Day 63: Wagyu Beef

So we now have contestant #3 on this short list of the quintessential food (recall contestant #1 was Iberian Ham de Bellota, and contestant #2 was Foie Gras)

Look at that. Is that your typical piece of beef? Yes, my friends, get ready to bow to the Wagyu cow -and yes, those white streaks absolutely are the marbling of fat! Isn't that the most absolutely intensely, beautiful, wonderful piece of meat you'll ever see? Well, probably not. In Japan, they rate beef marbling on a scale of 1 to 12. According to the butcher, he gave me an 8 or 9. To put this into perspective, the top cuts here in Canadian groceries are 5-6. Only this week, they found a supplier in Australia who get them this incredible cut. the price is surprisingly not too bad at $40/pound, or $88/kg. For those of you who don't shop, ground beef might go for about $4-6/pound, a nice steak (Filet Mignon, New York etc.) might be in the $15-$20 range . So in comparison, $40/lb is not bad. An 8 oz portion of this is therefore $20, which is affordable for many households on a special occasions basis. And keep in mind that in Japan, Kobe (Wagyu beef, but from the capital of Kobe province) beef often runs for $300 per pound.

I just seared it (naked - no seasonings) on a thick bottomed pan, although the cast iron would be more ideal. Nonetheless, ended up with a great sear on both sides, and a wonderfully rare inside (almost blue, actually, unintentionally). Waited for 5 minutes, then thinly sliced. Right before serving, I threw on some sea salt.

The smell is fatty, almost resembling - wait for it - foie gras. That was the biggest, and most pleasant, surprise. The texture is soft, and the little nuggets of salt explode in your mouth when they hit. The taste is exceptionally meaty, and the caramelizing on the edges give it that final crunch. And you have to wonder why life is that good to you. What have you done in a past life to deserve this, because certainly there's nothing in this life that made you deserving.

On Wagyu Beef:

Wagyu beef refers to cuts of beef from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyū cattle. If raised according to strict tradition in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, it is called Kobe beef. If it is cross-bred with Angus cattle, it is called "Kobe-style" beef. What is pictured above was "Kobe Style".

Farms in America and Britain have attempted to replicate the Kobe traditions, providing their Wagyū herds with beer. U.S meat producers claim that any differences between their less expensive "Kobe-style" beef and true Kobe beef are largely cosmetic. The cattle are fed American and/or British grass and grain, which is different from the more expensive Japanese feed. Cuts of American "Kobe-style" beef tend to have darker meat and a bolder flavor.

The meat is generally considered to be a delicacy, renowned for its flavour, tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture. Wagyu beef can be prepared as steak, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, sashimi, teppanyaki and more. The beef is also eaten raw by people in Japan as in the form of sushi.

The Wagyu cattle that produce this highly-prized meat were introduced into Japan in the second century as work animals, used in rice cultivation. As beef consumption became more prominent in society, farmers began hiring workers to massage the animals' backsides to improve meat quality. The mountainous topography of the islands of Japan resulted in small regions of isolated breeding, yielding herds that developed and maintained qualities in their meat that differ significantly from all other breeds of cattle. Herd isolation and distinctive feeding techniques, which resulted from the limited land availability, have led to distinguishing features that make the meat both superior in marbling and in the ratios of unsaturated versus saturated fats.

Japan has tracked genetic lines of Wagyu cattle for more than 30 years and have developed a grading system that's precise where eating quality is concerned; that system includes evaluation for meat color, fat color, marbling scores from 1-12, and meat texture. In the United States, all fed beef is graded by the USDA into 3 categories... Select, Choice, and Prime. Prime is ~5-6 on a the Japanese marbling scale.

Day 62: White Truffle Oil

I put white truffle truffle oil on just about anything. One of my favourite things is to put it on eggs, but I put it into pastas, into ground beef - I once put it into my cereal and regretted that day for the next 2 hours. It's a great substitute for truffles during the off season (although they are in season now, so no excuses), and also if you don't have the money to spend on truffles on your eggs.

The bottle in the foreground has the ingredient "white truffle flavour" in the ingredient list, and the shorter bottle in the background actually has white truffle oil slices inside of it. Yum. The flavoured oil actually had a stronger truffle flavour to it, I thought. The other one was weaker. They both cost around the same (~$17) although I did get the bottle with sliced truffles inside of it from Homesense on discount, and from what I gather, oil with sliced truffles usually costs a bit more.

I actually especially love putting it onto fresh field mushrooms.

Chef Gordon Ramsay has described white truffle oil as "one of the most pungent, ridiculous ingredients ever known to chef." But fortunately, I feel a lot of tv chefs like to make comments that sounds good, but really make no sense. For instance, like how everyone cooks with extra virgin olive oil, and claims that it tastes better, even in its cooked form! So while Ramsay may have the money to buy real truffles, I doubt many of his customers do, and so I would think they would benefit from this compromise.

On Truffle Oil: Truffle oil is a modern culinary ingredient, used to impart the flavor and aroma of truffles to a dish. Most truffle oils are not made from actual truffles, but are a synthetic product that combines a thioether (2,4-dithiapentane), one of numerous organic aromas or odorants found in real truffles, with an olive oil or grapeseed oil base. As with pure olive oils, these range from clear to cloudy, and yellow to green. A few more expensive oils are alleged to be made from truffles or the by-products of truffle harvesting and production, though the flavor of truffles is difficult to capture in an oil.

Truffle oil is commonly used to make "truffle fries," which feature french fries cooked in truffle oil, parmesan cheese, pepper, and sometimes other ingredients. Some pasta dishes and whipped dishes such as mashed potatoes or deviled eggs incorporate truffle oil.

Truffle oil, available in all seasons and steady in price, is popular with chefs (and diners) because it is significantly less expensive than actual truffles, while possessing some of the same flavors and aroma. The emergence and growth of truffle oil has led to an increase in the availability of foods claiming to be made with or flavored with truffles, in an era when the price of truffles has pushed them out of reach for most diners. "Their one-dimensional flavor is also changing common understanding of how a truffle should taste," Daniel Patterson complained in a New York Times article.

Day 61: Soft-shelled clams

World famous Maritime clams. Do you love clams? I do. I love them manila clams, razor clams, savoury clams, cherry clams. All of them very different. All of them taste best when they're in season. All of them need to be prepared well well. And these soft-shelled clams are beautiful fried.

