OK Scott, I know I don't have your knowledge. All I know is this stuff was a semi-soft cheese, not out front in the cooler with the others, and not as expensive as some of the boutique cheese. This smelled like, how do you say...Cheese ****. Limburger is not in the same category, maybe little brother at best. It's a long ways from where I live but maybe a trip is in order.
Just pointing out the general tolerance in other cultures of strong smells and tastes. There are plenty of things I won't touch but I don't even find durian stinky.
There's a grated root in Asian cooking that has no taste or smell to speak of but is like a big mouthful of phlegm, I literally gag on it.
comeon Scott you really think that the travel time of the length to get to Au means something significant in the face of what is it a 2-2.5+ years old, cured piece of meat? that would seem against the point of preserving it. Surely that was part of the reason to do it in the first place? travel took a hell of a lot longer in days past vs the type of transport you get when paying this sort of money for a foodstuff.
but yes, chances are I havent yet had the best of the best Iberico, or the best of the best prosciutto... it and Serrano have only very recently started to be imported and I havent made a point of specifically searching out the meat worth several hundred a kg and I dont work in the industry anymore. the Serrano is fairly easily available at a few good delis, the iberico i've only had eating out. the Parma was the first to be brought in legally, as we have a much larger Italian population I guess.
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also actually apart from my restatement for jacco, it was you guys that made it about the best of the best iberico vs dross prosciutto. my initial comparson was between Parma and Serrano, both in the 35-70AUD per kg range (roughly on parity to US Currency to those who dont know)
I dont know.
but yes, chances are I havent yet had the best of the best Iberico, or the best of the best prosciutto... it and Serrano have only very recently started to be imported and I havent made a point of specifically searching out the meat worth several hundred a kg and I dont work in the industry anymore. the Serrano is fairly easily available at a few good delis, the iberico i've only had eating out. the Parma was the first to be brought in legally, as we have a much larger Italian population I guess.
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also actually apart from my restatement for jacco, it was you guys that made it about the best of the best iberico vs dross prosciutto. my initial comparson was between Parma and Serrano, both in the 35-70AUD per kg range (roughly on parity to US Currency to those who dont know)
Funny... somehow I think we have some pretty decent bargaining power in the food import/export stakes these days ... a few examples of many, Wagu, as well as black truffles and saffron of pretty good quality and good clean Tasmanian environment, 6 months offset from your northern hemisphere seasons... as well as things more exotic to you. Chances are you would have initially been denying your own ex-patriots, but only you know if you would do that
I dont know.
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Taro root? if so, i'm in full agreement. basically tasteless starchy sticky.. well yes... mucous subsistence food for the poor.
I cant stand Durian, but i'll eat stinkier things.
That's true, but from one foodie to another, that isn't in the cards for this group or so I hope. I love Durian. We freeze the pods then stick 'em with a fork to have an ice cold treat like ice cream/custard. Love on a stick... Uh, maybe I should rephrase that.
Bigger, wrinklier and orange are the ones I am talking about. You can see them further down on the wikipedia page. You cut into them and your eyes water - and if you throw them into hot chili or soup they make you choke...
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@Cassiel, happy birthday! I'll celebrate it with some hash
@qusp, you are right, bad jamon can be awful as well as bad prosciutto can be, I have never tried a good one. On my todo list
It's easy to spot the difference, and flavour is like two different products nothing to do with each other. Even without trying them out, you can easily tell which is the good one. Attached pics.
Not because of living here, but I have been in England, France, Italy, Netherlands, Czech republic, Austria, etc... and I have to strongly agree with that. Variety and quality of spanish dishes is surprisingly, I still have a lot of plates to try after so many years!
General consensus among people here regarding the USA is that they ONLY eat hamburguers, pizzas and hot dogs. Of course they have never traveled there and just repeat what other people or T.V. say.
There are no local ham as regarding to Madrid. Is like wine, it's a product that is not widely produced in the region. They mey were referring to local as Spain
From what I have heard, ham sent abroad is mostly junk unless you are willing to pay ridiculous amount of money.
Just to make it clear, Serrano it just means the kind of ham. Then you have the race of the pig, which can be "white" (cheap) pig or Iberico. Then the pig can be fed with only compound feed, acorn, or a mixture of both. Of course Jamon Serrano Ibérico fed with acorn is the top of the line.
Then you have brands like "Pata negra", "5J" or "Jabugo" which doesn't really mean anything, just brands thay may make some confussion on the consumer.
