There are two methods we use for making vanilla sugar from vanilla beans. Most people simply pack their vanilla beans in sugar when they’re not using them (or pack them in a jar of sugar and give them as a gift).  This method is better at infusing the sugar with vanilla aroma than vanilla flavor. …

Not at this time, but we are hoping to offer raw/uncured mangalitsa pork cuts later this year!  Contact us with your info and we’ll be happy to let you know when they’re available. – Question Submitted by Mitch

Black summer truffles are always less potent than highly prized winter black truffles. However, if you’re tasting them raw you aren’t enjoying them at their full potential. Summer truffles actually need to be very lightly cooked to awaken the full potency of their flavor and aroma. Slice them or chop them as called for in …

Unfortunately we cannot provide samples of our edible pansies.  Custom color blends and single color orders of our edible flowers are usually possible with enough notice…just contact us before placing your order. While we can accept edible flower orders any time up to 10 AM EST the day before your preferred delivery date, for weddings …

Pieces of 3” cut veal hindshank osso bucco tend to weigh around 1.75lbs each  (though they are cut by thickness, not by weight, and can vary).  As such, we’d roughly estimate that there are 4-6 pieces per 10lb case. – Question Submitted by Michelle

Usually we have roe-on scallops, but we are currently looking for a new supply, and don’t know when they will be back in stock.  If you’d like to be notified when they’re again available, please contact us with your preferred contact info. – Question Submitted by Kristan

The term “Kobe Beef” is a description of a style/variety of beef rather than a description of origin.  All of our Kobe beef is from the USA or Australia and labeled as such on the product pages. For more information on this issue & discussion of our rationale, see our CEO’s post – Kobe Beef …

Like all fruits and vegetables, baby artichokes can vary…but we’d estimate they’re generally roughly the size of a very large egg. – Question Submitted by Kirstyn

We’d roughly estimate that there are somewhere around 50 fresh rambutans in a 5lb case. Because produce can vary in size, that number may vary based on the size/weight of the rambutans in the specific case. – Question Submitted by Leslie

Our fresh rambutans are grown in Hawaii, Asia, Guatemala or the Pacific Rim, depending on availability.  As to their quality –  they are from the same supply we ship to fine dining restaurants, and the photo on the site is of the rambutans we ship.  In the event you have any concerns upon receiving them, …

We anticipate oca coming back into season in July.  If you would like us to call or e-mail you as soon as it’s back in stock, please contact us! – Question Submitted by Curtis A.

We estimate that there are approximately 2 ½ to 3 cups of huckleberries in a pound.

Eagle-eyed purchasers of our Oro Nero Balsamic Vinegar & Vigna Oro Balsamic Vinegar may notice that the small 3.5oz bottles are now labeled “balsamic condiment” instead of “balsamic vinegar” and wonder what it means. There’s nothing to worry about.  These little bottles of goodness still contain the wonderfully complex condimento balsamic vinegar they did earlier, …

We do not recommend Kurobuta St. Louis spareribs for competitive BBQ use.  The St. Louis cut is perfect for convenient home use and some restaurant use, but is different from what most competition BBQ teams prefer. St. Louis ribs are cut from younger animals for more tender meat.  This also results in smaller racks that …

Fresh ghost chili availability is very difficult to predict.  Not only does availability & supply fluctuate wildly, but demand is extremely high. We can’t give you a month or season prediction on them, but we can contact you the moment we have them back in stock if you contact us with your preferred e-mail address …

We would guess that there is somewhere around 1/2oz of dried morels in a half cup.  However that’s a vague average at best…here’s why: Morels are wild mushrooms and can vary wildly in size.  As such, the number you can fit in a half cup measure will be different, sometimes very different, depending on the …

Because fresh morels are a wild product, we really can’t be sure of the answer to either question.  Our best guess is that we’ll have them from sometime in April to sometime in July, but that’s a rough average of past years rather than any firm prediction.  We’ve had morels show up earlier, and/or leave …

We’ll happily special order whole wild boar for you.  Unfortunately wild boar hair is substantially tougher than the hair on conventional pork, and cannot be removed separately from the skin & head.  Wild boars with the skin and/or head attached will not pass USDA inspection and we cannot sell them. – Question Submitted by Mike

Our heirloom potatoes are not genetically modified in any way and will grow if planted, but we sell them purely for culinary applications. We cannot guarantee their agricultural performance or offer growing advice – food is our area of expertise, not farming. – Question Submitted by Barb F.

