Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Jerky Made Out of Mushrooms

      Okay, admittedly this one isn't that exotic, but it is kind of weird, at least.  I've reported on various kinds of jerkies before, such as on January 4th, 2025, and one on vegetarian jerkies on September 25, 2021.  But today I thought I'd cover one made from mushrooms.  Specifically, the original mushroom jerky from Pan's.

     For a change, I was easily able to learn some about the history of the Pan's brand, and the company behind it, which is Panco Foods, Inc., out of Portland, Oregon.  In 2006 Michael Pan visited some relatives in Malaysia.  The folks were vegetarian Buddhists, so clearly they didn't eat meat.  But they did make a dried snack out of mushrooms.  Michael was dazzled by this, and remembered the great taste when he returned back home to Oregon.  He was an engineer by training, and he continued this career for quite some time.  However, in 2018 he launched Pan's mushroom jerky, inspired by his relatives' creation.  Initially there were four flavors, but this has expanded since.  In late 2020, Pan was a guest on the ABC television program "Shark Tank."  Once the judges and potential investors tasted his mushroom jerky, they were interested enough to get involved.  Mark Cuban made a deal with Pan, and others invested as well.  That financial boon, and the national exposure helped Pan's business spread, and thrive.  As of now, beside the one I tried, Pan's also makes mushroom jerky flavors of teriyaki, curry, salt & pepper, applewood barbecue, zesty Thai, and a limited edition kind that uses sichuan mala mushrooms instead of the usual shiitake mushrooms as the base.  The Pan mushroom jerkies are also obviously vegan-appropriate, and free of gluten, soy, and GMOs.  Additionally, they're "Earth Kosher," which I just learned is an organization founded in 2004 that assists companies in earning kosher certification in an affordable and accepted manner.  (I don't know if some super hardcore Jews refuse to accept this Earth Kosher designation, so that's up to the consumer to decide, I guess.)  There is a warning on the Pan label about California's Prop 65 act, based on the safety legislation from 1986.  Pan claims that the mushrooms they use may absorb minute amounts of cadmium, lead, and mercury from the soil they're grown in, but that these levels are not high enough to be dangerous for people.  Again, I suppose potential customers can research this and decide for themselves if they want to eat Pan's products.

Pan's mushroom jerky, original flavor:  Had a brownish-black color.  Earthy odor.  It was stems and caps chopped up, so the shapes and sizes were variable.  The texture was quite chewy, even though the pieces were dry.  Pretty good.  I like mushrooms in general, so this wasn't a big surprise.  This was a new, and different way to enjoy them.  Kind of odd, but more than decent.  I would definitely recommend them, unless you really hate mushrooms.

     Pan's website mentions that their mushroom jerky is "satisfyingly umami."  Which, once more, I had to look up.  Well, umami is a word coined by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda.  In 1908 he identified a fifth basic taste, to go along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.  Umami is savoriness, as is produced by glutamate and some nucleotides like inosine monophosphate and guanosine monophosphate.  These substances help form the overall tastes in foods like beef, cheese, seafood, and soy sauce.

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Two French Mini Toasts

      One of the additions to my local grocery store in the past year or two is a new, expanded specialty cheese section.  To go along with this, they also started selling more crackers, spreads, etc.  A few months ago I saw that they'd begun selling mini toasts.  From the names of the products, Joan of Arc and Egalite, along with the French flag colors on the latter's label, I assumed that they were probably French in origin.  A closer read of the labels confirmed this.

     I wasn't able to find out much of anything about the makers of the Joan of Arc toasts.  The label read "Since 1918," but that about it for the history of the company.  After a while of online sleuthing, I was unable to discern the name of the company that made them, even (assuming it wasn't also "Joan of Arc").  All I got was that they are distributed by the mammoth cheese company Saptuo, of whom I've covered many time before on this blog.  (See my post on June 27th, 2020 for more info on Saputo's history.)  The Egalite story (or lack thereof), was similar--no details at all about the actual manufacturer, and a bit about the distributing company, Gourmet Foods International.  For that, Russell McCall started working as a Greenwich, Connecticut cheese shop at the age of 16.  Eight years later, in 1967, he knew enough about the cheese game that he opened his own cheese shop.  Then he borrowed money from his grandmother to open up another store in Atlanta, Georgia.  However, due to the industry switch to wholesale businesses becoming hugely successful, McCall sold his retail stores in 1971.  From then on out his company focused on importing and distributing European cheeses and gourmet specialty items.  There are now 10 Gourmet Foods International distribution centers around the U.S.  The firm sells cheeses, lunchmeats, crisps, crackers, and pates.  And like I mentioned, I wasn't able to discover anything about the French baker of the toasts--not even the start date, like for the Joan of Arc ones.  But I can tell you that "egalite" is French for "equality."

Egalite mini toasts:  The toasts were about 3.5 cm square, or about 1.5 inches.  They were a whitish yellow color, with a light brown crust.  There was no real odor.  They looked like tiny squares of toasted bread.  Their texture was dry and crunchy.  No strong flavor to them.  With some fruit spreads on them they tasted better, but still not great.  With cheese on them they were much improved, but isn't everything?  In conclusion, there are many better canape bases than these.  Unless you really like Melba-like toasts such as these, I wouldn't recommend them.  Use a cracker or something to put your cheese or jam on instead.

Joan of Arc mini toasts:  These were about the same size, shape, and color as the Egalite ones.  Maybe a tad more darker yellow.  The texture was also the same--dry and crunchy.  And very bland when eaten plain once again.  With fruit spread on them, and then cheese, the taste was improved, but like the previous one, the overall effect wasn't great.  They were probably a little bit better than the Egalites, but still not enough for me to recommend them, unless you're mad for Melba like toasts.  To me, toasting bread, especially twice, almost always is worse than just having the bread fresh, and nice and soft.

     Since this post has been so light, I thought I'd go on a tangent about the food type itself.  The mini toasts I ate strongly appear to be a form of Melba toast.  Which, refreshingly, I was able to learn a few facts about.  Back in 1897 the famous opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba, was ill while in France.  A sympathetic hotel chef, Auguste Escoffier, came up with a dish that she could eat in her delicate state.  It was a variant of rusk, or dry and crunchy twice baked bread.  Auguste took some sliced bread and grilled it on both sides.  Then he sliced it laterally and did it again, resulting in tiny, thin, hard and crunchy bread pieces.  Hotel owner Cesar Ritz suggested that Escoffier continue making this concoction, and they decided to name it after Ms. Melba.  Enough people enjoyed it that it spread to other countries, and continents.  It's apparently called "French toast" in the U.K., while we Americans save this moniker for the soft, syrupy, breakfast treat.  Escoffier seemed to have a lot of respect for, or perhaps an obsession with Ms. Melba, since he named three other invented dishes after her.  These were Peach Melba (a peach, raspberry sauce, and vanilla ice cream combo), Melba Garniture (chicken, truffles, and mushrooms stuffed into a tomato, with a savory sauce), and Melba sauce (a raspberry and red currant puree).  The chef also named dishes after actress Sarah Bernhardt, actress Gabrielle Rejane, and composer Gioachino Rossini.  Nellie Melba had a long and distinguished career, living from 1861-1931.  And Nellie Melba was a stage name, as she was born Helen Porter Mitchell, in Australia.  The "Melba" from her stage surname was a tribute to her home city of Melbourne.  Finally, I couldn't determine this exactly, but I think Nellie Melba might hold the record for most food dishes named after a person, excluding royals like kings and queens.

