Unexpected Food Gifts

[Smithy]

@KennethT, that's a great story and a heckofa good hotel!

 

I loved your suggested renaming: "unobtanium". 😄

[MaryIsobel]

On 6/12/2023 at 8:20 AM, Anna N said:

That would be a huge disappointment. I too prefer the dark chocolate version. But as a dunker I also like the plain ones. 
 

Plain digestives and sharp cheddar are a very good match in my world.

[TdeV]

53 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:

Plain digestives and sharp cheddar are a very good match in my world.

 

My mother's favourite snack (with a crisp apple).

[KennethT]

7 hours ago, Smithy said:

@KennethT

 

I loved your suggested renaming: "unobtanium". 😄

Ha! I give Avatar first credit. Although I will say I was a bit pissed when Cameron named it so. He also could have name it "Wow-this-stuff-is-expensive" or some other ridiculously obvious name.

[chromedome]

10 hours ago, KennethT said:

Ha! I give Avatar first credit. Although I will say I was a bit pissed when Cameron named it so. He also could have name it "Wow-this-stuff-is-expensive" or some other ridiculously obvious name.

 

The term was also used in an earlier movie, The Core, from 2003. A select crew had to pilot an experimental vehicle into the earth's core, which had stopped spinning (go ahead, roll your eyes here, everyone does). The vehicle was, of course, made of "unobtainium" which was the only substance that could handle the crushing pressures. Turned them into energy, in fact. The film doesn't live up to its cast (Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart, Delroy Lindo, Stanley Tucci, Richard Jenkins, Bruce Greenwood, Alfre Woodard) but it's entertaining enough in its B-movie way if you're ever hard up for a couple of hours' entertainment.

[KennethT]

28 minutes ago, chromedome said:

 

The term was also used in an earlier movie, The Core, from 2003. A select crew had to pilot an experimental vehicle into the earth's core, which had stopped spinning (go ahead, roll your eyes here, everyone does). The vehicle was, of course, made of "unobtainium" which was the only substance that could handle the crushing pressures. Turned them into energy, in fact. The film doesn't live up to its cast (Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart, Delroy Lindo, Stanley Tucci, Richard Jenkins, Bruce Greenwood, Alfre Woodard) but it's entertaining enough in its B-movie way if you're ever hard up for a couple of hours' entertainment.

I saw that movie! Not when it came out but it popped up on my HBOMax feed. I forgot they used that term also, but now that you mention it, I thought they ripped it off Avatar at the time because I didn't realize when it was released. Now James Cameron's use of it is even worse!

[weinoo]

On 7/7/2023 at 4:48 AM, KennethT said:

I have asked EVERY Indonesian grocery in NYC and all I received were longing looks as if the shopkeepers dreamed of being able to have it since being in their homeland. Internet searches didn't prove much better.

 

Is this the same stuff - or are they just posting it as a tease?

https://bengalseafoods.com/products/kencur-lesser-galangal-sand-ginger-sliced

[KennethT]

9 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

Is this the same stuff - or are they just posting it as a tease?

https://bengalseafoods.com/products/kencur-lesser-galangal-sand-ginger-sliced

That's dried which is a completely different animal, errr, rhizome. Usually the dried stuff is used in TCM - the flavor changes too much to be of any use in the kitchen.

[liuzhou]

I didn't realise sand ginger (沙姜 -shā jiāng) was so rare. It's in every supermarket here, both 'fresh' (both young and old) and in the dried, sliced form but in different sections. The fresh variety is in the vegetables aisles whereas the dried is in the TCM herbs section. I can also order either type online and have it delivered with in the half hour.

 

Dried Sliced Sand Ginger

 

[KennethT]

I guess rare is a state of location. It's certainly not rare in Indonesia. But in the NY area it's non-existent. Until now!

[liuzhou]

This just arrived unexpectedly at my door. A bunch of chocolate made by a friend of a friend's new business. Chinese chocolate is usually sub-Hersheys (i.e. not chocolate at all) but I'm told this is the real deal. To my amusement, given a brief conversation on the Dinner topic a couple of days ago, the chocolate was accompanied by a jar of black goji berries.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[Shelby]

59 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

This just arrived unexpectedly at my door. A bunch of chocolate made by a friend of a friend new business. Chinese chocolate is usually sub-Hersheys (i.e. not chocolate at all) but I'm told this is the real deal. To my amusement, given a brief conversation on the Dinner topic a couple of days ago, the chocolate was accompanied by a jar of black goji berries.

