When I spent a few days in Colorado, I learned a thing or two about texting etiquette and some new words in the urban dictionary. One word that kept coming up was ghosting. I thought I was current on language, but apparently not. In addition to ghosting, here are a few other words that were new to me.
1. On fleek means looking perfect
2. Bible- when used at the beginning of the sentence, it means you are telling the truth.
3. cyberslacking-using ones employers Internet and email for personal activities.
4. zaddy-a zaddy is a many who oozes sex appeal.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
The Tragedy of Pine Ridge Reservation
I'd never heard of Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, the most impoverished area of the United States, until I got a text from my son Phil. Phil was on the Pine Ridge Reservation for a project with Conscious Alliance, a non profit from Boulder, with a mission of eradicating hunger in the U.S. As you can imagine, Phil said it was a very intense experience. Since I knew nothing about this area or the Native Americans that live there, I did a little research.
The Lakota Sioux Tribe lives in South Dakota, right near the border of Nebraska. There are about 19,000 people living on the reservation. In White Clay, Nebraska, a town of 14 people just a few miles from the reservation , there are 4 liquor stores. These liquor stores sell over 4 million cans of beer to the 19,000 tribe members that live just a few miles away. At the moment there is a Supreme Court decision waiting to be made that will close White Clay and the 4 liquor stores forever. Opponents of this happening say that having the liquor stores there is just free enterprise. That argument can be had some other time. Alcoholism is one of the major problems in Pine Ridge. Additionally, youth suicide is four times the national average. Trump has cut Native American programs nationwide, and the situation will only get worse. Most families live on about $5,000 per year, in addition to hand outs from the federal government, in the form of food, housing and health care.
Because of the closure of the liquor stores in White Clay, bootleg liquor is now produced by the Native Americans, so closing the liquor stores has done nothing to reduce alcoholism. Drinking gets these impoverished people away from reality. Most Pine Ridge residents are living on government handouts. Commodity products that are given to the locals include mostly carbohydrates, like flour and rice. Fruits and veggies are scarce, so when a Subway finally opened on the reservation, locals were thrilled to be able to get vegetables in their Subway sandwich. Some had not eaten a cucumber or pepper in months because the high cost of these items in local supermarkets. Because of poor nutrition, one half of all members of the Lakota Sioux Tribe in South Dakota are diabetic.
Conscious Alliances's efforts to improve life for the Pine Ridge people through their service project/holiday food drive/giveaway is a good beginning, but there is so much that needs to be done to turn life around for these people. No one should go hungry in America. Hopefully other non profits will follow the lead of Conscious Alliance and try to improve the health and nutrition of all Americans.
The Lakota Sioux Tribe lives in South Dakota, right near the border of Nebraska. There are about 19,000 people living on the reservation. In White Clay, Nebraska, a town of 14 people just a few miles from the reservation , there are 4 liquor stores. These liquor stores sell over 4 million cans of beer to the 19,000 tribe members that live just a few miles away. At the moment there is a Supreme Court decision waiting to be made that will close White Clay and the 4 liquor stores forever. Opponents of this happening say that having the liquor stores there is just free enterprise. That argument can be had some other time. Alcoholism is one of the major problems in Pine Ridge. Additionally, youth suicide is four times the national average. Trump has cut Native American programs nationwide, and the situation will only get worse. Most families live on about $5,000 per year, in addition to hand outs from the federal government, in the form of food, housing and health care.
Because of the closure of the liquor stores in White Clay, bootleg liquor is now produced by the Native Americans, so closing the liquor stores has done nothing to reduce alcoholism. Drinking gets these impoverished people away from reality. Most Pine Ridge residents are living on government handouts. Commodity products that are given to the locals include mostly carbohydrates, like flour and rice. Fruits and veggies are scarce, so when a Subway finally opened on the reservation, locals were thrilled to be able to get vegetables in their Subway sandwich. Some had not eaten a cucumber or pepper in months because the high cost of these items in local supermarkets. Because of poor nutrition, one half of all members of the Lakota Sioux Tribe in South Dakota are diabetic.
Conscious Alliances's efforts to improve life for the Pine Ridge people through their service project/holiday food drive/giveaway is a good beginning, but there is so much that needs to be done to turn life around for these people. No one should go hungry in America. Hopefully other non profits will follow the lead of Conscious Alliance and try to improve the health and nutrition of all Americans.
