Bo Innovation Revisited - The Demon Chef Invades Wanchai

It would be fair to say that the last time I visited Bo Innovation, Chinese food had only begun to enter my culinary landscape. Not to say that this detracted from my enjoyment, but rather the lack of context afforded me the rare chance to taste and experience each dish in a vacuum - with no pretense of expectation to influence my judgement. It was a great experience, with some true standout courses.

What is merely enjoyable in youth, however, is lustily savored as maturity sets in. Months worth of in-country visits and literally hundreds of authentic meals later, I am starting to scratch beyond the surface of Chinese cuisine, the complexity and scope of which is truly stunning. So when Tony Bourdain finally did a show about Hong Kong (it's about time Tony, really), I was totally jacked that he came to Bo, even if he was a year or so behind my pace. While watching the show, I was surprised to find that many of the dishes he was served seemed conceptually more familiar than the ones I recalled from my visit - no doubt a product of my newfound cultural exposure. Armed with this perspective, I thought it was time to revisit Bo Innovation - the most modern expression of this ancient cuisine that I know of - with the hope that my enjoyment will be enhanced this time around.

Since my last visit, Bo has moved into a swanky new space off of Johnston Rd. in Wanchai, a setting Chef Alvin Leung, Jr. believes to be more complementary to the cuisine. I chose to sit at the Chef's Table once again, because after all, why on earth wouldn't you? Seriously. This time Chef Leung was present to preside over the meal, offering commentary and instruction on how best to enjoy his creations. I asked him if he minded if I took photos, which prompted him to ask if I was going to write bad things about him on the internet. I think it best if I just let the food speak for itself.

Century Egg with Super Sour Lemon Snow - As Chef Leung (or Alvin, as he introduced himself as) explained, strong alkaline chemicals are used to cure and preserve the egg, which despite it's hideous appearance, tastes remarkably like a hard-boiled egg. Trust me on this. The acidity of the lemon ice (low pH) is supposed to neutralize the alkalinity (high pH) of the egg, resulting in a harmonious combination in your mouth. Lemon and egg wasn't a combination that I would have thought of, but the effect was stunning. As I dropped the bite in my mouth, a cold, refreshing burst of sourness quickly faded away, leaving the hint of hard-boiled egg to linger pleasantly on my palate. I couldn't help but crack a smile and nod my head. In a word - genius.

Oyster 2 Ways - On the right is an oyster garnished with flavors that represent the essence of Chinese flavor - ginger, green onion, and lime. To the left is oyster tofu, a representation of the "taste of the sea." The fresh preparation was a dazzling explosion of bright flavors, ending with the smooth finish of the oyster's creaminess and salinity. I could have eaten a dozen or two of these, easily. The tofu, by contrast, was rather monotone and uninspiring. Tofu and I aren't really known to pal around often, so that may have contributed to my lack of excitement here.

Smoked Quail Egg with Caviar and Crispy Taro Nest - A one bite canape, this dish was outstanding, matching the saltiness of the caviar (generously portioned) with the subtle smokiness of the egg. Fried taro, a staple of Cantonese dim sum, added the perfect complimentary crunch to bring it all together.

Toro with Foie Gras Powder and Freeze Dried Raspberry - We were presented with a thin sheet of beautiful fatty tuna belly (otoro), topped with a crumble of air dried foie gras and freeze dried raspberries. The foie, slowly dehydrated over many days, has shed its fat, leaving only the solids behind. When chewed together with the fatty tuna, the foie is effectively reconstituted in your mouth. The raspberries add a fruity tartness that cuts the fattiness nicely. Plus, this plate just looks fantastic, doesn't it? I tend go a bit cukoo at the sight of glistening fatty toro and lose my sensibilities.

Not simply a curious part of the presentation, the tweezers are actually a functional instrument here, as Alvin demonstrates. Fold the toro over to wrap the crumblies up inside, so that they won't all fall off on the way into your mouth. Just don't accidentally stick them through your tongue.

Sichuan Scallop "Jo Lo" - There's little I like more than a perfectly seared scallop. Here, it is paired with a Sichuan inspired sauce that was less pungent than I imagined, given that it contained sichuan peppercorn. While tasty, it was not a knockout.