It actually depends on which of cut of grass-fed beef you order. Our cut grass-fed beef steaks (ribeyes, porterhouses, strip steaks, top sirloin steaks) and sliced short ribs are shipped frozen. The larger cuts (whole ribeye rolls, tenderloins, flank steaks, hanger steaks, skirt steaks, etc) can be shipped fresh (with frozen gel packs) OR frozen, …

We haven’t done extensive tests with our crystallized flowers floating in water, so we can’t give you specific times. We tried floating a crystallized pansy once, which is a variety with a thick sugar crust on one side.  It did float in water for at least a little bit, but in our experience the sugar …

We can sometimes special order bergamot oranges in bulk. If you’d like us to notify you when they’re available, please send us an e-mail at info (at) marxfoods (dot) com. -  Question Submitted by Jill F.

Because uni sea urchin roe pieces are a wild, natural, uncut product, their size & piece weight can vary wildly from urchin to urchin.  As a result, so can the number of pieces per tray, as they’re sold by weight not by piece count. Our best estimate is that there could be anywhere from 25-40 …

Tenderloins are usually the most tender cut of any animal that has them and venison tenderloins are no exception.  If tenderness is what you like best, go with the tenderloin.  Venison racks and venison striploins are also good choices and can be more affordable. – Question Submitted by Lou D.

Unfortunately the weight of passion fruit cases can vary from week to week (and with it, the approximate number of passion fruit inside). The best we can do in terms of providing an estimate is to ask you to call us the week you’re planning on ordering.  We’ll do our best to track down an …

Yes! Please e-mail sample requests for palm leaf plates to info (at) marxfoods (dot) com. Be sure to include the varieties you’re interested in, the shipping address you’d like them sent to, and (ideally) a rough sense of when your event is planned. – Question Submitted by Gail S.

Wild Mushrooms: Our dried wild mushrooms are all sustainably hand-foraged in the US Pacific Northwest with three exceptions: 1) Dried candy caps are harvested up and down the US west coast. 2) Dried Italian porcinis are (as you’d expect) from Italy. 3) Right now our organic dried black trumpets are from Serbia.  Because the 2010-2011 …

Thanks to intrepid customer Jim M, who weighed out several threads of our sargol saffron, we have some estimates to offer for the number of stigmas (aka threads): “40 stigma weighed about 71mg or 1.775mg per stigma.  That works out to 255,000 stigma per pound… In one ounce (28.35g) there [would be] about 16,000 stigma.” …

We recommend taking whatever sauce you’ve paired our heart-shaped lobster ravioli with into account when picking a veggie side (lobster ravioli sauce suggestions).  Salads in general are a good pairing choice for this ravioli – green ingredients accentuate their beautiful red color and lighter flavors let the lobster do its thing. If you’re planning to …

For planning purposes we usually recommend you estimate 5-7 grams of fresh European truffles per person per dish. Oregon truffles are a less intense than their European counterparts, so you may want to use more.

This fennel & parmesan pasta sauce recipe is probably the sauce we’d recommend first for our lobster heart-shaped ravioli.  It’s bright yet light, complimenting and balancing the richness of the lobster, drawn-butter & lemon filling without overpowering it.  It also allows the look of the beautiful ravioli to shine. That said, lobster is a pretty …

We do expect to have fresh lavender sprigs in July, and the price will likely be similar. – Question Submitted by Debbie F.

According to The Book of Yields, approximately 63.8% of each passion fruit (by weight) is usable pulp once the outer shell is discarded. Thus, as a very rough estimate, the usable/edible part of the fruit makes up around ten ounces of every pound. This yield percentage may include the seeds, which are edible.

