Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Soppressata

      Today's focus is yet another happy accident.  I was looking for some pepperoni at my local grocery, when I saw packages of something called, "soppressata."  Obviously I bought some and brought it home.  I got the "sweet soppressata" from Fratelli Beretta USA, Inc., which in turn is the American affiliate of the Italian Salumificio Fratelli Beretta SPA company.

     Soppressata is a traditional meat made in Southern Italy.  Officially it's a dry salami.  There are two main types of it--a cured kind, and an uncured one.  There are also some variations about which cuts of pork are used to make it.  Sometime it's fine cuts from the shoulder, or loin, or from ham.  For others it's kind of like sausage or hot dogs, and created using lower quality, fatty scraps.  The name for this meat is taken from the Italian word "soppressare," which means "to press, to tighten, and to suppress."  That's because soppressata is traditionally pressed between weights for two days, before it's hung up to dry and age for 2-6 months.  It also tends to be spicier than most salamis.  These spices can also vary, but some common ones are salt, chili peppers, cinnamon, rosemary, black and red pepper, garlic, and even wine.  It's then consumed in sandwiches, as a pizza topping, as part of a charcuterie board, or on focaccia (an Italian bread).

     Online information about Salumificio Fratelli Beretta SPA was quite limited.  The business was started in 1812, in the Italian community of Barzano.  Given the name, and the fact that later owners are referred to as having the surname "Beretta," I assume the founder(s) were also surnamed Beretta.  And since "fratelli" means "brothers" in Italian, presumably it was at least 2 Berettas who started the company.  The business was local for over a century, only starting to ship its products throughout all of Italy in 1921-60.  The first American facility was in 1997 (New Jersey), and then in 2007 (California).  Aside from soppressata other products offered include salami, prosciutto, coppa & bresaola, antipasto, and mortadella, or basically, a slew of cured meats.

Fratelli Beretta sweet soppressata:  The pieces looked a lot like pepperoni, or salami--primarily red in color, with little white specks visible.  The pieces were pre-sliced into round discs, very thin.  (Which was different than what I'd heard about this meat, or seen in some online photos, which were the slightly flattened, oblong shape instead of being round.)  Plain the pieces were good.  On a roll with Swiss cheese and ranch dressing was better, very tasty.  Chewy and rich.  The slightly sweet and spicy meat pairs well with the roll, cheese, and dressing.  I would definitely recommend this.  I've already bought a couple more packs of it, and it's becoming a staple of mine.  If you like pepperoni and/or salami you'll probably like soppressata--they're not identical, but fairly similar.

    It only hit me later, when I looked up where in Italy that Barzano is, that I realized that Italian cured meat purists, if there are any (and the absurdist in me hopes so), might question my soppressata's authenticity.  Since soppressata is a tradition in Southern Italy, and Barzano is well in the northern part of the country.  This is kind of a moot point anyway, since mine was prepared here in New Jersey, and not in Italy (either North or South), but just throwing it out there.  It's close enough to count for me, because it's surely based on traditional Italian recipes and production methods, but to be a completist I suppose I would try Southern Italian-made soppressata if I encounter it, and compare.  

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Pickle Juice Beverage--Yes, You Read that Correctly

      Recently, I was in the alternate Shop-Rite grocery and saw something new--a drink bottle called Pickle Juice.  As a lifetime Philadelphia Eagles fan, I immediately thought about the famous 2000 game wherein the Eagles drank pickle juice to combat the heat and ended up beating the tar out of the Dallas Cowboys in Texas.  Anyway, I checked out the bottle.  And it seemed to be exactly what its name suggested, and not some weird flavor of soda or something.  Needless to say, I bought it.  Specifically, I got the Pickle Juice from The Pickle Juice Company LLC, out of Texas.

     My online research revealed a definitive connection between the product and the game I recalled.  Reportedly, the founder, Brandon Brooks, saw that game and heard about the pickle juice gambit.  He then was inspired to start marketing a pickle juice beverage, starting the company in 2001.  Which is kind of weird to me.  First off, if Brooks was a Texan, as the location of his company suggests, it's a bit strange that he was motivated to sell a product similar to the one that beat his (presumed) hometown, favorite team.  (I know I would not have done so, being constantly reminded of a disastrous, terrible game, even if the overall idea was sound.)  Secondly, and more broadly, my interest in NFL football is quite intense, arguably more than is healthy for my well being and especially my stress levels, but even I have never decided to found a business based on the results of one.  Finally, as an Eagles fan, I was further confused because Brandon Brooks is the name of a famous former Philadelphia Eagles player, an offensive guard who played for them from 2016-19 and 2021, including the Super Bowl winning 2017 regular season squad.  I know, it's a coincidence, and "Brandon Brooks" isn't the most unique name, but still, it kind of struck me all the same.

