him to miss, and then compels the pimp to murder his accomplices, and then himself.
Finally, Peter goes to Bernard's building. Bernard reveals that they are brothers of a sort. Peter took after his human half, so that's why he didn't find out what he was for so long. Bernard, on the other hand, was more like his alien half, and less like his human side. Peter's potential children with Martha would have been like Bernard, so Peter subconsciously willed them to die. Bernard talks about the nature of Moses and Jesus, and virgin births in religious histories. Who were they, really? He shows Peter a strange, vagina-like opening on the side of his stomach, and says he can bear Peter's child. Peter responds by attacking Bernard, and tries to strangle and then shoot him. The building starts to collapse around them, apparently from Bernard's doing. Bernard seems to push Peter away and down the stairs, via his mysterious power, as the building continues to crumble. The final scene sees Peter arrested for the murder of Bernard. When questioned by the press he says he did it because, "God told me to." A caption on the screen tells the viewer that he's been committed to a hospital for the criminally insane.
One of this movie's strengths, in my opinion, is how it successfully manages its frequent tonal shifts. In many cases, tonal shifts in films can be a negative, of course, and can even ruin a movie if the shift(s) isn't earned. "God Told Me To" starts off as a gritty murder mystery. Multiple people are staging mass murders for seemingly no reason. Then, we slowly learn of the link with the odd Bernard, and then the group of powerful people who follow him, which makes it seem like the movie is now about a weird religious murder cult. Then things get progressively stranger--we learn that Bernard is an alien, and so now the film is basically science fiction. Then a final twist occurs, as we, and Peter, find out that our hero is also an alien, with comparable powers to his "brother" Bernard. Maybe some viewers were unhappy with this journey, but I wasn't. By starting off in a realistic way, and gradually becoming more bizarre, it felt more reasonable. And the fact that the actors, and the script played it straight helped too, and helped suspend disbelief in what is undeniably a ridiculous premise and plot.
Related to this, I thought the killers were portrayed in an especially effective way. They're all formerly normal people, which adds to the scariness--apparently literally anyone can be manipulated into violent murder by Bernard Phillips. And the two killers that talk to Peter for a while (Harold Gorman, and the father who shot his wife and kids) are so calm and reasonable-sounding, even as they describe their awful, homicidal deeds. Especially the latter man, since he's killing people he knows and (presumably) loves. He details how he tricked his daughter into opening the locked bathroom door by saying that told her that the family was just playing a pretend game, and then, "I was laughing when I shot her." It's very creepy and disturbing.
Obviously religion, and particularly Judeo-Christianity, is the major them of "God Told Me To." Similar to author Arthur C. Clarke's famous "law" that sufficiently advanced technology can be interpreted by those unfamiliar with it as being magic, it seems that Bernard Phillips interpreted his alien powers as meaning that he was divine. (At least I think--he could have been cynically adapting this persona to gain power and influence, I guess, but it seems like he sincerely believes it to be true.) In the DVD's commentary track by Larry Cohen, he mentioned that one of his inspirations for the story was imaging if Superman had assumed he was a god, given his incredible powers. Since Bernard, and Nicholas, were products of virgin birth, just like Jesus, Bernard thinks that Christianity's Savior, and other prophets like Moses, might have been aliens, too. You can see the obvious influence of Erich von Daniken's theories, as well, especially from his best-selling book "Chariots of the Gods?", which was still popular in the mid 1970's. As an archaeologist I despise von Daniken, since his books misinterpreted, or outright lied about, many real ancient human accomplishments (especially if they weren't made by Caucasians). I find it depressing that people still believe in those types of absurd "Aliens did it!" theories, but as a basis for a work of fiction like a movie, twisted a bit, it's fun. Peter's spiritual journey is intriguing, too. We learn, and see, how important his Catholicism is to him, and has been his entire life. So the character of the murders, and the eventual realization that he and Bernard are aliens, and hold deity-like powers, clearly cause him to question everything he's held dear. He seems insane at the end, which surely was aided by losing the comfort and help that his religion had formerly provided. Sacrifice is another important part of the religious theme. Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son is mentioned. And the father killer mentions that even destroying one's family isn't an unreasonable request from a Supreme Being. Obviously the Judeo-Christian tradition (as well as most other religions, to be fair) has quite a lot of extreme violence associated with it, both "legitimate," or done in its name, and this movie just expands upon this, in a sly social critique. Even the usual Christian villains are played with in an amusing way. It's not Satan, or demons manipulating people into doing evil, it's extraterrestrials instead. (Unless all demons and the Devil are misidentified aliens, too, I guess!)