I usually like the smaller ones because they are softer in texture and sweeter in flavour. These ones, pictured, are from the Hilton Garden Inn hotel right outside the Halifax International Airport, and it's a regular stop over the last few years when we go back to Nova Scotia - and I go straight for the clams. I don't know what it is about it there, but they do clams SO well. Maybe they source the small ones? Maybe they have a secret recipe? But it comes out tasting so sweet, and the batter is perfect... not too bready, not too salty, not too hard. Rather it's all still super nice and moist when you eat them. Nothing worse than perfectly good seafood that gets overly salted, then frozen for years, then mummified in bread crumbs, then refrozen, then deep fried and sold to you at an overpriced family restaurant for $20 a plate (including a leaf of kale, just to make it authentic!)

On Soft-shelled clams

Soft-shell clams, scientific name Mya arenaria, popularly called "steamers", "softshells", "longnecks", "piss clams", "Ipswich clams", or "Essex clams" are a species of edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Myidae.

These clams live buried in the mud on tidal mudflats. They are well-known as a food item on the coast of New England in the Western Atlantic Ocean, however the range extends much farther north to Canada and south to the Southern states. They are also found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, for example in the UK, as well as in the North Sea's Wadden Sea (where they are the dominant large clam).

Soft-shell clams are edible and can be enjoyed in a variety of dishes. Before cooking, it is generally recommended that clams be stored in saltwater for a few days to facilitate the expulsion of sand from their digestive tracts. Some recommend that cornmeal be added to the water to give the clams something to filter from it.

Soft-shell clams can be eaten steamed, fried, or in clam chowder. "Steamers" (steamed soft-shell clams) are an integral part of the New England clam bake, where they are served steamed whole in the shell, then pulled from the shell at the table and dipped, first in the clam broth in which they were cooked, to rinse away sand, and then in melted butter.

Day 60: Coconut Water

So the new age stuff (e.g. Zico) is heavily packaged and likely very healthy and sugar-free. But no contest, iit is just not as good as this stuff, which probably has some added preservatives, definitely added sugar, and those awesome chunks of coconut pulp that pop in your mouth. It's not as clear in colour, it's a little bit cloudy. And this stuff doesn't cost, what, $3 for a little tetra pack. This is about half a litre and costs ~$1.25 at T&T. I got this one from a convenience store.

I used to love this kind of Coconut Water as a kid. On weekends, when we'd go to Halifax, my parents would stop at an Asian grocery store, and pick up a few of these, frozen, because there just wasn't even demand in Halifax to keep it in the fridge, because it would go bad. As it melted, I would slowly suck out all of the juice.

The flavour is kinda caramelly, you get a nuttiness from the cocoNUT, and when you are really thirsty, there is almost no better way thing to have than fridge-cold coconut water - the unhealthy kind.

On Coconut Water: (from wikipedia)

Coconut water is the clear liquid inside young coconuts (fruits of the coconut palm). As the fruit matures, the coconut water is gradually replaced by the coconut meat and air. A very young coconut has very little meat; the meat that it has is very tender, almost a gel. Coconut water has long been a popular drink in the tropics, especially in Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, Africa, and the Caribbean, where it is available fresh, canned, or bottled.

Coconuts for drinking are carefully packaged and sold in many places. These are typically Asian coconuts whose outer green husk has been removed, and the remainder wrapped in plastic. Throughout the tropics they can be found sold by street vendors, often cut in front of customers to ensure the coconut water's freshness. Coconut water can also be found in ordinary cans, tetra paks, or plastic bottles (sometimes with coconut pulp or coconut jelly included). It is also being marketed as a natural sports drink because of its high potassium and mineral content.

Day 59: Raclette Cheese

Fall is here, and winter is approaching. So I decided to try out an old favourite of mine. Raclette is the perfect melting cheese. As I don't own a fondue set, or a raclette grill, I just take a ramekin and stick it in the oven beside whatever else I am cooking, and wait til it gets nice and bubbly. The ramekin keeps the heat so it stays warm long-ish, and I just take a knife and slather it on whatever you want.

The smell is a little bit strong at first, so be prepared (I'd be lying if I said it didn't at first remind me of feet). But if you can get over that, you get a nuttiness, you get a texture that is firm enough to perfectly yield to the tooth. You get raclette.

When I lived in France, this would be a special dish that we would eat in mid-afternoon, pre-dinner, and when guests arrive. We also had our own raclette grill that would keep it all nice and hot and bubbly until you were ready. Here in Canada, it's very affordable (a snack-size wedge will run you ~$5), and you can prepare it in the oven or even on a pan and then literally scrape it with a butter knife onto a toasted baguette, onto root vegetables, or if you are really hungry and short on time, just Melba toast or Paris toast.

On Raclette:

Raclette is both a type of cheese and a Swiss and French dish based on heating the cheese and scraping ("racler") off the melted part.Raclette is a semi-firm, cow's milk cheese - most commonly used for melting.

Raclette is also a dish indigenous to parts of Switzerland and the Savoy region of France. The Raclette cheese round is heated, either in front of a fire or by a special machine, then scraped onto diners' plates; the term raclette derives from the French word racler, meaning "to scrape". Traditionally, it is accompanied by small firm potatoes (Bintje, Charlotte or Raclette varieties), gherkins, pickled onions, and dried meat, such as jambon cru/cuit and viande des Grisons.

In the Swiss canton of Valais, raclette is typically served with tea or other warm beverages. Another popular option is to serve raclette with white wine, such as the traditional Savoy wine or Fendant, but Riesling and Pinot Gris are also common. Raclette was mentioned in medieval writings as a particularly nutritious meal consumed by peasants in mountainous Switzerland and France (Savoy region). Traditionally, the Swiss cow herders used to take the cheese with them when they were moving cows to or from the pastures up in the mountains. In the evenings around the campfire, they would place the cheese next to the fire and, when it had reached the perfect softness, scrape it on top of some bread.

A modern way of serving raclette involves an electric table-top grill with small pans, known as coupelles, to heat slices of raclette cheese in. Generally the grill is surmounted by a hot plate or griddle. The cheese is brought to the table sliced, accompanied by platters of boiled or steamed potatoes, other vegetables and charcuterie. These are then mixed with potatoes and topped with cheese in the small, wedge-shaped coupelles that are placed under the grill to melt and brown the cheese. Alternatively, slices of cheese may be melted and simply poured over food on the plate. The accent in raclette dining is on relaxed and sociable eating and drinking, the meal often running to several hours.

Day 58: Chanterelles Mushrooms

I believe that Chanterelles have been in season for a few months already, and will continue to be in season for a few months more, but until then, they really are an amazing mushroom. A nice firm texture, and slightly fleshy. The flavour is earthy and sweet, and holds its own against even stronger flavours, even against cheese, poultry, or fish.

