Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Wonderfully Repulsive Gummy Candy

      Since it's October, I've naturally been seeing a better selection of candy on the grocery store shelves in the past few weeks.  (Or really, maybe even the past couple of months.)  A lot of these are just your basic candy fare, only in "fun size" or "bite-sized" pieces, often as an assortment in a bag of 100 or 200 total pieces.  But, happily, some confections get into the Halloween spirit more extensively, and make their concoctions more spooky and scary in theme.  And no one did a better job of this than the Frankford Candy company, out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  I picked up two large bags of their Body Parts gummy candies.

     I wasn't able to find out much about the history of the Frankford company.  The official website, and other online sources were quite limited on this topic.  That said, Frankford was founded in 1947 by a man named Sam Himmelstein.  Initially the business specialized in making chocolate, but over the decades it's branched out.  Currently, Frankford makes chocolates, cookies, hot cocoa, hot chocolate BOMBS, jelly beans, marshmallows, hard candy, and, of course, gummies.  In 2000 the company started licensing popular television and movie characters, and other notable toys.  Thus, now you can buy confections featuring characters from Marvel, Nickelodeon, Disney, Baby Shark, Sponge Bob, and the Elf on the Shelf.  Frankford also partners with other famous brands to make candy versions of their food and drinks.  Meaning you can get Oscar Mayer "bacon" and "hot dogs" made out of gummy, candy "Lunchables," fake Kraft Mac & Cheese, Dunkin Donuts products in candy form, etc.  Additionally, and not surprisingly, Frankford has several holiday-themed candy lines.  Clearly Halloween, since that's the type of candy I sampled, but also ones with Valentine's Day, Easter, and Christmas themes.  They even sell a turkey make out of chocolate for around Thanksgiving.  Finally, the Frankford company is based out of Philadelphia, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, but some of their candy, like the kind I tried, is actually made in China.

     The Frankford Body Parts gummies come in five different pieces.  I'll describe each one below.  Each piece was about an inch to an inch and a half (or about 2.5 to 3.5 cm.) in length.  Each also came singly, in its own tiny plastic bag.

1)  Foot:  Considering it's made of gummy candy, the artistry of this was impressive.  There were visible toes, an ankle "bone," and blood and bruising on the sawed off foot.  The flavor of the candy was good too--this one had a strawberry-like flavor, perhaps from the pseudo-blood.

2)  Ear:  As with the foot, there was good, gory detail, with realistic-looking ear folds.  The "cut off" side was a purple-red.  Again, this one tasted good as well, with probably a cherry flavor.

3)  Finger tip:  Had the real-looking folds and lines of "skin" near the joint, and a molded nail.  Where it had been severed it was bloody.  Like the previous two, it had a cherry or strawberry taste to it.

4)  Brain:  It was cut in half, with the cut side red, and the intact side blue, with visible brain folds and all.  Apparently the blue gummy was a different flavor, too, as this one tasted more like blueberry.  And also again, tasty to eat.

5)  Eye:  This was an eyeball cut in half.  Unlike the others, the "cut" side was not bloody red--it was just white, giving the whole thing a look like a sunny side up fried egg.  The "iris" of the eye was green, and the pupil was black.  Probably from the green iris, this piece had a lime flavor.

  

     Overall these were all great.  Really artistic and realistic.  Gross, in a fun way.  I think kids will love how morbid they are.  (Actually, I think adults will have the same reaction.)  Plus, the candy itself was consistently tasty as well.  Awesome idea and execution.  Top marks!  Extreme recommend.  If you get a chance, snap them up, and satisfy trick-or-treaters hungry for candy and scares all at once.  The website included a fun adult thing to do with them, too.  They have some eyeballs impaled on toothpicks, sticking out of a cocktail as a ghoulish garnish.  Drinks taste better when they're staring back at you accusingly!

 

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "An American Werewolf in London" (1981)

      As I mentioned previously, I think "An American Werewolf in London" is one of the very best werewolf movies ever, and an excellent movie across the board.  Comedy in horror is often tricky to get right, but this movie manages to do so very effectively.  It even is able to have a cute romantic subplot that seems earned, and not tacked-on.  But, critically, the tension and scares are handled well too, aided by the awesome, gooey gore and transformation special effects of maestro Rick Baker, who deservedly won the Oscar for Best Makeup for this film, and many others.  So, let's get into the finer details about this movie.  Questions are first, followed by the answers.  Many SPOILERS ahead, obviously.

