Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Mystery Ingredients

liuzhou

By liuzhou
in Cooking

 Share

Recommended Posts

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted

Yesterday, on the Dinner 2016 (Part 7) topic, I posted images of a couple of mysterious ingredients I had bought earlier in the day. Here they are again.

 

IMG_3601-800.jpg

Number 1

 

fcc.jpg

Number 2

 

@Thanks for the Crepes was first to correctly identify Number 2 as a type of small chili. More info here. Number 1 remains unidentified at time of writing - guesses so far include dried lily bulbs or dried mushrooms. It is neither.

And just for fun, here is another ingredient, which I bought this morning. This time I've given you an idea of scale. These are about 16 inches / 43 cm long.

 

IMG_3630.jpg

Number 3

 

Please feel free to add your guesses or indeed post some other mystery ingredients for us to try to identify. It would help if you number any images as I have done.

 

  • Like 2

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Thanks for the Crepes

Thanks for the Crepes

Posted
Posted

On image No. 2:  I know you are very capsaicin tolerant, but for the love of Pete! If they are anything like the ones the boyfriend grew in our garden, be advised that even he only used them for too-much-testosterone-fueled dares to his buddies to "just eat one". Only a sadist could be amused at the aftermath of a grown man's reaction to one of these tiny raw peppers. I'd try to warn them, but you know young men gotta do the macho thing. I hope you enjoy, but I'm a little worried. I tried the tiniest tip of one once, and it was incapacitating for a while. Beautiful plant though. It could be grown as an ornamental indoors if you had enough sunlight. It's a little bush pepper with small, bright green glossy leaves and deceptively small fruits that pack the hardest punch I ever personally experienced. I have tried habanero pepper.

 

I have no clue on No. 1 or No. 3. I recognized No. 2 legitimately, but did ask for help from Mr. Google on the other images. If I had agreed with his results, I would have divulged my cheat. Google thinks, No. 1 is Chinese noodles, and No. 3 is a bird's nest. Sheesh, a hula skirt for a Barbie doll would be closer. I think they need to spend a bit more time at the drawing board on the image comparison part of the software. xD

  • Like 4

> ^ . . ^ <

 

 

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
22 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

On image No. 2:  I know you are very capsaicin tolerant, but for the love of Pete! If they are anything like the ones the boyfriend grew in our garden, be advised that even he only used them for too-much-testosterone-fueled dares to his buddies to "just eat one". Only a sadist could be amused at the aftermath of a grown man's reaction to one of these tiny raw peppers.

 

I know. I've had them before. And grown them, although I bought these ones. As with a number of the hotter chillies, they are usually used in dishes, but not actually eaten. The flavour gets to the dish, but any ridiculous over-hot effect is somewhat diminished.

Edited by liuzhou (log)
  • Like 2

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Thanks for the Crepes

Thanks for the Crepes

Posted
Posted

No. 3 image almost looks like it's doubled over, so it might be twice as long as your measurement. Is it a kind of dried seaweed/aquatic plant? It looks like it might not be able to support itself under its own weight otherwise, but most dried seaweed I've seen is greener in color.

 

And by the way, if someone thinks I cheated on image No. 2, here is what Google's image comparison software thinks it is.

> ^ . . ^ <

 

 

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
3 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

No. 3 image almost looks like it's doubled over, so it might be twice as long as your measurement. Is it a kind of dried seaweed/aquatic plant? It looks like it might not be able to support itself under its own weight otherwise, but most dried seaweed I've seen is greener in color.

 

 

No it isn't doubled over. I wouldn't try to deceive you like that. Nor is it seaweed/aquatic.

  • Like 1

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
Posted

Dried bamboo shoots?

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
Posted
Just now, liuzhou said:

 

Which picture?

But no.

 

 

The first one, actually. Although my immediate reaction was something fishy, upon closer examination, saw a couple of joints that reminded me of a stalk of bamboo.

  • Like 1

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
1 minute ago, Jaymes said:

 

 

The first one, actually. Although my immediate reaction was something fishy, upon closer examination, saw a couple of joints that reminded me of a stalk of bamboo.

 

Neither fish nor bamboo.

I confess that when I saw this in the market, I had no idea. I had to ask.

  • Like 2

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Thanks for the Crepes

Thanks for the Crepes

Posted
Posted

I think this is the kind of peppers he grew that allowed me to recognize yours as tiny hot peppers. I thought of "Facing Heaven" peppers, because they did grow upright from the plant, but that was not right. I do not even recognize the language in the linked page, and my best guess from lame attempts at translation is Thai? Perhaps  @liuzhou, the linguistics master may assist?

> ^ . . ^ <

 

 

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
9 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

I think this is the kind of peppers he grew that allowed me to recognize yours as tiny hot peppers. I thought of "Facing Heaven" peppers, because they did grow upright from the plant, but that was not right. I do not even recognize the language in the linked page, and my best guess from lame attempts at translation is Thai? Perhaps  @liuzhou, the linguistics master may assist?

 

Yes, Thai

 

  • Like 1

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Thanks for the Crepes

Thanks for the Crepes

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Lisa Shock said:

Is number 3 dried shaved gourd? Japan has kanpyo that looks similar but has wider strands.

 

Excellent extrapolation! I am learning so much here about things I have never heard of before.

 

I also am dying to know what the Barbie hula skirt (No. 3) is, and also the No. 1 image that is so much like dried lily buds, as weinoo said. 

  • Like 1

> ^ . . ^ <

 

 

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
14 minutes ago, Lisa Shock said:

Is number 3 dried shaved gourd? Japan has kanpyo that looks similar but has wider strands.

 

Nearly but not quite. Not a gourd.

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

Posted
Posted

#1 Dried papaya.

#3 Dried cucumber.

  • Like 1

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

Thanks for the Crepes

Thanks for the Crepes

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

 

IMG_3183.jpg

 

This is some kind of aquatic plant. The locals called it "seaweed" but Hunan is landlocked and hundreds of miles from the sea so I am sceptical. It was good though.

Above is a quote from @liuzhou, the rest are my words:

 

Is the No. 3 image some sort of preserved form of what you posted about in this dish from Hunan? You do realize you're driving me craz/y(ier) right?

 

 

Edited by Thanks for the Crepes (log)

> ^ . . ^ <

 

 

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
26 minutes ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

#1 Dried papaya.

#3 Dried cucumber.

 

No

  • Like 2

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
27 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

This is some kind of aquatic plant. The locals called it "seaweed" but Hunan is landlocked and hundreds of miles from the sea so I am sceptical. It was good though.

Above is a quote from @liuzhou, the rest are my words:

 

Is the No. 3 image some sort of preserved form of what you posted about in this dish from Hunan? You do realize you're driving me craz/y(ier) right?

 

 

It isn't that, but coincidentally the batch of No 3 I bought is from Hunan, but it isn't particularly Hunanese.

Yes, it's all a plot to make you crazy! :D

If no one guesses or knows or divines over the weekend I'll reveal all on Monday. I'll be surprised if anyone gets No. 1 though.

  • Like 3

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
3 minutes ago, Lisa Shock said:

I have never seen dried cucumber, how is it used?


Me neither. Given that a cucumber is 99.99% water, I'd guess dried it would be a pinch of dust

  • Like 3

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

Posted
Posted

#1 Dried intestines.

  • Like 1

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Lisa Shock said:

I have never seen dried cucumber, how is it used?

 

Many ways, I suppose.

Dehydrated cucumber.

  • Like 1

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...