1 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to favorite production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 2: I'm Anny Rey and I'm Lorn vogel Baum, and today 3 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 2: we have an episode for you about Taiwanese pineapple cake. 4 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: Yes, and I do know the answer to this, but 5 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: I will ask anyway. Was there any particular reason this 6 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: was on your mind, Lauren? 7 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, so we are running up on the lunar 8 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 2: New Year in a number of cultures. Happy cleaning and 9 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 2: cooking to anyone who is in the midst of all 10 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 2: of that, and many wishes for a sweet start to 11 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 2: your new year. 12 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: Yes. Yes, and Laura and I were discussing this is 13 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: one of my favorite times of year. I love so 14 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: many Lunar New Year foods. I don't know if I 15 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: ever had Taiwanese pineapple cake. 16 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 2: I strongly believe that I have not. I think by 17 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 2: the time I would have had exposure to them, I 18 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 2: already knew that I shouldn't really eat pineapple because it 19 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 2: makes me really sick. So this was an episode full 20 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 2: of really awful cravings, cravings of the type that I 21 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 2: cannot I cannot fulfill, at least not without risk. I yeah, so. 22 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: Yes, I always feel so bad, but you know, I'll 23 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: let you know how it is. 24 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 2: Please do, please do. It's so funny. Pineapple is the 25 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 2: one that gets people, like, of my entire list of 26 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 2: things that I can't eat, which is pretty long, like 27 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 2: like I get to pineapple and people. 28 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: Go, oh, oh, Darling. 29 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 2: I'm so sorry, and I'm like, ah, bud. 30 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: Like, yeah, it's pretty good. 31 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah it is, Yeah it is. But yes, these 32 00:01:55,520 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: pineapple cakes are a popular food during certainly Taiwani Lunar 33 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 2: New Year festivals and celebrations, and yeah, other times the 34 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 2: year as well. 35 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 1: Yeah, very celebratory, it seems. Oh yeah, yeah, but listeners 36 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,920 Speaker 1: right in let us know. As always. You can see 37 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: our past episodes on Lunar New Year's foods that we 38 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: did dim sum sure. Sure, We've done a lot of 39 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: foods related to Lunar New Year's the pineapple reducs definitely 40 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:27,239 Speaker 1: for this one. 41 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah yeah. Also crust related episodes include our 42 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 2: recent shortening Crisco episode and also shortbread. 43 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:41,239 Speaker 1: Yes, we have done quite a bit of topics. We've 44 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: tackled quite a bit of things, Lauren. 45 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 2: We have. It turns out we've been on the air 46 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 2: for eight years now. 47 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: I don't know, I've put I've built the trap and 48 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: fell into it immediately. 49 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 2: Cool. 50 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: Oh no, that's later being we'll figure that out for now. 51 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: I guess that brings us to our question a. 52 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 2: Number of questions, but yes, I guess it does, okay. 53 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: Taiwanese pineapple cake, what is it? 54 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 2: Well? Taiwanese pineapple cake is a type of baked good 55 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 2: that consists of a molded rectangular ish pastry crust, usually 56 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 2: like tender crumbly short crust pastry, surrounding a filling of 57 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 2: a sweet to tart pineapple jam. They're typically small and 58 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 2: kind of stout, single serving sized, you know, a couple 59 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: bites apiece, and baked to a nice golden brown. Generally 60 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 2: you're looking to wind up having a filling that's about 61 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 2: twice as thick as the crust surrounding it. And if 62 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 2: you're having a dissonance here over the word cake, it 63 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 2: is more what American English would call like a filled cookie, 64 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 2: or maybe like a mini pie kind of situation. The 65 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 2: pineapple jam can be sticky and jamier or softer and 66 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 2: more jelly like. The latter is often achieved by adding 67 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 2: winter melon to the jam, and this type tends to 68 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 2: be made a little bit sweeter as well. You can 69 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 2: also add extra stuff to the jam, you know, for 70 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 2: extra flavor and or texture, fruit or tea flavors, maybe 71 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 2: pieces of dried fruits or nuts, maybe a whole salted 72 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 2: egg yolk. They're often served room temperature or warm as 73 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 2: a snack alongside hot tea, and you can find them 74 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 2: individually wrapped in nice gift boxes, usually to be given 75 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 2: as like good luck beamed treats, as for the lunar 76 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 2: New Year, or as travel souvenirs. They seem like just 77 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 2: lovely morsels, you know, like like rich crust giving way 78 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,799 Speaker 2: to that bright filling with crumble and chew, like biting 79 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 2: through the golden layers of a sunset. 