Questions:

1)    The werewolf attack in the opening scenes take place in the (fictional) Yorkshire village of East Proctor.  According to the sign, what are the two closest communities to East Proctor?

2)    England is first in Jack and David's travel itinerary.  What country are they headed to next?

3)    How long was their vacation scheduled to be in total?

4)    Who is the woman that Jack is currently pursuing romantically?

5)    According to the barmaid, what are the only three things The Slaughtered Lamb sells?

6)    What (non-werewolf themed) movie do Jack and David discuss with the pub denizens?

7)    When they hear the howling of the werewolf out on the moors, Jack and David speculate on what is making the noise.  What six things do they mention?

8)    What is the name of the nurse that says she had a look at the comatose David's genitals?

9)    What is the name of the American embassy man who visits David in the hospital?

10)   According to this man, where in London is the hospital located?

11)   What is the name of the London hospital where David heals up in?

12)   How long has David been unconscious in this hospital?

13)   Dr. Hirsch dreads spending another evening with a family friend.  Who is this?

14)   One of nurse Alex's patients is a child who only says, "no."  Name this child.

15)   We also see this patient reading a comic book.  Which comic book?

16)   What room number is David in?

17)   What book does Alex read to David?

18)   During one of David's dreams, we see him at home in the U.S.  How many people are in his immediate family?

19)   What television show is his family watching in this dream?

20)   During Jack's first visit to David as an undead ghost/zombie, what does Jack eat?

21)   According to Jack, the woman he was after romantically pursuing cried at his funeral, but then promptly slept with another guy.  Who is this man?

22)   What is the address number of Alex's apartment?  (Or should I say, her "flat," I guess.)

23)   What toy does Jack pick up and joke with during his next visit to David, at Alex's place?

24)   Where did (or does) David attend college/university, according to his t-shirt?

25)   While investigating David and Jack's attack, Dr. Hirsch visits The Slaughtered Lamb.  What drink does he initially ask for?  (Which they don't have.)

26)   And what drink does Hirsch settle for?

27)   How long has the pentangle (pentagram) been on the pub's wall, according to the barmaid?

28)   While channel surfing on Alex's television, David briefly watches a "News of the World" program segment about someone.  Who?

29)   What is the number of Sean's house, according to the couple who are David's first victims?

30)   Near what London landmark does werewolf David attack the homeless men?

31)   In what London Underground station does werewolf David attack the lone businessman?

32)   What is the phone number of David's family home back in the U.S.?  (Hint, it's not given with the usual movie fake "555" exchange, it's a real 10 digit phone number.)

33)   Where do David and his family live, specifically?  As in, what state, and what part of this state?

34)   What are the names of David's siblings?

35)   How old is the sister he's speaking to on the phone?

36)   David attempts suicide right after this phone call home.  By what method?

37)   In what famous London area does David meet up with Jack and the other victims?

38)   In what porn theater does this meeting take place?

39)   And what movie is playing during this meeting?

40)   What are the names of the six people who David killed in werewolf form?  (Up to this point in the movie.)

41)   What six methods of suicide do David and his victims discuss?

42)   How many total people does David directly kill while in werewolf form?

43)   Did writer/director John Landis overdo it with playing songs with "Moon" in them during the movie?

44)   What movie poster is visible on the wall in Alex's flat/apartment?

Answers:

1)    Leshire and Erwood.

2)    Italy.

3)    3 months.

4)    Debbie Klein.

5)    Spirits, beer, and (somewhat grudgingly offered) tea.

6)    "The Alamo," the 1960 version, featuring John Wayne and Laurence Harvey.

7)    In order, a coyote, the Hound of the Baskervilles, Pecos Bill, Heathcliff, a dog, and then, more specifically, a sheepdog.

8)    Susan Gallagher.

9)    Mr. Collins, played by puppeteer/director Frank Oz.

10)   Grosvenor Square, a real place.

11)   St. Martin's.

12)   3 weeks.

13)   Roger Matheson.

14)   Benjamin.

15)   It's a Laurel & Hardy Winter Special, which costs 40p.

16)   21.

17)   "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," by Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain).

18)   Five, including him.  We see his mother, father, and a younger sister and brother.

19)   "The Muppets," including a scene with Miss Piggy, who's voiced by.....Frank Oz.

20)   Some toast dipped in egg, which was part of David's breakfast.

21)   Mark Levine.

22)   #64, and she's in the first floor flat, or "B."

23)   A small Mickey Mouse doll.

24)   New York University, or abbreviated, NYU.

25)   A Campari soda, evidently a cocktail drink.