  

Horrorsmith: The Magazine Issue #3 is Out!

     I've been talking about pending magazines or anthologies that are scheduled to publish one of my stories for months now.  Well, the day is finally here for one of them.  My story, "Blissful Knowledge," is part of the most recent issue of Horrorsmith: The Magazine.  "Blissful Knowledge" is a throwback zombie tale, back in the pre-George Romero days when zombies were forced labor in the Caribbean.  But, with enough twists to keep things interesting, I think.  I actually wrote this story back in 2001, so it's nice to see it finally get a home in print.

     The cover above lets you know several of the authors featured in this issue, along with their story titles, as well as some other writing-related articles.  But, I'll let you know some of the other tidbits in the magazine.  There's a story titled "The Vulture King," by James Oakley.  There are also two publisher spotlights, one for Slashic Horror Press, and the other for Crystal Lake Publishing.  Additionally, there are two reviews of recent horror/thriller books--Dathan Auerbach's "Bad Man," and William Rose's "Itsy Bitsy Spider."  Then there are a Recent Releases section, and an article about the Best Indie Book Covers.  All of this was spearheaded by Horrorsmith's Editor in Chief Lyndsey Smith.  So, do yourself a favor and head on over to Horrorsmith's website ( https://www.horrorsmithpublishing.com ), and pick yourself up a copy.  There's no risk, since the magazine is free.  And while you're on this website check out Horrorsmith's many available books, in a range of categories.  Their imprints include Fear Forge (horror), Thrill Forge (thriller), Teen Forge (young adult), and Spiced Forge (romance).  Or, something for practically everyone.

     

     Switching topics a bit, speaking of published stories, my other accepted story for this year, with RDG Books, now has a scheduled release date of October 10th, 2025.  And I believe some of my co-contributors for this anthology may be doing an interview or two on my blog.  So get ready to read about this upcoming anthology quite a bit in the coming weeks.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Organic Snack/Protein Bars Made by a Killer

      A while ago I was shopping for protein bars, and saw something new.  I'd seen television ads for Dave's Killer Bread before, and had even seen some of its loaves on the shelf.  But I didn't know they also made bars.  The label had some rather startling information about the Dave of the brand's name, saying he had an extensive criminal background.  This was different enough, so I got a couple of them.  I tried the oat-rageous honey almond organic snack bar, and the peanut butter chocolate chunk amped-up organic protein bar.

     I often complain that the companies whose food and drinks I'm trying have little to no information about the business's histories, and founders.  Sometimes it's not even included on the official company website, and I have to track it down elsewhere online.  Well, Dave Dahl, who founded Dave's Killer Bread, is admirably forthright that he's an ex-con.  (Although some of the finer criminal details were found elsewhere, to be sure.)  So here's the history.  In 1955 Jim and his wife Wanene Dahl bought the Midway Bakery, in Oregon.  In 1984 Jim renamed it NatureBake.  Evidently he was ahead of his time in some ways, such as experimenting with sprouted wheat bread, and using organic ingredients long before it was popular.  In the interim, one of the Dahl's sons, Dave, had a troubled childhood, and troubled young adulthood.  (I guess the rest of this paragraph should all be "allegedly," since I read it from sources other than the Dave's Killer Bread official website.) Born in 1963, Dave started using drugs as a teen, and became addicted.  He was jailed in 1987 for burglarizing a home.  A few years later, during a stint in Massachusetts, he again was convicted and incarcerated, this time for armed robbery.  While in prison, he received treatment for his drug addiction, and behaved well enough that he got an early release in about 2004.  Dave, along with his nephew Shobi, went back to work for the family bakery in Oregon.  In 2005 he developed a new kind of organic bread, which he started selling at the Portland Farmer's Market.  Since it was so appreciated, he started his own company, calling it Dave's Killer Bread.  The business prospered.  So much so that when Dave sold the brand to Flower Foods in 2015, he got $275,000,000.  By 2016 the bread was being sold in Mexico and Canada.  Alas, Dave's brushes with the law were not over.  In 2013 a friend called the police because Dave was having a mental health crisis.  When they arrived he tried to flee, and rammed two cop cars, and then fought with the arresting officers.  In 2014 he was found guilty except for insanity of two counts of assault, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon.  Because he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, he avoided jail because he agreed to be put under the supervision of the Psychiatric Security Review Board, and to avoid driving and going into bars.  (Presumably if he avoids treatment or meds or whatever he would void the agreement and return to jail.)  I also read that at some point in his life, perhaps the 1980's or 90's, he was convicted of drug distribution.  But, fortunately, since this incident he appears to have cleaned himself up entirely.  And I don't mean to be cruel--people sometimes change, and Dave certainly seems to have done so.  And I used the title I did for sensationalistic purposes, since no source held that Dave really killed anyone.  It's "Dave's Killer Bread," after all, not "Killer Dave's Bread."  (And presumably the bread itself hasn't murdered anyone, either.)

     So, that's more interesting and exciting than most founder's bios, isn't it?  Not shockingly, given his personal history, Dave is more than willing to hire ex-cons at his company, in their Second Chance program.  You can read the histories of many of these employees on the official website.  Other products made by Dave's Killer Bread include, not shockingly, several kinds of bread, such as "21 whole grains and seeds," "white bread done right," and "100% whole wheat".  Many of these are also sold in a thin slice version.  Furthermore, the brand also markets various kinds of bagels, English muffins, burger buns, sandwich rolls, and snack bites.  Alternate flavors of the protein/snack bars include cocoa brownie blitz, trail mix crumble, amped-up chocolate coconut, and amped-up blueberry almond butter.  All of the Dave's products lack GMOs, and all but some of the snack bites are vegan-appropriate.  But all have gluten.

Dave's Killer Bread oatrageous honey almond organic snack bar:  It was square, about 2.25 inches by 2.25 inches (or about 5.5 cm. by 5.5 cm), and was a light brown color.  The outer appearance was rough and there was a slight oat-y odor.  It had a dense, chewy texture.  It did taste oat-y.  But it wasn't very sweet.  I couldn't really detect the almonds, or the honey.  It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't that good.  It was bland, and too tame.

Dave's Killer Bread peanut butter chocolate chunk amped-up organic protein bar:  This one was the same size and shape as the other one.  It also had a rough appearance, this time with visible chocolate chunks.  The smell was like peanut butter, slightly.  Once again, the texture was dense and chewy. And also once again, the flavor was lacking--it didn't have a very strong taste.  I usually enjoy peanut butter and chocolate combos, but this one was bland.  So also disappointing.

