Blow Your Friends’ Minds with Exotic Produce!

We added a new Specialty Produce section to the Marx Foods store recently, and I can honestly say these are some of the most unique foods I’ve consumed (and I’ve eaten jelly fish, tuna eye, and poisonous blowfish).  In addition, we just introduced fresh microgreens and bulk edible flowers (covered in more detail below).

Sechuan Buttons – Electric Flowers!

Sechuan buttons (aka Szechuan buttons) are probably the most exciting new product of the lot…at least for me.  These little yellow blossoms hold a surprising secret, not a new taste but rather a new sensory experience.  Pinch off a few sechuan button petals, put them on your tongue, and a few seconds later you’re experiencing a slight tingle reminiscent of a carbonated beverage.  This feeling progresses into a palpable (but not unpleasant) feeling of voltage.  Some people say it feels like testing a 9-volt battery with your tongue.  Trend-setting chefs use szechuan buttons in sorbets, cocktails and more to create an invigorating taste experience.

Pepquinos – The World’s Smallest Watermelon?

Pepquinos aren’t a bioengineered fruit, these elusive 1.5″ (3-4 cm)  long mini-melon lookalikes were actually found wild in the forests of South America.  They’re completely edible, and taste like a barely sour cucumber.

Purple & Green Shiso Leaves – A Japanese Traditional Favorite

Shiso leaves are probably Justin Marx’s favorite new product in this category.  This Japanese herb has a complex flavor blending the taste of several other plants into one leaf.  Green shiso evokes basil, fennel & mint while purple shiso tastes like a mix of cumin, ginger, and cinnamon.  They are traditionally served alongside raw fish in Japan, or dipped in tempura batter and deep fried.  They can also be used in salads, cocktails, or garnishes.

Shiso, Sechuan buttons, and Pepquinos are the perfect way to amaze your friends (or guests at your next party) with new food flavors and appearances.  They make for incredible cocktail mixers too, so much so that we’ve named our exotic produce sampler (containing all three) the Mixologists’ Sampler.

Microgreens – Tiny But Tasty

A little pile of tender microgreens adds color to your dishes, but these mini-greens possess a cleaner, more pure version of these plants’ flavors.  Cilantro microgreens taste more like cilantro, celery microgreens taste more like celery, and red mustard microgreens will wake you up.  Try nibbling pea tendrils, either raw or barely steamed, to bring the flavor of spring rushing to your palate, no matter what time of year it is.

Here are our other microgreen varieties:

Green Microgreen Varieties:
Arugula Microgreens
Italian Basil Microgreens
Lemon Basil Microgreens
Mizuna Microgreens
Bok Choy Microgreens
Curly Pepper Cress Microgreens
Tatsoi Microgreens

Red/Purple Microgreen Varieties:
Red Amaranth Microgreens
Opal Basil Microgreens
Bull’s Blood Microgreens
Purple Daikon Microgreens
Purple Kohlrabi Microgreens

Edible Flowers Bring Bright Colors to Your Plate – Naturally!
Firestix are bright edible amaranth blossoms that look like plumes of fire.  Basil Buds are the little bunches of tender basil leaves that eventually turn into basil flowers.  Our new Premium Confetti Mix contains a seasonal mix of bright edible flower petals, while the Premium Flowers Assortment contains whole, large edible blossoms.  If those are bigger than you’d prefer, try our Microflower Blend, a mix of flowers that are all smaller than a quarter.