26)   A small glass of Guinness beer.

27)   200 years.

28)   Nina Carter, a real life model/singer.

29)   #39.

30)   The Tower Bridge.

31)   Tottenham Court Road Station, which is real.

32)   516-472-3402.  Please don't call, though.

33)   According to the info we get, and the area code mentioned in the previous question, his family home is in New York state, in Nassau County, which is on Long Island just to the east of Queens and Brooklyn.

34)   Rachel and Max.

35)   10 (and a half, as she reminds him.)

36)   Cutting his wrist with his small penknife blade.  He doesn't follow through, clearly.

37)   Piccadilly Circus.

38)   Eros Cinema.

39)   "See You Next Wednesday."  This is a bit of dialogue from "2001:  A Space Odyssey" (1968).  Writer John Landis liked it, and used it as a fictional movie title in this movie, "Kentucky Fried Movie" (1977), "Trading Places" (1983), "Coming to America" (1988) and probably others.

40)   The couple are Harry Berman and Judith Browns, the guy in the underground is Gerald Bringsley, and the homeless guys are Alf, Ted, and Joseph.

41)   Sleeping pills, hanging, a gun (silver bullets not needed), a knife, an electric shock, and a car crash.

42)   I say "directly" because clearly several additional people were presumably killed in the traffic accidents in Piccadilly Circus that David the werewolf caused.  But, directly, at least 9 people.  The 6 just mentioned in Question #40, then at least 2 in the porno theater, and Inspector Villiers.  There may have been another person or two killed in the theater, but we only see the two bodies.

43)   You can make that case.  In all, there are 5 songs played with "Moon" in their titles--3 versions of "Blue Moon," as well as "Moondance," and "Bad Moon Rising."

44)   "Casablanca" (1942).  Which surprisingly has nothing to do with moons, or werewolves.

     Also, for the Halloween holiday I'm planning to change up my post schedule a little.  Tune in for posts on Saturday, October 21st and October 28th as usual, but there'll be a bonus one on the day itself, Tuesday, October 31st.

   

 

 

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "Hellraiser" (1987)

      It's October again, the scariest of months!  As such, I'm going to help celebrate it in the same way as in the past couple of years--lots of posts about horror-related things, such as movie trivia quizzes about famous and great films.  (Although at least one post will be about a terror-related food.)  Today's test will be about "Hellraiser," the original 1987 film that started off a series that's lasted, to date, 11 total movies, with one coming out as recently as a year ago.  "Hellraiser" was a lot of folks' introduction to horror author/director/painter/etc. Clive Barker.  It's a nice compendium of some of his favorite themes--strange worlds and dimensions, terrifying villains, bizarre body horror, and, of course, a healthy dose of, shall we say, alternative sex.  So let's get into it.  The usual drill--questions first, followed by the answers.  Unless noted, all of these questions will be from the movie itself, not from alternate media like the sequels, novel, comics, etc.  And many SPOILERS ahead, obviously.

Questions:

1)    In the opening scene, when Frank is buying the puzzle box (aka The Lament Configuration or LeMarchard's Box), what kind of drinks are on the table?

2)    What country's currency does Frank use to pay for the Box?

3)    When Frank opens the Box in the house, he's sitting in a square of candles.  How many candles make up this box shape?

4)    Of the four Cenobites, which is the first one seen in the film?

5)    Pinhead is seen wearing unusual black gloves on his hands.  What fingers do they cover?

6)    According to Larry, how long has it been since he's set foot in the house?

7)    Who owned the house, before it passed to Frank and Larry Cotton?

8)    Where did Larry and Julia live previously, in a place that neither speaks of positively?

9)    What day of the week do Larry and Julia move into the house?

10)   What brand of beer does Larry give to the movers?

11)   What famous doctor does Larry compare the physician who stitched up his hand wound to?

12)   At Larry and Julia's dinner party, aside from the two of them, and Kirsty and her boyfriend, who are the three other guests?

13)   Larry announces that the dinner is a celebration of something.  What?

14)   What is the name of Kirsty's boyfriend?  (It's only mentioned once, near the end.)

15)   A weird homeless guy seems to be following Kirsty throughout the film.  Where is he first seen?

16)   What three negative qualities does Kirsty say her boyfriend has?

17)   What weapon does Julia use to kill, or at least severely wound the victims she brings home for Frank?

18)   How many victims does Julia bring back for Frank?

19)   Where does Kirsty work?

20)   What is the house's address number?