"Xiao Long Bao" - If you are familiar with xiao long bao, Shanghai's famous soup-filled dumplings, then you're probably looking at this photo with a quizzical look and a furrowed brow. Well that's the gag - there is no dumpling! Borrowing a technique created by el Bulli's Ferran Adria, the liquid soup filling is served without it's traditional dough wrapper. Rather, the liquid is encapsulated in a thin gel skin which bursts immediately upon entering your mouth, creating much the same effect as eating a traditional xiao long bao. As my Chinese colleague said after eating this (after some initial confusion and skeptisim, "Wow! The taste... It's xiao long bao!" A clever application of this technique, for sure.

Pan Seared Halibut with Yunnam Ham Sauce and Toffee Salsify - This dish layers the richness of a nicely seared piece of halibut with the intense saltiness of a sauce made from dried Chinese ham. This combo would be good on its own, but is taken to another level by the addition of the candied salsify and it's contrasting sweetness. Simply incredible. I think everyone in my party agreed that this was a highlight of the meal.

Crab Roe Souffle - The first of two crab dishes in this course, eponymously named "Crab 2." In the photo, you can see Alvin drizzling Chinese black vinegar over the souffle, which helps cut the richness. Fluffy and light, the souffle was intensely flavored with crab roe, a highly prized delicacy in these parts.

Crab with Obha Mayo and Starfruit - This was a one bite reincarnation of a course I had been served on my last visit to Bo. Now, like then, it was delicious - the Japanese herb obha (aka shiso) adds a vibrant, mint-like punch that I really like with the sweet crab meat.

Chinese Roasted Pork with Vinegar and Egg - A novel take on traditional Chinese barbequed pork, this version is slow roasted for 24 hours, sliced thinly and then stacked in layers before being crisped up under the broiler. After eating heaps of the traditional version this week, which is quite fatty, I was happy to see that Alvin chose a leaner cut for his preparation. On top sits a sous vide egg yolk, cooked with vinegar at 50 C. This retains the vibrant color and creates a unique texture, where the yolk is almost like a caramel consistency on the outside, and still runny in the center. The yolk added richness to the dish typically provided by the fatty pork. Some token vegetables are thrown in and were quite good as well.

Wagyu M9+ with Truffled Cheung Fan - The menu so far was pretty solid, but the sight of the word "Wagyu" made me culinarily aroused. Another typical Cantonese element, this time cheung fan rice noodles, being used in a non-typical way. Here, they are elevated to heights they could only dream about with a crust of black truffle, which makes them a fantastic accompaniment to the perfectly rare Wagyu beef. A small mound of truffle puree garnished the plate, adding to the earthy truffle intensity. This was a major highlight of the meal. As one of my colleagues said, "I'll take like, three more of those."

Bo Fried Rice - In typical Cantonese style, a rice dish is presented at the end of the meal. But that's about where the convention ends. Long grain, fluffy rice, while common in the US, is definitely NOT in southern China. Nevertheless it was presented here with healthy portion of tiny fish eggs, adding both flavor and texture to the dish. It was good... but not great. And somewhat of a letdown after the wagyu and truffles, but that's not exactly a fair comparison, now, is it?

"Hong Kong Specialties" - Somewhat of an inside joke to native Hong Kongers, this course is a deconstruction of the ubiquitous Cantonese dessert, Red Bean Soup, literally "Red Bean Sand" in Chinese. So it was with clever irony that we were presented with a spoon of red bean "sand" powder and a vial of black sesame seed foam. Alvin asked us to quickly combine them in our mouths to allow the foam liquid to reconstitute the bean sand, creating the familiar (well, familiar to Cantonese cuisine eaters) taste of the sweet, soft beans in the classic dessert. I appreciated the explaination, since the flavors would have otherwise had no significance to me. I'm not sure that the "sand" fully reconstituted though, leaving a dry powdery residue in my mouth. The one Hong Kong guy with us was thoroughly amused, I should point out.

Ginko Nut Foam - The first item on a plate of three small desserts, ginko nuts are transformed into a whipped cream-like foam. It was lightly sweet and nutty.

Sticky Rice Dumpling - Another classic, but chocolate and banana filled the center in place of the usual bean paste or sesame seed filling.

Salted Kumquat Ice Cream - My favorite of the three, the ice cream was made from salted, preserved kumquats, so it was quite salty - which isn't a complaint, it is in fact the reason I liked it so much. Taking a bite of the sweet tuile together with some of the salty, creamy ice cream was sublime.