We estimate that there are approximately 280 teaspoons of habanero flakes per pound, but don’t quote us on that.  Here’s our math: The Book of Yields says that there are roughly 5.9 tablespoons of red chile flakes per ounce.  With 16 ounces per pound and 3 teaspoons per tablespoon, we’d estimate 283 teaspoons per pound. …

Generally squash blossom quality and availability is quite reliable in March.  We’re less sure of that this year than years past due to particularly bad weather last November.  That said, chances are still good that we will have squash blossoms to send you. Ordering squash blossoms for a scheduled event is always tricky, because they’re …

Our Jerusalem artichokes are the standard variety. – Question Submitted by Bill

Here are some general guidelines from the manufacturer.  We have not tested these yet, so they may require some adjustments, but hopefully they will give you a ballpark estimate.   Bamboo Rice Ratio: 2 cups of water per cup of rice. Method: Put the rice & water in a pot.  Bring the water to a …

Fuyu persimmons average 3-4 pieces per pound, but unfortunately the case weight we’re shipping can vary from week to week.  If you would like to know how big the cases are we’re shipping in any given week, contact us for more info. – Question Submitted by Gary

Our whole rabbit fryers include the kidneys and livers, but not the heart. – Question Submitted by Frank

Unfortunately we haven’t tried decorating our edible flowers with chocolate, so we can’t offer any specific tips. We absolutely offer wholesale pricing on all our products – simply contact us with info on desired quantities and your shipping address for a custom quote! – Question Submitted by Annmarie B.

Truffles are the fruit of very special members of the fungi kingdom.  This means their parent organisms have several characteristics in common with mushrooms. Most varieties of truffle producing fungi live in symbiotic relationships with trees and are found underground around their roots.  Truffles aren’t the main body of the fungus itself, but a special …

Nope, our kobe beef sliders are sold as raw, frozen 2oz patties. – Question Submitted by Bill

Which Is Better? While frozen truffles are probably the best substitute when the variety you want is out of season, you’re definitely better off getting fresh truffles when they’re available. How to Use Them: For tips on using fresh truffles, see How to Use Fresh Truffles. Frozen truffles are best partially thawed (in a bag …

Unfortunately no, the black turtle beans we currently sell are not heirloom. – Question Submitted by Ruby

We actually carry a huge selection of Japanese ingredients.  Based on my experience living and working in Japan for two years, here are some of the ones you’d be more likely to see during a trip.   Soy Sauce Soy sauce, of course, plays a very important role in Japanese food.  Most of the soy …

A few years ago supply problems caused the price of Italian pine nuts (aka pinioli) to skyrocket and most stores switched to selling cheaper Chinese pine nuts.  It’s now difficult to find true Italian pine nuts in the US.  While the Chinese pine nuts can be used as a substitute for Italian pine nuts, the …

Because both beef and mushrooms have an umami element to their flavor, most mushrooms will pair well with beef. Which mushroom you choose is more a factor of what flavors you’re looking for in your dish. Porcinis, shiitakes, morels and matsutakes are particularly strong. All of them are earthy, but porcinis are particularly so. Morels …

The term “caffeine” is used as short-hand for several substances (including actual caffeine) from a group known as “Xanthine Alkaloids” that have stimulating properties. Below are some estimates for the average “caffeine” content in most commonly consumed hot beverages.  Note that the caffeine content can vary based on a wide variety of factors (brewing method, …

A “fold” is the FDA’s regulated measurement of potency for vanilla extracts. In order to be a pure “single-fold” vanilla extract, each gallon of the finished extract must have been made with a minimum of 13.35 ounces of vanilla beans. Pure vanilla extracts sold to consumers are almost always single fold, which is plenty strong …

Removing the seeds from dried chiles reduces the overall heat level of those chiles substantially.  In addition, chile seeds have a different color and somewhat different texture than the rest of the chile, so you’ll get a more uniform result, especially when grinding chiles into powder. The best method depends on the use you have …

We sell our heirloom potatoes as an edible ingredient rather than seed potatoes, and as such cannot offer growing suggestions or guarantee agricultural performance. That said, they are non-genetically modified potatoes that will sprout, and we have planted a few varieties after they sprouted. They grew well and yielded a crop with excellent flavor and …

Unbrined sausage casings, like most offal, are quite perishable. We recommend storing our natural sausage casings in their brine for no longer than 45 days, and no longer than two days out of the brine. You mentioned purchasing your casings fresh & unbrined, and hoping to use them to make sausages “near Christmas.” We cannot …

Yes! Australian finger limes have a unique inner structure that makes them more freezable than other citrus varieties. Their outer skin may become more pitted, and the inner vesicle “caviar” will become slightly softer, but otherwise they should be pretty much the same as when you froze them. We recommend freezing whole, uncut finger limes …