21)   After Kirsty collapses out in public after attaining the Box, several people stand over her to see if she's okay.  One of them is wearing a hat with the logo of a pro sports team.  Name this team.

22)   Who is the first Cenobite to appear to Kirsty?

23)   Who are the only two Cenobites we see touching Frank?  (Usually they use their telekinetic powers to send hooks on chains into their victims' flesh, so this is rare.)

24)   Who is the only Cenobite we see actually touch Kirsty?

25)   Not counting the flying hooks and chains, we only see two Cenobites wielding weapons in their hands.  Name them, and when it happens.

26)   How many of the Cenobites can see?

27)   True or False?  Of the Cenobites only Pinhead actually speaks.

28)   Pinhead didn't get his famous nickname until later in the series, as the fans liked it (but Clive Barker doesn't).  How is he billed in the credits for this movie?

29)   Who is the only Cenobite who isn't sent back to their version of Hell using the Box?

30)   Who is the only Cenobite who wasn't played by the same actor in "Hellraiser 2: Hellbound"?

31)   We learn that Julia is Kirsty's stepmother, not mother.  What's the situation of Kirsty's birth mother?

32)   Is "Hellraiser" set in England, or in the U.S.?

33)   How does Frank sound like Larry after he puts on Larry's skin?

34)   Of the actors playing the five main living human characters (not counting Cenobites, then)--Larry, Frank, Julia, Kirsty, and her boyfriend, how many returned for the sequel?

35)   At one point the creepy homeless guy (who we learn later on is not human, and may be an incarnation of the Engineer) is seen eating something.  What?

36)   At one point, Larry and Julia are seen watching a sporting event on television.  Which sport?  

Answers:

1)    It appears to be absinthe, since the drinks are a green color, and the seller puts a sugar cube in his.

2)    American dollars.

3)    21 total.  6 to a side, except in the rear, where there are 7 in the line.

4)    The Female Cenobite.  Yes, that's her title.

5)    Only his thumb, and pinkie finger are covered.

6)    The better part of ten years.

7)    An unidentified female relative that Larry calls "the old lady," so perhaps their mother?  Grandmother?  (In the novella she's identified as Larry and Frank's grandmother.)

8)    Brooklyn.  Or, the New York City borough in the U.S.

9)    Sunday.

10)   Budweiser.  An American brand, obviously.

11)   The infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele.

12)   Bill, Evelyn, and according to the credits, "Dinner guest."  Only Bill's name is spoken aloud.

13)   The odd, and unexplained, "Night of the Paper Hat."

14)   Steve.

15)   At the subway/underground train station, which she and her boyfriend go to after the party.

16)   He's reportedly "so damn polite, uptight, and frigid."

17)   A hammer.

18)   Three, all of whom are men.

19)   At a pet store.

20)   55.  The street is never mentioned or shown in the movie, although the novella and other media provide it as being Lodovico Street, in the Cricklewood section of London.

21)   The New York Yankees, an American Major League Baseball team.

22)   Chatterer.

23)   Chatterer shoves him away from the door when Frank tries to escape, and Pinhead gathers up and arranges the pieces of Frank's face in the beginning of the movie, as if solving a macabre puzzle.

24)   Again, Chatterer.  He grabs her the first time the Cenobites meet her, and he briefly grabs her near the end of the film.

25)   The Female Cenobite has blades with a hook that she uses to cut the wall as she ascends the staircase, and Butterball has a blade with which he tries to stab Kirsty's boyfriend with at the end.

26)   Apparently only Pinhead and the Female Cenobite.  Because no eyes are visible on Chatterer, and we later learn that Butterball's eyes are sewn shut behind his sunglasses.  I guess these two have good senses of hearing and smell which they use to track victims.  Or maybe they echolocate, like bats?

27)   False.  The Female Cenobite isn't as chatty as Pinhead, but she does say a few things.

28)   He's billed, rather boringly, as "Lead Cenobite."

29)   Butterball is overcome in the debris of the collapsing house, and is not seen being sent back, with the yellow light, as are the others.  So how did he re-join his comrades for the sequel?  I know, it's a movie, and the special effects for the sending back moments were rushed, so the filmmakers probably didn't do it because of this, or the cost, and hoped nobody would notice.  But I did!

30)   The Female Cenobite was played by Grace Kirby in the first film, and by Barbie Wilde in the second one.  Evidently the makeup process was lengthy and uncomfortable, so Kirby backed out.

31)   Larry tells the movers that Kirsty's mother is dead.  So he was either a widower, or else they divorced and then Kirsty's mom died sometime after that.