Monday, November 25, 2019
A Spy In Buckingham Palace
I was watching the third season of The Crown, and was shocked to learn that the art historian for Buckingham Palace was actually a spy, working for the KGB. I quickly got on the computer to find out all the details.
Sir Anthony Blunt was appointed Surveyor of the Kings Pictures, and kept that post for several decades, even after it was discovered he was spying for the Russians. Blunt was actually recruited in the 1930's, but it wasn't until the early 1950's when he was appointed art historian for Buckingham Palace, that he was in a position to gain access to sensitive information. Over the 15 years before the truth was revealed, Blunt turned over more than 2,000 sensitive documents and bits of information to the Russians.
Why, when Blunt was found out, was he not prosecuted and removed from his position? The answer is that British intelligence did not want to reveal how they had let a spy into Buckingham Palace. They determined that it would be too damaging to their reputation, so this information was kept secret until it was finally revealed by Margaret Thatcher in 1979. At this time he was stripped of his knighthood. When authorities originally found out Blunt was a spy, he was kept on in his position, but was obviously watched like a hawk. Queen Elizabeth never spoke to him again. She and her husband wanted him removed and tried for treason, but for the good of the country, they did not.
Every country has its secrets. Sometimes we think we are the only country with scandal and intrigue. That's just not so. However, when you find that a Russian spy has infiltrated Buckingham Palace, it really is shocking.
Sir Anthony Blunt was appointed Surveyor of the Kings Pictures, and kept that post for several decades, even after it was discovered he was spying for the Russians. Blunt was actually recruited in the 1930's, but it wasn't until the early 1950's when he was appointed art historian for Buckingham Palace, that he was in a position to gain access to sensitive information. Over the 15 years before the truth was revealed, Blunt turned over more than 2,000 sensitive documents and bits of information to the Russians.
Why, when Blunt was found out, was he not prosecuted and removed from his position? The answer is that British intelligence did not want to reveal how they had let a spy into Buckingham Palace. They determined that it would be too damaging to their reputation, so this information was kept secret until it was finally revealed by Margaret Thatcher in 1979. At this time he was stripped of his knighthood. When authorities originally found out Blunt was a spy, he was kept on in his position, but was obviously watched like a hawk. Queen Elizabeth never spoke to him again. She and her husband wanted him removed and tried for treason, but for the good of the country, they did not.
Every country has its secrets. Sometimes we think we are the only country with scandal and intrigue. That's just not so. However, when you find that a Russian spy has infiltrated Buckingham Palace, it really is shocking.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Citizen Scientists Can Help Slow Extinction
Depending on who you listen to, the number of species that have become extinct on the planet is between 85%-99%. That means, that of all the species, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and insects that once roamed the planet, only a fraction of them remain today, and because of human interference in the natural order of things, those left are dying out 1,000 times faster than they normally would. The good news is that new technologyi is helping conservation make big strides.Here's an example: In 2010, at an army base in Baghdad in Iraq, someone brought U.S. service member Jonathan Trouern-Trend a frog in a plastic bottle. The brightly colored amphibian had been hiding in the latrine. Trouern-Trend was known as the guy who could identify critters. Before releasing the frog in a nearby pond, he uploaded a picture of it onto his mobile app iNaturalist, which connects a worldwide community of people who report sighting of animals and plants online. App users informed him that he'd found a lemon-yellow tree frog, in an area where they had never been seen before. The species' known range had suddenlty expanded.
This kind of citizen science has exploded in recent years thanks to the smartphone. It is giving conservationists hope that new technology can slow extinctions. Conservationists can calculate the extinction rate of the known species by keeping track of how many die out each year. The rapid rate of extinction is mostly due to human-caused habitat destructionb and climate change.
The analysis of conservationists reveals that before humans evolved, less than a single species per million went extinct annually. If the current trend continues, the result might possibly be the sixth mass extinction in Earth's history. Crowdsourcing and citizen scientists are helping to keep this from happening.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Who Was Jim Crow?
We all know about Jim Crow laws, those repressive laws in the south that kept African Americans from all kinds of things, from sitting in the front of a bus, to going to the movies, to attending the school of their choice, to eating lunch where they wanted. My friends and I were returning from the movies one Sunday, when we all wanted to know who Jim Crow was. Was he a real person or a fictional character?