     Overall I was quite underwhelmed by these bars, and wouldn't recommend them.  But, to be fair, I didn't try Dave's specialty, which of course is bread.  I'll try to scare up a loaf, and report back on it.  

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Canadian/American Flavored Liqueur

      A week or two ago I decided to do some browsing in the hard liquor aisle at one of my local liquor stores.  I've seen various Dr. McGillicuddy offerings over the years, but I didn't really take much notice.  But this time I did.  And I saw that it was made in Canada.  Which is exotic enough, I think.  So I got one--the apple pie flavor.

     According to the label on my bottle, Aloysius Percival McGillicuddy was born in 1808.  He was a barkeep and part owner of the Shady Eye Saloon.  In his will he bequeathed his home, livestock, and half interest in the saloon to his 5th wife, Hermione, aged 22.  To his (unnamed) son, he left his watch, dueling pistols, and favorite pipe.  And then, to quote it exactly, "To the world I present the recipe for Dr. McGillicuddy's, whose refreshing taste has made me a bit of a legend in these parts.  To your fortune!"  The bottle also is embossed with "Est. 1865."  And the provided info on the official website adds that the "Dr." title might be honorific rather than literal.

     Except, none of the above is true.  Ha!  I had a little fun with you.  Dr. McGillicuddy is the invented character for a liquor brand.  The real history of the brand is much more murky than the fictitious one.  It started as Dr. McGillicuddy's Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey in the mid 1980's, for the Seagram company.  However, in 1989 Seagram sold it to the giant Sazerac liquor firm, of which I've reported on a few times before, on December 19th, 2020, and June 11th, 2022, and March 22nd of this year.  This brand makes quite a few flavored liqueurs, and some flavored whiskeys.  Examples of the former are root beer, cherry, peppermint, raw vanilla, coffee, mentholmint, peach, butterscotch, and wild grape.  Examples of the latter are honey whiskey, peach whiskey, apple whiskey, and blackberry whiskey.  Also, if you're curious about what you would look like with various old timey mustaches, the official Dr. McGillicuddy website has a "mustache machine" feature where you can see this, using 6 different styles, and several different hair colors.

Dr. McGillicuddy's apple pie liqueur:  It had a strength of 21% alcohol, or 42 proof.  The drink had an apple-y odor, and a yellowish hue, like apple juice.  It tasted....like apple pie.  It starts off tasting strongly of apples, and ends with a cinnamon, somehow pastry-like flavor.  So, overall it was very good and I quite enjoyed it.  I would recommend it to anyone wanting a different kind of shot, especially if they like apple pie.  (Which, when you get right down to it, doesn't pretty much everybody?)  So unless you really hate sweet alcoholic drinks or something, you'll probably like this.  I plan to try other Dr. McGillicuddy offerings in the future, as well.

     After I checked around a bit on the official website, I tried to figure out if there had been an actual person named Dr. McGillicuddy, or at least a historic inspiration.  And I think I have a good candidate.  There was a Valentine Trant McGillycuddy, who lived from 1849-1939.  He was a graduate of a real medical school, and spent much of his life as a surgeon.  He went into the American West, acting as a doctor, topographer, and surveyor, on various expeditions.  Initially he seemed unusually progressive about American Indians.  He tried to save Crazy Horse after he was mortally wounded, and lobbied the American government to treat Indians better.  Alas, later, when he was the Indian Agent at the Pine Ridge Agency (in South Dakota), his reputation with the Indians plummeted.  They accused him of mismanagement, and various forms of corruption.  Still later, in 1879, he was the first Surgeon General of South Dakota.  And in 1897 he was briefly mayor of the South Dakota community of Rapid City.  When World War I broke out McGillycuddy re-enlisted, and helped treat influenza patients in the Western states and Alaska.  I can't be positive that Dr. McGillycuddy was the impetus for the fictional liquor brand Dr. McGillicuddy, but the similarities sure seem suspicious. 

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Two Thai/American Fruits

      A while ago I was perusing the dried fruit aisle in my local Shop-Rite.  Something caught my eye--tangerines.  I've had them fresh, but I don't think I'd ever had them dried before.  Looking at the label I saw that they were grown in Thailand, so I not only got something to eat, but something I could post about.  I also picked up some coconut from the same company.  These were both from the Nutty & Fruity brand, out of California.

     It's getting to the point that I wonder if a lot of people who are put in the Federal Witness Protection Program then decide to start food or beverage companies.  Or, in other words, the official company websites for the products I bought contained very little information in general, and none on the company's histories and owner(s).  One of the websites for the parent Food Castle Inc. company had a "history" link, but selecting it led nowhere.  It was a cruel tease.  There weren't even decent product lists on these websites.  The Nutty & Fruity band one was one of those where they show most, or all of their products together in a big group photo, but it keeps switching to something else, so you only get a few seconds at a time to see everything.  The Facebook page for Nutty & Fruity was underwhelming as well.  The first post was from 2013, and the last one in 2018.  So, all in all, I'm not impressed with the company and brand's online presence.  After a lot of mostly unsuccessful searching on business-related websites, I was able to (possibly?) learn that Food Castle Inc. began in 2010, and its CEO is Eliyahu Levy.  But I wouldn't testify to this in court.  (One website indicated that Food Castle/Nutty & Fruity may be affiliated with the Paramount company, which I discussed before, in detail in my post on August 12, 2023.  Not shockingly, I wasn't able to get confirmation on this, so it may well be incorrect.)  Other Nutty & Fruity offerings include mangoes, kiwis, blackberries, several different forms of bananas, apples, hibiscus, pineapples, pomegranates, papayas, passion fruits, strawberries, oranges, and perhaps grapefruits.  (You may notice that this list lacks any nuts, but maybe it's incomplete.)  Other Food Castle products include several kinds of nuts, and other types of dried fruit.

     Moving to tangerines, this fruit's nature is also a bit imprecise.  Some classification systems have it as a subtype of a mandarin orange, while others categorize it as a separate, but related species of this orange.  Genetic testing revealed that it has some pummelo (see my post on February 20, 2014 for more information on this fruit) in its lineage.  Tangerines were first grown in the U.S. in the early 1800's, by a Major Atway, in Palatka, Florida.  In 1843 Atway sold his groves to a N.H. Moragne.  The name of the fruit was reportedly taken from the port city from which Atway first acquired it (the Moroccan city of Tangier), combined with the last name of the second owner.  Whatever their heritage, and true nature, tangerines are usually smaller and less round than mandarin oranges, and have a stronger, and sweeter taste.  China is the leading producer of tangerines, and it's not even close--China grows 25,000,000 tons of them annually, while #2 Spain cultivates 2,000,000 tons.

Nutty & Fruity coconut strips:  They were small, thin white strips, which kind of looked like pieces of onion.  There wasn't much of an odor.  They had a dry, chewy texture.  The taste was...like coconut, or good.  I like coconut in general, so this wasn't much of a surprise.  They were a nice snack.  Probably healthier than most snacks, such as chips, etc.  