80 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: They sound delightful, They. 81 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:04,359 Speaker 2: Sound really nice. I understand that there's a possibility that 82 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 2: I can eat cooked pineapple better than raw pineapple, but 83 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 2: I just haven't had a day where I've wanted to 84 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 2: try it out. 85 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: A risk, for sure. Yes, you'd have to whole day. 86 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 2: Yeah no, no, literally, that's what I would have to be, like, whelp, 87 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 2: either this is going to be fine or or here 88 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 2: we are. 89 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 1: It's the roll of the dice. 90 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 2: Ah, Well, while I schedule that, let's do a very 91 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 2: quick unpacking of these main components here. Okay, so pineapple. Yes, 92 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 2: you can see our entire two episodes about pineapple for 93 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 2: more about that. But it's a really interesting fruit that's 94 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 2: made up of dozens and dozens of small individual fruits 95 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 2: that grow all smushed together off of a central stem, 96 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 2: forming this big, oblong multifruit. The outer end of each 97 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 2: fruit comes together to form a waxy rind, and the 98 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: central stem forms a tough, spiky leaves at the top 99 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,039 Speaker 2: that kind of look like a crown. You can grow 100 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 2: a new pineapple by just cutting off and planting that crown. 101 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 2: Most pineapples that we eat are in fact propagated from 102 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 2: stem shoots, not planted from seeds. There are a lot 103 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,920 Speaker 2: of varieties of pineapple. The flesh of the fruit can 104 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 2: be white to yellow to gold with juicy and variably 105 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 2: stringy segments. The flavor can range from very sweet to 106 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 2: sharply tart to kind of a bunch of both, with lovely, round, 107 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 2: tropical sort of flavors in there. When it's cooked down, 108 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:37,919 Speaker 2: it takes on these like rich caramelized flavors as well. 109 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 2: Annie is making a very happy face right. 110 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:46,479 Speaker 1: Now because it's cold outside. Such a wonderful reminder of 111 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:47,840 Speaker 1: warm Oh. 112 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, right, oh gosh. Winter Melon is a type of 113 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 2: like big, old oblongish squash. It's in the cucumber family. 114 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 2: It has a thin, tough skin and firm, juicy white 115 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 2: flesh and an inner hollow for seeds. It's fairly neutral 116 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 2: in flavor, but cooks to this really nice soft texture 117 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 2: and absorbs other flavors really well. So it's used in 118 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 2: a lot of dishes both sweet and savory, from like 119 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 2: candies to stir fries. For this jam filling, it's purae 120 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:24,239 Speaker 2: and sweetened and probably given a little bit of from 121 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 2: some kind of flavoring. They're harvested in the late summer 122 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 2: through early fall, and we'll keep for a few months 123 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 2: in a cool, dry place, So it really only makes 124 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 2: sense that it would wind up as a textural element 125 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 2: in lunar New Year treats, especially as it can be 126 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 2: a little bit less expensive than really good pineapple. Some 127 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 2: recipes for pineapple cake even replace pineapple entirely with like 128 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 2: just winter melon plus flavoring. This is controversial. More on 129 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 2: that in a second. Short crust pastry is a type 130 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 2: of pastry crust that's a crumbly or flaky and tender, 131 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 2: not stretchy and chewy. And in this particular case, you 132 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 2: are looking for crumbly, something firm enough to hold its 133 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 2: shape but not too dry. And I've seen recipes and 134 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 2: looked at photos that have appeared to be anywhere from 135 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 2: like pretty pretty crisp and crumbly to like very soft 136 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 2: and crumbly, like anywhere from like actual short bread more 137 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 2: like a like a fig Newton kind of crust. If 138 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 2: you're familiar with that type of cookie, Yeah, yeah, yeah, 139 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 2: I saw that too. But to figure out exactly what 140 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 2: we are talking about here, let's look into how these 141 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 2: cakes are made so that crust. Yes, recipes I've seen 142 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:42,839 Speaker 2: include solid fats like butter, lard and or shortening, plus 143 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 2: a fine milled flour and powdered sugar for just a 144 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 2: super tender texture, plus egg either whole eggs or just yolks, 145 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 2: and either powdered milk or condensed milk for richness. Textural 146 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 2: ingredients are uncommon, but might be added in maybe a 147 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 2: flax seed, wheat, germs, something like that. And I think 148 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 2: that you do typically wind up with a slightly softer 149 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 2: texture than a short bread cookie, partially because of the 150 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:12,440 Speaker 2: moisture you're going to get in the filling. People have 151 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 2: strong opinions about the texture and flavor of the filling. 