32)   "Hellraiser" was filmed in England, as is obvious from some of the locations used, and the accents of much of the cast.  However, late in production the studio decided it would be better if it was set in the U.S., so they added some American details and references, and overdubbed some of the British actors with American voices.  Which isn't very convincing--I think it was a mistake.  So technically it's set in America, but a lot of things make this kind of ridiculous.

33)   Yeah, this doesn't make much sense.  The voice box regrown in Frank was his, not his brother's.  Evidently Frank was really good at mimicking Larry's voice.  (And it's a movie, clearly.)

34)   Since it often takes place in a Hellish afterlife dimension "dead" characters can reappear, remember!  Three return, and two didn't.  Larry and Kirsty's boyfriend do not.  Andrew Robinson, who played Larry, didn't agree to appear in the second one because he felt the salary was too low.  Kirsty's boyfriend (Steve) doesn't make an appearance in "Hellraiser 2" at all.  A cop mentions him briefly in the beginning, saying he's fine, but he's never actually seen.

35)   He crunches up a bunch of insects he steals from a tank in the pet store where Kirsty works.  They look like some kind of grasshopper, or cricket.

36)   A boxing match.  I tried to discover who the boxers actually were, as it looks like real footage, but was unable to.

 

15)   

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Greek/American Fig Spreads

      It's spread/jam/jelly/preserves time once more.  My local Shop-Rite has been remodeling a lot the past year or two, and has also changed its assortments of available products.  Including the deli section, which now has several new shelves and subsections.  All of this explains why I espied a new spread recently, amidst the cold cuts and specialty cheeses.  Specifically, an orange fig spread, and a chili fig spread, both from Divina.

     As you can tell from the post's title, Divina's wares are both Greek and American in nature.  Several decades ago, a man named Phil Meldrum (who from context clues I think is American, but this was not mentioned) was on vacation on an unidentified Greek island with his wife.  It sounds like it was quite a life-changing experience for him, as he was overcome by the place's atmosphere, culture, history, and food.  All of this caused him to start a business importing and distributing traditional Mediterranean foods.  So, in 1996, in New York City in the U.S., FOODMatch, Inc. was born.  This overall company has developed and nurtured a slew of brands, of which Divina is the flagship one.  Others include Espirit de Sel, LaMedina, Beaufor, Olivista, Saint Louis, Peppadew, and Barnier.  FOODMatch's brands are fairly specialized--they seem to focus mostly on selling olives, spreads, and antipasti, for sale to groceries, restaurants, and olive bars*.  As for Divina, this brand consists of various types of olives and spreads.  Alternate flavors for the latter include Calabrian chili orange spread, caramelized onion spread, sour cherry spread, date spread, fig & cocoa spread, Peruvian pepper jam, Muffuletta olive salad, Dijon mustard, and basil pesto, to name just a few.  Evidently FOODMatch offers over 400 different products in total, from 15 different nations.  (Again, the countries aside from Greece are unnamed, but presumably all located around the Mediterranean Sea region.)  As for other details, some, but not all of their wares use non-GMO ingredients, and some but not all are Kosher.  Although none currently are Halal-appropriate.  There was no mention of allergens, gluten, or whether their products are okay for vegans, either, so if any of these issues are important to you, it's best to check online before you buy.

Divina chili fig spread:  This was brownish in color, very shiny, with yellow seeds visible.  Not much of an odor.  Kind of an odd flavor--sweet and spicy.  I had some plain, and some on bread.  Both ways tasted pretty similar.  It didn't seem that spicy at first, but did build up a little over time.  Decent overall, but not awesome.  Maybe a bolder spice bite would have been an improvement.

Divina orange fig spread:  Looked identical to the previous.  But did have a sweetish odor.  Also a sweet taste, with orange flavor detectable.  I had some plain off of a spoon, and then on bread.  Good.  Again, decent but not great.  So overall I'd give both of these a mild endorsement.  When it comes to fig-based spreads I preferred Braswell's take on it (see my post on April 1st, 2023 for more on that).  Furthermore, I think Braswell's was a bit cheaper, too.

 *  The immature part of me was struck by this term, and I want to believe that there are actually taverns that serve only olives, or at least serve only olives and olive-flavored liquors and such.  Sadly, I doubt this is true, and "olive bars" are probably just separate sections within a regular grocery store or restaurant, like a salad bar.  Reality can be such a buzzkill sometimes.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Three Unusual Chocolate Bars

      Today's selection is one I've explored before--odd or at least atypical flavors of chocolate bars.  In fact, I've done this six previous times:  August 20th and October 22nd of 2012; March 21st and September 20th in 2015; January 17, 2016; and April 27th in 2019.  The three I tried recently were the hazelnut butter dark chocolate bar from Hu, the 100% cocoa concoction from Lindt & Sprungli, and the milk chocolate with corn flakes from Ritter Sport.

