Kumquat is a Little Orange in the Neighborhood – Food 34

We talked about sweet Tangerine at our yard at previous post:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : Sweet Tangerine at Backyard – Food 26

Image 1- Plenty of Kumquat fruit

There is fruit belong to one of our neighbors, a little orange called Kumquat. Oval or around shape with diameter about 1 inch (2.5 cm).

Kumquat came from China and grow very well in the USA. Main states which produce this fruit are:

- Florida
- California
- Alabama
- and Louisiana

Image 2- A Kumquat tree and its fruit

Kumquat has four main species, they are Hong Kong Kumquat, Nagami, Marumi and Meiwa. Unfortunately, I don’t know which one belongs to my neighbor.

General speaking that both Kumquat and Tangerine are sweet. Then, what are different between our Tangerine and a neighbor’s Kumquat?

Image 3- Kumquat, sold in Walmart grocery

Here they are:

- to eat Tangerine, we must peel its skin, then we consume the flesh of fruit
- no need to peel the skin, because sugar concentrates mainly in the skin. We eat whole fruit of Kumquats.

Do you know Kumquat oranges? Have you ever consumed them?

# Previous postings:

- The Rainbow Before Evening : What are Health Benefit of Eating Mango? - Part 2 – Health Life 19
- The Rainbow Before Evening : In what chromosomes are the gene mutation related to Alzheimer's Disease? - Part 2 - Alzheimer's 5
- The Rainbow Before Evening : Differences of Shale Oil, Crude Oil and Fracking – Science 12

The Tabasco Pepper Plant in the Yard – Food 33

We use Tabasco pepper for cooking purposes frequently, especially for certain traditional foods. As you know, it makes our food tastes spicy.

Image 1- Fruit of Tabasco pepper

Some people grow Tabasco pepper as a garden plant in our neighborhood. Fruit looks pretty with several colors, depend on its maturity:

- red
- orange
- green

First, peppers start with green color, then turn to be orange. The most ripen Tabasco pepper is red.

Image 2- A Sunflower and several Tabasco pepper fruit

Image 3- The Tabasco sauce, sold in Walmart grocery

Image 4- Cardinal Loves to consume Tabasco

Process of color changes from green to orange and to red takes more than two months, about 80 days.

Moreover, our state has sauce made of Tabasco pepper. The brand called as “Tabasco.” It is quite popular in our state and even in some foreign countries.

I was not aware that people said Tabasco pepper sauce become hotter over times. Quite surprising for me, actually.

Have you tasted Tabasco pepper or Tabasco pepper sauce? What do you think?

# Previous posting:

- Wreaths for Mardi Gras in Louisiana
- A Tropical Plant Called Pineapple – Food 1
- A chocolate as a Gift for Valentine’s Day
- A Bird on the Exit Sign in the Library – Part 2

White Hominy Pearls Tossed with Coconut Shreds – Part 1 – Food 32

It was 710 days ago, the new virus to be a “breaking news” when we were ready to celebrate the Rat Year of the Chinese New Year.

Image 1- White Hominy Pearls, sold by Walmart

Then I posted about this new coronavirus:

- The Gloomy in the Beginning of the Year of Rat – Part 1
- The Gloomy in the Beginning of the Year of Rat – Part 2

It is over two years since this type of virus, then we called it Covid-19, came up and spread.

Today, the viruses are still hanging around in this world, even many of us got booster vaccines (third times vaccinated).

Image 2- Just for illustration

Image 3- The colder weeks and we “stay in our bubbles”

The viruses do not want away from us. They developed and becoming new strains instead of leaving us.

At the beginning, the new strains were more virulent than their original, and we have to be aware.

About two years ago “A physician from Baton Rouge, Dr O'Neal, warns us not to get out in the next couples of weeks. He encouraged us to stay in our bubbles”.

# To be Continued to Part 2

## Previous postings:

- Reducing Number of Amazon River Pink Dolphin? - Part 2 – Nature 17
- Biscotti and “The Blissful Feast” by Teresa Lust – Part 1 – Reading 9

Black Cobra Chili Plants – Food 31

We used to have several kinds of Chili plants in our yard. Just few are Red chili, Jalapeno and hybrid chilies.

Image 1- Fruit with black color

A Black Cobra Chili plant is our new project for fun now. It seems the plant grows well in the backyard, and reach maturity about 90 days or more, depends on many factors include:

- weather (temperature).
- using of fertilizer
- some diseases

Strange and interestingly that fruits color was black at the beginning (please see at Image 1), then the color changes to red after few weeks.