I like them simply pan fried, with butter, thyme, and pepper. But if you're feeling exciting, add some white truffle oil and/or mirin.

On Chanterelles:

Chanterelles are common in northern parts of Europe and North America, including Mexico, in Asia including the Himalayas, and in Africa including Zambia. hough records of chanterelles being eaten date back to the 1500s, they first gained widespread recognition as a culinary delicacy with the spreading influence of French cuisine in the 1700s, where they began appearing in palace kitchens. For many years, they remained notable for being served at the tables of nobility. Nowadays, the usage of chanterelles in the kitchen is common throughout Europe and North America. In 1836, the Swedish mycologist Elias Fries considered the chanterelle "as one of the most important and best edible mushrooms."

Chanterelles as a group are generally described as being rich in flavor, with a distinctive taste and aroma difficult to characterize. Some species have a fruity odor, others a more woody, earthy fragrance, and others still can even be considered spicy. The golden chanterelle is perhaps the most sought-after and flavorful chanterelle, and many chefs consider it on the same short list of gourmet fungi as truffles and morels. It therefore tends to command a high price in both restaurants and specialty stores.

Day 57: Burger from South Street Burger

Toronto is quite a burger place. Lots of places, lots of hype, but in the end, it's a chain, called "South Street Burger" that, for me, takes the cake. Whenever I go for a burger, I look for what I call a "truly outstanding burger"

What makes a "truly outstanding burger"? I'll start with the bun. Like so many foods, whether it's a dumpling or an empanada, or a sub, or a sandwich, or a wrap, or a burger... the starch is the secret. For me, a good bun has to be soft, it has to be toasted. I know I've seen recently lots of ciabatta breads for sandwiches, and for me, when it's too hard, it causes all the "stuff" in the middle to just squeeze out and ruins the filling. Baguette sandwiches, you ask? Yes, it's the french way... not my way.... the French way. Me, I'm not French. Another advantage of a soft bread is that it just soaks up the flavour, the juices, the oils, and fats of the meat and the fillings and acts as a vehicle for flavour. If you can cook the bread on top of the meat, even better, you really do get all those flavours to penetrate.

When I think about what I love about McDonald's Filet-o-Fish, it is the soft bun. Also, obviously, then meat is important. The secret is in a soft meat, usually by using fresh, high quality beef. A char from a barbeque is a huge bonus, but not present on this burger. A little bit of pink in this South Street burger is good too, and it's possible at this joint only because the meat is thick and fresh.

Fillings are also important. Guacamole adds a wet, squishy, texture and a contrast to the soft/crunch bun, and the meaty burger. Blue cheese adds a new level of flavour and is the perfect complement to beef. Tomatoes have to be fresh and huge. But on top of all of that, at South Street Burger, they have a smorgasboard of different topping, including cajun onions, wasabi mayo, and mango chutney.

And then there's the fries, made by New York Fries. I always eat my fries first so that they don't get cold. I like my fries slightly crunch on the outside, yes, like McDonald's fries. The epitome of the wrong fry, in my opinion, is the Swiss Chalet fry. A great burger can be ruined by a bad fry or bad onion ring. When I get fries from South Street Burger, I pour them all over my tray, add freshly ground pepper, and then take the lid off of the cajun spice, and dump it onto of the fries and mix them. And then I dip it into a ketchup laced with Tabasco Jalapeno sauce. Damn good.

Day 56: Local Peaches

You might be asking why I don't specify where my peach comes from or exactly what variety it is? Well, not really being a peach afficionado, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that it is local, and in season and the reasons are probably pretty obvious. When it's local, it can ripen right on the tree and so you get all those natural sugars crystallizing right on your tongue. When it's in season, it doesn't have the time to sit in the cooler and change its texture. Most of us are aware of the difference between vine-ripened tomatoes versus those which are picked early, and then allowed to ripen on the freight trains that ship them from central and latin America. The flavours are never remotely close to being as robust, and the texture is always too hard. This is even especially true for peaches and all other soft fruits.

I got these peaches from the farmer's market for $6 for about 20 peaches, but the price is approximately the same at the grocery store (I can bore you with the economics of it another time) and I could be wrong, but I think the two are fairly similar in terms of freshness and time to market. They are amazing at this time of year. The skin is soft and chewy, the flesh is bursting with juice, the colour is a vibrant orange mingled with red.

The real kicker, though, is the texture. Soft and mushy but also firm, fibrous, and juicy. As a sort of side note, when you really think about the benefit of eating fresh fruit, it's yes, about the flavour. But it's equally really about the texture. The texture, after being shipped from out of country, is either too hard (if it's put on the shelf early), or too dry. So for me, freshness really is about texture and that's pretty much the same for most foods. Except for a few food snobs, most people can't probably can't taste the difference between a frozen and a fresh fish other than that one has more flavour than the other. But the texture is immediately obvious to even to the simplest human being.

Also, to really enjoy it you have to be able to just tuck right into it. Take a knife, and cut a piece off right in your hand. Let it drip down your chin. Let it get sticky on your fingers. And you have to eat the skin right off the peach. The skin is one of the best parts. It's a primal activity, yes it absolutely utterly is. And when there's little soft mushy spots... yum, eat them... that's where all the sweetness is! Whenever I go to an South Asian restaurant and see people eat with their hands, I get so jealous because I have some stupid innate inhibition to eat anything wet and drippy in public. Food just, plain and simple, tastes way better when you dive in with your hands.

Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against a mango salsa . But picking at it with a silver fork, you really lose the essence of the mango. Give me a real mango that I can suck dry, right down to the seed and I would take that ANY day of the week. Growing up on a farm, I can attest that here in Canada, we get some of the best apples, peaches, pears, cherries, you name it, in the whole world.

So my advice is, if you could humour me, to right now, go to a farmer's market. Go to an orchard. Go to a supermarket. It doesn't matter, but when the peaches are as good as it is right now (AND as cheap), take advantage of it. Eat them with your hands. And make sure they are at room temperature - the texture and the flavour are way better than when they're cold. Bon appetit!

On the seasonality of Ontario peaches (from OntarioTenderFruit.com):

Semi-Freestone Peaches - available July 25 to mid August.

The flesh of the semi-freestone variety partially clings to the pit. These peaches are excellent for eating out-of-hand. Types of semi-freestone peaches include: Harrow Diamond, Springcrest, Candor, Harrow Dawn, Early Redhaven, Garnet Beauty, Risingstar, Brighton, Sunhaven, Harbelle and Sentinel.