Furthermore, I found Peter's self-delusion interesting. It seems like on a subconscious level that he knows that he's different, and perhaps even how much. When Mrs. Phillips cuts him with the knife, he remarks that it's the first time he's ever been hurt, in his whole life. How could he not have noticed this, unless he was deliberately ignoring it on some level? And then there's his response to his wife's pregnancies--he can't hide his relief when the fetuses die, and Bernard tells him that Peter used his powers to actually kill them. On a certain level he did know what he was, and he felt conflicted. He didn't want to produce more alien-human hybrids. Perhaps in part because it would force him to acknowledge his alien nature. As Martha remarked during their discussion about his relationship to Casey, Peter clearly didn't like change, whether it was getting a divorce, or realizing that he wasn't 100% human.
The ending was a bit enigmatic, I thought. Bernard seems shocked, and incredibly disturbed, when Peter rejects his advances, and then hits him, causing the first moment of pain that Bernard's ever experienced, evidently. The question remains--did Bernard kill himself, out of grief, and the knowledge that he might feel more pain? Or was he trying to kill Peter via the building collapse, and accidentally got caught and engulfed himself? And why did Peter accept his mental hospital sentence? Was he truly insane, or was he sane, and wanted to stop himself from doing what Bernard, and his alien parents wanted, and he thought this was the best way?
Moving on to more practical aspects, the production values for "God Told Me To" were impressive for such a low budget genre movie. The special effects for the alien abduction scenes were admittedly weak, and in one case borrowed from an old British science fiction television show, but the rest were good. The many gun shot blood squibs were solid, and the "stomach vagina" on Bernard was suitably graphic and off-putting. Bernard's overall appearance was neat too, the way he was always bathed in a yellow light, and his face was often kept vague and hard to see. (Part of his odd look was due to unfortunate real issues, as the actor who played him, Richard Lynch, had suffered extensive burns, which happened during a drug-induced event.) Many of the most cool-looking scenes were outright "stolen," as Cohen admitted. He wanted shots of the Feast of San Gennero festival, so he had his camera operator just take them, without permits. (Later he allegedly paid off some, ahem, local Italian crime family members to smooth this over.) But it's the St. Patrick's Day Parade scenes that are truly spectacular. They look real because they are--getting thousands of extras to march down New York City streets would have been prohibitively expensive, after all. They did add some blended scenes re-shot in Los Angeles with the help of a local Irish group, but most of it is genuine. Somehow I don't think a low-budget genre movie would get the permission in modern times to shoot scenes involving a mass-murdering police officer in the midst of a real parade. (Now I guess this would be accomplished using mostly CGI, and probably would appear less convincing, and more artificial.)