Apple Crumble - Sounds western, looks like a Chinese dumpling, and appears pretty straightforward - until you realize that the sphere that looks like a small apple is actually gelatinous, with a piece of apple only in the center. It is the final twist of this imaginative and exotic meal. Topped with a tasty crumble, I still couldn't help but wish that this was served a la mode, despite having just had ice cream on the previous dish (hey what can I say, I like ice cream).

Some general observations about the experience - Alvin was involved in the final preparation of almost every dish that we ate. He gave us an introduction to and instructions for eating each plate, and was generally pretty talkative - even willing to share his methods and formulas for some of the more modern elements of the meal. Granted we were at the chefs table, but, for example, he told us how he dried his foie gras, explained his process for the xiao long bao spherification (or reverse spherification, in this case), and described his method for cooking the egg yolks sous vide. He may not have invented all of these techniques, but he executes them quite well. And I can't think of a better example of such techniques being used to create hypermodern Chinese dishes.

A shot of Alvin's food chemistry playset. I asked a lot of questions about the ingredients, techniques, and special materials throughout the course of the meal. It seemed like he appreciated my interest and was happy to describe many of the techniques used throughout the meal.

Alvin preps the toro/foie gras dish. I'll have another, please.

The chefs table affords a view of the final prep and staging area. If you enjoy seeing how your plates come together, make sure you reserve these seats.

Dinner at Bo is not just a meal - it is an experience to be contemplated and savored in its own right. To really enjoy it you must allow yourself to fully engage, deciding to observe all that your senses are telling you. This isn't a place you go to mindlessly shovel forkfulls of protein into your face. Anyone who is intrigued by modern cuisine should find something interesting here, but perhaps the best surprises are reserved for those who call Hong Kong home.

Official website www.boinnovation.com

Harper Farms - Mirai Corn and Other Fine Produce

There's corn, and then there's sweet corn. And then, off in a category all its own, there's Mirai, or as I like to call it, the crack of corn. It's so tender and sweet, it can be eaten raw and still blow away most other sweet corns. It is marketed along with fruits as a dessert in Japan, where the Mirai name comes from (it has double meaning - both "taste" and "future", so it means something like "taste the future").

Behold the golden kernels of Mirai- the perfect eating corn. Wait... Do you hear that music? It sounds... like a chorus of angels... And where's that bright light coming from?

Yeah, I'll admit it. I'm addicted to Mirai corn. But don't think I'm saying that to join any support group. I'm enjoying this addiction guilt free. Fortunately, it's totally legal, and I have a steady supply available from a local farm stand. I'm lucky enough to live near Harper Farms, and even luckier to pass by it twice each day - it's conveniently located directly along my commute down Rt. 117.

A bin of Mirai corn at Harper Farms waits for me to come take it home. I won't let it down.

Harper Farms has been there over 100 years, and is now a 5th generation family operation. So I guess they know a thing or two about how to grow stuff in central MA. On a good day, I'll pull in on my way to work, just as the corn is coming in from the fields, and then I'll eat it for lunch that day. From field to stomach in less than 5 hours - now that's fresh baby! It may not be the absolute best way to cook corn, but 3 minutes in the cafeteria microwave makes me and my fresh corn the envy of my colleagues. Every. Single. Time.

Corn coming in from the fields in the morning at Harper Farms. I've hyped this stuff so much at work that I've become a corn mule. Everyone wants a piece of this action.

I'm sure you've heard the old cliche (or maybe even said it yourself), "Oohh ho ho! That corn is sooo sweet it doesn't need any butter or salt on it!" Well what a load of crap. Sure, it may not need butter and salt, but butter and salt make great corn taste even better. Why settle for great when you can have epic?

Mirai corn may be great on its own, but don't deprive yourself of one of life's rare treasures. Butter and salt are the perfect compliment to this amazing corn. Just do it.

If Harper Farms only delivered corn, it would still be worth seeking out. As it is, however, they have a ton of other great fruit and vegetable products, at very reasonable prices. Sure, they have standards like lettuce, green beans, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. But they also grow a cornucopia of exotic varieties like heirloom tomatoes, purple green beans, and thai eggplant. These are the interesting things that make a farmer's market so exciting to shop at.

Heirloom tomato varietal names are as colorful as the tomatoes themselves. Here we have black prince, green zebra, and striped cavern to name a few. Not only do they taste better, but at Harper Farms they cost less than the standard supermarket swill.