Freestone Peaches - available August 15 to September 30.

The flesh of a freestone peach separates easily from the pit. Perfect for eating fresh and for all your preserving needs. Types of freestone peaches include: Redhaven, Vivid, Harbite, Harson, Blazingstar, Harrowfair, Starfire, Veeglo, Harrow Beauty, Loring, PF24, Allstar, Coralstar, Cresthaven, Redskin, Glowingstar and Harcrest.

Day 55: Effingham Inlet Oyster

Huge, massive texture, almost like biting into a flan. The flavour of the sea came right through. One of my all-time favourites from my time in BC. Slightly flaky to open though.

On Effingham Oysters (from dianasseafood.com)

Effingham Inlet oysters are grown in a remote deepwater site on the west coast of Vancouver Island, inland from Barkley Sound. They are an intensively cultured product of uniform size with nice deep cups. The waters of Effingham Inlet are salty and nutrient rich, yielding oysters that are salty, plump and sweet, finishing with a mild watermelon aftertaste.

Day 54: Virginica Oyster

A really uber fresh oyster, a milky texture, absolutely full of meat. The flavour held up on its own enough to stand a habanero hot sauce on it. Loved it.

On Virginica Oysters (from dianasseafood.com):

Virginica oysters are raised in two different Washington locations, southern Puget Sound’s Totten Inlet and and northern Puget Sound’s Samish Bay. They are unique in that they are the first eastern oysters to be grown commercially in Washington state since the early 1900’s, when a large quantity were grown in Willapa Bay for the oyster hungry San Francisco market. Virginicas take three to five years to reach three and one half inches, which is the size at which the cup has fully developed. They have an attractive and clean pear shape, and the shells are quite smooth, lacking the sharp flutes common to pacific oysters. Their flavor begins fairly saltly, then goes very sweet for an eastern species, and ends with a mild mineral like finish.

Day 53: French Kiss Oyster

A very salty flavour, with not a whole lot of meat, which could be a seasonal thing. The texture reminded me a bit of a malpeque.

On French Kiss Oysters:

This unique oyster with a sexy name is a special package from Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick. French Kiss oysters have a deep cup and are recognizable by their paisley shaped shell, profound salinity and sweet finish.

Day 52: Takoyaki at Markham Night Market

These guys really didn't know what they were doing and did a real disservice to the food. The texture was too creamy (probably undercooked), the octopus was chewy, the shape of it wasn't even round, the size was too small, there was no crispy outside, and there was a severe lacking of acidity in the flavour.

On Takoyaki:

Takoyaki (literally fried or grilled octopus) is a popular ball-shaped Japanese dumpling or more like a savory pancake made of batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan. It is typically filled with diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion.

In modern days, it became common to be brushed with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, and topped with green laver (aonori) and katsuobushi (shavings of dried bonito). There are many variations to the takoyaki recipe. For example, ponzu i.e. soy sauce with dashi and citrus vinegar, goma-dare i.e. sesame-and-vinegar sauce or vinegared dashi.

It was first popularized in Osaka where a street vendor named Tomekichi Endo is credited with its invention in 1935 under the influence of Akashiyaki.

Day 52: Fanny Bay Oysters

Love these oysters and I got them from a food market where they were charging $10 for 8 pieces... shucked, with lemon and cocktail sauce, and including tax, so you're looking at around $8 before tax! And also consider that you have to ship these in by air freight from BC. So all in all, they weren't making a ton of profit per oyster, although they certainly CERTAINLY made it up in volume. I did a quick estimate on their sales based on the number of empty cases of oyster laying around, and I can tell you for a fact that made out pretty well today, and they probably did even better after I left, which was when the crowds really started pouring in. The truck was associated with Diana's Seafood, which is apparently an amazing location to buy your seafood.

Sometimes they say only buy oysters in months containing an "r" (e.g. FebRuaRy is good, and july is bad). I think this rule has more to do with safety, as the summer months don't have the letter "R". These oysters today was proof that that this letter "r" trick has nothing to do with flavour. They were completely filled with meat, the flavour was buttery and like a delicious tasting cucumber, with a soft and milky texture. It was cold on the tongue, it was fresh. A little tabasco on the side would have been nice.

Sometimes oysters will spawn and the meat will be about half the size as the one show above. But that was not at all the case with these puppies, eaten in July.

If I had to criticize these oysters (from this vendor), it is that there were little bits of shell in them which is the result of not washing the oyster after shucking them, especially if the shucker was having trouble opening them and had to pop them from the side rather than form the hinge of the oyster. Not washing them has the benefit of preserving the "nectar" which is where a ton of the flavour comes from, and also has the benefit of speed in processing, which is obvious. But you end up with little nuggets of shell every bite or so. These shell fragments also comes from the fact that some of the oysters were stacked (i.e. the shell of one oyster was touching the meat of another on my plate). This not only cause bits of shell, but it can be dangerous, because the bacteria (e.g. "vibrio") sits on the shell and this can cause sickness in some people. But look, I'm not sick, and these oysters so far as I could tell, were being professionally handled by the crew, so whatever - that's why you have lemon to kill off the bacteria, right?

On Fanny Bay Oysters:

Fanny Bay oysters are cultured near Comox just off of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. They develop their nice cup and thick shells, reaching market size in 18 to 24 months. Water from the Pacific Ocean flows directly through the Strait of Juan de Fuca then up the Strait of Georgia over the site, producing oysters that tend to be quite salty. Their flavor is sweet with an aftertaste similar to that of cucumber.

Day 51: Jamaican Roti Wrap from a Niagara foodtruck

I can't remember exactly where this foodtruck was, but it was near fallsview and I'm sure if you ask the locals, they will tell you. The lady made the filling for me right to order, so it was a hot filling. But it was lacking in salt, and hotness, as well as all those gorgeous Jamaican spices that she could have used, but dulled down. The roti (wrapper) was dry and doughy.

On roti wrap:

West Indian roti are primarily made from wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and water and cooked on a tava. Certain rotis are also made with butter. The wrap roti originated in southern Trinidad. It was first created in the mid 1940s by Sackina Karamath who later founded Hummingbird Roti Shop in San Fernando, Trinidad.

Day 50 (cont): Pulled Pork from "Kentucky Smokehouse"

This was at the same smokehouse at the Etobicoke Ribs Fest as the ribs in the previous post. The flavour was slightly fruity, like an apple sauce, and full of porky fat goodness. It was completely and utterly drenched in sauce, but not sticky - slightly gooey but when served piping hot, it works. It served lukewarm, I can imagine this being a dud.