     I've already reported on several products from Lindt & Sprungli, including quite a bit about the company's history in the April 27th, 2019 post.  So I won't repeat myself here.  However, the other two chocolatiers are new to me.  Hu Products, LLC, which also goes by Hu Kitchen, is based out of Texas.  It was founded by Jordan Brown, Jessica Karp, and Jason Karp.  These folks liked chocolate, but were also super into eating healthy.  Since they felt the chocolate on the market didn't measure up to their standards, they started making their own.  Partly because Jason Karp had/has some sort of auto-immune disease.  The trio were inspired by the teachings of dieticians Mark Hyman and Mark Sisson as well.  (It should be said that many doctors and dieticians disagree strongly with Hyman and Sisson's theories.  The two Marks push a diet which is related to the Paleo one, which I discussed in more detail in my post on December 13, 2015, and is rather controversial.)  Anyway, after leasing a building in 2011 and developing their recipes, they opened a restaurant in Greenwich Village, NYC, in September of 2012.  At some point they opened up a facility in Texas, although the chocolate I ate is listed as being made in Italy.  Hu makes dark chocolate bars, milk chocolate bars, baking chocolate, and some snacks.  Staying with their paleo and vegan diet philosophies Hu's products lack the following ingredients:  cane sugar, refined sugar, sugar alcohols, erythritol, dairy, soy, lecithins, and emulsifiers.  Although, surprisingly, on another part of my product label it says the product may contain almonds, cashews, pistachios, and dairy.  (Which kind of negates the "vegan" designation, I think.)  Also, their facilities process tree nuts, soy, dairy, and wheat.  If you're curious about the name, "Hu" is short for "human."

     Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG is based out of Germany.  Back in 1912 Alfred Eugen Ritter and Clara Ritter started the company in Stuttgart--Bad Cannstat.  By 1930, the company expanded, and moved to the town of Waldenbuch.  And then, the official company website history discusses Nazism, which seems a tad unusual for a candy seller.  Specifically, by 1935 the impending war made certain ingredients like chocolate difficult to acquire, so Ritter switched to selling things like jelly-based confections.  By 1940 production shut down entirely.  Possibly because Alfred Ritter refused to join the Nazi party, or NSDAP.  Because of this, after World War II was over, during the American occupation, Ritter was offered and allowed to become the mayor of Waldenbuch.  Ritter started making chocolate again when supplies opened up in 1950.  Ritter seems particularly focused on treating its employees and producers well, and trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible.  In 1990 it supported sustainable chocolate farming in Nicaragua.  In 2002 the factories started running on renewable energy sources.  By 2020 the company itself was carbon neutral.  By 2025 Ritter aims to have this happen with all its partners and supplier as well.  The Ritter Sport brand name was suggested by Clara Ritter, since their differently shaped chocolate bars would fit into a sport jacket pocket without breaking.  Currently the business manufactures about 40 different kinds of chocolate, some of which are vegan, and free of lactose and gluten.

Hu hazelnut butter dark chocolate bar, 70% cocoa:  The exterior looks like a typical chocolate bar, being dark brown, but the interior is a lighter shade of brown.  The taste was rather unpleasant, with the usual amount of bitterness from dark chocolate.  (For those that don't recall, I don't like dark chocolate much in general--I prefer the milder, sweeter flavor of milk chocolate much more.)  The hazelnut does cut the nasty dark chocolate taste a bit.  I could finish it, so I guess that's faint praise?  It grew on me a tiny bit, so maybe I would rank this as one of the better dark chocolate offerings, almost mediocre.  But I still would never buy it again, and would only recommend it to folks that like dark chocolate.

Lindt & Sprungli 100% cocoa dark chocolate bar:  First off, the percentage listing of 100% is a little misleading.  I looked online, and some sites noted that "100%" cocoa chocolates sometimes had a tiny smidgen of cocoa butter.  As long as it's not more than  .25% the bar can still be listed as "100%," due to rounding, I suppose.  Anyway, I took a look at the ingredients for this bar, and sure enough, "cocoa butter" is an ingredient.  So, it's not "pure" cocoa.  But, long story short, this tiny amount of non-cocoa didn't make an appreciable difference.  This was utterly gross and revolting.  Bitter as hell, and not in a good way at all.  I figured I would hate this, due to my chocolate preferences, and I was right.  I don't see how anyone can enjoy this--is it just a dare food, or to make yourself seem badass?  And it's not for cooking, it's for eating as a chocolate bar!  Oh, and it was very thin, and a dark brown color.

