1 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor production of iHeart Radio. 2 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 2: I'm Annie and I'm mourned vogle bum and today we 3 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 2: have an episode for you about prickly pear cac die. 4 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, and I apologize I sort of veered off 5 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: course in this one, Lauren, are normal. This is a 6 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: food show, saying, yeah, a little away from me, but 7 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: it was so interesting and I feel like it's related. 8 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 2: It is, it is, and it's super fascinating. I feel like, yeah, yeah, 9 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 2: we're going to talk about bug dies. 10 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: Yes, it's great and moss a lot of insects in 11 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: this episode. And I suppose was there any particular reason 12 00:00:58,720 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: this was on your mind? Lauren? 13 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 2: Was there? 14 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: I don't know it was some reason. I feel like 15 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: super Producer Andrew at one time. 16 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, that is absolutely it, thank you. Yeah, I know 17 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 2: I had remembered that super Producer Andrew had said had 18 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 2: been like have you done it? Like occasionally he suggests 19 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 2: topics for us, and this was one of them. And 20 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 2: ironically the image that he shared was for this prickly 21 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 2: pair cactus candy that had little cartoon drawings of segurro 22 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 2: cacti on it. But that's but that's which I've done 23 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 2: an episode for over on brain Stuff. 24 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: But yeah, pricklely bear cactus. 25 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 2: So thank you, thank you super producer Andrew for the 26 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 2: topic suggestion. And hey, happy belated birthday. 27 00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: Happy belated birthday. Hopefully you got some prickly paar cact candy. 28 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: I don't know at some point. Yeah, I've never had it. 29 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: I don't think i've seen it though I knew it existed, 30 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: but yeah, I had it. 31 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 2: I've definitely seen it in markets. I have never purchased 32 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 2: it myself because I was always like, what would I 33 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 2: do with that? And it just for some reason has 34 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 2: never been the frequently if I see something I don't 35 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 2: recognize in a produce section, I'm like, Okay, I'm buying 36 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 2: that and I'm going to figure out what to do 37 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 2: with it. And its number just hasn't come up yet. 38 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 2: But I know I've had it as a flavoring in 39 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 2: drinks like a like like a lemonade or a margarita 40 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:40,679 Speaker 2: or some kind of situation like that. 41 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: Hmm. Yeah, yeah, I've definitely seen that on menus. I 42 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: want to try it. I feel like I have a 43 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: good idea what it tastes like from what I read, 44 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: and it sounds it sounds lovely and refreshing. 45 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I mean, and there's there's a lot of 46 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,679 Speaker 2: different varieties to try, so I love I love it 47 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 2: when we give ourselves lots of homework. 48 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,239 Speaker 1: Yes, especially if it involves trying foods. That's always good. 49 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 1: Mm hm oh. 50 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 2: Yes, okay. You can see our previous episode on dragon fruit, 51 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: also a cactus type thing. 52 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: Yes, well, I guess that brings us to our question. 53 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 2: I guess it does. 54 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: Prickly pear cactus. What is it? 55 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 2: Well, prickly pear cactus can refer to a number of 56 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: species of cacti, all in the same genus that grow 57 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 2: these big, thick pad like stems and sort of egg 58 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 2: shaped to oblong fruit, both of which are edible. The pads, 59 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 2: which can be anywhere from bright green to bluish gray 60 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 2: in color, are despiked, peeled and chopped, and then eaten 61 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 2: as a vegetable raw or cooked or pickled. Vaguely to asparagus, 62 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 2: but tastes like green beans. Yeah. The fruits are also 63 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 2: despiked and peeled. They'll contain a juicy pulp, usually juicy, 64 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 2: ranging in color from yellow to orange to red to 65 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 2: like deep purple. With these small, dark seeds that can't 66 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,239 Speaker 2: be chewed, who are often strained out. The fruits are 67 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 2: sweet and can range in flavor, but tend to be 68 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 2: sort of delicate and kind of melanie to kiwi e. 69 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 2: They're then consumed, however you like fruit, anything from raw 70 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 2: out of hand to juiced to cooked into preserves for 71 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: use in all kinds of drinks or sweet or savory 72 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 2: dishes or candies. It's like a it's sort of like 73 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 2: a dragon fruit that just isn't showing off as much. 74 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 2: That's like a little bit more humble. It's it's a 75 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 2: plant that gives you a challenge, but it's like an 76 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 2: oasis in the desert. 77 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: I love that. It's it's like being all humble, but 78 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 1: but you want to eat me. 79 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:12,039 Speaker 2: Yeah, you're gonna have to for that. Yes, it's a 80 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 2: very eat at your own risk kind of plant. Love it, 81 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 2: Oh so yes. The prickly pear is a member of 82 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 2: the cactus family Cactasia, and their genus is Aupentia Aptia. 