Strangest things in your pantry

[Hush]

Ok, so following on from Sarasvati's threads, what are the most unusual things you have in your pantry?

We keep mastika, which is a crystallised sap from an evergreen tree, is often used to make gum here, but we use it in this delicious chicken and arborio recipe my husband makes which gives it the most unusual flavour, the closest thing I can compare it to is eucalyptus.

We also keep dried mushrooms and mushroom stock, which isn't that strange I guess, but mushies can be quite hard to come by at times so they add a nice flavour to rice etc.

In our freezer we keep edamame beans, a great quick snack and Omar's favourite food (he calls them squishy sushi beans :D), and beef bacon (don't eat pork).

[battlecrumpet]

We have some thick seaweed squares, which I thought I could use in miso soup but actually if you try to eat in a soup it tastes a bit like car tyres. I think you're supposed to use it to make dashi stock and then throw it out.

[Beatrice]

I don't have anything unusual in my pantry, at least not for around these parts.

Possibly the Nestle couverture would count here, though :oops

[Janet]

I think our Milo tin is covered there, Beatrice. :blueroll DP has had one mug of milo every morning for breakfast since he was 7. Our son now does the same and they have it together. Just can't fight that. :lol

Hush you _do_ have interesting stuff in your pantry.. :lol I have nothing unusual in these parts, I suspect!

[Beatrice]

Does sound more like stock, Battlecrumpet.

I had instant seaweed snacks in my pantry for about six hours the other day, until my kids found and devoured them :lol

[Beatrice]

Oh, and we have a HYOOGE tin of Milo too. I bought it because B always complains that the other chocolate milk flavours taste like poo, and then she saw it in the pantry one day and went, "You didn't buy NESTLE, Mum? :threaten" I can't win :lol

[Hush]

Oh I miss Milo! The british one just doesn't taste right. Mmmm milo and icecream. I promise to make you a big batch of chicken and mastika when you come to Melbourne next Janet :)

[Janet]

Oh cool! Sounds like something I'd like to try!

[Auset]

Agave syrup. Although that isn't so wierd around here. But everyone else goes HUH?

[Kris]

Odd things I don't come across when rummaging in other people's pantries, hmmm.

coconut jelly puddings, green jelly crystals, exotic spiced cordial things that dh got on sale that we don't drink, honey mead and in the freezer there is a humdinger of a gluten free fruit cake just waiting for winter to come to accompany hot milky sweet tea.

I probably have more sugar varieties :oops than anyone I know as well: brown, molasses, raw organic, caster, icing and little pots of coloured caster sugar; and a jar with two vanilla beans in it that I keep topped up with caster or raw sugar as well.

[Ceres]

My pantry is "normal" by our standards. I have way too many varieties of herbal teas in there. Probably the weirdest thing is custard powder which should probably be thrown out as I can't remember when or why I bought it.