Thai eggplants are beautiful, with green and white patterns covering the golf ball sized fruit.

Lettuce, chard, squash, peppers - whatever your bag is, Harper Farms delivers quality locally farmed products. And you won't leave feeling like somebody stole your wallet.

Don't take my word for it - there's still some time left to get yourself some amazing corn before the end of the season, but time is running out. Supply is limited, so it's a good idea to call ahead if you're coming a long way. It's worth the trip!

Harper Farms
1539 Main St (Rt 117)
Lancaster, MA 01523
978-840-0258

Going Local - A Pork is My Friend Series

Index Last Updated: 09.13.08

I've been halfway around the world and have the stories and photos to prove it. And while it's great to blow a wad of cash on an exotic dining experience every once in a while, that's certainly not something I can do every day. So where do I go when I'm not on the road, when I'm just living normal life like everyone else? Where and what do I like to eat when I'm home? Well, it's about time you'd asked.

To aswer that question, I'm starting a series of posts, Going Local, to share my favorite places to hit up on a regular basis. I live and work in the Greater Boston area (the western suburbs, to be exact) so naturally most of my frequent haunts will be out that way. I do get into the city every once in a while though, and I'll make it a point to include some of those spots in time. Unlike most of my foreign experiences, these are places I've visited many, many times. If I still want to keep coming back, they must be doing something right.

For convenience, I'll be updating this post with links to each entry as it is posted, so it functions as an index of sorts.

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- Harper Farms, Lunenburg, MA - Great farm stand with the absolute best corn ever (9.13.08)

Paul Bertolli's Perfect Gnocchi: So Easy, a 2-Year Old Can Do It

When I went on a food book buying spree a few months ago, I picked up Paul Bertolli's outstanding Cooking By Hand, which has been on my radar for quite some time. I had borrowed this book from the library a few years back when I decided to start curing meat at home (there is a chapter dedicated to the craft, which Bertolli has pretty much perfected - but that's a story for another day). Not simply a collection of adapted recipes, this book is more like a compilation of essays, taking the reader deep into the thought process and philosophy of Bertolli's cooking. From pasta, to dessert, even to rediscovery of simple classics (a chapter aptly named "Cleaning the Fresco"), Bertolli provides complex analysis down to the seemingly insignificant minutiae that clearly demonstrate the makeup of a master chef.

The prose could be considered excessive and self-indulgent by some (get to the recipes already!), but that thinking would be missing the point of this book. Besides, the careful descriptions of each detailed step and its overall role in the finished product were tremendously educational, and kept me riveted. Nowhere was this more evident than in his writeup on classic potato gnocchi. I was attracted to this item right away, as it appeared to be one of the simpler preparations in the book, not to mention that I love to eat them. The poetic description of the virtues of this gnocchi recipe was quite compelling.

I feel obligated not to reprint the exact recipe, lest the copyright police stage a raid and lock me up. Get the book from the library, or better yet, buy it. This one dish is worth the price alone. The ingredients are pretty standard - starchy potatoes (like russets), flour, salt, and egg. The real magic, I think, is in the technique to bring these all together.

To prepare the potatoes: Boil the potatoes in their skins until fork tender. Drain and let cool only until you can handle them without burning your hands. Peel and rice them.

While the potatoes are still warm, add flour and egg. Kneed gently into a dough, being careful not to overwork it (don't want to develop too much gluten, okay?). Now the fun part begins.

I have fond memories of gnocchi making parties when I was a kid. And my 2-year old daughter loves to help me out in the kitchen (here she is making me proud by helping me cure some bacon), so it seemed a natural time to draw on here eagerness to help.

Rolling the gnocchi dough - Once the dough is ready, section into smaller pieces and roll into ropes, or "snakes" as my daughter likes to call them. 1/2" diameter is about right.

Cutting the gnocchi rope - Cut each rope into 1" long pieces. Make sure to keep them well floured during this stage. Look at that tiny, flour coated hand. Makes me want to weep.

Texturing the gnocchi - You can use a fancy gnocchi board to do this, but I find it works just fine with a fork, or a cheese grater, or anything else with a coarse texture. Texturing the outside of the gnocchi is not mandatory, but it does help to make a sauce adhere better. Just place a piece on the fork, lightly press your thumb and roll. This creates a little pocket on the inside, and a craggy texture on the outside.

