Market Notes
October 6, 2016
HURRICANE MATTHEW
It’s been 4000 days, almost 11 years, since there has been a storm of this severity approaching the Florida coast. At this writing Hurricane Matthew is creating winds up to 140 miles per hour and reports indicate that it is growing stronger. It is not absolutely known whether or not this hurricane will skirt the coast of move inland but high winds and rising waters are inevitable. There is also another uncertainty about Matthew’s ultimate direction. While Matthew will certainly move up the coast of Florida into Georgia, it is not certain as to whether Matthew will continue north and hopefully east or circle around and move up the Florida coast again. The reports on direction are mixed. While it is only a secondary concern during tropical tragedies, all of our receivers and shippers throughout Florida have closed up and are focused on their safety and their loved ones. Obviously we are in favor of this. Airports and seaports are closed so if any product did make it into the docks or airports, clearance and recovery are uncertain. Friday loading will most likely be moved up a few days, and if Matthew circles, that time frame could be much longer. While evacuations have been made mandatory there are always a bunch of folk that accept the devastating challenge Mother Nature can bring. The barrier islands from Florida to the Carolina’s are certainly destined for wind damage and we hope those inhabitants have been smart and already evacuated. Our prayers are with the entire area in hopes this storm passes without any causalities. We hear that only 30% of the beaches have evacuated and that scares us silly. While we would like our tomatoes, corn, peppers, squash and eggplant to remain unharmed, we are much more concerned, with people, homes and buildings. We know there will be loss of power and hope all involved have made the necessary provisions. We know the country will support those in need but we pray that number will be zero. As far as product availability we will update you as soon as the danger has subsided.
GRUESOMSTEIN PUMPKINS
No, these are not ugly Jewish pumpkins; we think this began in Japan with pears. While the pears were growing on the tree a plastic mold was attached to the pear in the shape of a Buddha. As the pear grew and matured it would take on the shape of the mold and the Buddha Pear was invented. Following the same process with a pumpkin, a monster face mold (think Frankenstein) was applied to medium size Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins and as the pumpkin matures it took on the shape a the mold so you have a monster face grown into the pumpkin. We have photos for those who are interested. They are a pre-order only, load out of the LA Market and will be available next week. This is the Halloween item of the year but will work well with a cornucopia display and any seasonal centerpiece. While these would be great on a front porch or hanging from a tree, we don’t recommend it as these are so cool they would most likely get stolen. Call for photos or pre-orders.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHO AM I???
Best known for my dried seeds my name comes from the Latin for “Greek Hay”. My vast, quiet legacy includes being used by Egyptians to embalm their dead, to an ingredient in oral contraceptives. I am an herbaceous annual and I stand out about 18 inches tall. My laurel shaped leaves are very pungent, as are my long thin pods that house 10 to 20 quadrangular, brownish yellow, pulse like, pea size, seeds that are very bitter. Trust me; if you were stuck in one of those pods, you’d be bitter to. Either way my seeds must be dried to remove my bitter edge. Grown in the Mediterranean region for hundreds of years, I am most often associated with the foods of India, particularly curries. My leaves and stems are used in fresh salads, as are my sprouted seeds. Roasting my seeds yields a caramel flavor and I am often found as an ingredient in candy and syrups. My dried leaves, also known as methi, are often used in Middle Eastern root vegetable dishes. As a pharmafood I was a regular in Roman herbals. Egyptians used me as quinine and made flour from our seeds that were used to treat boils and abscesses. My seeds have a high calorie and mucilage content and are believed to be lactogenic, tonic, as well as an aphrodisiac.
Answer To Last Week’s Quiz…CACTUS LEAVES, NOPALES…Congrats To All Winners
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
Visit us at www.culinaryproduce.com
“like” us @ Culinary Specialty Produce on Facebook©
Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015