A crappy pulled pork is the opposite of this, and comes down to improper storage of the good, or poorly executed temperature, or an overly sticky and sickly-sweet sauce.

Day 50: Ribs from "Kentucky Smokehouse"

A big smoky flavour with a crunchy crust and that gorgeous char flavour - and of course the all important quality of "falling off the bone good"

Certainly not all of the ribs at this festival were good, or even remotely worthy of being at a ribs fest. Some had that boiled flavour. Some claimed that "it's all in the sauce"... which was rubbish, especially when you tasted their ribs.

For me, a little bit of dryness on the skin is nice, because it gives it a texture. The sauce has to be balanced in acidity. And the sauce has to be plentiful too. Kentucky Ribs was by far the winner at the show. And the texture has to be perfect - soft but not mushy, fall off the bone, but still slightly fibrous. And of course, it's gotta be piping hot.

Day 49: Kasmiri Tea from Lahore Tikka

A light tea that was served at the table, with crushed pistachios and almonds added in, giving it a nice crunch as you drank it. A pinkish colour, and a yogurty flavour, and a hint of rose water and cardamom. Pretty awesome.

On Kashmiri tea (from ellenskitchen.com)

Kashmiris make two or three types of tea using special equipment, called a "samovar", and many say good kashmiri tea has to be made in a samovar.

One type of tea is called shi:r' cha:y or shirchai. This type is made with a slightly fermented tea such as an oolong. It is brewed with bicarbonate of soda, salt, whole milk, and cream (mala:y), spices and pistachios. It has a very pleasant pinkish or peachy color. Shi:r' cha:y also is a typically Kashmiri tea, but not every visitor likes it. Salt tea is served at evry breakfast and in the afternoon. It resembles the butter tea of Tibet. Kashmiri folk say the salt is refreshing in the heat; in Mongolia and Tibet, tea is salted to resist the cold!

Kashmiri tea is best enjoyed in a Kashmiri kho:s (cup): it used to be served in bronze Cups by Pandits or handleless porcelain Bowls, (K -'Chin Pyala'.) by Muslims.

Day 48: Mushroom Antipasto from Loblaw

You can find this antipasto in the self serve section, in the same stall as you find olives. It has the pickly sourness, the carrots and celery add nice textural contrast. A good mix of button, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms. Red peppers and add colour, and artichoke/onions and some flavours.

But all in all, the dish is fairly flavourless, and that is the result of over-pickling which is used to extend shelf-life, but comes at the expense of everything else.

Day 47: Macaroni and Cheese - Homemade

Mac and Cheese is one of my all-time favourite dishes. And the best way to do it (as you can probably anticipate), is to do it yourself. A bit of bechamel sauce, some bacon, freshly grated cheese, ground pepper and some hot chillies. If you're feeling good about yourself, add a breadcrumb mixture on top and brown it in the oven.

You get the creaminess of the bechamel, the smoky bacon taste, and the texture of it also. The macaroni are just the perfect vehicle to cling onto the sauce,and hold clumps of it inside it. Total comfort food.

Day 46: Swordfish Burger from St. Lawrence Market

If you like seafood, Buster's Cove at St. Lawrence Market is a great place to go, to get it done really fresh. They don't use top quality ingredients, that's for sure, but it's made right to order, and it pretty much goes straight from the grill/fryer/pan to your dish, and into your hands. The swordfish burger was nice. A nice grilled bread, but would have preferred it softer - I personally just like soft breads on sandwiches because it makes it easier to eat and makes the meat the focus of the dish. I put some of the coleslaw into it, which gave it a bit of crunch - just something I like to do. At $8.95, you can't expect a fantastic cut and you don't get a great cut, or a thick piece that permits a medium-rareish quality. Instead you get swordfish overcooked. But I can expect satisfying - with hot meat, fresh ingredients, and nicely grilled bun, this was damn satisfying.

Day 45: "Ice Pressed" Olive Oil from McEwan's

This is the private label brand (kind of like the "President's Choice" of McEwan's) of Olive Oil. I was lucky enough to meet the farmer and processor of the oil who was in store that day, and sampled it, and talked a bit about the process.

A really fresh, refreshing flavour, with that grassy, earthy flavour that is a bit of an acquired taste, especially if, like me, you're more used to lighter tasting olive oils. The bottle shown costs about $18. A doubly sized President's Choice bottle would cost around $8.

I've never bought into the whole hype about olive oils. I like a fresh olive oil - so I buy labels that look like they move a lot of volume. I don't sit and taste olive oil the way I do a wine. I put it on food to give it flavour, and freshen up the texture a little bit, but that's it. Or I cook with it. Plus, an expensive olive oil that sits on the shelf for a long time, exposed to light, and temperature changes, is not going to be worth what you pay for it. For cooking, I wouldn't usually use extra virgin (unlike what the foodtv chefs recommend), because it's a total waste of money.

So I like the olive oil, but it's a total ripoff at that price point.

About Ice Pressed Olive Oil:

According to the farmer, it keeps the olives at a temperature of below 5 degrees while processing, so that you maintain that fresh olive flavour. "Cold Pressed" olive oil, despite its names, apparently goes to tempertures of over 20 degrees while processing. According to the McEwan website: "Enjoy the intense, rich flavour of this early harvest olive oil. It’s ice pressed, unfiltered and has an acidity of just 0.1%. Not a cooking oil, this variety adds exceptional flavour to your favourite dishes after they have been prepared."

Day 44: Wheat beer from Dieu du Ciel

Brutal. The first taste is a bit soapy. The strong flavour sits on the center of the tongue. It has the citrus-note as it is a wheat ale, but it also has a cough-syrup "note". You also get that rose water flavour, which honestly tastes better on baklava than in beer.

The colour of pink just throws you off.

From the company website:

Rosée d’Hibiscus is a soft spoken wheat beer. The rose colour comes from the hibiscus flowers added during the brewing process. The aromas and flavour of this tropical flower are very prominent in the beer, giving it a slight acidity and a very agreeable fragrance. It is the perfect thirst quencher on a hot summer day.

This beer won a gold medal (fifth place amongst 10 gold medal winners) at the adjudicated "MBeer" contest during the Mondial de la Bière in Montréal in 2007, and a silver medal in the 2008 Popular Beer Contest during the Mondial de la Bière in Montréal.

Day 43: Plantain Chips (Chifle) from Golden Banana

This is one of the best quick snacks. It's not sweet (unlike banana chips), and has a hardcore crunch. I prefer when it's super thinly sliced (like "golden banana" brand). When it's too thick, it feels too filling. And goes awesome with light beers.

