chong

Bob,
Achiote seeds[Bixa Orellana] are even available in the Spanish section of Safeway grocery stores in the West Coast. They come in small plastic bags with other dried spices used in Mexican cooking. So it is not that uncommon. In Asian stores, look for the "Atswete" water in a small bottle (probably 2 or 4 oz.), from the Philippines. It is water that was soaked with Achiote seed, and the seeds removed. In the Philippines, it is used for food coloring, although recipes calling for Achiote will not taste the same if "chemical" food coloring is substituted.

The plant is also called the lipstick tree.

Chong

lorax

The other name that you might find it under is ANNATTO.

In Ecuador it's used for both colour and flavour, as it imparts a subtle, somewhat peppery flavour to foods in which it is used.

momoese

Yes, I have a huge container of Annatto seeds and use them for my Bacolad Chicken recipe which I believe I shared in the recipe section? If not I'd be happy to share it.

momoese

No offense taken. I actually watch the strange food show with the guy that eats all the weird gross stuff from around the world. It makes me queasy as well but I still watch

lorax

Yup. They're named for Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana, who "discovered" the trees in the Amazon basin of what is the present-day Ecuadorean province of Orellana.

Patty in Wisc

I hope this is not offensive to Chinese ppl, but I found a place for this pic.


I think photobucket found the pic offensive. Said it is not in terms of use. Guess I better read that again...sorry

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Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.

Chironex

It probably would be considered as offensive, but I still think it's funny!

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Tog Tan

Offensive? I think this guy's honest he didn't whack the cats though he didn't say anything about the dogs! Trust the Chinese! Any of them complain, send them to me. I will give them the necessary counseling.

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Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

Tog Tan

Bugs galore in Thailand!

This is how they sell deep fried bugs in Thailand. In the foreground on the left are Chiang Mai bamboo worms, on the right are silk worms with grasshoppers and other stuff the background.



Yuckkk! My daughter Stefie trying to put a big grasshopper into her mouth as a dare. Of course she didn't make it! This proves not all Chinese are bad grubbers like me!


It's kinda fun walking around Thailand and see the street side vendors selling these snacks. A small plastic bag of them is approx 45 cents. They are eaten with a sprinkle of the famous Thai fish sauce, Nam Pla.

Blindfold taste test of some of them :

Grasshopper - Just like crispy anchovies! Pat?

Silk worm - Softish and slightly salty. I give 6/10 for this.

Cicadas - Nothing to rave about. Make sure you tear off the wings first otherwise, you have a mouth full of it. Annoying.

Scorpions - Leather! Very little pulp in it. Boring....

Bamboo worms - Yummm... Taste like a butter stick and sweet!

Ant's eggs - Crispy caviar! Guudd!

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Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

Patty in Wisc

Crispy anchovies - YUM. I'd have to close my eyes.
Tog, seeing how you are on here now, what time is it there? It is 12:27PM here.

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Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.

Tog Tan

Pat, it's 1.30am. The diff is 13 hrs. I don't knock off till about 4-5am. Lousy sleeper....

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Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

Patty in Wisc

Thanks. 13 hours my time & 14 - 15 hours diff in CA.
Your daughter is a cutie! That's as close to putting a grasshopper in my mouth as I'd get.

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Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.

lorax

Ah, but those are the tasty ones! It's locusts that are strong-flavoured.

Tog Tan

I was the local distributor of canned insects for reptiles in the past when I was in the reptile business. We had crickets, mini caterpillars, locust, silk worms and wax worms. I guess me and my friends ate more of the stock out of curiosity than I sold them! The locust was not bad. Tasted like beef stock. They came in not crispy but moist. The mini caterpillars were a treat - tasted just like peanut butter!
I supplied lots of them for the Asian Fear Factor show when I was the game master. I gave them the weirdest ideas to torture the contestants with tons of live smelly cockroaches.

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Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

Sixwing

That's a lotta toasted bugs! 0_0
They sound tasty, though, especially the silk and bamboo worms and ant eggs.
I saw once a picture of stir-fried cockroaches, don't think I could do that. The smelly little buggers invaded an apartment I lived in, once. Euggghh.

Edit: your daughter is cute.

saltydad

Related to the Chinese sgn:

Cat in the Kettle at The Peking Moon

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Tog Tan

Howard, the old time Chinese do eat cats but much less than dogs. My mom told me they prefer old cats and make a stew out of it. Seems it's the oly way cos they have tough meat.

I have tried the meat of the Leopard Cat and the Pandan Civet Cat. Both of them taste great but the Civet has to be stewed for at least 5 hrs. Very delicious and I can't find words to describe it.

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Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

Caloosamusa

SaltyDad, where is the Peking Moon? I'm gonna go have lunch there tomorrow!!!
I think that place would just be Perrrrfect!

P.S. Locust are a Kosher food!

Bob

I've tried mountain lion balls(not testicles) at an anual game dinner I go to. The dipping sauce was better than the meat. I guess that counts as cat.

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saltydad

????

__________________
Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men"

"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon





"If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal."
John F. Kennedy, September, 1960


http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and
http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad
http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/