2015-08-06 Eat with Caution (2)

Casu marzu
This food has been banned by the European Union; however, that doesn’t stop the people of Sardinia from enjoying it occasionally. Casu marzu is sheep’s milk cheese fermented and softened by fly larvae. The cheese is unsafe to eat once the larvae die, so it’s eaten with the living flies in it.

Bullfrog legs
Frog legs are enjoyed in various places around the world, but the skin and organs of giant bullfrogs are actually very poisonous. Giant bullfrogs harvested before their mating season can cause kidney failure if eaten, though some say cooking the frogs with dry wood cancels the poison’s effect.

Familiar fears
To feed your anxieties more, you should know about some common foods that present risks. Raw cashews, for example, contain a chemical like that in poison ivy and must be steamed to remove it. If you have weak kidneys, avoid starfruit as its juice must be filtered for toxins. And if you don’t eat greens, you might be avoiding multiple potential contaminations caused by fertilizer or contact with animals. So remember, new experiences are healthy, but not all new foods are.

Editor's Summary
We are taking a look at some foods we should eat with caution.

And today, we find one has actually been banned by the European Union but still eaten on the island of Sardinia.

This food is a cheese called casu marzu.

It is sheep’s milk that is fermented and softened by fly larvae.

Once larvae died, cheese is not safe to eat, so it is eaten while they are alive and still living in the cheese.

And then, we look at bullfrog legs.

Be careful though as the skin and organs of giant bullfrogs are very poisonous.

If they are harvested and eaten before their mating season, kidney failure may result.

Then, there are some common foods to be careful of, as they also represent some risks.

For example, cashews, which I love, should be steamed before you eat them to remove a chemical like one that’s found in poison ivy.

Or star fruit should be avoided if you have weak kidneys, as its juice should be filtered for toxins.

And be careful when eating greens, as contaminations from fertilizer or animals could occur.

So remember that even though new experiences are generally healthy for us, not all new foods are.

Bon appetit.

Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Green Refers to Plants 教學主題: Green代表植物的用法

Hello, friends! When you hear the word green, what do you think of? Vegetables, maybe or plants perhaps.

Indeed, greens can refer to vegetables. I still remember my mom telling me to eat my greens when I was small.

I do too. So eat your greens, it’s just another way of saying eat your vegetables. But there is a difference between the two words. "Greens" is always plural in this context, whereas vegetable, singular is always a countable noun.

Right. Greens may refer to one type of vegetable, such as mustard greens, whereas the word vegetables may refer to a mixture of types, such as peas and carrots, or broccoli and corn, separately.

So greens are edible plants, what about plants that aren’t edible? Well, there’s the word greenery, which refers to green foliage or leaves. The park has acres of greenery, right in the heart of the city.

Or lush greenery is part of a typical village scene in Wo Taiwan.

And if you have a green thumb, you’re good at growing plants. Why, because most plants are green.

And finally, if you go green, you’re taking actions that help protect the environment.

Language Lab
ban v.
to forbid people from using (something) : to say that something cannot be used or done
- The government banned the use of DDT in farming.
- Smoking in office buildings was banned many years ago.
ban n.
an official rule saying that people are not allowed to use or do something
- a ban on cigarette advertisements

poisonous adj.
/ˈpoɪzn̩nəs/
capable of putting poison into another animal's body by biting it;
causing sickness or death by entering or touching the body : containing poison
- The waste water from the plant is highly poisonous.
- The patient who was bitten by a poisonous spider was hospitalized.

cashew n.
a type of roasted nut that has a curved shape
- The chef added some cashew nuts and walnuts on top of the muffins.
- Cashews are high in magnesium, especially the roasted ones.

contamination n.
/kənˌtæməˈneɪʃən/
to make a place or substance dirty or harmful by putting something such as chemicals or poison in it:
- The workers at the unclear plant are testing the area for contamination.
contaminate v. [=polluted]
/kənˈtæməˌneɪt/
to make (something) dangerous, dirty, or impure by adding something harmful or undesirable to it
- The whole area was contaminated by radioactive waste.

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