83 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 2: I don't know. There are some like two hundred ish, 84 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 2: maybe up to three hundred species within the genus, depending 85 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 2: on who you ask. They're native to the semi arid 86 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,839 Speaker 2: and desert regions of the Americas, from provinces of Canada 87 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,479 Speaker 2: all the way down through parts of Argentina and Chile. 88 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 2: They can range in size and shape from like small 89 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 2: shrub with those pads branching off of and growing up 90 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 2: around each other, to a height of like a couple 91 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 2: feet less than a meter, to a large shrub like 92 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 2: person sized to more like a tree up to twelve 93 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 2: meters or over thirty feet. In the Galapagos, for example, 94 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 2: they have those with like a like thick trunk like 95 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 2: stem off the top of which the pads grow, and 96 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 2: these sort of chains in clusters. And if you've never 97 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 2: seen these, google it. I mean, like maybe not right now, 98 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 2: I don't know what you're up to, but they look 99 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 2: like a Doctor Seuss thing. It's really cool. The plants 100 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 2: do propagate best from cuttings, not seeds. The pads can 101 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 2: be rounder or more oblong, anywhere from a few inches 102 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 2: to over a foot long that's around ten centimeters to 103 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 2: like over thirty Other than their's spines, the skin is smooth. 104 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 2: Different species have like actual spines like these like long thorns, 105 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:44,479 Speaker 2: or merely these spiny little bristles that look like fuzz 106 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 2: poking out from nodes on the skin of the pads. 107 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 2: Those nodes are also where new pads may sprout from. 108 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 2: Both types of spines must be removed before eating, and 109 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 2: should be watched out for while handling the pads, like 110 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,039 Speaker 2: unless you really know what you're doing, in which case 111 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:03,479 Speaker 2: I'm not going to tell you what to do, Like, 112 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,039 Speaker 2: do not handle any part of the prickly pear cactus 113 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,359 Speaker 2: without gloves or other protection before the spines are removed. 114 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 2: Those little bristles can be hard to see and they 115 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 2: are barbed, so they're like a literal pain to remove 116 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 2: from your flesh. Ooh yeah, yeah. The pads will put 117 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 2: off a ray of flowers, mostly along their top edge, 118 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 2: but sometimes on the body, like these big pretty flowers 119 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 2: and shades from yellow to orange to like bright pink. 120 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 2: If pollinated, and they are pretty good atself pollinating, they'll 121 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 2: develop into a sort of egg shaped fruit with a 122 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 2: kind of flat end on the large top side of them. Yeah, 123 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 2: like it would be the bottom of the egg. But anyway. Yeah, 124 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 2: they're anywhere from a couple inches long to maybe over 125 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 2: twice that, like five centimeters plus. They tend to make 126 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 2: the pads look a little bit like these big old 127 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 2: bear claws, but you know, like aigen raided bear claws 128 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 2: because they have too many stubby little fingers on them. Yeah. 129 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 2: The fruit will start out in shades of like white 130 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 2: to green, and then ripen to anywhere from like green 131 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 2: to yellow, orange, red, bright purple, or so deep purple 132 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 2: that they're brown, some combination thereof. Perhaps I understand that 133 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 2: when they're ripe you should just kind of like twist 134 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 2: them off their pads because they're sort of soft, like 135 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 2: avoid tearing them. They also have those spiny bristles that 136 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 2: need to be handled carefully and removed before consuming. The 137 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,839 Speaker 2: spines can be pulled off with an implement like tweezers, 138 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 2: or brushed off or burned off. You might see them 139 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 2: sold under the Spanish name tunas. And if you're not 140 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 2: eating them fresh, you'll often pulp or juice them to 141 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 2: remove the seeds before any kind of further processing. But yeah, 142 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 2: oh prickly pear lemonade good like jams or jellies to 143 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 2: put in just anything that you want. Yeah, the juice 144 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 2: is also fermented into alcohol. The seeds themselves can be 145 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 2: ground into a flower and used in baked goods, and 146 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:08,959 Speaker 2: those pads, yes, are used as a vegetable when they're 147 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 2: young and tender, usually harvested in the springtime. I understand 148 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 2: that you should cut those off the plant with a 149 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 2: sharp knife and then can remove those spines, yes, using 150 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 2: implement like tweezers or a vegetable peeler. Yeah, I've read 151 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 2: that there. I haven't had the pads. I've read that 152 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 2: there's something right like the texture of asparagus or maybe 153 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 2: okra like with a bit of slime to them and 154 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 2: just a green vegetable flavor like green beans. I've seen 155 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 2: recipes for the slices fried up with onion and eggs 156 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,959 Speaker 2: for breakfast, or maybe simmered into soups and stews, or 157 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 2: the whole pads like grilled as a side dish. You 158 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 2: might see those under the Spanish name nepalus or on 159 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 2: menus as nopolitos. The plant is also used as podder 160 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 2: for cattle and other livestock. Sometimes it's like a low 161 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 2: cost you'd better not try it fencing around tracts of land, 162 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 2: and it's processed for oils that are used in small 163 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 2: care products or SAPs that's used as a thickening agent. 