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They are called Scotch Bonnets on english-speaking islands in the caribbean and Habanero in spanish-speaking places.
They come in green, yellow, orange and red but colour doesn't seem to make any difference in hotness.
I like them and buy them regularly but singly ie two or three at a time. The jamaicans around here buy them by the pound!
General rule of thumb with chilis: The shorter the hotter.
@Cassiel, happy birthday! I'll celebrate it with some hash
There are no local ham as regarding to Madrid. Is like wine, it's a product that is not widely produced in the region. They mey were referring to local as Spain
I probably got the tournament misplaced. In China the same week the prize was a full size front end bucket loader, here it's usually a sponsors new car..
BTW there is at least one artisanal ham in Italy that appears to be special.
The Culatello King - Articles - Departures
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OK yes, you are correct I have never bought Jamon made with the wonderful looking streaky pork you have there in bulk (that IS the better one correct?, because I think the fat is at least as good as the meat, so even if it isnt I would prefer it hehe).
I have had it once at a launch party and thought it was something else (or at least a different cut), only the leaner type is available more widely. it sounds like you guys do the same as what we mostly do with our seafood and beef, charge rudely for the prime cuts and keep the rest, although lately the Chinese are doing their best to throw enough money at us and buy our best beef and farmland (oops no politics..) so we dont get as much of the good stuff.
so its not also a different part of the beast?
i've only had the pale orange habaneros
I have had it once at a launch party and thought it was something else (or at least a different cut), only the leaner type is available more widely. it sounds like you guys do the same as what we mostly do with our seafood and beef, charge rudely for the prime cuts and keep the rest, although lately the Chinese are doing their best to throw enough money at us and buy our best beef and farmland (oops no politics..) so we dont get as much of the good stuff.
so its not also a different part of the beast?
i've only had the pale orange habaneros
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Last year was the first time I grew red ones and the heat didn't change as Charles Darwin noted. The ones in the pic I posted are small. That's why they are more rounded.
When they are green they are not that hot, they really pick it up as they ripen.
Jewish fillet ce soir (with shallots, brandy, plus maybe a ponytail wig & funny hat)
Hey, I just packed away a batch of Aussie lamb shank tagine in dinner sized portions. Grass fed, we get charged plenty even for the shank end (IIRC $5 or so a lb).
haha, I had a feeling that would attract comment, I think its just a fact of life, each country keeps its best for itself except for those prepared to pay a premium.
dont worry, shank and lamb in general is pretty trendy here and one of, if not the most expensive red meat including Angus Beef, thats not far off what we pay some places, decent shank here is around $18AUD/kg for top shelf organic grassfed in small amounts, but if you know where to look $13AUD/kg.
For me if i'm treating myself, or have time to prepare for people coming over I get South Gippsland fully Organic certified grassfed Lamb.. OMG
if you are prepared to buy a half beast, or other bulk pack of various Angus, pork, lamb, or just Angus, you can buy online directly from the farm. Our Beef and Lamb farmers in particular have had it tough this year for a number of environmental and world economy reasons, so there is an abundance of high end meat at pretty good prices if you are prepared to buy bulk.
cheaper if you will accept hogget, which is basically lamb with 2 more teeth than what can officially be called lamb (no permanent teeth, only baby teeth) depending on the conditions it may actually be better meat than if it was younger before it starts adding fat.
dont worry, shank and lamb in general is pretty trendy here and one of, if not the most expensive red meat including Angus Beef, thats not far off what we pay some places, decent shank here is around $18AUD/kg for top shelf organic grassfed in small amounts, but if you know where to look $13AUD/kg.
For me if i'm treating myself, or have time to prepare for people coming over I get South Gippsland fully Organic certified grassfed Lamb.. OMG
if you are prepared to buy a half beast, or other bulk pack of various Angus, pork, lamb, or just Angus, you can buy online directly from the farm. Our Beef and Lamb farmers in particular have had it tough this year for a number of environmental and world economy reasons, so there is an abundance of high end meat at pretty good prices if you are prepared to buy bulk.
cheaper if you will accept hogget, which is basically lamb with 2 more teeth than what can officially be called lamb (no permanent teeth, only baby teeth)
depending on the conditions it may actually be better meat than if it was younger before it starts adding fat.
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My favorite cut is saddle or selle in French, all the loin chops in one piece. My last bulk buy was at <$4 a lb. and they even cut off some flaps before weighing it.
That's another one that really ****es me off. I used to buy lamb shank really cheap compared with the other cuts and now, now it's the same price per kg as the leg.