In This Installment:
Alaskan Spruce Tip Jelly
Think back to your high school biology class and that really hard section on trees. I’m not going to quiz you on all of the different kinds, but remember how there are evergreens and they never drop their leaves? Right. Spruce is one of those kind of trees.
In the spring, these evergreen trees still “bud” in the same way you might think of maple trees or oaks or ash trees budding in the spring time, but the spruce version looks like vibrant, neon green tips that form at the end of the branch. They are pretty dense, too, or rather compact with all those little needles all balled up tight together. For a week or ten days or so, these tips are out and foragers hunt them down and collect them for their rather delicate, yet piney and bright flavors with lingering notes of citrus. Chefs and the like love them. Now you can get the delicate flavor in your dishes (or just on your toast), too!
This jelly comes to us from Barnacle Foods. They’re passionate about kelp and coastal foraging flavors that are beneficial for the environment (they’re responsible for the Furikake, too). And while there isn’t any seaweed in this jelly, they’re still great sources for other foraged foods in Alaska (the founders partnered up over their mutual love of foraging in the Alaskan wilderness to begin with, so this is still in their lane).
It really is a delicate jelly, which is one of the reasons I really enjoy it. Most of the preserves and jams we sell and taste are rich and robust and full flavored—but this one is different from our norm in a good way. I know winter is just beginning, but tasting this jelly makes me think of (and look forward to) the beginning of spring and the dampness of earth and the vibrance of colors just appearing after months of being snow covered. At least that’s what I taste when I enjoy this jelly…maybe you will, too.
Alaskan Furikake Seasoning
Furikake is the general name for the Japanese seasoning most folks sprinkle over rice or cooked veggies or even fish. It’s a dry mixture of sesame seeds and salt and sugar and dried seaweed (Alaskan kelp, in this case) and a bit of dried fish flakes (bonito) to complete the umami punch. That’s what it adds, by the way: umami…that sort of savory, but sort of fishy, but sort of earthy taste that became the official “Fifth Flavor” in the 90s. (Umami joined Sweet, Salty, Sour, and Bitter in the group that matters.)
(In added news, researchers have apparently declared there to be a sixth taste: Ammonium Chloride. It’s described as “bitter, salty, and a little sour” and might have evolved as a survival mechanism. Interesting.)
Furikake was originally a verb (to sprinkle, like with sesame seeds) but eventually it became its own thing. I’m sure you’ve encountered little packages of it in higher end ramen noodle cups or Japanese snacks from time to time. I really enjoy this one because it’s not overly salty and lets the umami flavor through. If you know folks that like seaweed snacks (like my kids) give them access to this seasoning the next time they sit down with scrambled eggs or otherwise plain rice or a simple fish dish. They’ll love that familiar flavor and be ready to sprinkle more.