A completed gnocco - Look at the look of concentration from my young sous chef. Impressive.

Elisabeth making a gnocchi "snake" - "I want to do it myself only, daddy!" And I tell you what, she made a darn good one. What can I say - she's got mad skillz.

Gnocchi sauteeing in brown butter - After a quick boil in generously salted water (they're done when they float up to the surface), the gnocchi were drained and tossed in a sautee pan into some brown butter. Not burned butter, but brown butter - important distinction. Sautee until the gnocchi begin to color. You could add sage or some other herbs here if you want. I skipped the green stuff and went straight up this time.

Perfectly cooked gnocchi, with a generous helping of Parmigiano Reggiano - Now that's what I'm talking about! If you've done it right, these morsels will be fluffy and soft. Oh, and they'll taste great too.

These were some of the best gnocchi I have ever made. My wife certainly thought that they were the softest and fluffiest, and I really couldn't disagree. In a word, they were, well, perfect. If you need to solve your gnocchi woes, do yourself a favor and check out Paul Bertolli's Cooking By Hand. After all, if Elisabeth can do it...

Stopover at Tokyo Narita International (NRT)

My extra stop at Tokyo Narita was much more of an adventure than it was a hassle for me. I was psyched at the prospect of getting some sushi on the ground, which despite being "airport sushi," is authentic Japanese sushi nonetheless. As it turned out, there is a sushi bar in the international transfer area, and it is quite good. They offer dine in service as well as take out. Seeing that I had access to the ANA lounge, courtesy of my business class ticket, as well as its complimentary Sake bar, I thought that take out would be the wise choice. Besides, there was a sumo match on TV, and come on, who can resist the sight of large, round Japanese men push each other around the floor? Not me.

Sushi at Tokyo/Narita - This may be airport sushi, but the quality level was first rate. From left to right: Horse mackerel (aji-saba), kanpachi, chu toro, red snapper (tai), otoro. Above the sushi is a fine cup of junmai-shu sake, courtesy of ANA. The prices were quite reasonable for how good this plate was. I look forward to diverting myself through Narita again soon.

Engrish Hello Kitty Toy - It's funny enough that a toy would declare itself "Boring," but it didn't click with me until a month later that this was actually supposed to be a "Bowling" toy (the Japanese reads "bo-ri-n-gu" and "su-to-ra-i-ku"). I just about busted open when it finally hit me. This item was for sale at one of the gift shops in the international terminal.

Japanease Seafood Chips - Made with real fish, shrimp, crab, squid, etc., these crisps are outstanding. Basically, the seafood is ground up and mixed with rice flour, then formed into a crisp and fried. The best way to describe the flavor is to imagine eating fried fish, but in potato chip form. Some chips have whole dried creatures pressed into them (a couple of shrimp and a squid can be seen in the chips in this photo). The black one is flavored with squid ink. The crab ones and the wasabi ones are really good, too. I picked these up at a gift shop at Narita.

The ANA Experience - Narita/Taipei (NRT/TPE) Route

My tickets were booked a bit late for my trip to Taiwan, so I ended up with an extra stopover at Tokyo Narita, then continuing on ANA (All Nippon Airways) to and from Taipei. It was my first experience with a Japanese airline, and I was generally impressed with the courteous service and food selection.

ANA Japanese Dinner, NRT to TPE - Clockwise from top left: Firefly squid with crab, beef and vegetable galantine with grilled tofu, Japanese pickles (radish, etc.), kelp cured shrimp and flounder sashimi, fried rockfish and vegetables with rice. There is also miso soup in the black bowl, and a dessert in the paper in the middle of the plate. And notice the bottle of sake in the upper right corner. Nice touch.

Salt-Boiled Firefly Squid (Hotaru Ika) and Swimming Crabmeat with Tosa Vinegar - Firefly squid congregate en masse off the coast of Japan each spring to spawn, creating a spectacular light show due to their natural phosphorescence. They are a sign of spring, and were celebrated on the May business class menu on ANA. Here, they were lightly boiled and served with crabmeat, some kind of sea tasting jelly, and something that reminded me of jellyfish. The taste was light, if not a bit fishy. The crab and sea jelly were pretty tasty, and the jellyfish add texture mostly, not much taste there.