164 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 2: It's also the natural source of a type of parasitic 165 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 2: insect called a cocknile, which produces this bright red pigment 166 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 2: called carmine that's used in everything from paints and dyes 167 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 2: to cosmetics, to microscopic imaging to food products. Yeah, wow, yep, 168 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 2: very briefly, because this is not a carmine episode, as 169 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 2: hard as you tried, Annie, the cocaial insects will embed 170 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:39,559 Speaker 2: themselves in the pads of this cactus and like feed 171 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 2: off of it while they produce eggs. So if you 172 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 2: ever see what looks like like little white dust bunnies 173 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 2: on the surface of a prickly pear pad, that's cocanile. 174 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 2: More on carmine in the history section. M The plants 175 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 2: are also, just to put it out there, like, pretty 176 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 2: ecologically important in the places where they grow natively anyway, 177 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 2: providing shade and shelter and a water source and calories 178 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 2: for just all kinds of different animals. 179 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: I really can't wait to hear from listeners about this one. 180 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 1: I'm so excited. What about the nutrition. 181 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 2: By themselves, Both the pads and fruit of the prickly 182 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 2: pear are pretty good for you, you know, some good fiber, 183 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 2: some vitamin C. They'll help fill you up but to 184 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 2: keep you going pear with the protein and some fat, 185 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 2: which sounds delicious. They have been used in traditional medicines 186 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 2: for all kinds of things, all kinds of things, but 187 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 2: save er moato. 188 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, yes, well we do have some numbers for you. 189 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 2: Yeah. Mexico produces around eight hundred metric tons of prickly 190 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 2: pear every year. I think that's the fruit in the pads. 191 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:55,439 Speaker 2: Both they're farmed by some twenty thousand families who make 192 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 2: their living off of the plant, and Mexico does account 193 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 2: for about forty five percent of globalduction, followed by Italy 194 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,560 Speaker 2: at around twelve percent and South Africa at about four percent. 195 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:09,679 Speaker 2: These numbers do come from sources with different timelines, and 196 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 2: as with any agricultural product, production can change kind of rapidly. 197 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 2: For example, the industry for prickly pair is just exploding 198 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 2: in Tunisia right now. So some of these numbers are 199 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 2: from like twenty thirteen, some of them are from like 200 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 2: twenty nineteen, and I didn't find comparable numbers from both times, 201 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 2: so I don't know, I don't know numbers. There are 202 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 2: a couple of records listed that in this way that 203 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,960 Speaker 2: it seems to me that Guinness Records has just started 204 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 2: kind of farming scientific papers or like trawling scientific papers 205 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 2: for this sort of thing. But okay, so species of 206 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 2: this cactus are the most northerly natively occurring cactus in 207 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 2: the world, and other species are the most invasive cactus 208 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 2: in the world. More on that in the history section 209 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 2: related to the last time that I said that. Yeah, yep, 210 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:18,319 Speaker 2: this is not a number. But my favorite sentence of 211 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 2: the day comes from a paper on prickly pair cactus 212 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 2: from nineteen eighty six. Two sentences technically quote A wide 213 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:29,199 Speaker 2: variety of other animals have been successfully raised on the 214 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 2: cactus pads. These include sheep, pigs, horses, ostriches grown for 215 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 2: their feather plumes, and at least one circus elephant, at 216 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 2: least one at least one not willing to say only one, 217 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 2: not willing to say. 218 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: Two, right, can't say for sure, but at least one 219 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: circus elephant. 220 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 2: There are a few prickly pair festivals. I saw mentions 221 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 2: of a few that I couldn't track down more details for, 222 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 2: like maybe they're no longer running. So if you've been 223 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 2: to a cool one that we don't mention here, do 224 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 2: tell us about it. But all right. One in Superior, 225 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 2: Arizona is coming up real quick in August twenty fourth. 