10/02/2026
I'm very excited for this weekend's product lineup (for both Bloomfield and Squirrow Hill). 3 products I especially want to highlight:
1) shiso soda (more expansive description below)
2) paw paw spicebush: basically our native tropical fruit, flavored with our native peppercorn-allspice, (spicebush, both berries and leaves) that grows in the same ecosystem--think communal-oriented neighbors birthing a product transformed by microbes: a complex spiced tropical soda
3) zhug-inspired cashew spread (zhug originated in Yemen, but this spicy puréed hot sauce has different variations found across N Africa and the Middle East) . see the ingredients in the post--but oh man is this vibrant and flavorful, the acidity and savory notes from the fermented cashews really brings spicy condiment together
SHISO SODA
Big shout out to Ginger Brooks Takahashi and Blue Sun Growers
- Our friend Ginger, curator of the Perilla People’s Garden located in the front of the Carnegie Museum of Art , reached out about sharing the numerous varieties of fresh perilla that is towering (nearly falling over because of its incredible growth) outside of the museum. I never realized how many varieties of perilla existed, and that it's consumed more widely outside of Japan and Korea. A great article in Civil Eats covers more about Ginger's project, and the cultural importance of perilla. I'm very excited and grateful to have had access to so many varieties of this special herb--Ginger took me on a little tasting tour, which helped me experience the nuanced flavors of this plant (from spicy heat and minty flavors, to anise and cumin).
To top it off, I also just happened to source dried shiso, grown in central PA by Billy at Blue Sun Growers -- the combined flavor of the dried and fresh herbs offers numerous layers (over 6 varieties) to this pleasant soda! Come on out to experience this beauty!