Airplane Sashimi - Pink Shrimp and Kelp Cured Flounder - These were lightly vinegared to help preserve them, as they obviously have to be kept in storage for some time before service. Although not like sitting at a sushi bar, these morsels still were enjoyable, and a nice luxury at 30,000 ft.

ANA Japanese Dinner, TPE to NRT - Clockwise from top left: Soba noodles, Japanese pickles, appatizer dish (tamago omlet, pistachio crusted shrimp, fruit jelly, tiny dried fish), green tea mochi cake, fruit plate, beef and vegetables with rice. Again, there was miso soup, and sake.

Mandarin Lesson... In Japanese - The on demand entertainment system was convenient, so I thought I would pull up a learn Mandarin lesson to stay sharp. Turned out that it was only available in Japanese, which made for interesting viewing. I probably picked up more Japanese than I did Mandarin. For example, did you know that the Japanese word for "credit card" is "ku-re-di-to ka-a-do?" Well, now you do.

Taipei's Night Markets- Shilin et al.

Taiwan is well known for its street markets, and rightfully so. The many outsiders who have inhabited Taiwan over the course of its history may be gone, but their contributions to the culinary landscape are undoubtedly left behind. Taiwan's street food is considered by many to be the most interesting and vibrant of all in the Chinese world.

As any self respecting food-obsessed traveler would do, I hit the streets to explore these local food traditions myself. All the research I did before arriving pointed me to the most well known of Taipei's markets - Shilin Night Market.

Approaching Shilin Night Market - Every street around here was packed full of people. I'm guessing Friday night probably wasn't the best time to check this place out.

Bubble Tea - From the looks of the crowd, I was going to need to keep my game face on if I wanted to keep pace. I decided to pick up a drink to keep myself cool and alert. An amazing variety of exotic fresh fruits were waiting to be blitzed into refreshing beverages. But here in the home of the bubble tea, my choice was clear. Sweet, marble-sized pearls of tapioca collect at the bottom of a glass of sweetened milk tea, waiting to be sucked up by the gargantuan straw.

Shilin Market Food Hall - The only indoor part of the market houses a cornucopia of dining establishments. This is where you can pick up well known classics like oyster omlets and stinky tofu. You know, if that kind of thing floats your boat.

I had my wallet in a stranglehold in hopes of keeping it from hitching a ride with some nice stranger who might happen to bump into me in the street.

Claustrophobes beware! If you want to get a good deal, you're gonna have to brave the sea of people. On second thought, is this stuff really worth the hassle? Among the flotsam and jetsam lie a few great deals, no doubt, but it can take some time to separate the wheat from the chaff.

These glazed strawberries and tomatoes certainly look appealing. It always surprises me when tomatoes are included on a dessert fruit plate after a meal, which is fairly often. You would think I'd be used to that by now.

Sugar Roasted Corn - After a coating of sugar is applied, these pieces of corn are grilled over a charcoal fire to carmelize the sugar into a candy-like skin. Sweet! How come I've never thought to do that?

There are sausages, and then, there are SAUSAGES. This one qualifies as a SAUSAGE, for sure. I mean, look, these beauties are bigger than that girl's arm. I love the Chinese title - "Big Sausages" is the translation, but the literal text says "big fragrant intestine." If that doesn't whet your appetite, I don't know what will.

Besides Shilin, countless smaller street markets dot the landscape of Taipei, making this type of shopping a part of everyday life for the locals. These next photos come from a different street market, close to the office I was working at. I did ask the name of this place, but I neglected to write it down so I'm afraid it will have to remain nameless for the time being.

Organ and Innards Assortment - I can always tell when a shop is geared towards local customers, rather than western tourists like myself. But with this cart, loaded with liver, testicles, and other such tasties waiting to be soupified, I just can't tell for certain...

Really, Really Fresh Chicken - Um excuse me sir, I think you forgot your chicken head. There was just something disturbingly humerous to me about the severed chicken head sitting there on the table, with the cage full of chickens staring back as they await their fate thinking, "Oh, crap."

Griddle Cake - These pancake-like treats are cooked up in small circular molds. I didn't eat one, but they sure looked good. Pretty sure these were organ free.

Bell Fruit or Wax Apple - These tropical tree fruits are limited to Taiwan and a few other (mostly southeast Asian) locales. They are crisp and crunchy, mildly sweet, juicy, and very light and airy in texture. They were a nice, refreshing snack to help beat back the heat of the day.