152 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 2: I've read recipes that insist you can only get the 153 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:28,479 Speaker 2: right texture using canned pineapple, only canned. I've read arguments 154 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:32,320 Speaker 2: about what variety of fresh pineapple is the most appropriate. 155 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 2: Some people think that using winter melon in the filling 156 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 2: is like cheap or old fashioned, or like unclassy. But 157 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 2: some people love that sweeter, bouncier filling. And some people 158 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 2: furthermore really dislike any stringiness from pineapple being a parent, 159 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,959 Speaker 2: which is solved by a high winter melon content. On 160 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 2: the other hand, I have read that you will lose 161 00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:00,439 Speaker 2: the good luck of the pineapple by adding winter melon. No, 162 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 2: I don't know. 163 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 1: I didn't even think about that. 164 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 2: I know, right. Some recipes will use some brown sugar 165 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 2: for more like toasty caramel flavor. But yeah, generally the 166 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:14,440 Speaker 2: jam is cooked way down to make sure that you 167 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:18,199 Speaker 2: do get those nice, rich flavors in there. Other flavorings again, 168 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:22,559 Speaker 2: can be incorporated, from like strawberry to red wine to saffron. 169 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 2: People go wherever they want with it. I love it. 170 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 2: I don't think i've ever done like a red wine 171 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 2: and pineapple thing. Again, Oh, I missed out so many 172 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 2: pineapple opportunities. 173 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: You did, well, maybe i'll experiment. 174 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 2: Well, please do report back. 175 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 1: Okay. 176 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 2: These are assembled by taking a little bit of the 177 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 2: dough and rolling it out, and then taking a little 178 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 2: ball of the jam and wrapping it in the dough 179 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:50,439 Speaker 2: the way that you would wrap up like a dumpling, 180 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 2: and then gently pressing that sort of dumpling you've just 181 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 2: made into a square or rectangular mold, and repeating for 182 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 2: you know, basically as many molds as you have. Sometimes 183 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 2: you might stamp a little design in the top of 184 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 2: the cake or something like that. The traditional square to 185 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 2: rectangular shape often has rounded corners and is sometimes likened 186 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 2: to a little gold ingot. Yeah, you can find these 187 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,559 Speaker 2: at lots of bakeries around Taiwan, which, if you didn't 188 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 2: get the concept from me saying that they're Taiwanese pineapple cakes, yes, 189 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 2: these are from Taiwan, but you can also find them 190 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 2: online and in convenience stores, in grocery stores both local 191 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 2: and international. They can be a little pricey, but generally 192 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 2: they're not as expensive as say, like moon cake boxes. 193 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 2: Get you're looking at like ten to forty bucks ish 194 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 2: in Taiwan. Some of the bakeries offer hands on classes 195 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:47,319 Speaker 2: for both kids and adults to learn how to make 196 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 2: them too, so check that out. But you can make 197 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 2: them at home. There are lots of good sounding recipes online. 198 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,080 Speaker 2: You can buy specialty molds, which are often little like 199 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 2: individual rings that you would bake on a sheet and 200 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 2: want to flip over halfway through baking in order to 201 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 2: like brown and flatten both the top and bottom. But 202 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 2: I think like a mini muffin tin or like a 203 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 2: mini tart tin situation would probably work too. 204 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, I can see that. Yeah. I did love reading 205 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,439 Speaker 1: pretty much every article I read, somebody had their favorite 206 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: bakery that is where you oh yeah, oh yeah, that 207 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: is the one. 208 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 2: Uh huh yeah. And there's newer ones and older ones, 209 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 2: and different levels of sweetness and different types of pineapples 210 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 2: and different types of bakery cafe experiences. And we didn't 211 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 2: put a whole lot of that in here, but if 212 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 2: anyone has personal experience, oh my goodness, right in please? 213 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: Oh okay, well what about the nutrition? 