Weird Stuff

I am constantly amazed at things that I stumble across that I didn't know. Do you ever do that? Just discover something one day you had never thought of but when you realise it... well... it blows your mind a little bit. For me it happens all the time. Like when a friend told me to peel a banana like a monkey - from the bottom not the top. This means all those strings you normally peel off separately come off naturally. See, monkeys are smart and my I was amazed that I had never,in my entire life done that! Outsmarted by a monkey... oh don't laugh, you would have been too. But seriuosly, it just amazes me that I didn't know, and for years had been annoyed by having to peel those little strings as well.

Okay here's another example.

Cashews. One day I was innocently wandering around a Central American market looking at all the fresh fruit and veggies, the colour, the vibrancy of it all when I look over and see these... weird fruit. They smelt sweet so I assumed they were fruit.

Vibrant sunset colours met my eyes and I was instantly in love so asked 'que es eso?' (what is that?) and the old lady with a million wrinkles looked at me, her wizened face smiled gently and she said 'marañon' which is Spanish for cashew. Now my Spanish is not fantastic so it took me a second, and to make sure I askes my friend to clarify that it was indeed what I thought it was... then... mind blown!

I had never thought of it before. I had not once in my life thought of what a cashew looked like when growing on the tree. Or if it in fact they even grew on trees. They could grow on vines, dangling from tree trunks or even hanging off a draping creeper for all I knew. But once I saw it the revelation was mind blowing... the nut grew on the outside. How weird is that!

Once again I was amazed that I didn't know that. I had always just assumed they grew inside like macadamia's or almonds or most other nuts. But no, this little weirdness has the nut outside hanging off the bottom unlike anything I'd ever seen. I love it! How did I got through my entire life and not know this?

Here's another one. Cacao. The bean which isn't actually a bean. You know, like coffee beans or vanilla beans... they're beans that aren't like the other beans so what I have come to call a 'not bean' although its' a bean. Oh god, I'll stop now, I'm getting myself confused with all this bean talk.

The first time I looked up and saw these huge pods hanging off a tree trunk my mind boggled and once again I couldn't help but ask 'que es eso?'. You could have knocked me over with a feather when the reply came 'cacao'. They grew on a tree trunk not out on the branches like other fruits. Weirdness, awesome weirdness.

Isn't Mother nature wonderful! Oh here's another one. All the capsicum (sweet pepper for my American friends) in Hungary are white! Not once did I see a yellow, orange, red or green capsicum... sorry sweet pepper, they are all white. Weird right!

I took this picture at the supermarket because I actually went looking for one to satisfy my vegetarians curiosity and there wasn't one in sight. Okay, curiosity peaked. Oh, and they are all male (I think).

Let me explain. Capsicums can be male or female. If you turn one upside down and look at the bottom and it has 4 nobbly bits then it's female and it is sweeter, so it's better for eating raw in salads etc. Whereas if you turn one upside down and it only has three nobbly bits and comes to a kind of point, then it is a male and better for cooking, pickling and marinating. See, isn't mother nature amazing and weird sometimes! oh I love this!

Alright I'm off on the hunt for more weird things to share with you from around the world and shall share them as soon as I find them. Until then please send me a note and share your weirdness with me, I do love learning new things!