(END OF SPOILERS--SAFE FOR EVERYONE) As I mentioned in the introduction, Larry Cohen had a long and active career, both as a director and writer. Highlights of it include writing and directing such films as "Black Caesar" (1973), "It's Alive" (1974), "The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover" (1977), "It Lives Again" (1978), "Q" (1982), "The Stuff" (1985), and writing movies like "Phone Booth" (2002), and "Messages Deleted" (2009). Protagonist Peter Nicholas was played by Tony Lo Bianco, probably best known for roles in "The Honeymoon Killers" (1970), "The French Connection" (1971), "Serpico" (1973), "F.I.S.T." (1978), "Nixon" (1995), and "Kill the Irishman" (2011). Actress Deborah Raffin (Casey Forster) appeared in such films as "The Dove" (1974), "The Sentinel" (1977, and see my August 9, 2012 post for more info on that movie), "Death Wish 3" (1985), and "Morning Glory" (1993, which she also co-wrote). Peter's wife Martha was played by Sandy Dennis, who won two Tony Awards and one Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Other roles for Dennis include "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (1966, her Oscar role), "The Out of Towners" (1970), "976-EVIL" (1988), and "Parents" (1989). Peter's mother Elizabeth Mullin was played by Sylvia Sidney, who had a very long acting career. Highlights of her career include "Sabotage" (1936), "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams" (1973, for which she received an Oscar nomination), "Damian: Omen II" (1978), "Beetlejuice" (1988), and "Mars Attacks!" (1996). As I mentioned previously, Richard Lynch portrayed Bernard Phillips. Other famous roles of his were in "Deathsport" (1978), "The Ninth Configuration" (1980), "H.P. Lovecraft's Necronomicon" (1993), "Halloween " (2007), and "The Lords of Salem" (2012). Sammy Williams (Harold Gorman) had a very successful career on the stage, as he won a Tony Award for his major role in the Broadway musical "A Chorus Line" (1976). Finally, the small role of the murderous policeman was played by Andy Kaufman, best known as a performance artist/unconventional comedian, and for his role in television's "Taxi" (1978-83).
In closing, then, if you're a fan of creative, different, genre-bending films, you might really enjoy "God Told Me To." And perhaps some of Cohen's other offerings which focus on such things as killer monster babies, resurrected Aztec gods, and addictive, mutating desserts (really!). I will say, though, I don't like the alternate title for this movie, which was "Demon." "God Told Me To" is perfect--it kind of introduces the major plot point, without giving too much away. While "Demon" is too run-of-the-mill, cliche horror, and simplistic, in my view.
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--European Condiments
In all the years I've been doing these strange food and drink posts, I don't think I've ever done one about condiments. So today is a first, I believe. I found these at the awesome Wegman's supermarket once again. Their points of origin are convoluted, which is why the geographic description in the title is so vague. The three condiments I'll be covering are Heinz's salad cream, HP's fruity sauce, and Knorr's pommes (french fries, to Americans) sauce.
Heinz is actually an American company. Meanwhile, "salad cream" sauce was invented in England, in 1914. But, the Heinz salad cream I tried is a product of The Netherlands. (See what I meant when I wrote that these products' origins are confusing?) Anyway, Heinz was founded by Henry John Heinz back in 1869, as Heinz Noble & Company. The company went bankrupt in 1875. However, Heinz re-founded, kind of, another corporation called F & J Heinz in 1876, and this took off, and became the company that still exists today. In 2015 Heinz merged with Kraft to form a super conglomerate. This new firm is reportedly the 3rd biggest food/beverage company in the U.S., and the 5th largest in the world. (26.2 billion in annual sales as recently as 2017.) Henry John Heinz appears to have had an admirable obsession with the cleanliness of his wares. He, and his company, lobbied for the passing of the American Pure Food & Drug act in 1906. Along the same lines, he even offered employees who handled edibles free hot showers, and free manicures, to help keep the packers' hands and bodies sanitary. Salad cream sauce consists of oil in water, egg yolk, spirit vinegar, and then a combo of sugar, mustard, salt, and spices. It was introduced as a mayonnaise substitute due to the rationing in England at the time--presumably because of World War I, given the date. Why this sauce is then made in The Netherlands is beyond me, and my brief online research, though.
The HP story is similar to the Heinz salad cream one. This brown sauce was invented in London, England, by a Frederick Gibson Garton, and registered in 1895. Garton sold out to Edwin Samson Moore by 1903. Various company changeovers occurred over the next century, and since 2005 the brand is owned by Heinz, and manufactured in The Netherlands. HP stands for "Houses of Parliament," and has become a cultural icon of England. It was known colloquially as "Wilson's Sauce" in the 1970's, since the Prime Minister at that time, Harold Wilson, supposedly put in on nearly everything he ate. HP is also sold in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. (But seemingly not much, if at all, in The Netherlands, which seems weird to me.) The fruity variant I tried has mango and orange added for the tang. Alternate flavors sold include a barbecue kind, and one made with Guinness.