Nutty & Fruity dried tangerines:  They were a yellow-orangish color, and were twisted into random shapes.  Their appearance was rather off-putting--they kind of reminded me uncomfortably of scabs.  There wasn't really a smell to them.  The texture was chewy and dry.  The flavor was really good.  Nicely sweet.  These "tangerine raisins" were quite tasty.  I've already bought them again several times.  I recommend the coconut ones, and highly recommend these tangerines.

     I did find one bit of dirt about Food Castle.  I read an intent to sue notice from May of last year, alleging that there was lead contamination in their chili tamarind bites.  I didn't see the upshot of this, so I don't know if this charge was proven or not.

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--An Italian/Austrian Cookie

      I went through my blog list recently, and saw it's been nearly a year since I last covered a cookie.  (On September 14, 2024, to be exact, and it was also from Italy.)  Fortunately, a little while ago I bought and tried some cookies, so this problem was easily solvable.  I sampled the dark chocolate flavored Quadratinis from the Loacker company.

     Loacker just recently celebrated their centennial, as the company was founded on April 3rd, 1925.  Alfons Loacker had worked at a local shop since he was a child, and in 1925 he was able to buy it, and run it as his own.  By 1940 the company was selling its first packaged baked goods.  In 1958 Alfons' son Armin took over as the head chef, while his daughter Christine handled the administration and distribution aspects of the business.  In 1974 the main facility was moved upward, to the mountain community of Auna di Sotto, on the Renon plateau in the Dolomites, which in turn are part of the Alps.  By 1975 Loacker products were exported to the Middle East, China, and Japan.  In 1984 the ads for the company began using the characters known as the Gnometti.  And in 1996 the third generation of the family took over, in the form of Andreas Loacker.  Aside from various types of wafer, Loacker product categories include exquisite patisseries, choco snacks, chocolates, praline dreams, gifts and seasonals, and duty free.  Currently the business employs well over 1000 people, and is exported to the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Israel, and China.  The cookies I had, Quadratinis, were developed in 1994, and come in many flavors, such as hazelnut, tiramisu, peanut butter, gingerbread, and coconut.  Loacker is also concerned with various causes and issues of the day.  They're dedicated to using sustainable supplies and packaging, maintaining climate neutrality, practicing social responsibility, while also allowing for "mindful indulgences."  Also, they do have another plant in Austria, which is where my cookies were made.  Hence the mention in the title.

Loacker dark chocolate Quadratinis:  They were squares, about 2 cm. (about .75 inch) to a side, layered, with 5 cookie/4 chocolate filling layers.  The outer cookie had the typical latticed wafer pattern, and the color of the cookie layers was light yellow, and the chocolate filling layers a dark brown, obviously.  They were crunchy, with a soft filling in the middle.  They were okay.  I probably would have liked them better if they were milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate, but the wafers cut the dark chocolate bitterness decently.  Otherwise they were very much like other wafers, except for the added layers, and the smaller square shape instead of a rectangle.  So I would recommend these, especially for dark chocolate fans.  And I'll look for other flavors, especially for flavors I normally enjoy, such as peanut butter.

     The advertising campaign characters called the Gnometti have a fairly extensive back story and, well, fuller characterization than most of their kind.  There are 13 named characters, each with their own specialty and skills.  Mestolo is the leader, for starters.  And Quadratolo is a wafer engineer, who invented the Quadratini cookies.  Finally, if you're tempted to rip off the Quadratini concept, design, and the cookie itself, be forewarned--Loacker will come after you.  In 2003 police raided facilities in Lebanon and Syria that were infringing on Loacker's trademark product.

     

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--2 More Probiotic Drinks

      A little over a year ago, on June 8th, 2024, I reported on some probiotic drinks (and prebiotic).  Well, I happened to see a new-to-me brand of the same beverage type the other day.  So I decided to give this gut-friendly tipple another chance.  I had the blueberry lemonade and the berry cherry probiotic water flavors from the Karma brand.

     I went into a bit of detail about the nature of probiotic drinks in the previous post, so I won't repeat myself much here.  The official Karma website (drinkKarma.com) was one of those fairly terse ones, which mainly had product lines, and where to purchase them.  I had to consult other business-related websites to fill in even the most basic company history gaps.  Anyway, according to those, Karma was founded by CJ Rapp and Jeff Platt, in February of 2011.  Currently, Rapp is the CEO, Platt is the President, and a Lowell Patric is the COO/CFO.  The company's headquarters are in Pittsford, NY.  And that's about all I could find out about the Karma story.  Karma has two basic product lines--the probiotic waters, and the energy waters.  Aside from the two I tried, other probiotic water flavors were watermelon wild berry and strawberry lemonade.  The energy water choices are raspberry peach, blueberry watermelon, orange mango, and melon dragon fruit. The energy boost in these is provided by the old standby, caffeine, as well as cognizin citicoline.  Additionally, Karma has "stick packs," which are powdered mixes that the customer combines with water.  The flavors of these are berry cherry, blueberry lemonade, and strawberry lemonade, so it appears that they are powdered probiotic waters.  Karma is also very proud that their wares are free of GMOs, lactose, and gluten, and are relatively low in both calories and sugar.  They are appropriate for vegan diets as well.  And the plastic used for their bottles is free of BPA.

Karma probiotic water, blueberry lemonade flavor:  The bottle was 18 ounces/532 mL, and came with Karma's patented, protective push cap.  So, following directions, I peeled off the seal and then pushed down on the "button" underneath, which released the probiotics into the drink itself.  For this one the granules looked dark blue, or blackish in color.  The odor of the drink was slightly lemonade-y, and the color was clear, with just a little cloudiness to it.  The taste was very weak, only a tinge of fruitiness to it.  Therefore, as a beverage this one fails, as the taste is extremely lacking.

Karma probiotic water, berry cherry flavor:  The bottle was the same size as the previous one, and also had the push cap.  The only difference was that the granules were a reddish hue.  The odor was slightly berry-ish.  The color of the drink itself was pink.  And once again the taste was very disappointing--some hints of fruity flavor, but only hints.

  

     To sum up, then, as with my experience in 2024, I definitely didn't enjoy these as drinks. In some ways I don't understand why they bother adding flavor to these, since the results are so weak as to make no difference.  I'm assuming regular consumers of these only do so for the perceived benefits of the probiotics, and not the flavor of the drinks.  Maybe these quaffs are healthy, but they sure aren't tasty, or even mediocre.  Since my intestinal health seems okay in general, I don't plan on ever having these again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

Major League Baseball's Most Unbreakable Season Records

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Two Tea-Based Boozes

      These drinks were yet another lucky impulse buy.  One of my local liquor stories had some 50 mL bottles near the cash register, and they happened to catch my eye.  Tea mixed with liquor isn't the craziest adult beverage I've ever seen, but it is at least a bit unusual.  I only recall trying one other such drink--the Owl's Brew Boozy Tea series which I discussed in a post on April 10, 2021.  So I bought a couple.  These were the green tea shot, and the white tea shot from the Kamoti brand.

