Many times I buy some of these strange products, which subsequently sit in my pantry shelves for years unused. This time I restrained myself, buying only five bags of Goya canellini beans and a bag of split garbanzos. I have used the canellinis many times in the past -- much richer than great northern beans, their closest standard-grocery-store equivalent. The garbanzos are a new experiment. I'll let you know how they work out.
Boniatos are merely sweet potatos. Name (pronounced Nyamay) is different....Cubans, and others from the Caribbean islands eat a lot of different roots and tubers, probably with influence from Africa and the native populations. I swear, some of the stuff is very starchy and glues my mouth together! (which some would say is a good thing). Like you, I love going into ethnic markets...and sometimes I even have a purpose...although I do need to use up the Persimmon paste I presently have languishing in the frige. Garbanzos, (chick peas, or ceci) are wonderful. I use them a lot, marinated in salads, or as a base for a Cuban dish called "potaje" (Po-tah-hey). Of course, if you like hummus, it is much cheaper and better for you to make your own...and that's made with Garbanzos too....and you can doll it up with pepper, and LOTS of garlic. Garbanzos are also the base for felafel. YUM. Now you have me thinking about Garbanzos...and I love cannelini cooked with sausage, rosemary and chard. YUM.
ReplyDeleteLisa -- I photographed the boniatos but not the four or five other tubers nearby which looked similar but had different names.
ReplyDeleteWe in the rich US, despite the exotic things we've learned to eat in the last foodie decades, are sure ignorant of what goes on in the rest of the world!