I cooked today.

[Jerome Marot]

Yes, I posted about pepper sauce earlier in this thread and a picture of the yellow ones here:

Texas Pete

Perhaps a cure for Covid...?

openphotographyforums.com

 

[Deleted member 55]

I ate today!

 

[Maggie Terlecki]

Oh, Will, I want to come over for supper, I love seafood especially with garlic butter ... oh my!

 

[Jerome Marot]

Technically, I did not cook today, as these are eaten raw. They are called "violets" and are closer to vertebrates than to mollusks. Would think about eating one?

A violet in its natural state. Some rocks can be seen on the left-hand side, where it was attached.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Technically, I did not cook today, as these are eaten raw. They are called "violets" and are closer to vertebrates than to mollusks. Would think about eating one?

View attachment 10046​

A violet in its natural state. Some rocks can be seen on the left-hand side, where it was attached.

What does it taste like and is it eaten with sauce like oysters?

Is it eaten alive or just raw?

BTW, certain Crustacea and mollusks are now considered likely to be sentient like mammals!

Asher

 

[Jerome Marot]

Violets and oysters are certainly not sentient as their nervous system is quite rudimentary. There is a wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcosmus_sabatieri

The taste is a bit acid but otherwise difficult to describe. Only the inside is edible. I opened the one above by cutting it into 2 parts with a sharp knife:

 

[Asher Kelman]

Violets and oysters are certainly not sentient as their nervous system is quite rudimentary. There is a wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcosmus_sabatieri

The taste is a bit acid but otherwise difficult to describe. Only the inside is edible. I opened the one above by cutting it into 2 parts with a sharp knife:

View attachment 10049​

Would you recognize it was some sort of raw seafood if you were blindfolded?

Do you add any herb sauce?

 

[Asher Kelman]

Jérôme,

I looked up violets and discovered this testimony.

“ If you love oysters and savor the lusciousness of Uni (sea urchin roe), you'll find the Mediterranean shellfish Violet heavenly. But if you haven't yet worked your way up to Uni in the sushi spectrum, proceed with caution, they're a bit of an acquired taste. Lonely Planet describes them as "rubber dipped in ammonia". Cretins.

Roughly the size and shape of a smallish potato, the Violet's exterior is dark and leathery. Cut in half, the strong, briny, orange innards are scooped out with a special little spoon. Whether consumed in concert with the other treasures of a grand plateau or just on their own, Violets are truly sublime.”

 

[Jerome Marot]

Would you recognize it was some sort of raw seafood if you were blindfolded?

I think I would, but probably by elimination. The texture is nothing like a plant and there are few animal products that have the consistency and are eaten raw, none of which come from land animals. This being said, humanity makes truly weird stuff by fermenting milk, so there is that.

Do you add any herb sauce?

That seems like a great idea, but I did not think about it.

Quite frankly, Asher, I only eat violets when I visit my mother. On the local market, there is a single guy who catches and sells them. It is the only place where I know to find them and the guy is not there every day. They are expensive and this time I only bought two for the photograph. While the taste is nice, I am not planning to make them a regular diet.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I think I would, but probably by elimination. The texture is nothing like a plant and there are few animal products that have the consistency and are eaten raw, none of which come from land animals. This being said, humanity makes truly weird stuff by fermenting milk, so there is that.




That seems like a great idea, but I did not think about it.

Quite frankly, Asher, I only eat violets when I visit my mother. On the local market, there is a single guy who catches and sells them. It is the only place where I know to find them and the guy is not there every day. They are expensive and this time I only bought two for the photograph. While the taste is nice, I am not planning to make them a regular diet.

If you don’t eat them regularly you will not be able to acquire that sublime appreciation they talk about, 😂!

 

[Asher Kelman]

Where are they found?

Are they cultivated or found wild?

Asher

 

[Jerome Marot]

If you don’t eat them regularly you will not be able to acquire that sublime appreciation they talk bout, 😂!

OTOH, I never thought they were "rubber dipped in ammonia". And I had it tried by other people who never eaten them, like my mother, and they all found it peculiar, but nice.

They live in the wild and are caught by hand by divers in the rocky coasts of the mediterranean sea. Explains the price.

 

[Asher Kelman]

OTOH, I never thought they were "rubber dipped in ammonia". And I had it tried by other people who never eaten them, like my mother, and they all found it peculiar, but nice.

They live in the wild and are caught by hand by divers in the rocky coasts of the mediterranean sea. Explains the price.

If from deep waters, may explain apparent lack of fear of contamination by pathogens of humans. That’s a serious problem when shellfish and the like are harvested in more shallow river estuaries and coastal waters which also are contaminated by effluent overflow from sewers.

Amazing how early man developed fishing capability in deep waters.

In fact, in some areas, like the Bajau people in the Philippines, the successful deep divers are naturally selected and now have larger spleens to hold more oxygenated blood for routine 13 minute dives!

Asher

 

[Jerome Marot]

If from deep waters, may explain apparent lack of fear of contamination by pathogens of humans. That’s a serious problem when shellfish and the like are harvested in more shallow river estuaries and coastal waters which also are contaminated by effluent overflow from sewers.

This article only speaks about bivalve shellfish and violets are not even mollusks. I do eat bivalve shellfish raw, because I eat oysters (there is a previous post in this thread). They are routinely checked for contamination in France, there is an inspection label on each batch. I do not eat mussels raw, even in France, because even with the checks there are too many people getting sick.

 

[Asher Kelman]

This article only speaks about bivalve shellfish and violets are not even mollusks. I do eat bivalve shellfish raw, because I eat oysters (there is a previous post in this thread). They are routinely checked for contamination in France, there is an inspection label on each batch. I do not eat mussels raw, even in France, because even with the checks there are too many people getting sick.

Great to know the French do those checks. What about in Munich? What’s available and for sure Germany must be fastidious!

 

[Jerome Marot]

Munich has very few places selling shellfish and oysters are considered a luxury item in Bavaria and subject to a special tax. OTOH, you can eat raw pork meat as the animals are checked for parasites.

Germany grows oysters in the north and I would think they are checked as well.

 

[Jerome Marot]

Ostrea edulis versus Magallana gigas.

​

 

[Asher Kelman]

Elegant palette!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Asher Kelman: “Lamb, Sautéed Spinach & Zucchini”​