     The exact origins of this brand, and the company behind it, are a little murky.  Some of these details were on the official website, and some were on other business-related websites like LinkedIn.  Anyway, two friends, Dylan Fusco and Michael, noticed that the bars they frequented in New Jersey and New York were doing a brisk business selling white tea shooters, and green tea shooters.  If you're unaware of these fairly recent drinks (as I was), their recipes are both pretty similar.  The green tea one had a whiskey base, along with peach schnapps, citrus juice or sour mix, and lemon lime soda mixed with the tea.  The white tea shooter was that tea mixed with vodka, peach schnapps, sweet and sour mix, and lemon lime soda.  Both of these were then shaken with ice, and poured into shot glasses for imbibing.  According to Dylan and Michael, they noticed that the taste of these shooters varied with the skill of the bartender, as well as the relative quality of the liquor and mixers used.  And, clearly, they saw a business opportunity, and decided to exploit it.  So, the two guys started the Kamoti Spirits company in 2019, which as of now just sells these two flavors of tea-based drinks.  All the websites I read listed it as being a New Jersey-based business, but the two bottles I bought say they were made in Cocoa, Florida.  Evidently Kamoti either moved its headquarters, or at least opened up a distillery or bottling plant in Florida.  The Kamoti team seems quite proud that their drinks are only 20% alcohol, or about half as strong as most hard liquors.  They note that this makes partying with their product more responsible and safer.  Which I find to be more than a little disingenuous.  It's technically true, but clearly drinkers are more than capable of simply drinking more shots and shooters, and getting just as intoxicated as the folks drinking 40% alcohol liquor.  I mean, most wines are less than 20% alcohol, and most beers are dramatically weaker, since they average around 5%.  And we've all seen plenty of people drunk as hell just from wine or beer, I think!  Anyway, I don't mean to dwell on this point--Kamoti can make their drinks as strong or as weak as they want.  (It almost certainly makes their concoctions easier to drink, and arguably tastier to some consumers.)  But, I'm just saying--20% is less than 40%, but if you're not responsible it can still mess you up just as much as stronger drinks.  Finally, the name Kamoti is the same as the company's mascot, a Komodo dragon, who's seen relaxing on a hammock on their bottle labels.  Also, if anyone cares, I never did see co-founder Michael's last name anywhere, and he might not be a part of the company anymore.

Kamoti white tea shot:  Had a tea-y odor, and a clear color, like water.  It was slightly sweet, fruity, and tasted like tea with a kick, or just what it is, I guess.  So it wasn't great, but it was better than I expected.  I don't normally like vodka straight, or even much in mixed drinks unless it has a lot of the other mixers.  So just the fact that I thought this was alright is actually a significant endorsement.

Kamoti green tea shot:  Rather like the white tea one, this one had a tea-like odor, and a clear color.  The taste was pretty similar to the white tea one, too.  Sweet, pretty good.  Maybe a tad better than the white tea shot.  Again, I'm not normally a big whiskey fan, so thinking this was decent kind of surprised me.  Probably the fact that it was only 20% booze helped me like the flavor more.  And after I just finished a long rant about how it doesn't make their shots appreciably safer and responsible and all!  In conclusion then, if you like tea in general, and want an adult version of it, you might really enjoy these.  And even if you're like me and only like tea moderately, it is still a decent different drink to try.  So I didn't love either of these, but I did find them to be alright.

     As I mentioned, the mascot of Kamoti is a Komodo dragon.  Which is a fascinating creature.  They're the world's biggest lizard, as they can even reach lengths of 10 feet (or 3 meters), and weights up to 150 kilos (or 330 pounds).  They also have their own, "nature's chainmail," as their skin contains tiny bones called osteoderms, which harden as they age.  And like other reptiles, they can smell with their tongues, and quite impressively.  They can detect rotten carcasses that are located up to 9.5 km. (5.9 miles) away!  I also recall hearing that their mouths contained so much bacteria that the dragons would hunt by simply biting a prey animal, and then following it around as it slowly died from sepsis and such.  Apparently this isn't true, though--the amount of bacteria in their mouths is described as being ordinary for a carnivore.  Plus, their typical hunting behavior is to ambush an animal and inflict bloody wounds on it, causing it to die of blood loss or shock within a half hour or so.  Perhaps observers became confused because dragons do definitely eat a lot of rotting animal carcasses, and can tail them from far away.  Additionally, there was some hubbub in the giant reptile research community a decade or two ago when some scientists declared that the dragons had some venom.  However, other Komodo experts dispute this claim.  Finally, and maybe most amazingly, female Komodo dragons have been proven to engage in parthenogenesis, or virgin births.  Some researchers thought that lone females laying viable eggs had stored sperm from long ago sexual encounters, but further testing proved that a few ladies did indeed have young without ever experiencing the loving touch of a male dragon.  All of these virgin-birthed young are always males, never females.  Scientists speculate that this ability evolved so that lone females could find a new home, perhaps an isolated island, virgin birth some sons, and then have regular sex with them to produce more males and females, and grow the dragon population that way.  As disturbing as this sounds to people, I suppose "incest is best" can be true for some members of the Komodo dragon world.  Finally finally, despite the bottle labels, I could find no evidence that Komodo dragons like to recline on hammocks.  Perhaps "Big Hammock" paid the Kamoti company to include this furniture to try to increase sales. 

 

  

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--American/Chilean Clams

      I kind of forgot about this one.  I bought it like a year or two ago, and didn't get around to trying and then writing about it.  Fortunately, being canned seafood, it had a long shelf life, and had an expiration date of well into 2026.  So I opened it, and had at them.  This can was minced clams from the Roland brand.

     I've reported on Roland products a couple of times before--some stuffed grape leaves from Turkey on June 25th, 2022, and about Chinese mussels on May 6th, 2023.  Since the products were different, and they came from separate countries I thought they qualified.  If you're curious about the history of the Roland company, which is American, please see my June 25th, 2022 post.  And, normally for thinner posts I include some fun facts and famous folks from the country of origin.  But I already did this, in my post on Chilean brandy on March 12, 2022.  Therefore, most of this post will be about clams themselves.

     Clams are a type of bivalve mollusk, which can live in both fresh and salt water.  There are over 15,000 different species.  Some live only a year, while some can live for dozens, or even hundreds of years.  The old age champ was an ocean quahog clam named Ming (aka Hafrun) found off of Iceland in 2006.  Its growth lines indicated it was 507, or had been born in 1499.  (That's how it got one of its names, since it was born in the Ming Dynasty.)  Later analysis, including carbon 14 dating, confirmed this advanced age.  Clams lack eyes, ears, and noses.  Meaning their senses are quite different from ours.  They also lack a brain--instead they have nerve cell clusters called ganglia.  They also tend to be sequential hermaphrodites, meaning they can start out as one sex, but later switch, if the conditions dictate.  Although they're hermaphroditic, they can't impregnate themselves.  The appropriately, but boringly named giant clam is indeed the largest species.  The overall champ in body length was a Sumatran specimen found in 1817 that measured 137 cm. (or 4 feet, 6 inches) across.  And the heaviest known clam was found near Japan that weighed 337 kilos (or 734 pounds).  Staying on giant clams, many people think that they can close on divers' limbs, and trap and kill them.  But this is extremely doubtful.  Giant clams close their shells very slowly, and to do so have to expel a lot of water.  Meaning that this belief is almost certainly a myth.

