We examine whether or not these weird, rock-like tubers are yuck or yay.
One of the vital intriguing components of touring to a brand new place is exploring the unusual and great native merchandise, particularly produce, that differ out of your markets again house. Typically, nonetheless, you may also uncover these unusual issues proper at house. Working example: We not too long ago stumbled upon some alien-like potatoes at a direct-from-the-farm vegetable market in Nara Prefecture, inconspicuously displayed alongside “common” greens like cabbage and shiitake mushrooms.
Their look was startling sufficient, not to mention the title on the sticker.
▼ Sure, it truly reads “outer area potatoes.”
Outer area potatoes?? What the heck does that imply? And isn’t 300 yen (US$1.96) for 2 of them slightly on the steep facet?!
There was no means we couldn’t buy them at this level, although, so we took them house and launched the alien tubers from their bundle. They really didn’t appear to be any form of common potato or candy potato that we’d ever seen earlier than. From a sure angle, they gave the looks of two very crooked hearts.
After performing some analysis, we realized that they’re typically cultivated in Southeast Asia and are associated to Japanese yams. They’re supposedly scrumptious when fried and eaten with salt.
It was actually arduous to think about them as meals, nonetheless, since from the opposite facet, they regarded flattened and one-dimensional, virtually like jagged rocks–or maybe meteorites, to maintain with the cosmic theme.
Their darkish brown and beige-speckled look solely strengthened that comparability.
Because it was our first time seeing such a vegetable, we additionally had no thought easy methods to put together them–however boiling appeared like a protected choice.
After 20 minutes, the water had darkened significantly.
This had occurred regardless of us washing the potatoes very effectively previous to throwing them within the pot. Did that point out that they’d have a really bitter style…?
In any case, the potatoes felt like they have been cooked and have been steaming properly, so we ready to chop them.
Phew–we don’t know what we have been anticipating precisely (perhaps neon?), however they regarded just about like common potatoes inside with a stunning golden hue.
There have been additionally lighter-colored fibers spun all through.
We determined “easy is greatest” for taste-testing so we started by sprinkling slightly salt on one of many items. Itadakimasu!
The style and texture have been a lot completely different from what we anticipated. First, the chunk wasn’t as smooth as an everyday potato, and was additionally tart, bitter, and a bit grassy. Possibly it was simply our imaginations, however these sensations additionally lingered within the aftertaste. The very best phrase to explain it will be “a feral taro.” Sadly, it simply wasn’t significantly tasty in our opinion.
However maybe that conclusion was partly as a result of our fashion of making ready it. For the reason that similarity to taro was positively there, we determined to strive simmering the remainder of the items with soy sauce and sugar–like how we might usually put together the latter–to carry out its true taste.
This fashion was positively tastier than merely boiling it and including salt. The bitterness was changed by sweetness and the moisture content material appeared to have elevated. If we have been served this fashion with out figuring out what it was, we most likely would have eaten it until it was gone with no questions requested. Nonetheless, the one factor that didn’t appear to alter was the bitter aftertaste.
The underside line: For the reason that tuber known as taro already exists, we don’t assume you essentially have to exit of your means to decide on the alien potatoes. They may make for a enjoyable prank, although, for those who have been to depart a few them in your pal’s pantry together with some common potatoes.
For one more uncommon fruit resembling one thing from the cosmos, take a look at our ideas on the alien-like purple fruit known as akebi in Japanese.
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