226 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 2: The day starts early with foraging demonstrations, moving into educational talks, 227 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 2: some food booths, some music and folklorecal dancing. Local restaurants 228 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 2: are featuring some Prickly pair specials including like a lot 229 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 2: of prickly pear sauces and jams on like tasty sounding 230 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 2: dish like ribs like a nice pear sauce on there 231 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 2: Shrimp Tacos. One in Albuquerque, New Mexico is in its 232 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 2: sixth year as of twenty twenty four. Will be happening 233 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 2: on September twenty seventh and twenty eighth. That's a Friday 234 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 2: and Saturday. It'll feature cooking demos, craft workshops including carmine dyeing, Yeah, 235 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 2: some gardening workshops for planting native species, and Prickly Nights 236 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 2: programming on Friday including music and flamenco dancing, plus of 237 00:14:56,160 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 2: course food and drink. And then another in Scottsdale, Aras 238 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 2: is going to be on October twenty eighth. This year, 239 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 2: it's more education based, with like lots of demonstrations and 240 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 2: taste tests about how to work with prickly pear and 241 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 2: other native plants. 242 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: Those all sounds so clear. 243 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 2: Right, oh right. If anyone is in the area and 244 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 2: has the chance to go, I would I would really 245 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 2: love to hear how all the demonstrations are going. And 246 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 2: if you learn something cool. 247 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: Yes, report back, please please. But I guess this brings 248 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 1: us to our much teased history. 249 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 2: Section about not food kind of it is used as 250 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 2: a food, dye. You weren't that far off base, dude, 251 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 2: I tried, I really did. All right. Yes, we are 252 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 2: going to get into that, but first we're going to 253 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 2: get into a quick break for a word from our sponsors, and. 254 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: We're back sponsored. 255 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 2: Yes, thank you. So. 256 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: Prickly pear cactus is native to the America's records as 257 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: far back as sixty five BCE indicate that people were 258 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: eating it, though some speculate people were eating it in 259 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 1: the America's up to twenty thousand years ago. Again, that's 260 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: one of those things. 261 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, hard to say. 262 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: Many early indigenous peoples in these areas farmed and used 263 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: this cactus as a food source. The whole thing, the leaves, 264 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: the pattles, the fruits as a beverage as well and yes, medicinally, 265 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: including the needles. The fruits were roasted, boiled, and dried 266 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 1: made into jams or candies, are harvested for winter, and 267 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 1: they were a good source of water too, and they 268 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: were sometimes used as a container, which I love. Oh yeah, yeah, 269 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 1: But these peoples also used the cockonaial dye generated from 270 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: the bodies and eggs of an insect that feeds on 271 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: the prickly pear cactus. And that dye is yes, karmic 272 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: acid and extracted and used in a variety of ways, 273 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: including dyeing clothes. 274 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, mictech people and what's now Mexico cultivated prickly pairs 275 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 2: specifically to develop different shades of this dye. 276 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,199 Speaker 1: Rights, And there are a lot of legends around this 277 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: cactus too. One tells the story of how it essentially 278 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: led to the founding what's now Mexico City after the 279 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:26,639 Speaker 1: Mecas witnessed an eagle eating a snake while perched on 280 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: a prickly pear cactus. Yes. When the Spanish arrived in 281 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: Mexico in the fifteen hundreds and discovered the dye for themselves, 282 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:40,359 Speaker 1: they were immediately enamored with it, shipping clothes died with 283 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,959 Speaker 1: it back to Europe. The demand reached such a point 284 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:48,120 Speaker 1: that they started shipping just the die, and the dye 285 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 1: was extremely expensive and the ships that were carrying it 286 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: were targets for attack because of that, Spain maintained control 287 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:58,440 Speaker 1: of this dye in Europe for over two hundred and 288 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 1: fifty years before other countries broke through that control and 289 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 1: it became available pretty much around the world. I read 290 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 1: in multiple places the red coats of the British used 291 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: this dye at this time. 292 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's about color. Yeah, that's about the color of carmine. 293 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 1: Yeah. Several European records from the fifteen to sixteen hundreds 294 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 1: made note of indigenous people's eating prickly pear cactus and 295 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: or drinking a fermented beverage made with it, often attripting 296 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: it to health. They would always say, like, seems like 297 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:34,200 Speaker 1: it's good for your health. Other records are strictly about 298 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 1: the medicinal attributes and uses, like treating burns, for instance. 299 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,199 Speaker 1: That was a big one. After cattle were introduced to 300 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: the Americas in the sixteen hundreds, this cactus was used 301 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:48,360 Speaker 1: as feed for them and other livestock. In some areas. 