Ritter Sport milk chocolate bar with corn flakes:  Yeah, so I covered myself a little, and was relieved to locate at least one milk chocolate bar with weird additives, in this case, corn flakes.  It was a light brown hue with lumps visible on the bottom, evidently the corn flakes.  As alluded to before, the shape of the bar was different, as it was more squarish than rectangular.  The texture was regular chocolate with the crunch of the flakes.  The taste was pretty good.  Good milk chocolate, and the corn flakes added something, too.  Nice flavor pairing.  So at least one of my chocolates for this post was legitimately good!  Not my favorite or anything, but more than solid.  I recommend this, and will seek out other Ritter offerings to compare and contrast.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Ouzo, and a Writing Announcement

      It's been a while, so let's discuss an alcoholic beverage again.  My favorite type of hard liquor--one flavored with anise.  Today's post is about the Greek version of this, called ouzo.  The one I tried was Ouzo 12, from Kaloyiannis--Koutsikos SA Volos.

     According to what I read online, ouzo's origins date back to the 14th century, when monks on Mt. Athos made a liquor called tsipouro.  One version of this was flavored with anise.  Then, skip ahead several hundred years, after Greek independence in the 19th century, when Greeks began making their own liquors again.  In 1856 a man named Nikolaos Katsaros began distilling ouzo in the town of Tyrnavos, which he dubbed Tyrnavou.  Ouzo got a real boost in popularity when another anise-flavored drink, absinthe, was banned in much of the world in the early 1900's (see my post on October 18, 2015 for more on that drink, and its banning.)  By 1932 traditional ouzo was made using a copper container for distilling.  Aside from anise, many other herbs and botanicals are used for flavoring, such as fennel, mastic, cardamom, coriander, cloves, and cinnamon.  Although exactly which ones, and in what amounts are usually a trade secret.  I also couldn't find out what grain or fruit is the base of the alcohol.  The resulting "ouzo yeast" is then distilled.  The beginning and end parts of this process are then removed, and distilled again, while the middle part is then the ouzo.  That's the traditional way.  Some modern distillers "cheat" by mixing the ouzo yeast with a premade ethyl alcohol, as this is cheaper.  Also, like champagne, tequila, and bourbon, only ouzo made in Greece, using some proscribed manufacturing methods, can legally be marketed as "ouzo," at least in the EU.  For example, all official ouzo has to use at least 20% ouzo yeast to qualify, and the result must have an alcoholic content of between 37.5 to 50%.  Then there's the mystery of the name.  Reportedly, back in the 1800's silkworm cocoons were stamped "uso Marsiglia," or "for use in Marseille."  This became synonymous with saying something was of "superior quality."  Then a visiting doctor had some of the traditional Greek liquor and loved it, remarking it was "uso Marsiglia," and the first part of the expression stuck as the name.  Although others claim the name is from the Turkish word for grape, "uzum."  (Maybe grapes are the base for ouzo sometimes?)  As with other anise liquors, consumers often mix it with water and/or ice, which often causes the resulting mixture to go milky white, called the "louching."  Other drinkers take it straight, but combined with food such as fish, fries (chips), olives, cheese, etc.

     On the bottle I bought it mentions that its ouzo has been made since 1880.  Although this evidently refers to the original recipe or tradition, since the company has only been bottling it since 1950.  The website offers yet another explanation of the name "ouzo," as it claims it comes from the Italian word meaning aniseseed, "uso."  (For the record, when I looked online, sites said "uso" means "use" in Italian, and "aniseseed" in Italian is "seme d'anice," so this explanation doesn't appear correct.  Although I'm not a linguist, nor do I know anything about Italian, so keep that in mind.)  Kaloyiannis-Koutsikos (sometimes rendered with a "g" replacing the "y" in the first part of the name), is in turn owned by W.S. Karoulias.  This larger company partners with many other wineries, distilleries, and breweries.  Some examples include Anhydrous, Barafakas, Lakonia, Yamas, Paulaner, and Jagermeister.  Additionally, the "12" part of the title is a call back to the number put on ouzo barrels dating back to the 1880's.