People are used to buying wheatgrass as whole plants in dirt, but we ship just the cut blades to dramatically reduce shipping weight and cost.  Each pound of our organic wheatgrass was harvested from 300 square inches of growing grass.  This can be extrapolated out to the following estimates for the smaller package options: Oz …

Live mussels can be poached similarly to any other seafood, as long as you’re careful not to overcook them (they cook rather quickly). Discard any that are closed & much heavier than the others (likely filled with mud), or do not close when their shells are pinched together or they are lightly rinsed with cold …

Yes! Our organic camelina seeds are certified organic by the USDA. – Question Submitted by Patrick J.

Our grass-fed ribeye steaks are cut to specified weights (10, 12 or 14 ounces each) rather than specific thicknesses. As such, they can vary in thickness based on the width of the whole ribeyes they’re cut from (bigger cows = wider ribeyes = thinner & wider steaks and visa-versa). With that in mind, here are …

As of September 7, 2011, the following sausages definitely do not have MSG or MSG-like allergens: All Varieties in the Specialty Sausage Sampler Venison Sausage with Merlot & Blueberries Lamb Merguez in Pork Casing Buffalo Sausage with Chipotle Chilies Duck Sausage with Foie Gras & Sauterne Wine Duck Sausage with Orange Liquor Rabbit Sausage with …

According to “The Book of Yields”, a great chef’s tool that provides general yield information for a host of common ingredients, your average dressed (headed, gutted, fins & tail off) salmon is about 75% fillet.  In other words, once you cut it into fillets, approximately 12 ounces of every pound you purchased will end up …

A ready-to-pick vanilla bean on the vine is not a ready-to-use vanilla bean. Though they have the ingredients of greatness hidden within them, fresh beans don’t have much flavor or complexity yet. In order to develop their unique, spectacular vanilla flavor and aroma, they have to be cured for anywhere from 40 days to six …

Frozen mussels are usually cooked before freezing (and we recommend doing so for mussels you’re freezing at home too…see how to freeze mussels for info). Assuming yours were, you want to follow a similar strategy to using precooked crab, canned clams, and fresh poached mussel meat: try to reheat without overcooking. Precooked mussels can be …

According to “The Book of Yields”, a handbook used by chefs to estimate quantities of items normally sold by the pound, approximately 56% of basil sprigs’ weight is usable leaves. The Book of Yields also estimates that each cup of chopped (stem off) basil leaves weighs approximately 1.4 oz. Based on these estimates, we’d guess …

The shelf lives of fresh edible flowers range from 5 days to a month depending on the variety (with squash blossoms being the very perishable exception at around two days maximum). You’ll find variety-specific information on the “Storage” tab on each flower’s description.  If you need flowers that are particularly hardy, we often recommend Szechuan/buzz …

There are twelve varieties of sausage in the specialty sausage sampler covering a pretty wide range of flavors.  Here are some sauce pairings we’d recommend: ● This huckleberry sauce recipe is great with most of the game meat & bird sausages – wild boar, venison, duck & elk. ● A simple jus or pan sauce (made …

Unfortunately the answer really depends on the dragonfruit because they vary so widely in size. You can get really big ones and really small ones, and those different sizes can be packed together in the same box…making giving any sort of estimated number per 10lb case extremely difficult. – Question Submitted by Searc

The interior meat of manila clams is completely edible.   Related Posts: How to Open Clams How to Steam Clams Clam Recipes – Question Submitted by Mike

Ghost chiles are extremely, extremely hot.  When developing our own ghost chile recipes, we always follow this simple rule: start small!  It’s better to end up with something that isn’t hot enough than something that’s too hot to eat.  You can always adjust the recipe based on your results. According to the scoville numbers we …

There are several reasons why Tradizionale (Traditional) grade balsamics are expensive: 1. Tradizionale balsamic vinegars must be aged a minimum of 12 years (for Affinato vinegar - Extra Vecchio vinegar must be aged 25 years or more). 2. They must be exceptionally high quality as judged by experts in the Consortium of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. …

Because our Italian foods are usually packaged and labeled in Italy for international sale, they often use European or Italian terms for ingredients. The word “aroma” on truffle oil, lemon-pepper wheat germ pasta and other Italian products’ ingredient lists is the equivalent of “flavor” on American-style ingredient lists.  It’s simply their term for the essence …