Image 2- Plant height in inches

In my mind that It is a kind of “adorable” and ornamental plant when color of fruit is at black stage.

Image 3- A Black cobra chili plant crawling up

Image 4- Eastern garter, black snake with little white dots, illustration.

Sure, chili (fruit) of black cobra chili is edible, and yes, quite spicy compared to other several chilies such as:

- Jalapeno
- Serrano.
- and Chipotle

In term of Scoville Heat Units (SHU), the unit to measure spiciness (hotness) of chili shows that black cobra chili is in the range of 20,000 to 40,000 SHU scale.

Have you tasted Black Cobra chili? If yes, do you like it?

# Previous postings:

- The Early Person who Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Diseases - Part 2 – Alzheimer's 2
- Corned Beef Harsh - The Popular Breakfast in Louisiana – Part 1 – Food 11

Pickle Eggs in the Neighborhood Market – Food 30

I am familiar with salted egg and used to love it. I didn’t aware of pickle eggs until I saw them in the farmer market at our neighborhoods.

Image 1- Pickle eggs in the jar

In general speaking, based on my own knowledge that the differences of pickle and salted eggs:

- salted eggs made from duck eggs
- chicken eggs are used for pickle eggs.

Off course, some people make pickle or salted eggs from other eggs their like such as geese, birds and even alligator’s eggs.

Image 2- One brand of Pickled eggs in the market

Image 3- Quail eggs sold in Walmart

My neighbors told me that in Louisiana, there was a special dish called as “a Cajun pickle egg” that was alligator pickle eggs. But, this kind of practice is not common, and might not exist anymore as far as I know.

I saw quail pickle eggs in the market, and it seems start to favor in recent days. From internet sources, the quail eggs are good but not “superior” compared to chicken eggs.

Have you ever consumed pickle eggs?

What do you think?

# Previous postings:
- Sweet Chocolate Candies and a Yummy Book – Part 1 – Reading 8

Do You Know Cashew Milk? – Part 3 - Food 27

We talked about cashew trees which grow in tropical areas and some benefits of cashew trees products at previous posts.

Image 1- Cashew fruit

You may read previous posts (part 1 and 2) at following:

- Do You Know Cashew Milk? – Part 1 - Food 27
- Do You Know Cashew Milk? – Part 2 - Food 27

The cashew tree does not grow in our neighborhood (around here at my house).

Luckily, we can enjoy the seeds, either, raw, roast, or any kind of cooked cashew seeds.

We are still able to get the benefits of seeds from the cashew tree.

Image 2- Just for illustration

Image 3- Cashew peanuts

Beside seeds, the cashew milk is also available here. I got cashew milk from Silk. I was looking for Soy milk, but I had met Cashew milk. This milk is new for me, so I took it for a try.

This cashew milk has luxurious creaminess. From the box I learn that this milk has no cholesterol and no saturated fat. The cashew milk has 50% more Calcium than dairy milk.

This milk is a quite thicker than dairy whole milk and soy milk. The richer creamy looks good for my smoothies. Now, I have a plan to make smoothies this weekend.

Do you like smoothies, and what milk do you prefer?

# Previous postings:

- Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to You and Yours

Have you ever Tasted Boiled Peanuts? - Food 29

USA peanuts consumption increasing year by year. Per Capita consumption hit record at 7.9 pound (3.6 kg) in recent years.

Image 1- Boiled peanut, sold in the gas station

I believe that almost people have ever enjoyed consuming roasted peanuts. Its popular all over the world, I think.

However, boiled peanut is one of favorite “snacks” in our state, Louisiana. We may find this snack in many places across state.

During Summer to early Autumn seasons, we like to buy raw, because of cheaper price. The peanuts also fresh, just harvested from farms and brought to the market by farmers.

Image 2- Boiled peanuts, ready to be eaten

Image 3- Boiled peanuts sold at the gas station.

Since raw peanuts have been cleaned, free from soil, then we may boil them immediately.

Place the peanuts into cooking pot, then drain the fresh water into pot. Heat the cooking pot with high heating for about 15 minutes, then lower the heat for about 110 minutes.

In fact, the price of boiled peanuts sold in the gas station is quite expensive (in increasing nowadays):

- price of small bowl with weight of 16 oz (454 gram) for US$ 2.29
- price of big bowl with weight of 32 oz (908 gram) for US$ 3.29

# Previous postings:

- Can a Poet be a Millionaire? - Art 4
- Could Botulinum Toxin be Turned to Beneficial Substance? - Part 2 – Science 10

Do You Know Cashew Milk? – Part 2 - Food 27

You may read previous post (Part 1):

- Do You Know Cashew Milk? – Part 1 - Food 27

Image 1- Cashew milk, sold by Amazon

Cashew apple (enlarge fruit ripe), seeds, wood and other parts are used for multiple purposes.