214 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 2: Treats are nice? Treats are nice, and these are small 215 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 2: you know. 216 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: Yes, I also read somewhere that people have opinions about 217 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: how you should eat them. Oh really yeah, like do 218 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 1: you take it out of the wrapper or you just 219 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: eat two bytes? Oh? 220 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:11,839 Speaker 2: Oh interesting? Oh I didn't read that, no tea. 221 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:16,280 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, so write in about that. Team listeners absolutely 222 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 1: giving you a lot of homework for this one. We 223 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 1: do have some numbers for you. 224 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 2: We do so littar. New Year in Taiwan is a 225 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 2: big deal. It's like a I read. I read a 226 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 2: few different concepts of exactly how long it kind of lasts, 227 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 2: but the average was sort of sixteen days. It's like 228 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:38,839 Speaker 2: a sixteen day ish celebration, often including five ish days 229 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 2: off of work, including New Year's Eve through the fourth 230 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 2: day of the New Year, with different kind of activities 231 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 2: sculpted out for each day. There are lots of festive 232 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 2: markets and like street performances, and you visit family, and 233 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 2: there's gifts and lots of feasting, including a lot of 234 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 2: symbolic foods, and one of those is pineapple, and the 235 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 2: fruit in many iterations is a popular New Year's gift. 236 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 2: And beyond, like basically anytime that you're wishing someone incoming 237 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 2: prosperity due to a little bit of a pun that 238 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 2: we're going to cover in the history section. These cakes 239 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 2: are also popular at other celebratory times of the year. 240 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 2: There's been a government sponsored pineapple cake festival every late 241 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 2: summer in Typee since two thousand and six, times to 242 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 2: hit right before the mid autumn festival. As of twenty eleven, 243 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 2: they hosted ninety six bakeries competing for awards for their 244 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 2: pineapple cakes at this festival. 245 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: It sounds like it's a big deal. We'll talk about 246 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 1: it a bit more in the history section. Yeah, oh, 247 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: it sounds beautiful. These days, there are automated pineapple cake 248 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: production line machines on the market that will portion out 249 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 1: and mold and sometimes bake cakes at a rate of 250 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: up to the highest number I saw I was four thousand, 251 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: two hundred an hour. WHOA to be fair, I wasn't 252 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 1: like scouring industry literature, but that sounded impressive to me. 253 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: It does. It does sound impressive. 254 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 2: As of twenty thirteen, the bakeries around Taiwan that specialize 255 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 2: in pineapple cake shared a total revenue of one point 256 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:28,680 Speaker 2: two billion dollars a year. Around that time, one popular 257 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 2: newer bakery, Sunny Hills, was making fifty thousand pineapple cakes 258 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 2: every day, or about eight million a year. Uh huh yep. 259 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 2: And this next Okay, so I wanted to say this out. 260 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 2: I don't remember which bakery this was for, but I 261 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 2: swear that I saw that one bakery's all time high 262 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 2: of pineapple cakes sold in a day was one hundred thousand. 263 00:15:58,040 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: Oh by. 264 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a lot. There are some of these places, 265 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 2: there are like lines around the block, like on a 266 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 2: daily basis for so. Yeah, there is a world record 267 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 2: for the largest map of Taiwan made out of pineapple cakes. 268 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 2: It was two point four meters long or about seven 269 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 2: feet ten inches. It was constructed in twenty ten in Taipei, 270 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 2: apparently for a celebration of International Migrants Day. That's nice. 271 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: You gotta love these specific records, you really do. 272 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, beautiful, And yes, generally speaking, Taiwan loves some pineapple 273 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 2: and consumes about three hundred thousand metric tons of it 274 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 2: a year. 275 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 1: Wow, Well, pineapple is good. They're not wrong. 276 00:16:57,760 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 2: They're not wrong. Oh, they're not wrong. 277 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: And there's quite a history and a reason as to 278 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:05,359 Speaker 1: why this may be. 279 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 2: Yes, and we are going to get into that in 280 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 2: a history section, which we are going to get into 281 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 2: as soon as we get back from a quick break 282 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:22,880 Speaker 2: for a word from our sponsors, and we're back. 283 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you, and again see our 284 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 1: Pineapple Redux episode. But very very briefly, pineapple originated in 285 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:34,480 Speaker 1: South America, and because of the pain and cost of 286 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: transporting it elsewhere and its overall appearance in some places, 287 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: a lot of them Western places, it really became associated 288 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 1: with luxury and hospitality. However, that's not really what happened here. 289 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:50,360 Speaker 1: The pineapple was introduced to Taiwan in the sixteenth century 290 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: by the Portuguese Portuguese traders, perhaps through Malaysia. After the 291 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 1: Portuguese introduced it there, I saw a couple of different accounts. 