302 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 1: It was especially useful during dry seasons or in areas 303 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:56,440 Speaker 1: where it was difficult to grow much else. The plants 304 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: themselves were shipped back to Europe too, but it was 305 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: a bit of a struggle for a while getting them 306 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 1: to survive the cold and wet climates. Most had never 307 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:07,600 Speaker 1: seen a plant like it ever. 308 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, cactuses in general are native to the Americas, and 309 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 2: so this was basically the first one that made it 310 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 2: back over to Europe. And so people were like whoa, yeah, cool, Okay, 311 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 2: we didn't know that plants came like this rad It 312 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 2: did find some purchase in places like the southern Iberian 313 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:38,399 Speaker 2: Peninsula other areas around the Mediterranean coast. People were hoping 314 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 2: originally to farm cocknil insects for that carmine. It never 315 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 2: really worked out because for whatever reason, the insects did 316 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 2: not thrive in those environments. But yeah, from Spanish territories. 317 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 2: Over the next couple centuries, it was naturalized around the 318 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 2: coast of the Mediterranean, in places like Palestine as a 319 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,639 Speaker 2: fencing and for its fruit and where specifically. It is 320 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 2: still something of a national symbol. 321 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 1: Right as Europeans traveled through the Western US. Meanwhile, there 322 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: are several accounts you can find around the spines the 323 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:18,959 Speaker 1: quills of some types of cacti causing all sorts of trouble, 324 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: sticking in fingers, mouths, or throats, and even, according to 325 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:28,880 Speaker 1: some records, leading to death. Yeah, there are records from 326 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:32,439 Speaker 1: the Lewis and Clark expedition that makes several mentions of 327 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,200 Speaker 1: them and the trouble they had with them, if you 328 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 1: want to look it up. Oooh yeah, speaking of trouble, 329 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 1: the story of the prickly paar cactus in Australia is 330 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: a different one. According to the written record, the first 331 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: known instance of the prickly pair cactus in Australia was 332 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,119 Speaker 1: in seventeen eighty eight, and it was introduced primarily to 333 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:56,159 Speaker 1: kickstart their own cocknail dye industry. A few species were 334 00:20:56,160 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 1: growing by the eighteen forties, but it soon became invasive 335 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 1: and the government had to intervene, beginning with the eighteen 336 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:10,719 Speaker 1: sixty six Prickly Pair Destruction Destruction Act passed by the 337 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: New South Wales government. Yes, this act made people responsible 338 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 1: for the destruction of the cacti on their land, which 339 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 1: was not easy. No, No, that was the problem. 340 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I really need to emphasize here how much 341 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 2: of a failure this was because because it became so 342 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:36,480 Speaker 2: invasive and also it definitely no one ever got a 343 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 2: crop car mine. 344 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:42,639 Speaker 1: Out of it, no, no, and people were losing their 345 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:44,800 Speaker 1: land in places they could grow stuff. 346 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 2: Like yeah, no, I'm like, we're giggling about it, but 347 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,400 Speaker 2: it's it was actually a very serious issue. It was 348 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 2: it really sucked. 349 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:56,200 Speaker 1: It really sucked, and you can find archival pictures of 350 00:21:56,240 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: it and it's it's striking. Yes. 351 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 2: So that didn't work. 352 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 1: So the Crown offered a five thousand pounds reward for 353 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,520 Speaker 1: anyone who could come up with a way to control 354 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: these cacti in nineteen oh one. They doubled it in 355 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: nineteen oh seven, an equivalent of about two million Australian 356 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 1: dollars today. Yes. In nineteen twelve, the Prickly Pair Traveling 357 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: Commission formed to go around and study the Prickly pair 358 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: for potential weaknesses. Again, it's you're a situation but saying 359 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 1: I'm just imagining them with like magnifying glass looking at 360 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:45,640 Speaker 1: these cactime. By the nineteen twenties, the Prickly pair cactus 361 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:49,679 Speaker 1: had overtaken fifty eight million acres, meaning that yeah, this 362 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 1: land was no longer available for agriculture. Controlling the population 363 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:57,920 Speaker 1: became really, really important, and people working on solutions tried 364 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: chemicals dangerous to the land, including about thirty thoy tens 365 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:08,679 Speaker 1: each of arsenic pentoxide and Robert's improved pair poison, though 366 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: the needs of World War One temporarily put a halt 367 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 1: to all of that because that all got redirected. While 368 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 1: these chemicals did work, they weren't great for the land, 369 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,359 Speaker 1: as I said, and they were difficult to implement and 370 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,679 Speaker 1: didn't do much to stop the spread of the cacti, 371 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:28,399 Speaker 1: like they might kill some but they still spreading. Yeah, yeah, 372 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 1: But the Commission had another idea up their sleeve. They 373 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:38,359 Speaker 1: found the answer in the form of the Cacto blastis 374 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 1: moth after botanists traveled to the US and we're talking 375 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 1: to botanis there and they were like, you should check 376 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:49,439 Speaker 1: out this moth though from Argentina. So they did, and 377 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,680 Speaker 1: they had to import this moth from Argentina pre air 378 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 1: travel and run several tests before distributing ten million eggs 379 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,679 Speaker 1: in the nineteen twenties and billions more in. 380 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:00,440 Speaker 2: The fall years. 