The fresh fruits or cashew “apple” can be eaten raw. Juice from fruits is consumed as:

- beverage
- fermented for wine, jam and jelly

Gum is used in pharmaceutical industry such as substitute for the expensive Arabic gum.

Image 2- The flowers, illustration

Image 3- Cashew seeds, sold by Walmart

Oil from the seed- shell for varnishes. seeds also for oil and milk. We familiar with seeds for snacks in vary presentations, such as roasted cashew or chocolate cashew.

It is said cashew timber may be used for furniture and charcoal. The properties of the cashew plants are also used as folk medicine.

Moreover, different countries use different part of cashew for preventing and healing the signs and symptoms of the certain disease process.

# To be continued to part 3

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Fruits with flavored chia in cups – Part 3 – Food 25

You may read previous posts (Part 1 and Part 2):

- Fruits with flavored chia in cups – Part 1 – Food 25
- Fruits with flavored chia in cups – Part 2 – Food 25

Image 1- Tangerine from backyard

The ingredients may include pears, hydrated Chia seeds (water, Chia seeds), sugar, citric acid, natural flavor, ascorbic acid (to protect color), Carmine, vegetable extract for color.

I love the taste of Pears in blackberry flavored chia. The package looks very nice and appealing.

The crisp chunk pears are juicy, but the juice mixed with chia is quite thick for me, and some people.

Image 2- Wild flowers, illustration

Image 3- Chia seeds floating on the surface.

They look great and whoever like chia seeds for their benefit, great cups for snack. The only one thing, Del Monte use carmine for their natural food color which is give the red or crimson color.

Since carmine is produced from bugs or insects, I feel I do not eat 100% fruits from these cups. Just reminder for who have allergic reaction to extract insect, it could be cause to mild hives or anaphylatic shock.

Note: “Off course we should consume fresh one. In storms areas like our state, we need to store the packages of foods and drinks.”

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- Organic Vs Natural Foods – Part 3 – Food 9
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Differences between American and Italian Mozzarella Cheeses – Food 28

I know the word of “Mozzarella” comes from specific region of Italy, and the word refers to specific cheese.

Image 1- One of American Mozzarella cheeses, sold by Walmart

Hence, off course, Italian Mozzarella cheeses have unique characteristics, some of them are following:

- generally, Mozzarella made from buffalo milk.
- some regions of Italy use sheep and goat milk for Mozzarella
- high moisture
- tend to white in color
- milk is not considered pasteurized enough

Image 2- Candies, just for illustration

# Important posts:

- A Tropical Plant Called Pineapple – Food 1
- Oyster is One of Favorite Seafood in Louisiana – Food 2

Image 3- Mozzarella cheese on the shelve.

American Mozzarella cheeses have a “little bit” different compared to Italian cheese, few of them:

- mostly made from cow milk
- low moisture
- yellow in color due to cow milk
- milk MUST be pasteurized because of American regulations.

Have you tried both American and Italian Mozzarella cheeses?

If yes, what do you think?

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Do You Know Cashew Milk? – Part 1 - Food 27

Have you seen the cashew tree?

Do you use any part of this plant?

Image 1- Creamy cashew milk

If you answer yes, then what part and what is the purpose?

From some sources, we know that cashew plant originates from Brazil, then spreading to the countries along the equator line and the other tropical areas that have good:

- soil
- temperature
- and the length of sunlight for this plan to grow.

Image 2- Two kids to play game, Just for illustration

The plants can reach between 26 – 50 feet (or 8 to 15 m) in height. A quite tall plant.

Image 3- The cashew milk is thicker than dairy whole milk and soy milk

Cashew (from word Caju) belongs to Anacardiaceae family, and the species Anacardium occidentale is most commercial plant.

Interestingly, people in our state, Louisiana can use any part from the cashew plants for multiple purposes.

From a cashew tree, people use almost all its properties: leaves, barks, seeds, shell of seeds.

# To be continued to part 2

## Previous postings:

- Are Freshwater Pearls Less Expensive? - Part 2
- Visiting the Oldest French City in Louisiana – Part 1
- Will We Live Longer if We Think Younger? - Healthy Life 14
- Visiting the Oldest French City in Louisiana – Part 2