     As for the company itself, The Pickel Juice Company LLC sells....pickle juice.  They recently created a version with chili lime flavor, but otherwise it's just the one product.  Kind of.  It's actually a misnomer, false advertising.  Because the pickle juice sold by The Pickle Juice Company isn't actually pickle juice at all!  (Dun Dun Duuuun!)  Instead it's the ingredients used to make pickles (i.e., vinegar, spices, etc.) mixed up into a drink, but no cucumbers are ever soaked in them.  The company even makes this point a major part of their marketing, as they have a "no pickles were harmed in the making of Pickle Juice" slogan, and have anthropomorphized pickles named Peter and Piper as "pitchvegetables.".

     But the bulk of the company's website is dedicated to their claims about how healthy their Pickle Juice is.  About how all of the electrolytes help athletes recover after exercise, especially in hot temperatures.  They go on to say that theirs is the "only product made that's scientifically proven to stop muscle cramps."  Which, in my opinion, is a bit misleading, or even possible false.  The website does cite a 2010 BYU study which showed that athletes who imbibed pickle juice recovered better after exercise than those that just drank water.  But, what about other sports drinks?  I don't think that anyone disputes that consuming electrolytes after exercise is more beneficial than consuming no electrolytes, but WHICH electrolytes?  My point is, I think that regular sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade clearly provide electrolytes, and I'm not convinced that Pickle Juice is necessarily superior to them.  For the record, Pickle Juice does seem to have more potassium and especially sodium than these other drinks, but then they have at least one B vitamin that Pickle Juice lacks, Vitamin B12.  So the question is, which electrolytes are the best for athletes, and what are the best amounts of sodium, potassium, etc.?  I may well be wrong, but it seems like further, more detailed studies are needed before we can say that Pickle Juice is definitively better than their competitors and truly the only drink that can prevent muscle cramps.

The Pickle Juice Company, Pickle Juice:    Was more clear than I expected--maybe slightly yellowish, but basically it looked like water.  It had a distinct vinegar-y odor, though.  The taste was... like pickle juice. Maybe not as strong as actual pickle juice from the jar (not that I've drank that much, but what drips off the pickles themselves), but strong enough.  So it wasn't pleasant to drink.  I guess it does have the electrolytes people need after exercise, especially outdoors in the heat, but I question that many folks enjoy this.  Why not just drink Gatorade or Powerade?  Or Powerade Zero or the lower calorie/lower sugar types of Gatorade if you're concerned about those things. Because with those, you get arguably (?) the same type of electrolyte benefit, but the drink actually tastes good.  You can choose from dozens of flavors, such as grape, lemon lime, orange, fruit punch, etc.  So unless you're one of the rare people who likes consuming the liquid in the jar after eating the pickles, why would you drink this?  And I should say, I like pickles, both the sour and sweet kinds.  I've eaten entire jars of them, plain.  And even I think drinking down a lot of salty vinegar is strange, when you have much, much better alternatives. 

     Finally, I'll end with a bit more detail about the fateful football game I mentioned before.  On September 3, 2000, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys opened their seasons in Texas.  On a day when the outdoor temperatures were reportedly 109 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 42.7 degrees Celsius), and on the field it was as high as 130 degrees (or about 54.4 degrees Celsius).  Anyway, the visiting Eagles blew out their division rivals 41-14.  The game is probably best remembered for the Eagles executing a successful onside kick on the opening kickoff, recovered by special teamer Dameane Douglas.  Running back Duce Staley rushed 26 times for 201 yards and a touchdown, and caught 4 passes for another 61 yards.  Surprisingly, quarterback Donovan McNabb had a lackluster game, completing only 18 of 30 passes for 130 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions, for a passer rating of 51.2.  (He did rush 5 times for 29 yards and a touchdown, though.)  The Eagles defense played great, holding the Cowboys to only 167 total yards, and sacking them 5 times.  Individually, linebacker Jeremiah Trotter returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown, and lineman Hugh Douglas had 2 sacks.  And, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that this game somehow prompted a guy to start a beverage company, one which despite my opinions is evidently quite successful.  So there's that, too.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--2 Thai/American Dried Fruits

      Today's focus was yet another fortunate find from my local Shop-Rite grocery.  I was actually looking for blog fodder, and found some.  Dried papaya and mango didn't seem all that exotic, but then I checked the back label--"Product of Thailand" was written on each.  Although the company that packaged and distributed these products is based in the U.S. state of New Jersey, hence the name of this article.  The company in question was Paramount Foods, LLC.

     As its website noted, Paramount began in September of 2006.  The point of the business was to, "provide bulk nuts, dried fruits, and grains to supermarkets in Northern New Jersey."  Since this time Paramount has expanded its selection quite a bit.  Now it also sells cookies, chips, seaweed, coconut water, coffee, sauces, salt, herbs, veggies, honey, fruit and aloe juices, bread, and spices.  It also has expanded its footprint a little, as its products are now sold in parts of Pennsylvania and New York, as well as South Jersey, since that's where I am.  The business's name is derived from the initials of the founder's three daughters--Payton, Morgan, and Taylor.  Oddly, the website didn't mention the name of the founder.  However, alternate online sources revealed it to be David Carn.  This was a tad difficult to find out, as calling your food company "Paramount" is not exactly the most unique moniker.