Roland minced clams:  The clam bits had a strong, fishy odor.  They were minced, or cut into tiny shreds of brownish-white meat.  The texture was a bit chewy.  I like my clams in bigger pieces--the added chewy texture contributes to a better flavor.  The taste of these clam pieces was similar to other canned minced clams I've had.  Which are okay, but not great.  Like many edibles, fresh tends to be better.  I had some of these clam bits plain, and some with ranch dressing on it.  (I know that might sound weird, but I didn't have anything else readily available at the time, and my cooking skills are admittedly poor.)  So, if you're willing to tolerate canned seafood, this was a decent example.  

     Clams can be eaten in a myriad of ways--raw, boiled, steamed, baked, or fried, to start.  Sometimes they're put into stews, or soups, or chowders.  But arguably one of the most famous manners, at least in the U.S., is Clams Casino.  The exact recipe for this dish varies a little, but it's usually clams served on the half shell, with breadcrumbs and bacon, and often peppers, parsley, lemon juice, and tabasco sauce.  Clams Casino has an accepted origin story.  In 1917, a Maitre d' hotel at the Little Casino hotel in Narragansett, Rhode Island, was tasked by a wealthy lady patron to come up with a new rich and delicious dish for an upcoming event.  The inventor was Julius Keller, and the requestor was a Mrs. Paran Stevens.  Keller developed a new way to serve clams, and his culinary creation was a massive hit.  Keller named it after his place of employment, and the recipe spread from there.  However, historians have pointed out some major problems with this account.  The late 19th century/early 20th century menus for the Little Casino hotel (in some sources it's the Narragansett Pier Casino) burned up in a couple of fires there.  But, other sources include a similar, or perhaps identical clam dish being served in the area decades before.  And, supposedly Paran Stevens' wife was tracked down, but she died in 1895.  Which means that unless her ghost requested that Keller make the new clam dish, the 1917 creation date seems suspect.  Whenever, or whoever invented Clams Casino, no one denies that it's still popular in the U.S. in general (and maybe the world?), and in New England particularly.

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--An Italian Cracker Thing, Plus a Writing Update

      A few weeks ago I saw something new in the grocery store.  It was called "cacio e pepe tarallini."  I'm no linguistic expert, but this sounded a bit Italian to me.  A closer look at the label confirmed this--it was called an "Italian selection," and that it was "made in Italy."  So I gave it a go.  It was from the Orsini brand.

     I often complain that the official company website offers little to no information about the founders, or the history of the business itself.  Which was definitely true for today's post topic.  But it went a little further.  Even after a while of Googling the brand name, and its parent company name, I never did see the product I ate on any of the official websites.  The rest of the products listed seemed to fit in, and I did learn about some Orsini wares, but still, it was weird.  Anyway, according to the product label for the food I sampled, Orsini is a brand of the CDM Food S.R.L. company. Other business-related online resources indicated that Orsini was originally started in 1987 by a Gregorio and Lucia Nuccia (a married couple?).  At some point they either were bought up by, or became part of the CDM Food parent company.  CDM, in turn was apparently founded by someone named Alessandro Tatone in 2013.  Other Orsini/CDM products include balsamic vinegars, baked goods, jams, olive oils, pesto and bruschetta products, spices, sauces and pasta dressings, nuts and dried porcini mushrooms, and pastas and rice.

     As for what tarallini is, this is a smaller form of taralli.  Which is a wheat-based cracker snack common in Southern Italy.  The texture is often compared to breadsticks.  The flavor can be either sweet, or savory.  The shape of this cracker is a ring, or oval, with a space in the middle.  The sweet versions of this are often eaten around Easter or Christmas.  Moving on, "cacio e pepe" means "cheese and black pepper" in Italian.  This type of pasta is believed to have been developed by shepherds in the 18th or 19th centuries, in the Lazio region of Italy.  The cheese used in cacio e pepe is usually Romano.  Or, to sum up, what I tried were small crackers flavored like a particular pasta dish.

Orsini cacio e pepe tarallini:  These looked like tiny, light brownish-yellow doughnuts, as they were ring-shaped.  Their diameters were about 2.5 cm. (about 1 inch).  Their texture was dry and crunchy.  The flavor was very savory, as they were noticeably salty and peppery.  I didn't find out until researching these a bit that they could be savory, so I was quite surprised that they weren't sweet, like the little doughnuts they appeared to be.  At first I thought they were just okay, but they kind of grew on me.  By the end I kind of liked them.  They're not great, but they were solid.  A bit weird, but it kind of worked for them.  So overall I'd give them a slight recommend.

     I'm happy to announce that another one of my stories should be published quite soon.  My story "Blissful Knowledge" is slated to be part of HORRORSMITH:  The Magazine, from Horrorsmith Publishing.  The planned publishing date is June 30th, or just a few weeks from now.  I'll be posting the cover image, author list, story blurbs, etc., as I get them.  Stay tuned!

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Another American/Vietnamese Coconut Water

      This is yet another happy accident, as the separate display case was just in the aisle, kind of in my way, even.  But it made up for this when I got another blog post topic, without even having to actually search for one.  Anyway, today's post is about a coconut water from the Mojo brand, made by the folks at the EQUATOR Beverage Company, out of Jersey City, NJ.  Although the coconuts were clearly not grown this far north--they were cultivated in Vietnam.

     This was also yet another in a long line of companies that apparently don't want to discuss their staff or history much at all.  So let's start with the official company website.  EQUATOR Beverage Co. (yes, they evidently left the caps lock on while spelling the first word in the company title)  "specializes in developing, producing, distributing, and marketing new beverage products."  The types of beverages in question include several kinds of Mojo energy sparkling drinks (with flavors such as citrus, blood orange, mango, and pink grapefruit), sparkling coconut waters (again, with options flavored with the same fruit as for the previous kind), regular water called "EQ wtr" (from a source in Saratoga, NY), regular coconut waters, and coconut waters mixed with tequila.  The company also is quite proud that its products lack GMOs, are organic, use eco-friendly packaging (i.e. recyclable), and are made using renewable and eco-friendly plant-based ingredients.  The coconut water I tried also listed all of the benefits of coconut water, such as the electrolytes, vitamins, and hydration.  And also that these drinks lack fat, cholesterol, gluten, preservatives, and sugar alcohols, and are suitable for those on keto, paleo, vegan, and low carb diets.  Readers with good memories may recall that I went into the alleged merits of coconut water in my post on February 28, 2022, which was about another American/Vietnamese coconut water, from Goya.  Some people exaggerate the benefits of coconut water--consult that post for more details.  Also, the energy sparkling drinks are listed as being targeted toward female consumers.  But I didn't see how they were, or why women would prefer this beverage more than men.  Moving on, other business websites filled in a few other details.  EQUATOR began in 2007, and the CEO/Chairman is listed as being Glenn Simpson, and the Corporate Controller is a Ms. Diane Cudia.  Creepily, one of the websites listed Simpson's age and salary.  Which I won't reproduce here, since it seems intrusive.