The origin of the name "Jim Crow" dates back to before the Civil war. In the early 1830s, the white actor Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice rose to stardom by performing minstrel routines as the fictional “Jim Crow,” a caricature of a clumsy, dimwitted black slave. Rice claimed to have first created the character after witnessing an elderly black man singing a tune called “Jump Jim Crow” in Louisville, Kentucky. He later appropriated the Jim Crow persona into a minstrel act where he wore blackface and performed jokes and songs in a stereotypical slave dialect. For example, “Jump Jim Crow” included the popular refrain, “Weel about and turn about and do ‘jis so, eb’ry time I weel about I jump Jim Crow.” Rice’s minstrel act was a huge hit among white audiences, and he later took it on tour around the United States and Great Britain. As the show’s popularity spread, “Jim Crow” became a widely used derogatory term for blacks.
So there you have it. Jim Crow was NOT a real person, but a fictional character. Why the repressive Jim Crow laws used the name of this fictional character, I do not know.
The origin of the name "Jim Crow" dates back to before the Civil war. In the early 1830s, the white actor Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice rose to stardom by performing minstrel routines as the fictional “Jim Crow,” a caricature of a clumsy, dimwitted black slave. Rice claimed to have first created the character after witnessing an elderly black man singing a tune called “Jump Jim Crow” in Louisville, Kentucky. He later appropriated the Jim Crow persona into a minstrel act where he wore blackface and performed jokes and songs in a stereotypical slave dialect. For example, “Jump Jim Crow” included the popular refrain, “Weel about and turn about and do ‘jis so, eb’ry time I weel about I jump Jim Crow.” Rice’s minstrel act was a huge hit among white audiences, and he later took it on tour around the United States and Great Britain. As the show’s popularity spread, “Jim Crow” became a widely used derogatory term for blacks.
So there you have it. Jim Crow was NOT a real person, but a fictional character. Why the repressive Jim Crow laws used the name of this fictional character, I do not know.
Monday, November 18, 2019
What is Sous Vide?
Sous vide French for "under vacuum," also known as low pressure long time cooking. (LTLT). It is a method of cooking in which food is place in a plastic pouch or a glass jar, tightly sealed, and cooked in a water bath for longer than usual cooking times. (usually 1-7 hours). Typically, the cooking temperature is around 55-60 degrees Celsius for meat, higher for vegetables. The intent is to cook the product evenly and retain moisture.
In the 1970"s the method of food cooked low and slow was adopted by Georges Pralus, a French chef for Restaurant Troisgros and Bruno Goussault, chief scientist of Sterling, Virginia based food manufacturerer Cuisine Solutions. Goussault and Pralus independently worked on development of sous vide in the 19970"s and eventually became collaborators.
Any type of meat, fish, chicken or vegetable can be cooked in this style. I first experienced a steak cooked in a sous vide at my son Philip's house in Boulder. I was sure the meat would be dry and overcooked, but it was probably the most perfectly prepared steak I have ever had. Pork and pork chops cooked to you exact desired doneness, and the meat is moist and juicy. Whatever you cook seems to come out better in a sous vide machine.
It goes against everything I thought I knew about cooking meat, but somehow meat, fish and chicken come out perfectly done and tender. After spending an an hour discussing the sous vide with my friends at the dog park, I may just have to go out and get one.
In the 1970"s the method of food cooked low and slow was adopted by Georges Pralus, a French chef for Restaurant Troisgros and Bruno Goussault, chief scientist of Sterling, Virginia based food manufacturerer Cuisine Solutions. Goussault and Pralus independently worked on development of sous vide in the 19970"s and eventually became collaborators.
Any type of meat, fish, chicken or vegetable can be cooked in this style. I first experienced a steak cooked in a sous vide at my son Philip's house in Boulder. I was sure the meat would be dry and overcooked, but it was probably the most perfectly prepared steak I have ever had. Pork and pork chops cooked to you exact desired doneness, and the meat is moist and juicy. Whatever you cook seems to come out better in a sous vide machine.
It goes against everything I thought I knew about cooking meat, but somehow meat, fish and chicken come out perfectly done and tender. After spending an an hour discussing the sous vide with my friends at the dog park, I may just have to go out and get one.
Friday, November 15, 2019
Who Was Ida B. Wells (1862-1931
Ida B. Wells was an African American journalist, abolitionist and feminist who led an anti-lynching crusade in the United States in the 1890's. We went on to found and become an integral part of groups striving for African American justice.
