Jakob's Bowl

Selling Her Past With A Twist

When I was a kid I loved licorice because it was so much fun to eat. I loved the chewy texture, and you could stretch it and tie it in knots, or bite off the ends and blow through it. Now I can enjoy our own tasty organic version of my favorite childhood candy in four different flavors.

It's also a great treat for the movies, as it's much quieter to eat than popcorn, said Nell Newman, co-founder and president of Newman's Own Organics.

Newman's Own Organics Website

I was doing some late night shopping the other day when the urge for something sweet, and my ‘go to’ snack in those situations is often licorice in one form/flavor or another. As I strolled through the candy aisle I noticed The Newman's Own Organics 'organic' licorice twists for the first time. 'The expanding empire' was my first thought, but my interest was piqued by the fact that "tangerine" was one of the flavors offered. I picked up the package to read the ingredients list. While I had no problem with the ingredients used the phrase "Made in Mexico" on the bottom of the package was truly disturbing. Really Nell, you had to go all the way to Mexico to get the organic licorice made!!! (It wasn't the only organic licorice on the shelf.) You couldn’t support a small candy maker in California or somewhere else in this country!!! I also checked their tinned mints, also "Made In Mexico." I just don’t seem to remember that the licorice I enjoyed at countless Saturday Matinees in the ‘60s came from South of the Border!!!

Read more about Nell Newman's inconsistent marketing/sourcing policies in Newman’s Own Proxy and Newman's Own Proxy: The Sequel.

Little Things Come In Small Packages

After the arrival of the Pixie Mandarins from California a few weeks back, I had assumed that with citrus season just about over, and with no trips to the Bay Area on my schedule for a while, I expected no more finds for the year. Needless to say, I was a bit surprised when I saw the basket full of these tiny yellow ovoids in the local co-operative a few days ago. The sign indicated that they were Limequats, and given their yellow to golden yellow color there was no telling what their lineage was... perhaps a cross between a Sweet Lime and a Kumquat?

Most were 1-1/2 to two inches long, and their skins had the smoothness of a Meyer Lemon, but a bit more glossy. As it turns out their are three commercially grown versions of the Limequat, the Eustis, the Lakeland, and the Tavares, with the 'lime' parent of all three being the small Mexican Lime, aka, Key Lime. The first two varieties were created by crossing round Kumquat hybrids with the lime while the third parent was created using an oval Kumquat. It is most likely that these were Lakeland Limequats since they had numerous large seeds which is one of the major distinguishing factors between it and the Eustis.

Most Kumquats I have tasted have had a very high shin to flesh ratio with the skin being very bitter - the Mandarinquat skin was even more bitter. These Limequats had a skin to flesh ratio more akin to a Key Lime; indeed the tart, acidic juice had definite Key Lime notes to it. Although the juice was very pleasant, it was the skin that was the star of the Limequat show. It was sweet and very fragrant with hints of pine and little to no bitterness. Despite the tartness it would make a great addition to composed salads. It is just ashamed that the skin is so thin, since they would be delicious candied!!!

Pass The Ketchup Please...

 

It's very often tough to take foodies seriously!!!