c/brave-new-eats

The seaweed snack that made me check my salt habit

I've been eating those roasted seaweed packs for years, thought they were a healthy snack. But last week I looked at the back of the package out of boredom and saw 380mg of sodium per serving. That's like a third of what you should have in a whole day, and I was eating two packs at a time at my desk in Austin. I had no idea, figured seaweed was just leaves and air. Then I read that some brands use soy sauce spray to make them taste better, and that's where the salt hides. Anyone else been fooled by something that seemed obviously healthy?

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rosebarnes•3d ago

The tamale lady on 5th Avenue changed my mind about spicy food

I always thought I hated anything with real heat, but last Saturday I walked past this little cart on 5th and 42nd and the smell just pulled me in. The lady handed me a sample of her pork tamale with that red salsa, and I couldn't say no. One bite and I was sweating, but somehow I finished the whole thing and went back for another. Has anyone else had a food experience that just flipped their whole taste preference around?

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morgan_bailey93•4d ago

The $9 jar of fermented chili crisp that humbled my spice ego

I spent years thinking I was tough when it came to heat, so when my coworker from Chicago brought this tiny jar of fermented chili crisp to the break room, I laughed at the price tag. Nine bucks for something that looked like oily red sludge with floaty bits, and I told her I could get the same thing at the corner market for half that. Then I put a spoonful on a plain rice cake just to prove a point, and my mouth went through three phases of surprise, first the crunch of the garlic and onion bits, then this slow smoky warmth that built up, and finally a zing that made my eyes water but not in a bad way. The fermentation adds this funky depth you can't get from just crushing up dried peppers, and I actually went back to that store in Chicago last weekend just to buy three more jars. So I'm wondering, has anyone else found a condiment that made you completely rethink how much you actually know about heat or flavor combinations?

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diana_black•4d ago

Braved the durian at a 99 Ranch in Monterey Park

I stood in the produce aisle for 10 minutes trying to decide between the frozen jackfruit and a whole durian. Picked the durian because it was on sale for $18 and I figured I'd regret not trying it. The smell hit me like a dumpster behind a seafood place, but honestly the custard texture was kinda good. Has anyone else been tricked by the hype into buying something weird and actually liking it?

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