Ida B. Wells was born a slave in 1862, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. About six months after Ida's birth, she and her family, as well as the rest of the slaves of the Confederate states, were decreed free by the Union thanks to the Emancipation Proclamation.
Her father was active in the Republican Party during Reconstruction, and was involved in starting what is now Rust College. It was here that Ida received her early schooling. Unfortunately, tragedy struck her family when she was only 16. Both parents and one of her sibling died in a yellow fever outbreak, leaving Wells to care for her other siblings.ever resourceful, she convinced a nearby country school adminstrator that she was 18, and landed a job as a teacher.
Later on, Ida B. Wells attened Fisk College, where she wrote about issues of race and politics. Some of her articles were published, and her career as a journalist began. While working as a teacher in a segregated public school in Memphis, she became a vocal critic of the condition of blacks only schools.
She became an anti-lynching activist when three African American men opened a grocery store, taking business away from a white-owned store in the neighborhood. The African American men were arrested while trying to guard their store against attack and sent to jail. While in jail, a lynch mob took them from their cells and murdered them. Wells wrote an editorial that incensed some of the city's whites, and she was warned that if she ever returned to Memphis, she would be killed. She staid up north, and wrote an in-depth report on lynching in America for the New York Age, and African American newspaper run by former slave T. Thomas Fortune.
Wells went on to become a co-founder of NAACP. She created the first African American kindergarten in her community and fought for women's suffrage. In 1930 she made an unsuccessful bid for the Illinois state senate.
Ida B. Wells was born a slave in 1862, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. About six months after Ida's birth, she and her family, as well as the rest of the slaves of the Confederate states, were decreed free by the Union thanks to the Emancipation Proclamation.
Her father was active in the Republican Party during Reconstruction, and was involved in starting what is now Rust College. It was here that Ida received her early schooling. Unfortunately, tragedy struck her family when she was only 16. Both parents and one of her sibling died in a yellow fever outbreak, leaving Wells to care for her other siblings.ever resourceful, she convinced a nearby country school adminstrator that she was 18, and landed a job as a teacher.
Later on, Ida B. Wells attened Fisk College, where she wrote about issues of race and politics. Some of her articles were published, and her career as a journalist began. While working as a teacher in a segregated public school in Memphis, she became a vocal critic of the condition of blacks only schools.
She became an anti-lynching activist when three African American men opened a grocery store, taking business away from a white-owned store in the neighborhood. The African American men were arrested while trying to guard their store against attack and sent to jail. While in jail, a lynch mob took them from their cells and murdered them. Wells wrote an editorial that incensed some of the city's whites, and she was warned that if she ever returned to Memphis, she would be killed. She staid up north, and wrote an in-depth report on lynching in America for the New York Age, and African American newspaper run by former slave T. Thomas Fortune.
Wells went on to become a co-founder of NAACP. She created the first African American kindergarten in her community and fought for women's suffrage. In 1930 she made an unsuccessful bid for the Illinois state senate.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Nancy Reddin Kienholtz 1944-2019
Long before I had heard of Nancy Reddin Kienholtz, I was a fan of her husband Ed Kienholtz. It must have been in the 1970's when LACMA had an Ed Kienholtz exhibit, showing painting, sculpture and installations. It was the provocative installations, denouncing societal ills like sexism, racism and child abuse, that made me a fan. His work made me think.
In 1972 Nancy Kienholtz was an amateur photographer. She met and fell in love with Ed, and was his student and collaborator on sculpture and installations for decades. Ed taught Nancy to weld, solder, cast figures and paint. For years, his installations bore only his name as artist, but in 1981 that changed. Ed Kienholtz had an exhibit at the Galerie Maeght (in France), when he surprised his wife by declaring that all their work for the first nine years they were together was retroactively THEIR work, and from then on, all work was signed by Ed and Nancy Kienholtz.
Both Ed and Nancy were untrained artists, although Nancy said she attended the "School of Ed." Ed told Nancy to follow her "eye." Their work is so thought provoking, often disturbing, denouncing much of what we see in society today. The objects used in their art was picked up from junk stores, throw away junk found on the street, old abandoned cars, beds, chairs, etc. They would use these items to create a social statement. Nancy Reddin Kienholtz died recently at age 75.
In 1972 Nancy Kienholtz was an amateur photographer. She met and fell in love with Ed, and was his student and collaborator on sculpture and installations for decades. Ed taught Nancy to weld, solder, cast figures and paint. For years, his installations bore only his name as artist, but in 1981 that changed. Ed Kienholtz had an exhibit at the Galerie Maeght (in France), when he surprised his wife by declaring that all their work for the first nine years they were together was retroactively THEIR work, and from then on, all work was signed by Ed and Nancy Kienholtz.
