Market Notes
December 14th , 2023
JUST FOLLOW THE BOUNCING POTATO
Last year at this time we proudly released Culinary Christmas Songs Vol. 1 to our customers, vendors, suppliers and friends. For those who actually had CD players, they listened and loved it. We are practically out but have a few left. If you want a copy please reach out, first come first serve. This year, in response to those who complained that they did not have a CD player or for the young ones who thought a CD was a financial tool, we have expanded the songs to our web site. You can now simply control/click at https://culinaryproduce.com/culinary-produce-songs/ and it will take you right to the song page. It will bypass our website homepage and menu and will immediately start the songs. Beneath the list of songs is a video with the lyrics so you can sing along. Like the old Sing Along With Mitch there is a bouncing ball following the lyrics. In this case it is actually a bouncing potato. So, for our friends in the produce biz, we expect you to stream or cast this to a large screen during your holiday parties for additional frolicking and sing-a-longs. Mitch Miller ain’t got nothing on us! We expect videos of these events no later than January third. Seriously, we hope you will use the interactive song videos as part of your holiday entertainment every year, and if that doesn’t scare you enough we want you to know we are already working on Vol. 2. You’re welcome.
MARKET NOTES AND PRODUCE QUIZ LOGISTICS
For the next two weeks the Market Notes format will change. For the December 21st edition we will publish the 28th Culinary Produce Annual Christmas Song, and for the December 28th we will publish our annual Top Ten Year In Review. While both of these editions are sure to be are certain to be Pulitzer Prize contenders for the year’s best bullshit, there will not be a new quiz. In fact, the answer to this week’s quiz will not be posted until January 4, 2024. We apologize to those who use our quiz weekly and look forward to starting up again in the New Year. Until then, both Market Notes and The Produce Quiz wish you the happiest of holidays and thank you for your continued support.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – WHO AM I ???
I’m not so much exotic looking as exotic in origin. A native of India, my thanks to Missionary Brewster for bringing me with other family to North America. You’ll find me growing in Thailand, China, Hawaii, Southern Florida, Southeast Asia, Mexico and other tropics. Don’t be fooled by my appearance. I may look plain and dull, a bit rough on my smooth shaped outside, but inside, you’ll be awed by my aril. Explore my aura. Split my shell at the stem end and peel back my thin shell to find transparent to translucent white flesh enclosing a large smooth inedible seed. I’ll feel like a soft fibrous grape to the tongue and taste juicy, sweet, delicate, tropical, pineapple, grape. My taste and texture challenge description. More mellow in taste than my better-known close relatives and more modest in appearance (no warts, spines, hairs, or bumps), I’m equally good in their recipes. Chinese make shampoo from my seeds which they call “eye of the dragon” because of a white eye-shaped spot on the dark brown seed. I grow in clusters high in an august ornamental evergreen shade tree whose family is called soapberry because of our high saponin content. I’m most delightful eaten out of hand or served mixed with other tropicals, rice, vegetables, salads, or lightly cooked in sauces, poached or added to stir fry. I’m also preserved in syrup or dried to look like a large raisin. Or just freeze me in the shell. I bring you Vitamin C and potassium, magnesium and copper. If the birds and bats don’t eat us all, you can most easily find me in Asian markets in July and August or imported throughout the year with other tropical fruits. And, that’s the —– –d short of it.
The answer to this last week’s quiz was… SCALLIONS (GREEN ONIONS)… Congrats to all winners.
Visit us at www.culinaryproduce.com Phone 908-789-4700 – Fax 908-789-4702 – e-mail passings@culinaryproduce.com
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© Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2023