Knorr is a German company, founded way back in 1838 by Carl Heinrich Theodor Knorr. The original company purpose was providing chicory to coffee manufacturers. Eventually the company expanded to marketing dried soups, and bouillon cubes, and then sauces. In 2000 the firm was bought out by the British/Dutch Unilever, another giant worldwide company. In addition to Europe, Knorr products are also sold in Indonesia, India, and Pakistan.
1) HP fruity sauce: Has a red color, and thus looks like cocktail sauce. Taste reminds me of Worcestershire sauce, but slightly sweeter. Since I'm not a fan of Worcestershire sauce, this isn't a positive. Not terrible, but far from great. The worst of the three, in my view. The sweetness was off-putting, somehow. The texture was thick, and slow to pour. I tried it on a Smart Ones scrambled egg, ham, potato, and cheese meal, on Brazilian toasts (see my May 11, 2019 post), and with pizza crusts.
2) Knorr pommes sauce: Had a yellowish-white hue, with tiny green bits visible. Once again, I tried in on a Smart ones egg and cheese meal, Brazilian toasts, on pizza crusts, and then on tomatoes. I found it to be mediocre. Rather like a typical mayonnaise, and kind of bland.
3) Heinz salad cream: Yellowish-white in color. Tried it with the same foods as the previous, minus the pizza crusts. I liked this one. It was mayo-like, but had some extra "uumph," or added tang flavor. The best of the bunch by far.
I should mention that my father tried these, too. He really enjoyed the Heinz salad cream as well, and also liked the HP sauce, while thinking the Knorr was just average. I'll definitely buy the Heinz salad cream again, and would be willing to sample the regular HP if I see it for sale. (And I should try these on fries (chips) too, especially the Knorr kind--I'll update this post when I get around to that.)
Heinz is known for it "57 varieties" listing on many of its products. I was somewhat surprised to learn that this isn't an accurate title or number. Henry John Heinz just thought it was a good number to put on labels, especially the number 7. He thought this was effective because the "psychological influence of that figure and of its enduring significance to people of all ages." Numerology beliefs aside, Heinz also has had a long running and successful promotional product, the "pickle pin." These pins, which look exactly like you would think, have been provided since 1893, when they were given away at the World's Colombian Exposition, better known as the World's Fair in Chicago. I've never seen one, but maybe I hang around folks who don't appreciate food-based fashion accessories.
Heinz is actually an American company. Meanwhile, "salad cream" sauce was invented in England, in 1914. But, the Heinz salad cream I tried is a product of The Netherlands. (See what I meant when I wrote that these products' origins are confusing?) Anyway, Heinz was founded by Henry John Heinz back in 1869, as Heinz Noble & Company. The company went bankrupt in 1875. However, Heinz re-founded, kind of, another corporation called F & J Heinz in 1876, and this took off, and became the company that still exists today. In 2015 Heinz merged with Kraft to form a super conglomerate. This new firm is reportedly the 3rd biggest food/beverage company in the U.S., and the 5th largest in the world. (26.2 billion in annual sales as recently as 2017.) Henry John Heinz appears to have had an admirable obsession with the cleanliness of his wares. He, and his company, lobbied for the passing of the American Pure Food & Drug act in 1906. Along the same lines, he even offered employees who handled edibles free hot showers, and free manicures, to help keep the packers' hands and bodies sanitary. Salad cream sauce consists of oil in water, egg yolk, spirit vinegar, and then a combo of sugar, mustard, salt, and spices. It was introduced as a mayonnaise substitute due to the rationing in England at the time--presumably because of World War I, given the date. Why this sauce is then made in The Netherlands is beyond me, and my brief online research, though.
The HP story is similar to the Heinz salad cream one. This brown sauce was invented in London, England, by a Frederick Gibson Garton, and registered in 1895. Garton sold out to Edwin Samson Moore by 1903. Various company changeovers occurred over the next century, and since 2005 the brand is owned by Heinz, and manufactured in The Netherlands. HP stands for "Houses of Parliament," and has become a cultural icon of England. It was known colloquially as "Wilson's Sauce" in the 1970's, since the Prime Minister at that time, Harold Wilson, supposedly put in on nearly everything he ate. HP is also sold in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. (But seemingly not much, if at all, in The Netherlands, which seems weird to me.) The fruity variant I tried has mango and orange added for the tang. Alternate flavors sold include a barbecue kind, and one made with Guinness.