292 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:03,120 Speaker 1: The climate allowed for pineapple to successfully grow in Taiwan, 293 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 1: and by the eighteen seventies it was widely cultivated. 294 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 2: Pretty soon after cultivation really picked up, canning operations were 295 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 2: started up as well, by like the eighteen nineties, which 296 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 2: is relatively early. 297 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 1: Yes, and because the Taiwanese Hokkien dialect of Chinese ascribed 298 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: pineapple with the meaning of prosperity arrives, or fortune comes, 299 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,120 Speaker 1: it became associated with good luck. 300 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's a homophone, possibly a homonym I saw, 301 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 2: I saw both. I really think it's a homophone. We 302 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 2: have plenty of both of these in like Latin and 303 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 2: Germanic based languages, but it's perhaps even more common in 304 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:48,159 Speaker 2: languages that do use characters or logographs in their writing, 305 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 2: like Chinese and related languages. 306 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:53,879 Speaker 1: And as we know with a lot of these Lunar 307 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: New Year episodes, a lot of the foods associated with 308 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 1: this holiday have some wordplay and or level of thing involved, 309 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: which I love. 310 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, oh yeah, y'all know that we love that. 311 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:12,440 Speaker 1: Yes, right up our alley. The Japanese colonization of Taiwan 312 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:17,200 Speaker 1: also influenced the Taiwanese pineapple cake. Japan colonized Taiwan from 313 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: eighteen ninety five to nineteen forty five with a goal 314 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: of transforming Taiwan into a model colony by industrializing it 315 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 1: and making it really profitable despite its small size. As 316 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: part of this, they set up several pineapple processing plants, 317 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:37,680 Speaker 1: and the industry really took off despite its size. Taiwan 318 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: grew to be the third largest exporter of processed pineapple 319 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,879 Speaker 1: by the nineteen thirties. It helped that these factories implemented 320 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: modern canning technology in the nineteen twenties. 321 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, Taiwan was producing some one point six million cases 322 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:56,200 Speaker 2: of canned pineapple a year. By the late nineteen thirties. 323 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: However, they were kind of limited to where they could 324 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: export two outside of Japan and some parts of Asia. 325 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,160 Speaker 1: The industry took a hit during World War Two as well, 326 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:09,159 Speaker 1: since the metal used for the cans instead went to 327 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:13,200 Speaker 1: the war effort, and pineapple cultivation was largely swapped out 328 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: for grains at the time. 329 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. Also, a number of canning factories were bombed during 330 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:17,880 Speaker 2: the course of the war. 331 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:22,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. Still, soon after the end of the Japanese occupation 332 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: of Taiwan in the end of World War II, pineapple 333 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:27,880 Speaker 1: production was in full swing again. 334 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. The industry wound up, peaking in nineteen seventy one 335 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 2: with production of four million cases of canned pineapple a year. 336 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:41,919 Speaker 1: There were some challenges though, Beginning in the seventies, a 337 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:46,160 Speaker 1: growing focus on manufacturing led some farmers to leave agricultural 338 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:50,160 Speaker 1: areas for cities. On top of that, in the nineteen eighties, 339 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: rising competition from Southeast Asia really hit Taiwan's pineapple industry hard, 340 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: and they pivoted to focusing on selling the fresh pineapple 341 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 1: domestically and then exporting their rest, which was the opposite 342 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: of what they had been doing. Government agricultural agencies also 343 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: pushed for farmers to grow new varieties of pineapple to 344 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:13,640 Speaker 1: sell fresh. They were producing so much pineapple that there 345 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: was a surplus even after exporting to a wider range 346 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 1: of countries, and people started trying to find ways to 347 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,440 Speaker 1: use up any extra and this led to a bunch 348 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 1: of things like fermented pineapple, pineapple sauces, pineapple and drinks, 349 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: and according to the story pineapple cake. These early pineapple 350 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: cakes consisted of a pineapple paste inside a cake, but 351 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 