My Encyclia (octopus)

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Mmmm! Good! I like 'em deep-fried. -The squid that is...lol

Never ate an orchid, well other that vanilla extract, at least that I know can remember.

Cheers!
Brutal_Dreamer

[Jmoney]

I like my squid either deep-fried or cut in strips for use as fluke bait.

[pretty_bug01]

Vanilla extract is from orchids?

[Heather]

Yup! Sure is, Jennifer! Vanilla planiflora - grown, among other places, extensively in Mexico in the Tajin region near the western coast. Vanilla beans are the seed pods I think. Yum! (maybe better than squid, in the tasty snack dept.!)

[Paphraguy]

Heather, in Orchid Fever, do you remember in Turkey a popular ice cream made from a particular species of orchid roots only found in the mountains somewhere in Turkey? I heard that that particular species of orchid is now facing extinction if the locals don't stop harvesting them from the wild. Those plants are not even cultivated because they grow very slow. What will do when they are gone forever? The locals are outraged because those plants may soon become protected.

Also, in South America, the local people eat Phrag ecuadorense to relieve stomach pains or help digestion or something like that.

And, of course the most famous is vanilla.

[Heather]

I do remember that. It sounded like it would taste pretty interesting. However, that is quite a dillema, since it is a local cultural tradition, but if the plants become extinct, then they'd be out of business anyway. Sounds as though regulating it at least, or propegating or something might be the way to go.

Our restaurant puts dendrobium blooms on certain dishes as garnish. They keep telling people that they are edible, but I don't think that is the case. I hope no one gets ill! People are always coming down the hill, carrying their little blossom to take home, so I don't know if anyone has ever actually eaten one. I can't imagine they taste very good.

[Paphraguy]

Yes, I have also seen Dend blooms served as garnishes but I don't find flowers too appetizing, so I have never eaten any.

Maybe, I should try one, who knows it could give me some kind of special powers or even cure my color deficiency!

[Heather]

Lol! Special powers? I hope not - then everyone would be eating them! If you do - you'd better keep it to yourself!

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Didn't they have flower-power in the 60's?

I wonder if they ate orchids? HMMM? LOL

I think if I was going to eat an orchid bloom, I would probably eat one that smells good. Maybe the Phal. Violecea 'Boreno'. It reminds me of Fruit Loops and I still haven't had my breakfast yet this morning!

Cheers!
Brutal_Dreamer

[Paphraguy]

Bruce, I know what you mean! To me, my Sharry Baby smells like cookies and cakes baking in the oven and sometimes they make me hungry! SB is spiking again and this time I might just pop one in my mouth to see if it tastes like cookies and cakes.