Knorr is a German company, founded way back in 1838 by Carl Heinrich Theodor Knorr. The original company purpose was providing chicory to coffee manufacturers. Eventually the company expanded to marketing dried soups, and bouillon cubes, and then sauces. In 2000 the firm was bought out by the British/Dutch Unilever, another giant worldwide company. In addition to Europe, Knorr products are also sold in Indonesia, India, and Pakistan.
1) HP fruity sauce: Has a red color, and thus looks like cocktail sauce. Taste reminds me of Worcestershire sauce, but slightly sweeter. Since I'm not a fan of Worcestershire sauce, this isn't a positive. Not terrible, but far from great. The worst of the three, in my view. The sweetness was off-putting, somehow. The texture was thick, and slow to pour. I tried it on a Smart Ones scrambled egg, ham, potato, and cheese meal, on Brazilian toasts (see my May 11, 2019 post), and with pizza crusts.
2) Knorr pommes sauce: Had a yellowish-white hue, with tiny green bits visible. Once again, I tried in on a Smart ones egg and cheese meal, Brazilian toasts, on pizza crusts, and then on tomatoes. I found it to be mediocre. Rather like a typical mayonnaise, and kind of bland.
3) Heinz salad cream: Yellowish-white in color. Tried it with the same foods as the previous, minus the pizza crusts. I liked this one. It was mayo-like, but had some extra "uumph," or added tang flavor. The best of the bunch by far.
I should mention that my father tried these, too. He really enjoyed the Heinz salad cream as well, and also liked the HP sauce, while thinking the Knorr was just average. I'll definitely buy the Heinz salad cream again, and would be willing to sample the regular HP if I see it for sale. (And I should try these on fries (chips) too, especially the Knorr kind--I'll update this post when I get around to that.)
Heinz is known for it "57 varieties" listing on many of its products. I was somewhat surprised to learn that this isn't an accurate title or number. Henry John Heinz just thought it was a good number to put on labels, especially the number 7. He thought this was effective because the "psychological influence of that figure and of its enduring significance to people of all ages." Numerology beliefs aside, Heinz also has had a long running and successful promotional product, the "pickle pin." These pins, which look exactly like you would think, have been provided since 1893, when they were given away at the World's Colombian Exposition, better known as the World's Fair in Chicago. I've never seen one, but maybe I hang around folks who don't appreciate food-based fashion accessories.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Ecuadorian Snacks, Mostly Plantain Chips
This is a bit of a revisit, since I've discussed plantains before, in my post on August 24, 2014. (I went into plantains/bananas in my post on June 2, 2018, as well.) But, the companies and brands I'll talk about in today's post are new to me. I tried five varieties in all: original and garlic flavored plantain chips from the Chifles brand (Plantain Products Company), and the Pacific sea salt plantain chips, the jungle chili plantain chips, and the rainforest veggie chips from the Samai brand (The Exotic Blends Company).
The Plantain Products Company is an Ecuadorian/American company. Segundo Argudo, a geophysicist student, met Peggy, who worked in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in Washington, D.C. They quickly fell in love and married, and went to live in Segundo's native Ecuador. During Segundo's travels as a geophysicist he had the opportunity to try chifles, or fried plantain chips (or "crisps" to those in the U.K.). Peggy, meanwhile, noticed the popularity of chifles sold by street vendors while staying in Cuba. When they returned to live in the U.S., they decided to try to sell them, in such an unrealized, but potentially lucrative market. By 1965, they'd started their company, in Florida, and it thrived. Segundo, alas, died in 2000, but Peggy stayed on as the CEO/President until 2017. At this point she sold out to the Rivas brothers, who'd been with the company since 1973 as distributors. Aside from the ones I tried, other plantain chip flavors offered include tostone original, plantain shells, plantain strips, no salt, lime, hot + spicy, and sweet. They also market a type of cassava chip (see my April 10, 2014 post for more information on that food). The official company website also keenly notes that their products are free of nuts and gluten, and are good sources of potassium and Vitamin C. They're also low-sodium, vegan-appropriate, and are certified kosher by the Orthodox Union (OU). And, although the Plantain Products Company is based in Florida, the chips are made in Ecuador.