Until recently it was common for balsamic vinegars to have large numbers on the bottle.  Sometimes this was the actual age of the vinegar, sometimes it was just a number (“No. 17” for example) the company had put on the label to make you think it was the age of the vinegar….a marketing ploy. Recently …

In general, bison meat is considerably leaner than beef, with about half the fat and calories.  It’s also higher in protein. Using the USDA National Nutrient Database* to compare generalized statistics on the “lean” (i.e. meat as opposed to fat) in raw bison ribeyes vs. conventional Choice beef ribeyes provides this data:   Bison/Buffalo Beef …

Szechuan buttons (aka buzz buttons, Sichuan buttons, toothache flowers, Acmella Oleracea) are tiny yellow flowers with a unique tingling effect that feels like light electricity. They’re a great party food or cocktail ingredient, and some chefs are using them in sorbets as a salad ingredient or as a sashimi garnish. What gives these flowers their …

Dulce buttons are tiny, super-super-sweet flowers with an anise/thyme/mint flavor. Thanks to a unique sesquiterpene compound called “hernandulcin” they are 500 to 1,500 times sweeter than sugar (on a molecule by molecule basis), depending on how you measure. Sesquiterpenes are complex terpines, which are organic compounds commonly found in plants’ resins and essential oils.

While the terms “parboiled” and “converted” conjure up images of modern convenience rice products like microwavable rice or quick cooking rice, parboiled rice is actually something quite different. Parboiling is a very old technique (it has been used for over 2,000 years) which involves soaking the rice grains while they’re still in the hull (aka the …

Our roe-on scallops are indeed wild and are caught in the north Atlantic. – Question Submitted by Laura

Szechuan buttons and dulce buttons both ship in plastic clamshells similar to the ones you find herbs in at the grocery store.  These are the best way to store them, so you can just throw the clamshells in your refrigerator. Szechuan buttons tend to last up to 14 days in the refrigerator, while dulce buttons …

Generally we feel fresh morel mushrooms don’t need to be washed, but here are the recommended cleaning methods if you would like to clean yours. What We Recommend: Give your morels a quick dunk in cool water and then let them drain in a colander or spin them in a salad spinner. For best shelf …

Not really. Edible flowers can be frozen, and will look just fine as long as they stay frozen. However, as soon as they thaw (and they’ll thaw out very quickly) they’ll turn limp and their colors will darken. You’ll lose the beauty that you bought them for in the first place. Here’s an example using …

Our kangaroo medallions are sometimes labeled “rump” due to differences between Australian and American meat terminology.  In Australia this cut is sometimes called “rump,” which conjures up images of large roasting cuts for Americans.  However, they’re really small pieces of meat that are meant to be pan roasted, grilled, seared or sautéed, which is why …

Dried Chinese porcinis (Boletus Aestivalis, Boletus Aereus) are easy to distinguish from dried Italian porcinis and other varieties.  Porcinis from China are darker in color and very thin, with a straight stem instead of the distinctive rounded “chubby” stem that you’ll find on porcinis from Europe or the US.  Chinese porcinis never grow to be …

Our wild pacific salmon lox varieties are all brined in the same honey, salt & spice solution.  However, because of their naturally higher oil content (which is responsible for their full, rich flavor), sockeye salmon fillets absorb less of the brine.  Thus sockeye lox has a lower salt content and less salty flavor than keta …

The most commonly smoked beef cuts are beef briskets and ribs (either short ribs or beef spare ribs).  Though less common, you’ll sometimes also see tri tip roasts smoked.

