One thing I've gotten in the mail that I don't like is peanuts. I don't like peanuts, the nuts, and I also don't like packing peanuts. They spill all over the place and end up filling up landfills.
My latest package (the subject of my next blog post) was from Wholly Wholesome Bakery. From shopping trips to Whole Foods, I already knew about Wholly Wholesome's commitment to quality ingredients in their baked goods. However, I was particularly excited to see their environmental commitment displayed. Their package came with biodegradable packing peanuts.
When I realized (Jonathan told me) that the packing peanuts were made of mostly corn starch, I decided to eat one. That was maybe not the brightest idea - there was no ingredient list for the peanuts.
After the break - find out if I survived. OK - you know I survived, so just find out how it tasted.
What Did the Packing Peanut Taste Like?
The packing peanut basically tasted like an unflavored cheesy poof. In fact, if you put cheese on it and stuck it in a party bowl, I think people would eat these things up!
You're Crazy!
I know, eating packing peanuts may not be for everyone. If you don't want to eat your packing peanuts, you still might want to play with them. I enjoyed watching them dissolve in the sink. They just disappear instead of hanging around the universe forever like styrofoam peanuts. Also, if you dissolve them using boiling water, it smells like you are cooking corn! Let's hope everyone starts using them!
Goodbye, peanuts! Have a nice journey!
I hope Jonathan wasn't just screwing with you, ha! I've also seen things packed in popcorn...
ReplyDeletewhen i was younger i had a nanny who insisted you could eat packing peanuts. i thought she was just joking with us, but when both she and her husband ate one i decided to try. never again!
ReplyDeleteAt my old job we sold something similar only shaped more like a cheese poof and rainbow coloured. They were sold as a children's building toy as you could just slightly moisten them and stick them together.
ReplyDeletehave you used the plates made from potato starch? They are an alternative to paper/styrofoam plates. My friend ate one. He ate the whole plate! I don't think it tasted like much...
ReplyDeleteI've eaten both the biodegradable packing peanuts and the potato starch and limestone bowls and lived to tell about it.
ReplyDeleteI think the packing peanuts taste better than the bowls.
JustJenn - Haha. That would be mean!
ReplyDeleteJennifer - I can't believe she actually ate one.
Kelly - Weird. Did you moisten them with your tongue?
IronStef - I have seen those. I like them but they dissolve too quickly, like while you are eating. An entire plate, huh. Impressive.
Sylvia - Wow! Is this a regular thing?
I work at a cheese shop. The last time we received a delivery, I was working by myself, so as I was unloading, I noticed that the packing peanuts dissolved next to the ice packs. I figured what the heck, so I ate one. Then I ate another. They're actually kind of good, just, as you said, unflavored.
ReplyDeleteI don't plan to eat more, but it was interesting, and good to know that I'm not the only one!
Kate - I can't believe that so many people have tried them. It cracks me up. I'm also glad to discover that I am not alone.
ReplyDeleteI'd much rather eat a dish than wash a dish. Which reminds me, I was talking to a park ranger about outdoor cooking once and he mentioned a great way to make a cupcake-like thing at a campsite -- bake a spice cake mix in a hollowed out orange over coals or fire (I can't remember which). Do you have any plans to go camping this summer?
ReplyDeleteOooh - I totally want to try that!! What a neat idea! I wouldn't use a mix, but I like the concept.
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteI had that book when I was a kid too. I have to buy things to get fun mail nowadays...poo.
I think that packing peanuts taste similarly to those white starchy rice noodle-looking things that Asian restaurants sometimes serve underneath dishes. Anyone else know what I'm talking about or what they're called? I know that PF Chang's serves them underneath their salt and pepper calamari.
ReplyDeleteSo is it a legume after all?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, in high school, a friend of mine named Frank had a really tiny MG sportscar... and one evening walking out of the school after debate practice, we approached his car and something looked weird. It looked like the light was left on inside or something, but not quite... Some of his friends had gone into his car and filled the entire car from floor to ceiling, packed with packing peanuts. The whole car. It was weird, because there were no packing peanuts on the ground of the parking lot, and I don't know how they got them in and then shut the doors or something...
Oh well, one of life's mysteries.
(But no, I've never eaten the packing peanuts!)
It might of been Puffy Stuff (http://puffystufftn.com). They're made from grain milo, and are safe to eat. I've eaten them, and they taste like a rice cake! Watch out for the corn starch brands though, they contain petrochemicals and aren't safe to eat.
ReplyDeleteWhen I taught arts and crafts, we would use these peanuts to make sculptures. You lick (or dip) one side and stick them together to make things. So cute.
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteI got packing peanuts today & I was squishing them, as I always do, & I noticed that they smelled like cheese puffs!? So I googled "packing peanuts smell like food" and found your blog post!! Thanks for unraveling my mystery (& confirming my sanity)! :)
Packing peanuts that are made from EPS, Corn, or Wheat should not be eaten! They are at least 5% plastic and will build up in your system. The only truly biodegradable packing peanuts in the US are Puffy Stuff of Tennessee. HTTP://Puffystufftn.com
ReplyDelete. If you do not believe me put in www.USDA/ARS/loosefill and see for yourself!
Too funny! I got some of these tonight, and bit one. It dissolved in my mouth, but I was kind of afraid to swallow it so I spit it out. Then I Googled "eat packing peanut" and found your blog.
ReplyDeleteEmmy - Hah! You are not alone!
ReplyDeleteI got some in the mail, they're fun to play with, but I'm not sure if they're safe to eat. They make great fertilizer though!
ReplyDeletehi all who play with peanuts..iwould like to know exactly which type of peanut to purchase to mold items..with water..and should it be only water .and does it stay glued together...it sounds like fun for my class in sunday school..thank you..kathy..
ReplyDeleteThose biodegradable poofs also burn really well in a woodstove.
ReplyDelete