     Moving on to the fruit,  mangoes appear to have originated in South Asia, probably in areas of India, Bangladesh, and the Andaman Islands.  Now, though, they're grown in many other parts of the world that have the requisite hot tropical climate, such as most of Southeast Asia, East and West Africa, Spain, the Caribbean, Australia, and the warmest U.S. states such as Florida, California, and Hawaii.  They're eaten in a myriad of ways.  Raw, cooked, pickled, or as part of chutneys, salads, jams, jellies, ice cream, smoothies, or other beverages.  Nutritionally they're quite healthy.  They're strong in their amount of Vitamin C and folate, and also have small amounts of just about every other vitamin.  There is a downside, though--their leaves, stems, skins, and sap can cause skin reactions (dermatitis) and anaphylactic responses in some people.

     Papayas took an opposite route.  They were "born" in what's now the Western Hemisphere, in Southern Mexico and Central America.  But like mangoes they've been avidly transplanted, and are now cultivated in many other suitably hot areas like Central Africa, Hawaii and Florida, India, and Australia.  (And clearly, at least some are grown in Thailand, given where mine came from.)  Nutritionally they're rather similar to mangoes, as they contain huge amounts of Vitamin C and some folate, and small amounts of most other vitamins.  Also like mangoes, some folks get adverse allergic reactions to papayas, if they're unripe.  Papayas are eaten raw or cooked, as parts of entrees or in jams and juices.  Finally, when green and unripe their juices can tenderize meat, and are often used to do just that.

Paramount Foods LLC dried mangoes:  These were an orange color, in strips of various sizes--they kind of looked like sweet potato chips.  Their texture was chewy, and the taste was sweet.  I haven't had a lot of mango in my life, as I recall, but these were good.  Surprisingly so.  Nature's candy, I guess.  I would recommend these.  Also, their texture rather reminds me of dried ginger.

Paramount Foods LLC dried papaya:  These were smaller in size, mostly in cube shapes that were reddish orange with some whitish spots.  The texture was chewy once again, and kind of raisin-y.  The flavor was not as good as the mango, but still alright.  They didn't taste as sweet as the mango, which I suppose is why I preferred mangoes more.  I'd still recommend them, though.

     After mentally patting myself on the back for eating healthier snacks, I got an unpleasant surprise when I checked the ingredient list for both of these.  I figured this list would be brief--basically dried mangoes or dried papaya.  But, they both had sugar added.  (And artificial colors, if that bothers you.)  Which, depressingly, might explain why I enjoyed the mangoes so much, and liked the papaya okay--they weren't super healthy, plain fruit, but had the extra sugar.  So keep that in mind--there are probably healthier brands of dried fruit which are basically just the fruit itself.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A German/Polish Candy

      Okay, we're back to talking about food today.  More specifically, about an exotic candy, Toffifay, which is a hazelnut/caramel/hazelnut cream/chocolate confection from the Storck company.  My particular candy was actually made in a Polish facility, but the overall company is German, so that explains why two places are in this post's title.

     The Storck company, also known as August Storck KG, was started back in 1903 by a German man named, of course, August Storck.  Storck, who had previously been a farmer, originally called his confectionary business Werther'sche Zuckerwarenfabrik.  Fortunately for those who prefer shorter names, he renamed it some time later.  Additionally, for reasons I couldn't find out, this man also changed his surname, with his new one being Oberwelland.  Storck has become hugely successful in the 120 years of its existence, as it currently employs over 7000 people, and is exported to over 100 countries around the globe.  (If you're curious, unless you're reading this in parts of central or southern Africa, of in much of Southeast Asia, or on many Pacific Islands, you can probably get a Storck product in your general location.)  As such, Storck has many brands, all of which involve some kind of candy.  Some of these most popular ones include Werther's Original, Knoppers, Mamba, Riesen, and Merci.  The brand I tried, Toffifay, was started in 1973.  Also, this is the American version of the name--in other parts of the world it's rendered "Toffifee."  To give you another idea of how successful Storck has been, the current owner, Axel Oberwelland, is estimated to have a net worth of 3,900,000,000 (presumably in Euros).  Axel's brother Timm Oberwelland is in the film industry rather than the candy and chocolate game.  IMDB lists over 29 completed projects from him, with highlights being the films "Alien Invasion:  S.U.M. 1" (2017), "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" (2018), and "Catweazle" (2021), as well as the 2020-21 television series "The Island." 

Storck Toffifay candy:  These candies were bowl-shaped, about 1.25 cm. (about 1 inch) in diameter, with a light brown outer rim, and a dark brown center.  The texture was slightly crunchy on the outside, but chewy on the inside.  I could detect a hazelnut flavor, and the chocolate was not too dark and bitter.  I'm not typically a big fan of hazelnut, but this was good.  Solid candy.  If you like Nutella, for example, you'll probably also like these candies.

     Finally, much to my disappointment, the previously mentioned "Catweazle" movie does not appear to be cautionary tale about a cat/weasel hybrid.  I was picturing something hideous made by a deranged surgeon, or an accident similar to what happened in the transporters in "The Fly."  Instead it's a children's fantasy story, about a Norman magician who travels 900 years into the future.  (Based on a British television show from the 1970's.)