5 Rare Foods that are Hard to Get and Endangered

Illustration of the rarest foods that are difficult to obtain (Freepik/Azerbaijan_stockers)

YOGYAKARTA – Growing trends are spreading to the culinary world. Producers have fun mixing ingredients into dishes that consumers often show off on social media. Instead of a trend, certain foods are called rare because the food plants are almost extinct. Not to mention the dynamic movement of traditions, making the traditional foods below rare and difficult to obtain.

1. Murnong

Murnong is a daisy yam, which was a key ingredient in the Aboriginal diet throughout what is now Southeastern Australia. This root resembles a radish, often the flowers are dense yellow, resembling a dandelion. Juicy in texture and nutritious, murnong provided year-round food for thousands of years for Aboriginal people as it can be eaten raw or cooked.

By the 1860s, the murnong root was nearly extinct. Currently, as reported by Smithsonian Magazine, Wednesday, September 20, murnong roots are slowly appearing again. This plant has also become an ingredient in modern restaurant food in Australia.

Illustration of murnong, the rarest food from Australia that is difficult to obtain (Freepik/Louis H.)

2. Geechee red beans

Geechee red beans grow in the Atlantic coastal region of South America, including the Sapelo Islands. Its habitat is West and Central Africa, growing in America brought by workers on local plantations. Because the plantations they work on are remote, the workers need to maintain the traditions of their community. So sustainable farming by planting Geechee red beans is carried out. It is important to know that bean plants can restore or add soil nitrogen. This means that, in between garden crops, workers plant these red beans.

This plant, which is a legume, produces ruby-colored fruit in the ground. The taste is quite rich but this planting tradition is threatened with extinction. Don Saladino, food journalist and presenter of BBC Radio 4's “The Food Programme”, discovered Geechee red beans at the Slow Food festival, Turin, Italy.

Illustration of Geechee red beans, the rarest food that is difficult to obtain (Freepik/jcomp)

3. Skerpikjøt

Skerpikjøt is a type of meat made from dried and fermented lamb thighs. This food is a local food in the Faroe Islands, north of the Atlantic Ocean. Because it is difficult to access firewood, local residents have to find ways to process meat. As a result, the meat is processed and called Skerpikjøt. Even though it is threatened with extinction due to sustainable economic growth in this country, it is not only lamb meat that is currently processed. Other meat, including chicken, pork and beef is shipped from abroad to be processed into Skerpikjøt.

The manufacturing process takes 5-6 months. Meat that is ready to be processed is placed in a specially built wooden warehouse. The sides consist of vertical slats that provide space for wind to enter. Because it is located on the edge of the sea which brings salty air, the 'carcass' ferments and begins to 'rot'. This controlled rotting is what gives the sharp taste and pungent odor. Once fermentation slows and the meat becomes drier and firmer, the flavor also mellows. At this stage, it is ready to eat.

Illustration of the rarest foods that are hard to get (Freepik/Azerbaijan_stockers)

4. Shio-katsuo

Judging from the name, you can definitely guess where this food comes from. Shio-katsuo from Nishiizu, Japan. Made from salted and dried skipjack tuna. Today, shio-katsuo live only in and around Nishiizu, a fishing town on Japan's Izu Peninsula. Because it is used as an offering to the god Sinto, its preparation requires careful and meticulous skill. In fact, Nishiizu resident Yasuhisa Serizawa is the last surviving shio-katsuo producer.

The salting process takes more than two weeks. Then it is stored in a pile of rice stalks which are sewn with great skill. Once this fish is ready and used for offering ceremonies, it can then be eaten thinly sliced ​​or made into flakes which are sprinkled on warm rice or vegetable dishes. The taste of shio-katsuo umami even though only a little is sprinkled. This means, this dried fish changes the taste of any dish.

5. Pu-Erh tea from the ancient forests of China

Pu-Erh is a rare fermented tea, and it is made from wild tea leaves that grow in remote mountainous areas, Yunnan Province, southwest China. The process requires a long and complicated process. First, the tea leaves are dried in the sun until they are wilted and dark in color. It is then cooked over a hot fire to prevent full oxidation. Then rolled and squeezed to remove moisture. The leaves are then made denser and then fermented for months, sometimes years.

Illustration of the rarest foods that are hard to get (Freepik/freepic.diller)

The extinction of this tea, according to Saladino's story, was covered in history due to the post-Mao impact. During that time there was a lot of destruction, including the rubber industry which then over-exploited Pu-Erh tea.

These are the five drinks and foods that are rare and almost extinct. Have you tried anything from the list above?