Both Ed and Nancy were untrained artists, although Nancy said she attended the "School of Ed." Ed told Nancy to follow her "eye." Their work is so thought provoking, often disturbing, denouncing much of what we see in society today. The objects used in their art was picked up from junk stores, throw away junk found on the street, old abandoned cars, beds, chairs, etc. They would use these items to create a social statement. Nancy Reddin Kienholtz died recently at age 75.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Where Do Pretzels Come From?
According to legend, an Italian monk invented the pretzel in the 7th century. He took bread dough and twisted it to look like folded hands praying, to reward children for learning their prayers. The pretzels were dubbed "pretiolas", meaning "little rewards."
In 1510, pretzels took a dramatic turn. When Ottoman Turks attempted to invade Vienna by digging tunnels underneath the city walls, the monks in the basement who were baking pretzels, heard what was happening and alerted the rest of the city, helping to defeat the Turkish attack. As a reward, the Austrian emperor gave the pretzel bakers their own coat of arms.
In the 17th century the pretzel came to symbolize undying love. Royal couples in Switzerland used a pretzel to seal the bond of matrimony.
In 1861, Julius Sturgis founded the first commercial pretzel in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Sturgis takes credit for develping the first hard pretzel. (he may have left them in the oven too long.)
In 1935, the first automated pretzel maker was developed. With it, a factory could make up to 250 pretzels an hour, far more than when they were made by hand. Today, Pennsylvania remains the American pretzel making capital, making as much as 80% of all U.S. pretzels.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Restaurant Closures In San Diego
One of my favorite restaurants in Hillcrest is closing. It's Brooklyn Girl. I'm sorry to see it go, but competition is keen. Also closing in North Park is Urban Solace, another long time favorite. Further north, Rimels in Cardiff by the Sea is closing. Their other restaurant in Del Mar closed last year. I thought The Flying Pig Pub in Vista was a night time hotspot, but it too is closing. The reason given was that it's location cannot support the price of the restaurant, and people in Vista are looking for more casual, quicker dining experiences.
Urge Gastropub in Oceanside is also closing it's doors. We loved this place, eating outside close to the beach was very pleasant. However, eating indoors was noisy beyond belief. They have a larger location in San Marcos, which is always packed. Urge is expanding in other areas, as they are getting ready to open in Riverside, and will open in Temecula in 2020. Finally, I almost forgot about Brian Malarky's Searsucker in Del Mar, which has closed. He does have another restaurant opening soon in the area, though.
One opening I want to mention. Prager Brothers bakery is opening on Coast Highway in Encinitas. It is right next door to NaPizza. Those in the area will love this culinary addition. Great bread, pastries and sandwiches make this great for a quick meal, or to load up on stuff to take home. I go to their Carlsbad location all the time. I love their bread and flatbreads. Croissants are buttery, flaky and delicious. That will be a new place for Fran and I to stop after our Saturday morning walk.
Also opening in Del Mar is One Paseo, the new shopping center on Del Mar Heights Road. Lots of great eating opportunities here, and small boutique shops, which I hope can survive.
Things are always changing on the food scene, so I just wanted to keep you up to date. Happy eating.
Urge Gastropub in Oceanside is also closing it's doors. We loved this place, eating outside close to the beach was very pleasant. However, eating indoors was noisy beyond belief. They have a larger location in San Marcos, which is always packed. Urge is expanding in other areas, as they are getting ready to open in Riverside, and will open in Temecula in 2020. Finally, I almost forgot about Brian Malarky's Searsucker in Del Mar, which has closed. He does have another restaurant opening soon in the area, though.
One opening I want to mention. Prager Brothers bakery is opening on Coast Highway in Encinitas. It is right next door to NaPizza. Those in the area will love this culinary addition. Great bread, pastries and sandwiches make this great for a quick meal, or to load up on stuff to take home. I go to their Carlsbad location all the time. I love their bread and flatbreads. Croissants are buttery, flaky and delicious. That will be a new place for Fran and I to stop after our Saturday morning walk.
Also opening in Del Mar is One Paseo, the new shopping center on Del Mar Heights Road. Lots of great eating opportunities here, and small boutique shops, which I hope can survive.