1: sometimes the filling was a little too stringy and or 352 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 1: sour for people, so producers started looking to other ingredients, 353 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: and one of them that a lot of them landed 354 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: on was winter melon, which is native to South Asia. 355 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: The fiber of the winter melon is not as stringing 356 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: and its water content is around ninety percent, so the 357 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: bakers would cook the melon to get rid of the 358 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,359 Speaker 1: water and then simmer it with pineapple, sugar and whatever 359 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: other ingredients until it reached the desired consistency. This produced 360 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 1: a better texture for the filling that was still yellow 361 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 1: and still tasted like pineapple and yeah, there were a 362 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: lot of reasons that pineapple cakes became popular, not just 363 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: because of the Luck Association. One was that they're easy 364 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:29,159 Speaker 1: to transport, like they were a big tourist item. Oh yeah, 365 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 1: and they're simple but a lovely gift to give. I 366 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,879 Speaker 1: read that they were popular at weddings. They keep well. 367 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:37,680 Speaker 1: I read somewhere fifteen days. 368 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 2: Yeah. 369 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:42,960 Speaker 1: So yeah, they're nice, they're lovely, nice treats. Yeah, it 370 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 1: makes sense. Oh and then the Type City government launched 371 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 1: the Pineapple Cake Cultural Festival in two thousand and six 372 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:55,919 Speaker 1: to bring more attention to the good and its producers. 373 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 1: The idea came from the TYPEI Bakery Association after its 374 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: members realize that a lot of visitors to Taiwan were 375 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 1: purchasing the cakes. From what I understand, there's a theme 376 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,639 Speaker 1: every year, which is fun and allows the bakers to 377 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:11,919 Speaker 1: experiment with different flavors and ingredients and even shapes. The 378 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:15,200 Speaker 1: bakers compete for prizes, yes, like the most creative. 379 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. Past theme ingredients have included tea, flowers and rice. 380 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 2: I think birds was the theme in twenty fourteen, not 381 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 2: as an ingredient but as a concept. Entries included chicken, 382 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 2: shaped pineapple cakes with chestnut in the filling and Angry 383 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 2: Birds shaped pineapple cakes with a sweet and sour filling. 384 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: I love it also, not as an ingredient but a 385 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:49,919 Speaker 1: concept is I got to put that on something that's fantastic. 386 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:57,200 Speaker 1: Another thing addressed at this festival how much pineapple needed 387 00:23:57,200 --> 00:24:01,680 Speaker 1: to be used for the filling. Yes. Over time, winter 388 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 1: melon had become the primary ingredient in the filling, but 389 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 1: the bakers still wanted to make sure pineapple was included. 390 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: As you mentioned, there are a lot of strong opinions 391 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 1: about this, and it was sort of like framed as 392 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 1: going back to the original pineapple cake, but the baker's 393 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 1: experimented and eventually landed on twenty percent pineapple and twelve 394 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:26,159 Speaker 1: percent or lower water content. 395 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a pretty jammy jam in any case. If 396 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 2: I didn't make that super clear earlier, Yes, Yes. 397 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: Around the twenty tens, there was a growing desire amongst 398 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:42,239 Speaker 1: bakers to go back to using more pineapple. Yes, and 399 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:47,399 Speaker 1: now there were more varieties to experiment with more pineapple varieties. 400 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 1: Different bakeries chose their favorite or favorites or favorite mixtures 401 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: of those pineapples, and some of them really became well 402 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: known for their specific fillings, the sourness, the sweetness, whatever 403 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:00,240 Speaker 1: it is. 404 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, some shops work with local farms to support like 405 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 2: really specific varieties and I love that. 406 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. Meanwhile, there's also been a lot of innovation when 407 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: it comes to the ingredients in the fillings, with things 408 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: like cranberry getting into the mix. A lot of things, 409 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: but that was one that stuck out to me. Yeah, 410 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: and different types of crust too, new shapes like coins 411 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: or dog bones. Even the packaging, some of the packaging 412 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: is really cool. I recommend looking it up more high 413 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:30,359 Speaker 1: end options as well. 414 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, the automated machinery to make these snacks has become 415 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 2: a pretty big business as well, especially as they have 416 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:39,959 Speaker 2: become more popular in foreign markets and people have been 417 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:44,960 Speaker 2: wanting to make them in other places. And during this 418 00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 2: whole time, the Taiwanese government has definitely leaned into the 419 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 2: pineapple cake as like a cultural icon or like kind 420 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:56,719 Speaker 2: of soft power move in promoting relations with and travel 421 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 2: to Taiwan, and it's apparently been pretty successful. Bakeries saw 422 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,080 Speaker 2: a growth of something like twelve to fifteen times the 423 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:08,880 Speaker 2: sales of pineapple cakes over the five year period from 424 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 2: twenty six to twenty eleven, and all of this is 425 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 2: probably why we're able to find a bunch of material 426 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,200 Speaker 2: for this episode. 