I buy them from the Toronto subway stops for $1.35 per bag.

On Chifle:

Chifle is a side dish, snack food, or finger food of Peru and Ecuador,[1] consisting of fried slices (chips or crisps) of green or ripe plantain.

It consists of fried slices or strips of either ripe or green plantains seasoned with salt to taste. In the region of Piura, chifle is traditionally fried in wood-burning stoves with wood of the algorrobo blanco (a species of mesquite tree), which gives chifle a special aroma and taste. Depending on the type of plantain (ripe or green) the flavor can be sweet or savory. Sometimes it is served with cancha serrana (pan-roasted maize) or shredded cecina (pork jerky).

Every tropical country where the plantain is in high consumption has its local version of this snack. It is known as chipilo in Bolivia; plataninas in Guatemala; mariquitas (English: lady bugs) in Cuba; in Puerto Rico platanutres.

Day 42: Tuna Poke

Where do you get the best poke in town when in Hawaii? The high end restaurant? The luau? After speaking to a few locals, my co-travelers discovered that the best place to get poke was at the grocery store. Yes, that's where the locals go. And if the locals go there, that's where the most product get moved. And that leads to freshness. Look how they sell it here, in trays, the same way we buy gelato! So many flavours, and the price is $8.99/lb. You can't even buy tuna for $8.99/lb. On the side they have raw marlin too, which I didn't get a chance to try. But avocado poke had a nice balance of textures, spicy poke was delicate enough not to ruin the tuna. The tuna, mind you, was very roughly cut and a little fibrous, but for $8.99/lb, and then served on hot rice. And sitting on the beach. Man, you can't beat that.

On Poke

Modern poke typically consists of cubed ʻahi (yellowfin tuna) sashimi marinated with sea salt, a small amount of soy sauce, inamona (roasted crushed candlenut), sesame oil, limu seaweed, and chopped chili pepper. Other variations' ingredients may include cured heʻe (octopus), other types of raw tuna, raw salmon and other kinds of sashimi, sliced or diced Maui onion, furikake, hot sauce (such as sambal olek), chopped ʻohiʻa (tomato), tobiko (flying fish roe), ogo or other types of seaweed, and garlic. The selection of condiments has been heavily influenced by Japanese and other Asian cuisines.

Native Hawaiians have always eaten poke. The traditional Hawaiian poke consists of fish that has been gutted, skinned, and deboned. It is sliced across the backbone as fillet, then served with traditional condiments such as sea salt, seaweed, and limu.

According the food historian Rachel Laudan, the present form of poke became popular around the 1970s. It used skinned, deboned, and filleted raw fish served with wasabi (Japanese green horseradish) and soy sauce. This form of poke is still common in the Hawaiian islands.

Day 41: Blue Agave Sweetener

Instead of sugar cane, why not harvest sugar from the same plant as tequila. What genius. And the flavour is... nice. A bit like maple syrup, but less sweet. Tequila? Unfortunately not even a hint.

On Blue Agave Sweetener:

Agave nectar (also called agave syrup) is a sweetener commercially produced in Mexico and South Africa from several species of agave, including the Blue Agave (Agave tequilana)

Agave nectar is 1.4 to 1.6 times sweeter than sugar. Agave nectar is often substituted for sugar or honey in recipes and used as a Vegan alternative to honey in cooking. Also, because it dissolves quickly, it can be used as a sweetener for cold beverages such as iced tea.

Agave nectars are sold in light, amber, dark, and raw varieties. Light agave nectar has a mild, almost neutral flavor, and is therefore sometimes used in delicate-tasting dishes and beverages. Amber agave nectar has a medium-intensity caramel flavor, and is therefore used in dishes and drinks with stronger flavors. Dark agave nectar has stronger caramel notes, and imparts a distinct flavor to dishes, such as some desserts, poultry, meat, and seafood dishes. Both amber and dark agave nectar are sometimes used "straight out of the bottle" as a topping for pancakes, waffles and French toast.

Day 40: McDonald's Local Hawaii Breakfast

Yes, McDonald's...

the local menu includes a platter with rice, portugues sausage, spam, and egg. And yes, Aloha brand soy sauce. Rice in Hawaii is surprisingly nice. Even at McDonald's, it's soft, slightly sweet, and slighlty sticky. Fried spam is particularly tasty when forked in the mouth with rice.

The best part was hearing ukulele music in the background. Few people realize how important music is to the enjoyment of food.

Day 39: Kona Coffee

Believe it or not, this is considered one of the most expensive coffees in the world.

This cup I was served was extra piping hot, and you could taste bitter chocolate in it. A balanced acidity, with hints of orange rind, and the depth of flavour you expect from a fresh roast. Would I pay a massive premium - is the most expensive coffee in the world? No. But when you buy it in Hawaii, you don't pay that premium. And it's still damn good for that reason.

On Kona Coffee:

Kona coffee is the market name for coffee (Coffea arabica) cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. It is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Only coffee from the Kona Districts can be described as "Kona". The weather of sunny mornings, cloud or rain in the afternoon, little wind and mild nights combined with porous, mineral rich volcanic soil, creates favorable coffee growing conditions. The loanword for coffee in the Hawaiian language is kope, pronounced [ˈkope].

Day 38: Maui Pineapples

The pineapple itself looks a bit smaller than the grocery store variety, but they are really sweet, like honey sweet and just packed with flavour. The juice is so thick, it's almost syrupy.

They seem to be less fibrous too than the usual kind, and are slightly chewier in texture. The colour is paler yellow than, say, the canned pineaples.

The awesome thing is that you can buy these right on the road, and you just stick the coins into a trusty box and take the pineapples.

Day 37: Shaved Ice from Ulalani (Maui)

My first shaved ice was on Oahu island. For me, the secret to a good shaved ice is the condensed milk which gives it a milky texture. So I found this place by visiting all the stores and seeing if they made the effort to put on condensed milk - otherwise you're just eating a slush puppie. The second secret is the ice, which has to be so soft, it feels like ice cream in your mouth. The third secret is copious amounts of syrup. I hate dilute flavoured ice. Just not good.

Ulalani's is all of that. And an amazing atmosphere underneath a beautiful tree where you can escape the heat. Lime flavour, mango, guava, and coconut are amazing.

See below for a sign outside the window as to why it is so good.

Day 36: Cholula Hot Sauca

Nice smoky flavour, but not spicy enough.

