Food News Roundup: Durian Pizza, Censored Kewpie, Brexit Food Taxes
The food world is seeing some ups and downs, some breakups and some changes. Small businesses in England want Britain and the EU to stay together for the kids while a Chinese farmer's son is trying to find love with a magic mushroom. Naked babies are a little too scandalous for America.
British small businesses don't want to stop seeing the EU
Across the pond in England, British voters are deciding whether or not they will remain in the European Union or break it off in the Brexit poll. NBC News reports that the separation from the EU could mean dark days for small business like beer brewers Sasha and Ali Kocho-Williams. Because of Britain's current membership in the EU, the Kocho-Williamses don't need to pay extra fees and taxes to import their product into Europe or purchase equipment and ingredients. If voters decide to leave the EU, this could lead to new taxes on imported goods and could lead to small business owners shutting down for good.
America: Cover up, Kewpie
Americans have long been viewed as prudish and xenophobic, so much so that a Japanese mayonnaise company has had to censor the naked cherub-like logo on its new American-produced products. According to RocketNews24, the new logo is a waving baby, sans wings, from the chin up. The logo is also used on the Malaysian packaging.
Stinkin' good eats in Hong Kong
If you're familiar with Southeast Asian fruits, you've probably come across the equally loathed and loved mace lookalike that is the durian. When cracked open, the fruit presents itself as bright yellow soft sacks of deliciousness (or rotting garbage, depending on your tastes). It's often eaten as is or in ice cream form. However, according to the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong chefs have taken it upon themselves to add it to dishes such as curry fried crabs, cheese-baked big-head shrimp, fried rice and cheese deep-fried spring rolls. And that's all at just one restaurant — a Thai seafood joint called Thai Yuen. Other dishes include durian cheese pizza and durian chicken pot.
World-class chefs source from a world-class farm
All great chefs care about how tjeor ingredients are grown and where they come from. So much so that they'll often source from a single farm, like the Chef's Garden in Huron, Ohio. The 300-acre family farm is the source of vegetables for chefs including Daniel Boulud, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Alain Ducasse. Video producers Great Big Story took a peek at what it's like to run such an esteemed farm. Check out the video below.
One fun guy looking for a wife
Many think of gifting dowries when marrying off one's daughter as archaic and downright sexist. A Chinese farmer is looking to flip that script and is willing to trade her found treasure of a 176-pound magic longevity mushroom for a life partner for her son. The Daily Mail reports that the farmer found the Tai Sui mushroom while fishing. The mushroom is used for its medicinal properties in China and Japan and is believed to lengthen one's life.