Ouzo 12:  It had a clear color, and an anise-y odor.  The taste was also anise-y, or to my palate, good.  As far as other anise-flavored liquors, I thought it was considerably better than aguardiente, but not as great as Arak Razzouk.  Or about on par with Yeni Raki or Sambuca.  Which all means that it was tasty, and I quite enjoyed it.  If you like anise flavoring, you'll probably like this one, too.  The anise flavor was bold, and strong enough.  I had mine plain, as a shot.  I didn't feel the need to water or ice it down, so I didn't get the louching effect or anything.  So overall a more than solid booze, and I would recommend it.  

     We're not done with anise-flavored liquors.  We NEVER will be!  (Okay, that's an exaggeration, but hopefully there will be at least a few more.  Definitely sambuca (Italy), and perhaps Armenian oghi, Bulgarian mastika, and French pastis.  And any others I can locate.  And yes, I will cover non-anise liquors too--I'm an enthusiast, but I have my limits.

     Finally, I'm happy to report that "Death's Garden Revisited," the cemetery-themed anthology I was a part of which came out in paper format about a year ago, is now out in electronic format.  It's $5.99 to buy, or $0.00 if you have Kindle Unlimited.  So head on over and help yourself to some fun, poignant, interesting, and sometimes morbid tales about the places where the dead are buried.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Cake Bites

      This was another in my long list of foods from my alternate Shop-Rite grocery, located a few towns over.  Specifically, something called cake bites, which are kind of a hybrid between cakes and cookies, brought to us by the fine folks at Cookies United, in Islip, Long Island, NY.  I tried two versions--their frosted coffee cake kind, and the iced blueberry cobbler one.

     The company that made these products is kind of in between, age-wise.  It's far from ancient, but neither are they a very recent enterprise.  In 1994 Louis Avignone and Wally "Famous" Amos founded the company, later known as United Baking.  Later, this was divided into two entities--the sales and marketing part called Uncle Wally's (presumably run by Wally Amos), and the manufacturing arm and parent company, called United Baking.  Cookies United is in turn a subsidiary of these companies.  And then there are four main brands--Cake Bites (which are the products I'll discuss in detail), Bake Shop Bites (which makes a few specialized cookies like macaroons and brownies), Cookie Jar (which sells kits for making cookie houses) and Baker's Baker (which handles gourmet cookies sales in bulk).  Aside from the two I tried, alternate flavors of Cake Bites include vanilla iced, sweet lemon layers, the chocolate tuxedo, strawberry shortcake, filled Cake Bites, M & M minis, crumbles, and Cake Bites associated with famous movies and characters, such as Marvel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Wars, and the upcoming Trolls line.  If you're so inclined, the official company website also sells a decent amount of merchandise, such as t-shirts, hoodies, grocery bags, key chains, coffee mugs, and pillows.  They also encourage consumers to suggest their own flavor ideas.  Although I don't know what happens if they like your idea--do you get credit in the flavor name?  A cut of the sales?  Or just the satisfaction of knowing your flavor was considered good, and the experience of eating a (hopefully) tasty treat?

Cake Bites, iced blueberry cobbler:  These were little cubes, about 1 inch (about 2.5 cm.) square.  The cake part was in three layers--two yellowish-white layers with a blue interior layer.  And then a white frosting covering the layers, with blue and purple sprinkles on it.  The texture was slightly crunchy on the outside, with a soft cake-y inside.  And it tasted....like cake.  I like cake in general, and this was a good example of one, with nice blueberry and vanilla flavors.  And despite being boxed and bagged up (i.e., it wasn't fresh), the cake itself was still soft and tasty, not stale or anything.  I really enjoyed this--it was like getting little bite-sized pieces of cake, as a quasi cookie.

Cake Bites, frosted coffee cake:  Same size and shape as the previous.  Only this time the two yellowish-white layers enclosed a dark brown layer.  And the icing was white, but with light brown streaks.  Same texture as the previous.  These were quite delicious.  I'm a sucker for cinnamon, and this had a bold cinnamon taste to it.  Really sweet, and the coffee cake layers were good as well.  I probably like this kind a bit better than the previous, but that one was really good, so this isn't a major criticism at all.

     So overall this was an extremely pleasant surprise, and rates my strongest recommend.  A really excellent and new kind of dessert.  I will definitely buy these again, and will eagerly try the other Cake Bite kinds that I can.  My local Shop-Rite just started stocking at least one of these Cake Bites, so I might not even have to drive as far to satisfy my sweet craving.  And if I see the other three United Baking/Cookies United brands I won't hesitate to try them, too.