381 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 1: And I just want to note here their first test failed, 382 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: but they've tried it again. Wow, this could be a 383 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: mini series of itself. 384 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:10,880 Speaker 2: Apparently. 385 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: Yes, the eggs were wrapped in paper quills and a 386 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: pin to attach it to the cactus like they had 387 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: to be transported carefully, but it works. Nearly seven million 388 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 1: hectares of land was freed up from the cacti by 389 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty two. It's considered a huge success story in 390 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: terms of controlling an invasive plant with biological means. The 391 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: moth even has a memorial hall named after it in Australia. 392 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:44,639 Speaker 1: Wow in the headlines. I recommend looking at the headlines 393 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: because I when I saw it, I was like, I 394 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 1: must know more about this story. 395 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:57,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, this, I'll say Australia has the best worst track 396 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 2: record of getting so out of control so quickly. I'm 397 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,879 Speaker 2: reminded of the Ostrich Wars, like or I'm sorry, the 398 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,399 Speaker 2: EMU wars. Wrong. Giant bird that will kick the guts 399 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 2: out of you. 400 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, yeah, I do recommend looking up the pictures 401 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:22,120 Speaker 1: because the prickly pair cactus had taken over. 402 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 2: It has everywhere it was not to be tamed. 403 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 1: No, what a story. Well again, thanks for indulging me. 404 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:43,320 Speaker 1: Food show all right. Ostensibly extensibly in the twentieth century, 405 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:46,880 Speaker 1: in Mexico, the population of prickly pear cactus was significantly 406 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 1: impacted by the crop being snatched up and sold to 407 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 1: other markets. In response, there was a slew of efforts 408 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 1: to industrialize and commercialize this industry, including banning the foraging 409 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 1: of the prickly pear cactus in some instances and research 410 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 1: into improving the DNA of the cactus. By nineteen seventy five, 411 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: several new varieties were introduced. This is one of those 412 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:16,159 Speaker 1: things though that it sounds like it negatively impacted some 413 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,440 Speaker 1: communities that had been harvesting it without. 414 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 2: Messing things up. 415 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. 416 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 2: Sure, but it also. 417 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:27,879 Speaker 1: Helped that it was like a complicated it worked in 418 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:29,920 Speaker 1: some places and then hurt in other places. 419 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,440 Speaker 2: A lot of it, Yeah, yep. 420 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:37,399 Speaker 1: The prickly pair cactus was adopted as Texas's state plant 421 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety five, and. 422 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 2: Starting in the two thousands, some researchers started really promoting 423 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 2: the adoption of prickly pair for use as a livestock 424 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 2: fodder in the deserts of the Middle East through South Asia, 425 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:56,480 Speaker 2: as Yeah, it can grow better with fewer resources than 426 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,000 Speaker 2: lots of other types of fodder plants in those sort 427 00:26:59,040 --> 00:26:59,880 Speaker 2: of situations. 428 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, again, we would love to hear from listeners 429 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 1: who have experience with this cooking it. 430 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,720 Speaker 2: Oh yes, yes, all of vegetables, all of your recipes. 431 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 2: I you're if you have a method, if you have 432 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:25,360 Speaker 2: a method for despining it. Yes, the one, the one 433 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:27,640 Speaker 2: that I've seen popularized is just like taking a little 434 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 2: bit lighter and like burning off every little every little 435 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 2: node on a fruit. 436 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 1: But wow, okay, but. 437 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 2: I've also seen people with brushes. I've seen people with tweezers. 438 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 2: I've seen right the vegetable peeler method, all kinds of things. 439 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:49,199 Speaker 1: I love it. I love again where humans are like 440 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 1: you couldn't try to keep me from eating you, No, Nope, 441 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:57,719 Speaker 1: I would find a way. I'll do what I have 442 00:27:57,800 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 1: to do. 443 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 2: Well. 444 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 1: I guess that's what we have to say about the 445 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: prickly pear cactus for now. 446 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 2: Yes that we do already have some listener mail for you, 447 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:11,119 Speaker 2: and we are going to get into that as soon 448 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 2: as we get back from one more quick break for 449 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 2: a word from our sponsors. And we're back. 450 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you, and we're back with 451 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: snool Spiky. 452 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 2: I was desperately trying to follow you on. 453 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:42,960 Speaker 1: That I love it. I think you did a good job. 454 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 2: I took thank you. 455 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:52,600 Speaker 1: Even if you did it, that's all good. Every catch eye. 456 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 1: The spikes are in different place. 