About Cholula Hot Sauce: Cholula hot sauce is a brand of chili-based hot sauce, manufactured in Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico, and licensed by Tequila Cuervo

Day 35: Taco from Baja Fresh

I just love eating with my hands. Not a huge fan of cold sandwiches (as very few chinese actually ever are), but eating a hot taco is amazing. Baja Express is, yes, a take out chain, but they cook that meat pretty fresh, they steam the bread in front of you. I love squishy guacamole, chewy wrap, the wet salsa and the tangy onions. The secret always is in the wrapper, especially when it's warm, which brings out the corn flavour. I asked them to add about 4 lemon slices, which I squeeze one slice per taco which makes it perfect.

On Baja Fresh:

Baja Fresh is a chain of fast-casual Tex Mex restaurants founded in Newbury Park, California, in 1990 and headquartered in Cypress, California.The chain emphasizes fresh ingredients, and each restaurant features a self-serve salsa bar.

The chain operates 256 restaurants in 29 states,and in 2010 opened a store at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Day 34: Pan Seared Foie Gras

We have contender number 2 for the quintessential food. And this will likely come as no surprise to anyone that Foie Gras is one of the most decadent, most gluttonous, and most sinful of all foods - thereby increasing its appeal one hundred fold, or possibly even two hundred fold. Even crabapples taste that much better when they are the forbidden fruit.

Do you really think puffer fish tastes that good? I bet you if it wasn't toxic, it would rank up there in the minds of food enthusiasts right alongside such heavy hitters as sardines and smelts. I'm exaggerating... chill out.

The first thing you notice is the fragrance, much like that of duck fat. Then the fattiness of it. Can you see how shiny the liver is? Yeah, that's fat. The texture is unbelievable, like little pillows of clouds. There is a slight sweetness to it and there is an unmistakeable red wine flavour. And there's the high that follows, like light headedness, probably from the cholesterol. And your whole body starts emanating heat, as the fat gets processed.

One of the best ways to enjoy this is to cook it yourself. That way, it gets to you right off the pan, so hot that you can't even eat it or it scorches your tongue. That way, you can control how rare or done you want it, and also there's no necessity for the chef to add the flavours. Just on a piece of toast is delicious, maybe with a squirt of lemon. But don't eat too much at once. I bought half a lobe and by the end, I think it was harder to appreciate.

For me, food tastes best when I'm absolutely hungry, and when I know there is a scarcity of the ingredient. So try and share this with some friends, so that each person enjoys every bite to the maximum.

On the ethical issue of foie gras, I can only acknowledge the pain and suffering of the goose that has given its life for us. Like any food that you eat, it is worthwhile to always give thanks to those that helped bring it to your kitchen table - whether it is the farmer, the fisherman, the rancher, or in this case, the sacrificial goose.

The price is around $50 for half a lobe, which gets you about 4 pieces, so best enjoyed as an appetizer for four.

On foie gras:

Foie gras is a food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. This fattening is typically achieved through gavage (force-feeding) corn, according to French law, though outside of France it is occasionally produced using natural feeding.

Day 33: Sheep Milk Cheese with Truffle (Cacio di Bosco) from St. Lawrence Market

This cheese gets high ratings for truffle flavour. As you can see from the picture on the left, you get big large chunks of truffle, and even in the pieces without truffle, you still get a real flavour out of it.

The one drawback was the texture which was a little bit grainy, like an aged parmesan that wasn't stored properly. But having bought this from Chris the Cheesemonger at St. Lawrence Market, I feel that they would not overlook something as fundamental to cheese as handling.

A light smoke is tasted right after you swallow, and as an added bonus, you can actually taste the milkiness of the cheese, something I usually only associate with raw milk cheese which this certainly is not. On a side note, did you know raw milk cheese is legal in Canada? I used to think it was illegal. I used to enjoy it in France, and I actually found a small supplier in Ontario, and all along, I thought he was operating on a black market, which is why I never said anything to anyone.

On truffles, apparently you can't get truffles these days in Ontario because the lastest shipment got stopped at the border?? So I went to a few suppliers that might have the connections, and no one could find any. In any case, Christmastime is when we'll see the supply increase. Good thing Christmas is 6 months away, right? Although, I am certain that if I knew the right people, it would be a different story - one of the downsides in being a rookie in Toronto :P

The price tag is a hefty $90/kg.

On Cacio di Bosco (from pastacheese.com)

Cacio Di Bosco al Tartufo is a Tuscan cheese made from both sheep's and cow's milk. It is studded with tiny specks of truffles and is pure heaven to eat. The long maturation balances the taste of pecorino with the strong taste of truffle, and it has a friable and slightly sour paste.

Day 32: Hefeweizen beer from Konig Ludwig

Few things in life better than beer on tap. A snappy bitterness, with very light citrus and banana notes, with more subtlety than Hoegaarden. I had it served with a perfect temperature and a perfect head, and when it's done like that, sometimes I don't even care WHAT beer I'm drinking. It's amazing!

On Konig Ludwig Brewery:

The König Ludwig GmbH & Co. is a brewery with headquarters located in Upper Bavaria. Their slogan "Beer of royal highness," refers to the brewery's heritage which can be traced back through the Kingdom of Bavaria. The current proprietor, Prince Luitpold of the House of Wittelsbach, is the great-grandson of the last King of Bavaria, Ludwig III.

The House of Wittelsbach began the first brewery in 1260. 32 years later, Herzog Rudolf built the Schloss Kaltenberg, which houses a part of the brewery's facilities today. The brewery as it exists today was opened in 1870.

On Weissbier (from company website):

Our wheat beer, König Ludwig Weißbier, is brewed using traditional methods and is bottle fermented (the “méthode champenoise”). This produces a lively, refreshing beer with a tight head and flavour notes of apple and bananas, which is highly accepted in many parts of the world. In its home market, König Ludwig Weißbier is among the top 6 wheat beer brands and is widely recognized as a Bavarian specialty.

Day 31: Tankhouse Ale from Mill St. Brewery

My first taste of this was puckery bitter, like the sensation when taking a bite into a bitter melon. Not sure why. Possibly my palette wasn't prepared? The texture of the beer is velvety, a long finish, the flavour rests on the back of the tongue. The colour is a much darker brown than in the picture... like an ale, I suppose. I got mine on tap, so I had that fresh cold tap flavour.

On Mill St. Brewery:

Mill Street is a Canadian brewery founded in December 2002 in Toronto by Steve Abrams, Jeff Cooper and Michael Duggan. Joel Manning is currently the head brewer. The brewery has won numerous awards in its relatively short existence, including Golden Tap Awards for Best Toronto Microbrewery ('04-'08) and Best Toronto Beer (for Tankhouse Ale: '04-'07). Mill Street was named "Canadian Brewery of the Year" at the Canadian Brewing Awards in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

On Tankhouse Ale (from company website): Brewed with 5 different malts and an abundance of Cascade Hops, this balanced and satisfying 5.2% beer is our pridemaster's pride and joy.

