What is it?

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garlichead said:
Tonka bean.
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Indeed it is! I wondered if you might guess it. Well done
JAS_OH1 said:
It's illegal in the US?
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It is or rather according to Sous Chef, it used to be (see quote below - not sure if its accurate regarding this). But apparently chefs have there ways. Its not illegal in the UK or the rest of the world as far as I know.

karadekoolaid said:
Tonka beans only grow in Venezuela and Guyana. They´re very much like vanilla, but evidently far cheaper.
You´d need to eat two of them, at least, to get poisoned - but then if you eat two nutmegs, you´ll get the same thing.
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They are more complex in flavour than vanilla, although there are tones of vanilla in the aroma. Not sure if they are cheaper outside of their country of origin. I've seen them sold at a very high price. But the ones I have came from Sous Chef and are currently on offer for £2.50.

Here is what Sous Chef says about them:

Tonka beans bring complex vanilla, coconut, sour cherry, clove and liquorice flavours to dishes.Tonka beans are flat, dark, wrinkled seeds from giant Cumaru trees in South America. Soft when harvested, tonka beans slowly dry out over months of storage. The almond-shaped seeds or beans become firm and easy to grate, like a nutmeg.

Try grating a quarter of a bean over scallops or use in savoury soufflés. Tonka beans also bring complex aromas to sweets such as panna cottas and ice creams. Even infuse the beans into spirits and try mixing a tonka bean cocktail.

Tonka beans are used widely in French cuisine, and are popular with top patissiers for elaborate desserts. They are commonly paired with creams and custards. The bitter, aromatic tonka bean has been banned in various countries, including until recently the United States, with chefs smuggling it into the country to perfume their dishes. Tonka beans contain coumarin, which can be toxic if consumed in high quantities. But when treated with respect and used in moderation in normal cooking, tonka beans are a stunning ingredient that elevate your dishes from humble to haute cuisine.
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Tonka Beans

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Yes, it would be almost impossible to eat enough to cause harm. A tiny grating infuses a whole dish. Talking of which it occurred to me a little might work in a curry sauce...

Here is my no churn ice-cream with tonka: Recipe Tonka Bean and Bamboo Charcoal Ice-cream (no churn)
 
garlichead said:
Yeah, a tough one. Ok, here's a fairly easy one. The long vertical ingredient.

View attachment 80186
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Hard to guess when I can't guess what the dish is lol
Looks too thick to be pasta.
The green makes me think its covered in cilantro, which when combined with Jalapeno makes me think Mexican or Cuban food. So maybe Yuca?
 
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