Domesticated animals raised for their meat are generally fed the same feed, live under the same conditions, and are butchered at roughly the same size.  Our kangaroo meat and wild boar meat are 100% wild; the animals have foraged different amounts of food and lived different lives.  They are consequently different sizes when they are …

To ensure they stay fresh and flavorful, store fresh wasabi roots in your refrigerator wrapped in a damp towel.  Check the towel daily to ensure it isn’t drying out, re-wetting as necessary.  If you don’t let them dry out, your rhizomes should last for up to three weeks. When you grate some of your wasabi, …

The Blue Poulet (or Blue Foot Chicken) is an American/Canadian chicken bred to closely resemble the famous French Poulet de Bresse chicken in appearance and flavor.  Poulet de Bresse has long been regarded as the finest chicken available in France. Unfortunately demand in France is such that we almost never see Bresse chickens in the United States, making …

Just taking a bite of a fresh heirloom tomato will demonstate the answer to this question better than any paragraph on the internet, but the short answer is flavor.  The word “heirloom” tends to be applied to produce, while the word “heritage” is usually attached to meats and poultry.  Their exact definitions are a little hard …

Oyster crabs, tiny crabs that are sometimes found sharing shells with live oysters, have long been considered a delicacy in the US.  Unfortunately they are so rare that they don’t appear to be commercially available.  Our best advice is to become good friends with the closest oyster farmer, but even then, you may have difficulty getting them …

Unfortunately, because our heirloom beans come from a variety of origins that may change with availability, we cannot specify their harvest dates. What we can tell you is that these beans are selected for and sold to the restaurant industry.  This not only means that they’re exceptionally high quality, but also that the supply is …

We don’t have an oyster soup/oyster stew recipe using fresh oyster meat on the Marx Foods blog yet, but here are some links to recipes from reliable sources:   Classic Louisiana Oyster Stew Recipe – Saveur Magazine Phil Harris’ Oyster Stew Recipe – Seattle PI Newspaper Very Basic Oyster Stew in 15 Minutes – The Huffington Post …

Should you refreeze your New Mexico chiles?  Probably not.  Refreezing produce that has already been frozen and thawed once can do a lot of damage to its flavor and texture.  We really don’t recommend it.  - Question Submitted by Vivian

Salsify is one of a couple root vegetables that actually gets sweeter in flavor if left in the ground until after the first frost.  It also stores extremely well in traditional root cellars, sometimes for as long as a year. Unfortunately, despite these qualities, our research indicates that is not likely to maintain its quality when stored …

For most of our heirloom beans, bulk lentils, and rice we cannot guarantee specific origins because they are subject to change due to various supply factors. There are, of course, exceptions, such as our Carnaroli, Arborio, Integrale, and Vialone Nano risotto rice varieties, which are all grown in Italy. – Question Submitted by Lydia

Unfortunately we’ve been unable to locate a source of frozen aji amarillos for you…they appear to be VERY hard to come by right now. The best substitutes we can suggest are either tracking down some fresh ones or rehydrating dried aji amarillos. – Question Submitted by Maria

Both Fennel Pollen and Dill Pollen last a very long time if kept in their tins away from moisture, light, and heat. Pollen Approximate Shelf Lives:   Cool, Dry Cupboard:   Up to 2 Years Well-Sealed in Refrigerator: Up to 5 Years Frozen:                                            Far longer – Question Submitted by Christine C.

The answer really depends on which white truffles you’re looking to pick.  If you’re taking a trip to Italy and hoping to hunt the elusive and exclusive white Alba truffle, you want to plan your trip sometime between October and December.  If you’re staying closer to home and looking for Oregon white truffles, you’ve likely …

While our bulk baby dill can be used to flavor brines and other liquids to be used in canning, it is much more tender, delicate, and heat-sensitive than mature dill.  It will probably wilt when exposed to canning temperatures, and has a more subtle flavor that chefs love, but is better suited for use raw …

Fresh ghost chilies have just been added to the Marx Foods store!  We can now ship them to you via Fedex overnight (included in the price!), anywhere in the US. We also offer dried ghost chilies and ghost chili powder in bulk.

While Marx Foods does not currently offer European flours, I’ve found a website that offers a few German flour varieties: GermanDeli.com. Alternatively, here’s a link to an extremely useful page offering the American equivalents of German flours for substitution purposes.  Note that Dinkel-Vollkornmehl is equivalent to American whole grain spelt flour, which we do sell. …

Yes, we do buy chantrelle mushrooms. For more information, send us an e-mail at . – Question Submitted by Tammy

Absolutely!  Because freezing speed effects the resulting quality of the preserved mushrooms, and your refrigerator’s freezer is relatively slow compared to industrial models, home-frozen mushrooms won’t be quite as good as commercially frozen wild mushrooms.   That said, freezing is probably the best way to preserve chanterelles for later use…when dried they reconstitute woody, making them only suitable for …