The Exotic Blends Company, however, is much more recent in origin. Their website revealed that they were started in 2000, by unidentified persons. Their stated goal was to give the world as taste of Ecuador's fruits and vegetables. (Also, presumably to make money--we all live in the real world, after all!) Samai means "breath of the rainforest" in the native Ecuadorian Quechua language. The company's products are sold in over 30 countries worldwide, and it has annual sales of 14,000,000 bags of chips. The website also mentions their charitable contributions, and commitment to sustainable agriculture. The Exotic Blends Company donates to programs dedicated to providing health and education to rural Ecuadorian children. They also fund Ecuador's version of Mother Theresa--Mother Claudia, a German-born nun who runs various orphanages and day care centers. The company's farmers are reportedly well compensated. Plantation scraps are re-used as natural fertilizer, and they don't pollute the local water sources. Nutritionally, the Samai products are lacking gluten, lactose, MSG, cholesterol, GMOs, and qualify as kosher. Alternate flavors of plantain chips include naturally sweet, garlic, sweet chipotle, and lime, and they also make chips from bananas and jungle roots. Finally, their products are billed as being onion-free, too. Is that a new trend that I haven't noticed? Are some folks anti-onions? (Apparently so.)
1) The Exotic Blends Company, Samai rainforest veggie crisps with sea salt: Made from plantain, sweet potato, cassava, and tannia. (Tannia is a tuber, and the plant is also known as arrowleaf elephant's ear.) Chips were white, yellow, or reddish, depending on what vegetable they were. These were alright, but not great. Even the sweet potato kind, which is a type of chip I usually enjoy quite a bit. I wish they'd been significantly spicier, as they were rather bland overall.
2) The Exotic Blends Company, Samai plantain chips with Pacific sea salt: These were discs about 4 cm. in diameter (about 1.5 inches), with a yellowish-brown color. Couldn't detect much of a salt flavor. Were only moderately crunchy. Pretty dull.
3) The Exotic Blends Company, Samai plantain chips, jungle chili flavor: Same size and texture as Pacific sea salt kind, and about the same color. Much better than first two Samai kinds. Had a decent spice bite. Not overpowering, but enough to make it fairy interesting. Pretty good.
4) Plantain Products Company, Chifles plantain chips, original flavor: These were small yellow discs, about 3 cm. in diameter (about 1.25 inches). Crunchy. Rather like the Samai sea salt ones, though, there wasn't much taste, and they were bland.
5) Plaintain Products Company, Chifles plantain chips, garlic flavor: Same size, hue, and texture as Chifles original flavor chips. But taste was significantly better. I like garlic in general, so that's not a big surprise. The best of all five kinds of Ecuadorian chips.
So, the results were hit and miss for me. I would buy the Samai jungle chili and the Chifles garlic kinds again. And I might try some of the alternate flavors of both companies if/when I get the chance.
Moving on to linguistic trivia, another usage of the Quechua language is the famous movie "Star Wars: A New Hope" (1977). The bounty hunter Greedo is speaking Quechua when he confronts Han Solo in the cantina. Apparently it's not translated into credible Quechua, but is instead more or less random Quechua words strung together, though. Obviously in the story Greedo is either speaking Huttese or his native Rodian (sources differ). And, when it comes to that scene you can put me firmly in the "Han shot first" camp, no matter what George Lucas thinks.