Day 30: Scottish Beer from Innis & Gunn

My God... you have to taste this one!!! I am not kidding at all

I feel really plagiaristic about these tasting notes because they almost come straight from the bottle - but they are spot on. The colour is like a light pilsner, but then there's just this load of flavour and complexity. There's the toffee, paired with vanilla, and a richness almost like a scotch which probably comes from the oak barrel aging. A balanced sweetness in finish. This is an amazing beer.

On Innis & Gun (from company website)

Innis & Gunn oak-aged beer is like no other.

Our pioneering production process is unique to us, a world first. In fact, it was discovered by accident! Using oak to age beer is unheard of. But, the flavours imparted by the oak barrels (previously used to mature bourbon) lend an incredible depth of taste. Think vanilla, toffee and orange aromas, with a malty, lightly oaked palate; soothing and warm in the finish. There is nothing like this among mass produced beers.

Day 29: Trappist Beer from Chimay

A Trappist beer is one which is brewed under the control of Trappaist monks. Chimay is a Belgium abbey and one of my favourites, although some will claim that it is an acquired taste.

For me, it's a bold flavour, slightly citrusy, and slightly pine-like. The citrusiness will remind you a bit of Hoegaarden and Leffe. Perfectly carbonated with just enough carbonation to waken the tastebuds. The frothiness on the tongue is feels like a light marshmallow. A winner.

On Trappist Beers

A Trappist beer is a beer brewed by or under control of Trappist monks. With the recent exception of Koningshoeven's Bockbier, Trappist beers are all ales, that is, top fermented, and mainly bottle conditioned.

Dubbels (a category of trappist beers which includes Chimay Red) are now understood to be a fairly strong (6%-8% ABV) brown ale, with understated bitterness, fairly heavy body, and a pronounced fruitiness and cereal character.

On Chimay Red

The Chimay Brewery ("Bières de Chimay") is a Belgian brewery founded inside Scourmont Abbey, in the Belgian municipality of Chimay in 1862. It was the first brewery to use the Trappist Ale designation on its labels.

The water for the beers is drawn from a well located inside the monastery walls. The filtered solids from the beer mash are recycled into livestock feed which is given to the same cows that produce the milk for Chimay cheeses.

Day 28: Iberian Ham de Bellota from St.Lawrence Market

Let's put the price of this meat in perspective: I can get organic chicken for $4/lb. I can get chorizo sausage for $3/lb, and pork tenderloin for $2/lb. If I got out on a limb, I'll get a filet mignon for $15/lb. I used to be in the food business - I carried the most expensive item on almost all of my clients' deli counters. They would retail my product for around $17/lb.

How much is Iberian Ham de Bellota? I paid over $600 per pound ($611 to be exact, but what's a few dollars between friend and butcher)!!! Sure, I might have been ripped off, but keep in mind that until 2007, it wasn't even available in the US. So as I got my hands on some, I'm not really complaining.

What are my thoughts?

The first thing you notice is how incredibly oily it is. The whole piece of meat glimmers almost like it's made from fine Italian marble. You also notice the marbling of the meat,with large rivers of fat running through it. The smell... unequivocally pork.

Now when you put it in your mouth, the texture hits you - it is almost buttery. If you have been so fortunate as to have experienced tuna belly, then you'll recognize that the texture is pretty close to that. Enter the flavour - a very rich bone soup floats on the tongue and inner cheek, followed by a finale of warm sea salt.

I'll be honest, I got weak knees, and man did that feel good. Today, recall, is Day 28 of my quest, and as I started to lose hope that I would ever come close to my quintessential food, my morale has been revived - I think Iberian ham makes the short list.

I have gotten one step closer, and take a deep breath, hope revived, and ready for more. I continue down the road - it will be a long journey, but one that must be made.

On Iberian Ham de Bellota:

Jamón ibérico, Iberian ham, also called pata negra, is a type of cured ham produced mostly in Spain, but also in some Portuguese regions where it is called presunto ibérico. It is at least 75% black Iberian pig, also called pata negra (literally, black leg). According to Spain's Denominación de Origen rules on food products, the jamón ibérico may be made from cross-bred pigs as long as they are at least 75% ibérico.

Immediately after weaning, the piglets are fattened on barley and maize for several weeks. The pigs are then allowed to roam in pasture and oak groves to feed naturally on grass, herbs, acorns, and roots, until the slaughtering time approaches. At that point the diet may be strictly limited to acorns for the best quality jamón ibérico, or may be a mix of acorns and commercial feed for lesser qualities.

The hams from the slaughtered pigs are salted and left to begin drying for two weeks, after which they are rinsed and left to dry for another four to six weeks. The curing process then takes at least twelve months, although some producers cure their jamones ibéricos for up to 48 months.

The hams are labeled according to the pigs' diet, with an acorn diet being most desirable:

The finest jamón ibérico is called jamón ibérico de bellota (acorn). The exercise and the diet has a significant impact on the flavor of the meat; the ham is cured for 36 months.

Day 27: Maple Bock Strong Beer from Trafalgar Ales and Meads

Well, I know that fruit beers are all the rage (or at least they used to be), but when you taste this maple syrup brewed beer, you have to think to yourself, "what the heck were these guys thinking".

It's way too sweet, and drinking a dark coloured beer flavoured with maple syrup tricks the mind into thinking that you just poured yourself a glass of Aunt Jemima. It's also way under carbonated, so it resembles a drink that's been sitting in the fridge overnight.

The aftertaste is a bit like angostura bitters, which is better suited for gin than BEER. And the bottle cost me almost as much as a good Belgian, so not even good value.

It says on the label that it was brewed with pure maple syrup, but I have a feeling that they snuck in some maple bark... you know... just for good measure.

On Trafalgar Ales & Meads (from company website)

The Trafalgar Brewing Company (TBC) was founded by Mike and Nancy Arnold and George Hengstman in August 1993. For ten years TBC steadily built a reputation as a craft brewery specializing in uniquely brewed small batches of beer. In 2003, with the hugely successful introduction of three flavors of Mead to the Ontario market, TBC changed to Trafalgar Ales & Meads and is now recognized as one of Ontario’s most progressive small breweries. Trafalgar continues to maintain an excellent reputation for quality assurance, extraordinary beers and technical innovation.