Tag Archives: Tasting

Belize, Fermentation

Vernaccia Tasting.

Liqueur.Tasting.TogetherThis is our official Vernaccia tasting after polishing off a fair bit (won’t tell how much…Ha-Ha)…Hic!!  It was soooo good that during the course of drinking it, the name evolved from Vernaccia to Foccacia (can’t believe I am telling you this!) but I guess it means that it is good stuff.  We make it a point not to buy the imported wines in Belize because they don’t travel well and once they get here, they are not stored properly (usually) so it all ends up being rather disappointing.  That’s why we make our own and it is a very fortunate thing that we have an Italian Gnome in our midst who grew up with family wine-making.

Anyway, Gnome has called this particular wine Vernaccia because he says it tastes very similar to Sardinian local (Vernacular) wine.  This particular wine is slightly “darker” than a typical white wine and has full-bodied sherry-like qualities.  We are not growing grapes here (partly because it is too wet and they are rather finicky requiring  a lot maintenance).  Gnome opted to use sapodillas for this wine.  The interesting thing about this fruit is that the PH and Brix tests of this particular fruit fall within the range of grapes.

Sapodilla Fruit, Ready To Eat.
Sapodilla Fruit, Ready To Eat.
Sapodilla Fruit.
Sapodilla Fruit.

Here is the tasting after six months:

Vernaccia in Glasses.
Vernaccia in Glasses.

Colour is amber yellow and very, very clear.

Subtle sweet aroma with mildly floral undertones.

With the first sip, there is a mild honey sweetness, which is full-bodied and coats the tongue with a velvety unctuousness.  Has sherry-like qualities without the heaviness.

Great stuff…so much better to make it yourself!!  This will get even better with time.

Belize, Farming, Fermentation, Food

Peach Palm Miso Tasting.

Munchkin.Eating.Bun.SmileAbout two months ago, we had so much peach palm (pejibaye) that we had to think of different preservation methods for it.

Peach Palm Fruit.
Peach Palm Fruit.

We cooked the fruit and the put it through the meat grinder with rice koji to make peach palm miso.

Ground Peach Palm with Rice Koji.
Ground Peach Palm with Rice Koji.
Rice Koji.
Rice Koji.

We placed it all in a bucket and put it away for a couple of months:

Peach Palm Miso.
Peach Palm Miso.

Just the other day, we opened up the bucket for a tasting:

Peach Palm Miso.
Peach Palm Miso.

We both concluded that it was a very nice amber-orange colour.  The taste was fruity, hearty and pleasantly sweet.

Gnome: Very good, surprisingly good.

Yum.Yum.Gnome

Munchkin: Fruity!!  Can double-up as a condiment with french fries!

Munchkin.Another.Eating.ShotPeach Palm Miso is a definite winner and the taste will get even better with time.

Belize, Fermentation

Beef Jerky and Chilli Mead Tasting.

Angry.Munchkin.CuteIt was so hot today!!  What a change from the rains…now we are starting to worry about our water situation because we still do not have a well-pump.  Gnome says we are on Red Alert which means that we have to use water judicially and some frog spawn will be have sacrificed as we use up our collection of buckets.

Anyway, I am onto the Beef Jerky and Chilli Mead (having guzzled down all the Resurrection Metheglin, which I found most profoundly enlightening).  If you will recall, we decided to make a mead out of  beef jerky (ended up being black pepper beef jerky) because there is a traditional ale recipe made with rooster (cock).  If you don’t remember that, perhaps you might remember Gnome’s cock jokes which everyone politely ignored!  Let us don our evening wear to do the tasting:

Liqueur.Tasting.TogetherI have shortened the name of this mead to “BJ” for Beef Jerky (I have to spell it out because Gnome thought it was something else).  Munchkins have a clean mind!!

Beef.Jerky.Pepper.Metheglin
Beef Jerky and Chilli Mead.

Colour is light amber with some cloudiness.  No head but ample small bubbles can be seen.

Smells very mildly of home-made beef soup with a background of spiciness.

The beef jerky lends a very well-rounded taste like a good soup that has had time to cook and absorb flavours.  There is a mild hot after taste from the chilli and black pepper (if you ask me…I would like more chilli with the next batch).

Excellent.  Totally love the heat and soupiness of this mead.  Definitely a favourite!!

By the way, Gnome does not drink because he has  “Yang in his liver” which gets him all heaty .  Every time he even has one drink, he gets pimples and piles (poor Gnome).  I have to balance the “fire” with really simple cooling foods like rice, tofu and cucumbers (which he dislikes).   So he said that he would rather give up drinking than eat boring food like that!

Thank-you Gnome For Your Fermentation Magic!
Thank-you Gnome For Your Fermentation Magic!
Amusing, Belize, Farming, Fermentation

Jungle Farm and Resurrection Metheglin Tasting.

Munchkin.Back.ViewHi Everyone!!  We have been so busy well, with life that the grass has grown up with all the rains.  The jungle has all of a suddenly sneaked up on us and bang…we feel like we are living in the middle of the bush.  Aaarghh!!  Can’t see anything for the tall grass and humongous weeds (here in Belize, they are not mere dandelions…they grow into monster plants)!!

It is time for a big mow and tidy up.  Gnome agrees with me too.

However, we have one slight problem.  The weather is not co-operating!!  It is pouring down!!

Gnome.Siaking.Wet

So, instead of farm stuff let us move swiftly onto a metheglin tasting.  During our EasterTime madness, Gnome had made a Resurrection Metheglin with the following flavourings: liquorice root, star anise and Ligusticum wallichi, also known as Chuanxiong Rhizoma in Traditional Chinese Medicine and also as Szechuan Lovage. The star anise and liquorice root add that sweetish, unctuous and mouth-coating flavour while the Rhizoma adds a more earthy, complex and spicy aroma that has hints of fennel and celery.

Resurrection.Metheglin.Herbs
Liquorice Root, Star Anise and Szechuan Lovage.
Resurrection Metheglin.
Resurrection Metheglin.

Colour is golden yellow and effervescent; medium sized bubbles with good fizz.  Slightly cloudy.  No Head.

Smells like a lager.

The first sip is thirst-quenching when served at a cold temperature.  It is mild tasting with anise and celery-like under-tones. The herbaceous flavour is light and crisp, adding a refreshing feeling to the overall taste.  The liquorice is not detectable so for next time, we will add more of this.

Very Good!!

AvatarMunchkinSo good that Munchkin has a confession to make.  There are no more bottles left…they have been systematically guzzled down …slowly…one a day (56 bottles in total).  She just had the last one today and so felt that it was time to do a “tasting” before the Resurrection Metheglin was sadly a thing of the past.