457 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 2: There they are, they are. 458 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 1: You have to watch out for them. You don't always succeed. Yeah, 459 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 1: that's exactly. There you go, There you go. That's the 460 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: true meaning. We have two messages about potato salad. 461 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 2: Yeah we do. 462 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 1: Hearing about all of your potato salad thoughts is so good, 463 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:20,040 Speaker 1: so good? Okay, so Bart wrote, you asked for an 464 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:23,240 Speaker 1: Irish perspective on mashed potato salad. So here's my on 465 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: the ground experience. It's definitely not the case that all 466 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,479 Speaker 1: potato salad here is mash, but it is true that 467 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 1: salads with waxier cubed potatoes are much rarer and treated 468 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: with suspicion by some, because we all learn as kids 469 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 1: that under cooked potatoes are dangerous, though we never seem 470 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 1: to be told why. American potato salad tends to lean 471 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:50,160 Speaker 1: into sour and tanky flavors with lots of acid and mustard, 472 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 1: while the coal saws I grew up with were all 473 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 1: mashed and all dominated by creamy, oniony flavors from mayonnaise 474 00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 1: and scallions. A more exotic coal saw might reply place 475 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 1: the scallions with fresh parsley, but mustard was just not 476 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: a flavor I ever remember encountering. Potato salads were pearly 477 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,680 Speaker 1: white with bits of green. Personally, I like to mix 478 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 1: it up and make some more traditional Irish potato salads, 479 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: some mayonnaise free, German style ones with oil, vinegar, mustard 480 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 1: and lots of dill, and some American style ones with mayo, 481 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:23,719 Speaker 1: vinegar and mustard. I primarily make potato salad to avoid 482 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: throwing out leftover potatoes, so when I have waxier leftovers, 483 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: I favor American or German styles, And when the leftovers 484 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:33,280 Speaker 1: are flower rear, I take out my fork, mash them 485 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 1: up and go Irish. It's stunning how tasty a really 486 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: simple Irish style potato salad can be. My base recipe 487 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 1: is one and a half tablespoons of mayo for each 488 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 1: one hundred grams of potato, and either one scallion per 489 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: one hundred grams, or one tablespooned gentle fresh herbs like parsley, chives, 490 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 1: or dill per one hundred grams, or one teaspoon of 491 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 1: opinionated fresh herbs like tarragon per one hundred grams. If 492 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: all else fails, even dried herbs work, but you need 493 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 1: to reduce the amount and add a little more mao 494 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 1: to make it for the dryness. Mind you, If you 495 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 1: boil your potatoes and properly salted water, they're delicious cold 496 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:11,720 Speaker 1: with literally nothing added. 497 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 2: I yeah, see above, Rea, I want to eat potatoes, yes, genuinely, Yeah, yes, 498 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:30,160 Speaker 2: oh yeah, right, Oh this is all great, great, great information. Yeah. 499 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 2: We had a minor debate in the middle of this. 500 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 2: If the word coles law was intentional does that mean 501 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 2: potato salad? 502 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: Yes, we did, and either way, love this so good? Yes, 503 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 1: And I love that you mix it up. I like 504 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 1: that you rit you know some days you're feeling one way, 505 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 1: if some days you're feeling another based on ingredients, perhaps, 506 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:59,560 Speaker 1: Oh sure, Yeah, this is fantastic. People can be so 507 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: strong and their opinions, which we appreciate. But I like 508 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 1: this too. If you know what today I'm feeling, right, 509 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:09,120 Speaker 1: there's room for all of them. There is, unless you 510 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 1: don't think there are, and then I support you in 511 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: your strong. 512 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 3: Opinion, immediate backing it unless it's true. 513 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 1: I think it's fine to have a strong opinion it's 514 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:30,120 Speaker 1: this way. I also think it's great to be like, 515 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 1: you know what, I like all these different varieties. Yeah, yeah, 516 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 1: I'm also curious about this. Undercooked potatoes are dangerous. I'm 517 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:43,480 Speaker 1: gonna have to look into that. Oh yeah, I never 518 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 1: heard that as a kid. 519 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 2: Oh oh, I definitely did. Yeah, you shouldn't eat raw potatoes. 520 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 2: That's a true statement. But I'm pretty I'm pretty sure 521 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 2: that it's due to the fact that if the eyes 522 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 2: have started to produce sprouts, then that that those sprouts 523 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 2: are toxic. But I'm not totally positive, and I probably 524 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 2: shouldn't say anything. We should just do an episode on 525 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 2: potatoes and suss it out. 526 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: Now. That is one we have been shying away from. 527 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:17,360 Speaker 2: Oh yes on purpose that No, I don't. 528 00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 1: Know if the ambition has reached that one. Like not 529 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: today potatoes, we will do in your orbits, like potato salad, yes, 530 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:28,920 Speaker 1: but not today potatoes. 