Things are always changing on the food scene, so I just wanted to keep you up to date. Happy eating.
Monday, November 4, 2019
Running Numbers: A Bygone Era
Harlem, once known as the cradle of the numbers rackets, has seen this illegal activity dry up. Actually, running numbers probably began in Chicago back in the 1880's, but its prevalence in Harlem in the last half of the 20th century made it a part of daily life. A neighborhood numbers runner came around to collect and jot down the bets of housewives, businessmen and barflies. One could place a straight bet on a three-digit number or a combination bet that was harder to hit but paid off handsomely. Right now, few people still play the numbers, and they are all older people who have been playing for years.
The tools have not changed, even though technology has, over the past 100 years. The games still rely on figures from designated horse racing tracks on particular days. Running numbers is illegal, both for the runner and the customer, although few people are prosecuted these days. It was an early form of the lottery. Man has loved gambling and games of chance since the beginning of time. Today the numbers game is pretty much gone, but gambling has become a part of daily life for many. Today, most gambling is legal.
I became interested in the history of running numbers because of a book I just finished, called Dapper Dan, by Daniel Day. Dan is a lifetime resident of Harlem, who wrote a book about the ups and downs of his life, from playing dice on the street, to selling drugs, to prison, trips to Africa which largely influenced his life, to famous fashion designer. It's quite an interesting read, and I was intrigued by his several references to numbers runners. Now all one has to do is pick up the phone, or turn on the computer to make a bet. My, have things changed.
The tools have not changed, even though technology has, over the past 100 years. The games still rely on figures from designated horse racing tracks on particular days. Running numbers is illegal, both for the runner and the customer, although few people are prosecuted these days. It was an early form of the lottery. Man has loved gambling and games of chance since the beginning of time. Today the numbers game is pretty much gone, but gambling has become a part of daily life for many. Today, most gambling is legal.
I became interested in the history of running numbers because of a book I just finished, called Dapper Dan, by Daniel Day. Dan is a lifetime resident of Harlem, who wrote a book about the ups and downs of his life, from playing dice on the street, to selling drugs, to prison, trips to Africa which largely influenced his life, to famous fashion designer. It's quite an interesting read, and I was intrigued by his several references to numbers runners. Now all one has to do is pick up the phone, or turn on the computer to make a bet. My, have things changed.
Friday, November 1, 2019
What is Marmite?
I had never heard of Marmite until I ran across it as I was reading something, can't remember what. I found the name strange, and I had to find out what it was. Little did I know that it's a staple in most British homes, and is very popular in Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
What is it you ask and what does it taste like? It is a yellowish brown paste like substance, the remains of yeast used in beer brewing, that is mixed with a variety of other flavors, to produce a strong, salty spread, that is eaten mostly on toast. Most people say it's an acquired taste. I think that's another way of saying you won't like it on your first try.
Marmite was invented by a German, Justus von Liebig, in 1902, but is a product found mainly in the U.K. It is so popular that on the 100th anniversary of the product, Guinness Marmite produced 300,000 jars of Guinness flavored Marmite, followed by Champagne Marmite.
Marmite, produced by Unilever and a few other food companies, has been banned in Denmark because of the number of added vitamins and minerals it contains. It has also been banned in Canada for containing illegal additives. (who knows what they are).
Marmite can be found in the U.S. in British food stores and possibly some specialty stores, like Bristol Farms. After reading what those tasting it for the first time had to say, I am not that anxious to try it. I'll stick to Nutella!
What is it you ask and what does it taste like? It is a yellowish brown paste like substance, the remains of yeast used in beer brewing, that is mixed with a variety of other flavors, to produce a strong, salty spread, that is eaten mostly on toast. Most people say it's an acquired taste. I think that's another way of saying you won't like it on your first try.
Marmite was invented by a German, Justus von Liebig, in 1902, but is a product found mainly in the U.K. It is so popular that on the 100th anniversary of the product, Guinness Marmite produced 300,000 jars of Guinness flavored Marmite, followed by Champagne Marmite.
Marmite, produced by Unilever and a few other food companies, has been banned in Denmark because of the number of added vitamins and minerals it contains. It has also been banned in Canada for containing illegal additives. (who knows what they are).
Marmite can be found in the U.S. in British food stores and possibly some specialty stores, like Bristol Farms. After reading what those tasting it for the first time had to say, I am not that anxious to try it. I'll stick to Nutella!
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