 

 

 

 

Beautiful packaging.

[liuzhou]

1 minute ago, Shelby said:

Beautiful packaging.

 

Expensive packaging, too, I'd wager.

[Smithy]

Beautiful (and expensive, no doubt) packaging - and interesting flavor combinations. I suspect that "roasted pine nuts with bitter milk chocolate" lost something in the translation, but it sounds lilke something I'd like to try. 

[liuzhou]

3 hours ago, Smithy said:

I suspect that "roasted pine nuts with bitter milk chocolate" lost something in the translation

 

Which part of the name are you querying? Pine nuts is what the Chinese lists in the ingredients list and the chocolate contains some milk. It's not the most bitter I've tasted but I know some people who would turn their noses up at it.

 

[Smithy]

4 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

Which part of the name are you querying? Pine nuts is what the Chinese lists in the ingredients list and the chocolate contains some milk. It's not the most bitter I've tasted but I know some people who would turn their noses up at it.

 

 

I don't associate "bitter" with "milk chocolate" as a rule, but that may simply show my lack of experience. I'm very fond of "bittersweet chocolate" and "semisweet chocolate" but I consider them to be dark chocolate, not milk chocolate.

[liuzhou]

  

51 minutes ago, Smithy said:

I don't associate "bitter" with "milk chocolate" as a rule, but that may simply show my lack of experience. I'm very fond of "bittersweet chocolate" and "semisweet chocolate" but I consider them to be dark chocolate, not milk chocolate.

 

 

I got it.

 

I've opened that one. The packaging is even more elaborate than first appears.

 

The chocolate is dark in colour but milky in taste while remaining quite bitter. Probably Chinese alchemy! Or maybe the pinenuts are contributing to the bitterness.

 

Edited July 14, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[Smithy]

@liuzhou, thanks for the taste test and report.

 

That paper-cut picture is exquisite. I hope you'll find a good place or home for it!

[liuzhou]

Here for your viewing (if not tasting) pleasure is more of my chocolate. This one is the 70% dark chocolate with osmanthus and longan.

 

 

Curiously, despite being the only one described as 'dark', it is the lightest coloured so far, by a long shot. Presumably due to the longan and osmanthus, two light ingredients.

 

One left.

 

Edited July 15, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

... and finally, cinnamon and sweet milk chocolate. This was the most like a typical milk chocolate (and so, for me, the least interesting). The cinnamon flavour was so subtle it was hardly there.

 

 

All said, three good chocolates. This is a new venture and supplies are limited even here. I can't see it being available out of China anytime soon, if ever. But, that's not their plan.

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[chromedome]

4 hours ago, liuzhou said:

All said, three good chocolates. This is a new venture and supplies are limited even here. I can't see it being available out of China anytime soon, if ever. But, that's not their plan.

 

In fairness, the domestic market is large enough to be going on with.

[Smithy]

7 hours ago, liuzhou said:

... and finally, cinnamon and sweet milk chocolate. This was the most like a typical milk chocolate (and so, for me, the least interesting. The cinnamon flavour was so subtle it was hardly there.

 

 

All said, three good chocolates. This is a new venture and supplies are limited even here. I can't see it being available out of China anytime soon, if ever. But, that's not their plan.

 

 

That would be the least interesting flavor of the three for me also, as I'm not crazy about milk chocolate vs. the dark chocolates. However, I thiknk the pattern / picture on this one is the most distinct; it's charming!

[liuzhou]

9 minutes ago, Smithy said:

However, I thiknk the pattern / picture on this one is the most distinct

 

Yes. And here is the print it's formed from:

 

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[heidih]

Got a gift bag today that incl ded various herbal tea sachets, caramels, and the attached dried persimmons. I've seen them in pretty packaging at asisn mrkets but never tasted

[weinoo]

Some British friends came to town last week, to see a few shows. They brought these for us...

 

 

Quite tasty.

Edited July 21, 2023 by weinoo (log)