531 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 2: All right, Florence wrote catching up on a few episodes, 532 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,560 Speaker 2: and with the potato salad and lemon episode being so 533 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:42,040 Speaker 2: close to each other, I had to write in I'm 534 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 2: a Canadian living in London, and most of my friends 535 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 2: here are from all over, including a few Americans. A 536 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 2: last year, we rented a house in Oxford to visit 537 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:52,320 Speaker 2: a manor house nearby, and as we were planning our meals, 538 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:55,040 Speaker 2: they had a barbecue. I offered to make a potato salad. 539 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:59,200 Speaker 2: My French friend was immediately on board. My American friends 540 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 2: not so much. They told me afterwards that none of 541 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 2: them is a fan of that classic. But all of 542 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 2: them were absolutely blown away, and one even asked for 543 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,640 Speaker 2: the recipe to cook for her family. It's my ant's 544 00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:13,880 Speaker 2: recipe and it's truly the best. Okay, it's as follows. 545 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:17,200 Speaker 2: The zest and juice of half to one lemon to taste, 546 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,480 Speaker 2: olive oil, vinegar. I usually use white wine or apple 547 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 2: side or vinegar, old fashioned mustard and salt and pepper. 548 00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 2: Emultify the dressing and pour over boiled baby potatoes, skin 549 00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:33,360 Speaker 2: on spring onions and arugula, and eat warm. It's absolutely delicious, 550 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:35,440 Speaker 2: with the tang from the lemon and the mustard, the 551 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,239 Speaker 2: bitterness from the arugula, and the softness of the potatoes. 552 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 2: We also introduced the non North Americans to s'mores. As 553 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:45,279 Speaker 2: graham crackers are not the easiest to come by, we 554 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:48,760 Speaker 2: decided to try using chocolate hobknobs a sweet oak cookie 555 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:52,080 Speaker 2: with one side coated and chocolate. I might say it 556 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 2: might have been better than the classic s'mores. Also, Hobknobs 557 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,000 Speaker 2: could be an interesting episode for you guys. It's a 558 00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:01,080 Speaker 2: quintessentially classic biscuit here in the UK, but I'm pretty 559 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:03,440 Speaker 2: certain it was introduced in the nineteen eighties and they 560 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:05,080 Speaker 2: just had a lot of marketing to present it as 561 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:08,920 Speaker 2: a traditional UK sweet. Anyway, looking forward to more episodes 562 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 2: to keep me company while I craft. 563 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,399 Speaker 1: Hobnobs. I've never heard of that, but it made me laugh. 564 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 2: Oh, oh, you've never had one. Oh, I've definitely had those. Yeah, yeah, 565 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:24,279 Speaker 2: that's that's one of those biscuits that you kind of 566 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:27,120 Speaker 2: like can't avoid when you're when you're in England. 567 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:32,520 Speaker 1: So somehow I did or maybe I had one and 568 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:35,520 Speaker 1: it just didn't know it was called a hobnob. Who knows. 569 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 1: I'm glad it turned out well. I feel like a 570 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 1: lot of people outside of when I introduce people to 571 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:45,560 Speaker 1: some wars, it's not it doesn't go over well. 572 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, this might This sounds like it was maybe a 573 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 2: little bit less a lot like a little bit less 574 00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:57,680 Speaker 2: sweet and so much perhaps and yeah, because right like 575 00:35:57,719 --> 00:35:59,920 Speaker 2: having a whole piece of chocolate and a whole marshmallow. 576 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:05,080 Speaker 2: I'm just like, whoa, yeah, I'm hypogcemic. I can't. 577 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:08,400 Speaker 1: I love some mores, but I feel like it's like 578 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 1: halfway in. I'm good, that's it. Yeah, so this maybe 579 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 1: that's what it was. But yes, that would be a 580 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 1: good topic. Definitely, absolutely, Also, this potato salad sounds delicious 581 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 1: to me. 582 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 2: I will generally speaking, that is approximately my recipe for 583 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:29,680 Speaker 2: any kind of salad dressing, more or less like maybe 584 00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 2: add some herbs in there, but that's pretty much it. 585 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:37,640 Speaker 2: And it's so good. And I've never thought about putting 586 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:42,239 Speaker 2: it on warm potatoes with arugula, but that sounds amazing. 587 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:46,680 Speaker 2: I'm like mad about how amazing that sounds due to 588 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 2: the fact that I'm not eating it right now. 589 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:53,520 Speaker 1: We have so many potato salads. 590 00:36:53,800 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 2: I love it. It's fantastics. The best problem it really 591 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:00,560 Speaker 2: really is. 592 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:09,360 Speaker 1: Yes, I all keep the potato salad recipes coming, please, please, please, 593 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:12,160 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for both of these listeners for 594 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:14,120 Speaker 1: writing in. If we would like to write to us, 595 00:37:14,239 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 1: you can our email us Hello at savorpod dot com. 596 00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 2: We're also on social media. You can find us on Twitter, 597 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,239 Speaker 2: Facebook and Instagram at saver pod and we do hope 598 00:37:23,239 --> 00:37:26,160 Speaker 2: to hear from you. Savor is production of iHeartRadio. For 599 00:37:26,239 --> 00:37:28,239 Speaker 2: more podcasts from my Heart Radio, you can visit the 600 00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:31,319 Speaker 2: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 601 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,440 Speaker 2: favorite shows. Thanks us always to our super producers Dylan 602 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:36,920 Speaker 2: Fagan and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and 603 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:47,120 Speaker 2: we hope that lots more good things are coming your way.