Mojo coconut water:  The odor was coconut-y, not shockingly.  The liquid itself looked like slightly cloudy water.  No coconut chunks were present, though.  The taste was slightly sweet.  It wasn't as good as some of the other coconut waters I've had, which had stronger tastes.  Also, I actually enjoy the pieces of coconut, which this one lacked.  So, it was rather like the Goya kind--okay, but not one of the better examples of this drink.  I wish I could remember the brands I preferred--maybe I'll see them again, and then re-edit this post.  Coconut water is definitely better for you than most soft drinks, so this isn't a bad choice if you want to drink a little healthier.  But it wasn't dazzling or anything.

     I got to wondering a bit about the derivation of the word "mojo," since this was the brand name of the product I just discussed.  Online sources claim it's originally from a Gullah word "moco," which means "magic."  (Gullah was a Creole language spoken by African Americans.)  Others claim it's from "moco'o," which means "shaman" or "medicine man" in the African language Fulani.  Whatever the original source, by the 1920's or so it was used in African American communities to refer to an object used for magic.  It was a flannel bag which had one or more magical items in it.  This was called a "mojo bag," or "juju bag," or "gris-gris bag," or many others.  The word got a cultural boost when Muddy Waters' 1957 version of a Preston "Red" Foster song, "Got My Mojo Working" became a big hit.  It was popularly used by jazz and blues musicians.  Gradually the word's meaning expanded to also being a term for sexuality or virility.  Some other folks were introduced to the word from its use in The Doors' song "L.A. Woman," (1971), wherein singer Jim Morrison sings "Mr. Mojo Risin'" several times.  (Later he revealed to his bandmates that this phrase was an anagram of the letters of his name.)  Finally, "mojo" is also a Spanish word, with a much different meaning.  It refers to a "sauce," or "marinade," or "stew."

     I was particularly interested in the mojo bag information because I encountered a similar magical item on one of my cemetery excavation jobs.  This was mentioned in my post on October 24, 2015, as well as my contribution to the recent book "Death's Garden Revisited."  Specifically, the object was a bottle filled with nails, called a "witch's bottle."  It was used to break up a romantic relationship, so the sorcerer or witch could then steal the person they wanted.  Aside from nails, the witch also would sometimes put in bodily substances of the target couple, such as menstrual blood, urine, or feces, for that more personalized magical touch.  Often the bottle was secretly hidden on the target's property--either in their house, or at least near it.  Why the bottle we found was in a grave was more puzzling--some witch's thought grave dirt had powers, so maybe that was part of it?  

     Just for fun I played Jim Morrison's anagram game and came up with phrases and names from the letters in my name.  (I had to write the letters on paper, and then cut them out and re-arrange them on my desk, to keep track of each one.)  Here are some:

Daniel Plusafts

Neal DiFastplus

Alan Stupid Self

US Fist Pale Land

Lent Fail--Pus Sad

All Fit Nude Asps

Stupid as Fallen

Dull as Penis Fat 

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Cheese from the Isle of Man

      It's time to revisit my favorite food in the world yet again.  I'm a bit anxious trying out certain foods and drinks, concerned that they might be terrible.  But with cheese I'm clearly hedging my bets quite a lot.  Anyway, today's offering was an aged red Leicester cheese from the Isle of Man Creamery, made, obviously, on that island in the Irish Sea.

     The Isle of Man Creamery (from here on out abbreviated to IOMC) is a cooperative of either 28 or 30 (sources differ) dairy farms located on the Isle of Man.  This venture dates back to 1934.  And that's about it as far as the business's history goes, from both the official website and other online sites.  I couldn't learn any of the founder's names, or really anything else.  IOMC is really proud of, and really focused on their cow-feeding procedures.  Evidently most cows in the U.K. are only outside grazing about 180 days out of every year, while those for the IOMC have a minimum of 200, and usually go a couple of weeks beyond that.  Reportedly more days outside, and more days spent eating grass, leads to happier, healthier cows, and better milk, as the IOMC's cows produce milk with more omega 3 fatty acids in it.  Other IOMC products include some creams (mostly used for dessert-making), various kinds of milk, a couple of kinds of butter, and a slew of cheeses.  Most of the latter are types of mature cheddar with different inclusions, such as garlic and chives, crushed peppercorns, jalapenos, or oak smoke.  The only two non-cheddar cheeses are the red Leicester I tried, and a double Gloucester.

     But perhaps we should reveal some information about what sort of cheese red Leicester is.  It's an English cheese that's similar to cheddar.  The main distinction seems to be its characteristic red rind and more crumbly texture.  Traditionally the red color was derived from the addition of carrot or beetroot juice, but for the past three centuries or so the color comes from annatto, which comes from the New World achiote tree seeds.  As the name suggests, red Leicester was first made in the English city of the same name.  The birthdate is a bit vague, but seems to be in the 17th century.  It was originally made from surplus milk after all the desired Stilton cheese had been made.  (I assume that Stilton was a major industry in Leicester at the time.)  The cheese is usually aged between 6 to 12 months.  As with most cheeses, longer aging makes for a stronger, sharper flavor.  Younger red Leicester is thought to have a slightly sweet and mellow taste, while older ones have the mentioned sharper flavor.  Both ages of this cheese are considered to have a nutty flavor, too. 

Isle of Man Creamery, Islander Red, Red Leicester cheese:  Had an orangish-color, and resembled cheddar cheese.  No real odor to speak of.  Texture was semisoft.  I had some plain, and some on a cracker.  The flavor of it was tangy, and slightly salty.  I enjoyed this--it was a more than solid cheese.  I didn't really detect the sweetness, and nutty taste that other have, but still, it was tasty.  As usual, a cheese failed to disappoint me.  A recommend for those that enjoy cheese, and probably cheddar cheese in general.

     As this is the first edible or drinkable from the Isle of Man that I've had, I thought I'd do another shallow dive into Manx lore and famous folks.  ("Manx" is the proper term for those from this isle.)  First off, the Isle of Man is technically independent, and self-governing.  It's a British crown dependency, but not actually part of the U.K.  I guess it's similar to U.S. territories like Guam or Puerto Rico and such.  Moving on, the Isle is arguably best known for its cats, which are noted for their short, or even absent tails.  Manx cats are considered to be social, tame, and active.  And their prowess in hunting makes them prized for vermin control on farms, or historically on ships.  The Isle is also well known for its annual, 2 week-long series of motorcycle road races, called the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy for long, or "the TT" for short.  It's held in late May and early June, so it's presumably happening right as I'm writing this.  Staying on sports, the Isle of Man has its own unique one, called cammag, which is a team sport played with a stick and ball, with up to 200 players on a side.  It's reportedly similar to the Irish sport hurling, and the Scottish sport called shinty.