427 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 1: Yep, yep, I suspect you are correct. Uh okay. So 428 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:27,480 Speaker 1: this episode was hard not to make into a whole 429 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 1: thing about pineapple specifically in Taiwan, and that's just going 430 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 1: to have to be its own thing. However, I did 431 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 1: want to include this note. It's pretty complicated and not 432 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 1: strictly related to what we're talking about, but in twenty 433 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:44,880 Speaker 1: twenty one, China banned the import of gold and diamond 434 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:49,159 Speaker 1: pineapples from Taiwan, which is pretty devastating because about ninety 435 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: seven percent of these cultivars at the time were exported 436 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 1: from Taiwan and into China. 437 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:01,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's part of like a larger pressure from China 438 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 2: for Taiwan to unify with them. The whole thing is 439 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:05,639 Speaker 2: real complicated. 440 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: Extremely because of this, eating pineapples became something kind of 441 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:16,440 Speaker 1: patriotic in Taiwan and they were called freedom pineapples. There 442 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 1: has also been claims of China stealing proprietary cultivars from 443 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 1: Taiwanese growers and growing them in China. There's a lot 444 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 1: of good articles about this. If you want to read 445 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: more about it. But pineapple cake did get kind of 446 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:31,880 Speaker 1: involved in this whole thing as well. 447 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:36,960 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, sure sure, especially as you know, like right, 448 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:40,160 Speaker 2: like like the the new and different cultivars of pineapple 449 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:44,879 Speaker 2: are absolutely a source of pride amongst amongst growers and 450 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 2: and just people who enjoy these products. And this one 451 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 2: like really popular new cultivar that apparently has very little 452 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:58,439 Speaker 2: fiber content and tastes like mango, oh yeah, was one 453 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 2: of the ones that was purportedly stolen, and people are 454 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 2: people are feeling a number of ways about it, which, 455 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 2: as is their. 456 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:17,639 Speaker 1: Right, absolutely absolutely future episode for us to tackle perhaps. 457 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:21,399 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, and not in the pineapple cake episode, not today, 458 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:22,679 Speaker 2: not today. 459 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,200 Speaker 1: But while that is what we have to say about 460 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:28,280 Speaker 1: the pineapple cake for now, we really would love to 461 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: hear from you listeners. 462 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, yes, especially since this is a thing 463 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 2: that we that neither of us have experience with. Please 464 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:36,160 Speaker 2: do please do let us know. 465 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 1: Yes, and also whatever you're doing for Lunar New Years 466 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: if you are, oh yeah. 467 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 2: Too, yeah yeah, yeah, oh goodness. That is what we 468 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,720 Speaker 2: have to say about pineapple cake for now, though, But 469 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 2: we do have some listener mail for you already and 470 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:53,959 Speaker 2: we are going to get into that as soon as 471 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:55,640 Speaker 2: we get back from one more quick break for a 472 00:28:55,680 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 2: word from our sponsors, and we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, 473 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:08,840 Speaker 2: thank you. 474 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 1: And we're back with a listener. 475 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 2: Man. 476 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, celebration. Christine wrote. In Australia we call ketchup tomato sauce, 477 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: and there are people who put tomato sauce on everything. 478 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: I mean everything. There is even tomato sauce ice cream. 479 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: One very common delicacy is the tomato sauce sandwich. This 480 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: is white bread, lots of butter, then tomato sauce squirted 481 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: on the bread and spread across the butter. If you 482 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 1: like lots of sauce, extra butter is recommended to form 483 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: a barrier between the bread and the sauce. I don't 484 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:56,880 Speaker 1: like them, but if there's ever a time machine, that 485 00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: you should go back in time to feed young anyone. Yes, 486 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 1: young Annie loved that. 487 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, the ketchup sandwich is definitely a thing in 488 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:13,080 Speaker 2: the US. I wouldn't necessarily call it a delicacy, and 489 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:16,720 Speaker 2: I'm not sure how often the butter part gets involved, 490 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 2: but for sure I would say that something that a 491 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 2: lot of people who grew up with not a lot 492 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 2: of resources in their family, something that they either fondly 493 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 2: or unfondly remember is a ketchup sandwich kind of situation. 