The Plantain Products Company is an Ecuadorian/American company. Segundo Argudo, a geophysicist student, met Peggy, who worked in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in Washington, D.C. They quickly fell in love and married, and went to live in Segundo's native Ecuador. During Segundo's travels as a geophysicist he had the opportunity to try chifles, or fried plantain chips (or "crisps" to those in the U.K.). Peggy, meanwhile, noticed the popularity of chifles sold by street vendors while staying in Cuba. When they returned to live in the U.S., they decided to try to sell them, in such an unrealized, but potentially lucrative market. By 1965, they'd started their company, in Florida, and it thrived. Segundo, alas, died in 2000, but Peggy stayed on as the CEO/President until 2017. At this point she sold out to the Rivas brothers, who'd been with the company since 1973 as distributors. Aside from the ones I tried, other plantain chip flavors offered include tostone original, plantain shells, plantain strips, no salt, lime, hot + spicy, and sweet. They also market a type of cassava chip (see my April 10, 2014 post for more information on that food). The official company website also keenly notes that their products are free of nuts and gluten, and are good sources of potassium and Vitamin C. They're also low-sodium, vegan-appropriate, and are certified kosher by the Orthodox Union (OU). And, although the Plantain Products Company is based in Florida, the chips are made in Ecuador.
The Exotic Blends Company, however, is much more recent in origin. Their website revealed that they were started in 2000, by unidentified persons. Their stated goal was to give the world as taste of Ecuador's fruits and vegetables. (Also, presumably to make money--we all live in the real world, after all!) Samai means "breath of the rainforest" in the native Ecuadorian Quechua language. The company's products are sold in over 30 countries worldwide, and it has annual sales of 14,000,000 bags of chips. The website also mentions their charitable contributions, and commitment to sustainable agriculture. The Exotic Blends Company donates to programs dedicated to providing health and education to rural Ecuadorian children. They also fund Ecuador's version of Mother Theresa--Mother Claudia, a German-born nun who runs various orphanages and day care centers. The company's farmers are reportedly well compensated. Plantation scraps are re-used as natural fertilizer, and they don't pollute the local water sources. Nutritionally, the Samai products are lacking gluten, lactose, MSG, cholesterol, GMOs, and qualify as kosher. Alternate flavors of plantain chips include naturally sweet, garlic, sweet chipotle, and lime, and they also make chips from bananas and jungle roots. Finally, their products are billed as being onion-free, too. Is that a new trend that I haven't noticed? Are some folks anti-onions? (Apparently so.)
1) The Exotic Blends Company, Samai rainforest veggie crisps with sea salt: Made from plantain, sweet potato, cassava, and tannia. (Tannia is a tuber, and the plant is also known as arrowleaf elephant's ear.) Chips were white, yellow, or reddish, depending on what vegetable they were. These were alright, but not great. Even the sweet potato kind, which is a type of chip I usually enjoy quite a bit. I wish they'd been significantly spicier, as they were rather bland overall.
2) The Exotic Blends Company, Samai plantain chips with Pacific sea salt: These were discs about 4 cm. in diameter (about 1.5 inches), with a yellowish-brown color. Couldn't detect much of a salt flavor. Were only moderately crunchy. Pretty dull.
3) The Exotic Blends Company, Samai plantain chips, jungle chili flavor: Same size and texture as Pacific sea salt kind, and about the same color. Much better than first two Samai kinds. Had a decent spice bite. Not overpowering, but enough to make it fairy interesting. Pretty good.
4) Plantain Products Company, Chifles plantain chips, original flavor: These were small yellow discs, about 3 cm. in diameter (about 1.25 inches). Crunchy. Rather like the Samai sea salt ones, though, there wasn't much taste, and they were bland.
5) Plaintain Products Company, Chifles plantain chips, garlic flavor: Same size, hue, and texture as Chifles original flavor chips. But taste was significantly better. I like garlic in general, so that's not a big surprise. The best of all five kinds of Ecuadorian chips.
So, the results were hit and miss for me. I would buy the Samai jungle chili and the Chifles garlic kinds again. And I might try some of the alternate flavors of both companies if/when I get the chance.
Moving on to linguistic trivia, another usage of the Quechua language is the famous movie "Star Wars: A New Hope" (1977). The bounty hunter Greedo is speaking Quechua when he confronts Han Solo in the cantina. Apparently it's not translated into credible Quechua, but is instead more or less random Quechua words strung together, though. Obviously in the story Greedo is either speaking Huttese or his native Rodian (sources differ). And, when it comes to that scene you can put me firmly in the "Han shot first" camp, no matter what George Lucas thinks.
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