WTF Introduces: PITAYA. a.k.a. DRAGON FRUIT

This little pink gem is an intersting thing for a westerner to behold. It's flame-like outer shell can really intimidate the average shopper- let alone it's nick name! Cut it open, however, and you'll realize how tame and humble this dragon can be. No fire breathing, I promise. This particular fruit can even be manipulated to taste like whatever you want. Good dragon... fruit.

Is that 'white kiwi?" A common misconception that I've heard uttered a few times, but, it does look much like kiwi fruit. Besides, isn't 'white kiwi' an endangered bird?  Anyway, dragon fruit has the same seedy texture as it's little furry cousin (not feathery) but with a completely different taste. In fact, I would be hard pressed to say that dragon fruit has any taste at all. It is humbly sweet and has a muted honeydew melon-like flavor. It can easily be manipulated into any fruit dish and holds flavor well. It is delicious when paired with melon, mint and agave nectar... not to mention brilliant to look at. Who would have thought that with such a menacing exterior, the dragon fruit could have such a radiant interior?  Maybe it's that huge white flower it hails from?

Pitaya cactus can be found, now, all over the country. They were originally introduced to us by South America, Central America and Mexico. The cactus is as intersting to look at as it's fruit. I guess it's true what they say: The dragon fruit doesn't fall far from the cactus. (Am I funny, or what?) Pitaya is also nutrient rich and very, very easy to prepare. When ripe, and it needs to be ripe, it's skin peels as easily as a banana.

Thumbs UP or DOWN? Up... but with reservations. Dragon fruit is an interesting discussion food, that's for sure! Personally, I like it. I think it has a nice taste and it is super easy to work with! My only gripe is it's 6.99/lb price tag. So... I would reccomend this fruit much like I reccomended it's dragon tongue bean cousin; Buy it to impress company and make a visual statement. If you have never experienced Pitaya, by all means, pick one up and give-it-a-go! Other than that... I think you can leave the dragon in it's cave.  

  

   

FOOD NEWS: Disney "Imagineer" making YOU hungry in supermarkets to $pend more

We've all heard it before, "NEVER BUY GROCERIES ON AN EMPTY STOMACH!" Now, with this new little hunger enhancer, that saying is truer than ever. A Brooklyn supermarket is testing our olfactory system to empty our wallets. In selected aisles, little black fans are strategically placed to pipe in food fragrances. In the candy/ baking aisles, for example,  they have a "Lindt chocolate" fragrance. "Smoky bacon" is billowing in from the minute you walk into the store and "Rosemary Focaccia" is an additional scent wafting in from the bakery. I saw a segment this morning on CBS with a few customers who had the same reaction, "the smells are making me/us very hungry." And that's the idea. Makes me wonder who came up with this?

Would you believe, Disney? The mastermind behind ScentAir, the name of the company providing these intoxicating aromas, is a former Lockheed Martin rocket scientist turned Disney Imagineer. Disney is all about making your experience as enchanting as possible. ScentAir's philosophy is no different. In their "Scent Science" section, online, they claim to harness:

"...the power of emotion linked with smell - and put it to work for your business.We've helped our clients... fix problems (like making a greasy restaurant smell fresh and clean), sample fragrances (by wafting custom scents for patrons to enjoy and purchase), and sell more product...from coffee to clothes and speakers to shoes."

In the food business, isn't it a RED FLAG when a store has to mask it's odor? Natural smells are one thing, but, superimposed fragrances to "make a greasy restaurant smell fresh and clean" is totally different. Call me crazy, but, I always welcome the scent of generic PineSol in my grocery store- I know it has been cleaned. I also welcome the smell of sour milk or funky fish as a defense mechanism/ deterrent away from those would-be food purchases. 'Hard to make those rational decisions when "Lindt Chocolate" is distracting my better judgement. More importantly, are these smelly judgement infractions even safe for us?

The American Lung Association concluded that most air fresheners have negative impacts on those with lung conditions- approximately 40 MILLION Americans! I, myself, am a migraine sufferer. There are about 30 million of us. I can't even walk by a Yankee Candle without plugging my nose for fear of a migraine attack, so I avoid those stores and those products at all costs. I would be angered if my local supermarket's superficial market strategy was the result of my migraine or worse...  my child's asthma attack! Wouldn't you?

Listen, I'm all for business tactics and market strategies, but, not when it comes to disguising MY food. That's just wrong. I would be looking out for these little black hunger enhancers your grocery stores, if I were you. I'd be willing to bet this is something Giant Eagle would fiddle with? So, if you are there and start getting a headache, crave a BLT on rosemary focaccia, all while humming "it's a small world after all," you know you've found one.