494 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 1: As I said in the episode, I would do this, 495 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: but I didn't know about the butter, and structurally you're 496 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 1: right that way. 497 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 2: Oh yes, yeah, I wish I had. 498 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:47,640 Speaker 1: I wish I had known about this innovation the butter. 499 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 2: Next time around, get that old time machine going, I'll 500 00:30:54,360 --> 00:31:03,320 Speaker 2: blow her mind. Mary wrote, I took the non pun 501 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 2: loving husband to Dublin. He has been exposed to enough 502 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 2: savor that when we were walking through the Guinness Brewery 503 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:11,240 Speaker 2: tour and they talked about yeast, he giggled when I 504 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 2: quietly said yeast pooh. I have attached as many pictures 505 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:21,000 Speaker 2: of food as possible to this email. We had proper 506 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:23,800 Speaker 2: fish and chips with malt vinegar, a batter burger, a 507 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 2: burger patty dipped in the batter for the fish, and 508 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:30,160 Speaker 2: then deep fried and lard veggie sausage, roll and blueberry muffin, 509 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 2: and flat white and espresso cheese tasting zoom in for details. 510 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:39,479 Speaker 2: Fresh oysters that were eaten with red wine vinegar, onion, chutney, cottle, 511 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:43,360 Speaker 2: and the best crimbrulet I've ever had. Part of these 512 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 2: things were tasted on a food tour that was hosted 513 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:48,320 Speaker 2: by the sweetest woman. She gave us history as well 514 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 2: as taking us to hole in the wall of food 515 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 2: places we never would have found otherwise. If you want 516 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 2: that information, let me know and I'll send you her info. 517 00:31:55,560 --> 00:32:04,840 Speaker 1: Ooo oh my, the food did look amazed, just dreamy, 518 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: just so. So many different cravings are happening right now. 519 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, one of each, please, one of each. I'm 520 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 2: not sure how to I'm not sure how to feel 521 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 2: about the batter burger, to be honest, but. 522 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 1: I'd give it a go. 523 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:22,240 Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, I'm saying I would. I'm not saying I wouldn't. 524 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, you're just I'm sure what the outcome would be. 525 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that might be like like like chicken, Like 526 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:34,959 Speaker 2: fried chicken in a sandwich is a little bit too 527 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:40,160 Speaker 2: much for me. So I feel like fried burger in 528 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:43,080 Speaker 2: a sandwich would be a little bit too too much. 529 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 1: But uh well, maybe one day we'll see many experiments throughout. 530 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 2: I can only hope. I can only hope. 531 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:56,480 Speaker 1: Oh oh yes, yes, But thank you for sending the pictures. 532 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 2: Thank you for for breathing the word east poop into Yes, 533 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 2: distill he the Guinness bury. 534 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, Savor, we've done it. We've done it, and 535 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: it sounds like you had a lovely time. Uh so, Yeah, 536 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 1: you're a good food tour. 537 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:19,840 Speaker 2: Oh right right, the nice, knowledgeable human person who just 538 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 2: really cares about the local places. 539 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: It's the best. Yes, And you can tell the non 540 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:31,040 Speaker 1: pun loving husband it's okay. You're glad that he at 541 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: least slaps that you would. 542 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, yeah. It took me years of working with 543 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:40,000 Speaker 2: first Jonathan Strickland and then Annie for me to come 544 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:40,840 Speaker 2: around to puns. 545 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's all right, Yeah, it's okay. Well, thank you 546 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: to both of these listeners for writing, and if you 547 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:51,320 Speaker 1: would like to write to us, you can our emails 548 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:52,920 Speaker 1: hello at saborpod dot com. 549 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 2: We're also on social media. You can find us on 550 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:59,520 Speaker 2: Instagram and blue Sky at savor pod and we do 551 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:02,840 Speaker 2: hope to hear from you. Savor is a production of iHeartRadio. 552 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, you can visit the iHeartRadio app, 553 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:09,520 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 554 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:12,719 Speaker 2: Thanks as always to our super producers Dylan Fagan and 555 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:15,359 Speaker 2: Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and we hope 556 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 2: that lots more good things are coming your way.