     As for famous Manxmen and Manxwomen, probably the best known folks are the singing Gibb brothers--Maurice, Robin, and Barry.  Known mostly as the Bees Gees, they performed from 1958-2012, sold over 120,000,000 records, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.  They were born on the Isle, although to British parents, and they spent large parts of their lives in other countries, such as Australia.

     Switching to movies, Nigel Kneale (pen name Nigel Neale), was born in England but spent most of his childhood on the Isle.  A writer, Nigel wrote such films as "The Quatermass Xperiment" (1955),  "Quatermass 2" (1957), "Look Back in Anger" (1959), "The Witches" (1966), "Quatermass and the Pit" (1967), and although he was ultimately uncredited, most of "Halloween III" (1982).  Actress Geraldine Somerville was born in Ireland, but spent most of her childhood on the Isle.  She's probably best known for films such as "Close My Eyes" (1991), "Haunted" (1995), "Gosford Park" (2001), the "Harry Potter" movies (2001-11), and "Fair Play" (2023).

     The Isle of Man has also produced four Olympic medalists, competing for the U.K.  Sidney Swann won a gold as part of the 1912 rowing team, and a silver in the same event in the 1920 Games.  Frederick Agnew Gill won a bronze in the 1900 Games as a member of the polo team.  Peter Kennaugh won a gold at the 2012 Games, in the cycling team pursuit event.  And Mark Cavendish won a silver medal in the cycling omnium event at the 2016 Games.

     Finally, Isle of Man-born Sarah Elizabeth Holloway (later Marston) was supposedly the inspiration for, or at least one of the inspirations for the character of Wonder Woman.  Sarah was married to the guy who created Wonder Woman, and was part of a "throuple" with Olive Byrne.  Sarah was also involved with the development of the systolic blood pressure test, which led to the eventual polygraph machine.

     

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Ecuadorian Plantain Strips

      My local Shop-Rite is making things a lot easier for me lately, blog post wise.  Yet again I was walking down a main aisle, not looking for any exotics and/or disgusting foods or beverages, but I happened to see some on a display case in the middle of everything.  On this day it was some plantain strips from the Tropical Madness brand.  Based, clearly, out of Ecuador.  So I quickly snapped up a bag, and had at them shortly thereafter.

     I wasn't taking a big chance here.  I've reported on plantain or banana products many times previously--one on plantains on August 24th, 2014, one on bananas on June 2nd, 2018, about Ecuadorian plantain chips on June 1st, 2019, about banana "milk" on April 25th, 2020, and on banana snacks on June 17th, 2023.  I'll try not to repeat myself too much here.  Suffice it to say that plantains are a subtype of bananas, chiefly distinct because they're usually cooked or fried and eaten as savory meals or snacks, rather than as raw, sweet desserts and such.  And while I don't like bananas much at all, I do enjoy plantains.

     Alas, I wasn't able to find out much of anything about the maker of these plantain strips.  Tropical Madness Snacks, Inc., appears to be affiliated with another company, Sunwork S.A.  The only official website for either was "under construction."  The little I learned was that the company was founded in 2010, is family owned and operated, and is located in the heart of the main Ecuadorian plantain production area.  Plus, aside from plantain strips the brand also markets plantain chips, and something called I.Q.F. frozen maduro and I.Q.F. frozen tostone.  (I looked up these words, and "maduro" usually refers to a type of cigar, and "tostones" mean "plantains."  Some details on other websites indicated that these I.Q.F. products are probably frozen fruits and vegetables.)  Other business-related websites provided a name--Steven A. Shulga.  Who along with his wife Karla and his daughter (?) Rachael seem to be the owners of Tropical Madness, and possibly Sunwork as well.  And Steven was reported as having been born in Charlotte, North Carolina in the U.S., but has a residence in Ecuador now.  And that's it.

Tropical Madness plantain strips, original sea salt saladito flavor:  These were yellow strips, of various sizes.  Some were slices of an entire plantain, or like 15 cm. (about 6 inches) long, although many were partially folded up.  The texture was crunchy.  The flavor was pretty good.  At first I thought they were weaker than most of the fried plantain chips I've had, as they were kind of bland.  But they kind of grew on me, and I liked them better the more I ate.  That said, a little more spice or salt would have been appreciated.  Overall then, these weren't the best fried, dried plantain strips or chips I've had, but they were at least decent.  I would get these again, and would eagerly try another Tropical Madness plantain selection which has more, or different spices on them.

     As usual, I'll now pad this out a bit by including some fun facts about the nation of Ecuador, and about famous people who were either born in Ecudor, or at least have some Ecuadorian heritage.  Leading off, it's no coincidence that the plantains I tried were from Ecuador, since it's the world's leading producer--25% of the globe's bananas/plantains.  The country also has the most species of orchids in the world, with 4,250.  The so-called Panama hat was actually developed in Ecuador.  While it's not even close to being the world's highest mountain as measured from sea level, because of the Earth's bulge around its middle the top of Ecuador's Mount Chimborazo is the furthest point from the Earth's center.  Or put another way, it's the closest point to outer space.

     As for human beings, arguably the most famous person born there was show creator/writer/director Mike Judge.  He's the son of two Americans, but they happened to be in Ecuador when he was born.  Judge created the television programs "Beavis and Butt-Head," "King of the Hill," and "Silicon Valley."  He also directed such films as "Office Space" (1999), and "Idiocracy" (2006).  Staying in film, Ecuadorian actor Diego Serrano was in such movies as "Class of 1999: The Substitute" (1994), "The 24 Hour Woman," (1999), "The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green," (2001), "The Ode," (2008), and "The Men Who Stare at Goats" (2009).

     Switching to sports, Ecuadorian tennis player Andres Gomez played professionally from 1979-95.  He finished with a won-loss record of 331-273, with 21 singles titles, and 33 doubles titles.  Included in these titles were wins in the French Open singles in 1990, and doubles victories at the 1986 U.S. Open and the 1988 French Open.  In the Olympics Ecuador has had 4 gold medal winners.  The first was Jefferson Perez, who won in the 1996 men's 20 km. walk, and who later got a silver at the 2008 Games in the same event.  Cyclist Richard Carapaz won his gold in the 2020 men's road race event.  Brian Pintado received his gold medal at the 2024 Games in the men's 20 km. walk, and later won silver at the 2024 Games for the marathon walk relay.  Weightlifter Neisi Dajomes won her gold at the 2020 Games in the women's 76 kg category, and then won a bronze medal in the 81 kg category in the 2024 Olympics.

     Finally, there's the (in)famous Ecuadorian Gerardo Mejia, who went by his first name only in his singing/rapping career.  Most Americans regard the 1991 performer of "Rico Suave" as a one hit wonder joke, but he's gone on to a successful second career as a record company executive, and is also now a Chrisitan pastor.