11 Foods and Drinks Banned In the United States
- Absinthe.
Absinthe has been banned in the U.S. forever. A few years back they sorta lifted the ban… but the absinthe that’s legal in the U.S. now can only contain a small amount of wormwood. And absinthe without the wormwood isn’t really absinthe; it doesn’t make you hallucinate — all you’re doing is drinking something that’s green and contains a little alcohol. Might as well drink Pucker. Or Hi-C Ecto Cooler and rum. - Pig’s Blood Cake.
Pig’s Blood Cake is a Taiwanese delicacy; it’s a mix of pig’s blood and rice on a stick. Even though those ingredients are probably healthier than whatever goes into a hot dog on a stick, pig’s blood cake still gets the ban in the U.S. for being unsanitary. - Sassafras oil.
This used to flavor root beer (among other things) but was eventually banned because it was found to cause cancer in lab rats. (And cancer really slows down their plans to do the same thing they do every night: Try to take over the world.) I never really think of “sassafras” as an oil — to me, it’s primarily an expression used by old Southern women who are trying to avoid cussin’ — but what do I know? - Haggis.
Haggis has been banned in the U.S. for more than four decades because one of its key ingredients is sheep’s lungs, and our government doesn’t want us eating those. It also contains a sheep’s heart and liver, and is cooked in a sheep’s stomach, but those are all, apparently, cool for us to eat. So your Scottish relatives here could cook you up some haggis without the sheep’s lungs, but there’s really no point in eating it without one of its key ingredients… but that’s kind of like drinking non-alcoholic beer, or watching the final seasons of “Scrubs”, “That ’70s Show”, “90210” or “American Idol”. - Fugu.
Not to be confused with FUBU. Fugu, the mostly-poisonous Japanese puffer fish, is neither for us, nor (bought) by us. - Kinder Eggs.
Kinder Eggs are a German candy egg. They have a milk chocolate shell, a white chocolate layer below the shell… and then a hollow center where there’s a little toy. Kind of like fortune cookies, if they were more delicious, less preachy and way more of a choking hazard.
It’s that whole “choking hazard” part that keeps them out of the U.S. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says they’re not safe for kids and, therefore, not allowed here. - Pommac.
Pommac was a champagne-flavored soft drink, manufactured by Dr. Pepper in the ’60s. It didn’t sell well… I’ve never had it, but I’m guessing the fact that it was a champagne-flavored soft drink had something to do with that. (The fact the Dr. Pepper has succeeded while tasting like carbonated prune juice was already enough of a miracle, they couldn’t go to the well a second time.) The U.S. ended up banning the chemical that was used as its sweetner, sodium cyclamate, and that was the end of Pommac forever. - Authentic Italian meats.
We can eat salami, prosciutto and headcheese (which, of course, isn’t cheese) here in the U.S. But it has to be slaughtered and produced here. Your uncle in the old country (any old country will do) can’t export any to you. So focus your importing/exporting business elsewhere (like on long matches). - Horse and human meat.
Dog and cat meat are frowned upon, but there’s no nationwide ban on them. Can’t say the same for horse or human meat. A few years ago, it became illegal to slaughter horses for food in the U.S. (Before that, there were actually factories here that would slaughter horses for their meat. But since we don’t really eat it, it was usually exported. Makes the glue factory look tame in comparison. Or, I suppose, equal.)
As for human meat, for some reason, cannibalism is illegal across the board in this country. Typical big government. It’s my body, it should be my choice to let someone gnaw on it or not. - Vegemite.
This one has treaded into urban legend realms. Vegemite contains folate, which is a food additive that the FDA isn’t too sweet on. So while there’s no official Vegemite ban, it’s murky enough that people are reluctant to import it.
So… uh… it may be tricky for you to find a horrid Australian flavored black paste to spread on your baked goods. How ever will you go on? - Four Loko (the original).
The FDA decided to ban Four Loko because the mix of alcohol and caffeine is so dangerous. Man, I hope they don’t find out about Red Bull vodkas, whiskey-Cokes, rum and cokes, Jagerbombs, Irish coffees, SuperDews, 5 Hour Everclear, and the 85 million other ways people have been mixing alcohol and caffeine forever.
50 Different Foods You Can Put in a Jar
via Under The Table And Dreaming
This inspiration post is dedicated to all the glorious foods … You can put in a jar: desserts in a jar, bread in a jar, appetizers in a jar, meals in a jar, drinks in a jar… I think you can pretty much put anything in jar and it instantly becomes a million times cuter!
{Source: I Am Baker}
Cheesecake in a Jar
{Source: My Baking Addiction}
Mixed Berry Cheesecake in Jars
{Source: The Family Kitchen}
Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar
{Source: The Family Kitchen}
No Bake Oreo Cheesecake in a Jar
{Source: The Family Kitchen}
Neapolitan Cake in a Jar
{Source: Sprinkled With Flour}
Banana Split Cake in Jars
{Source: The Family Kitchen}
Rainbow Cake in a Jar
{Source: How Sweet It Is}
S’Mores Cake in a Jar
{Source: Eclectic Recipes}
Whiskey in a Jar Chocolate Cake {flour-less recipe}
{Source: The Family Kitchen}
Peanut Butter Cups {Cake} in a Jar
{Source: Martha Stewart}
Buttermilk Cupcakes in a Jar
{Source: Cakies}
Red Velvet Cupcakes in a Jar
{Source: Glorious Treats}
Orange Dreamsicle Cupcakes in a Jar
{Source: Man With a Fork}
Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake in Jars
{Source: The Boastful Baker}
Mini Canning Jar Apple Pies
{Source: Our Best Bites}
Single Serving Pie in a Jar
{Source: The Nerd’s Wife}
Pumpkin Pie in a Jar
{Source: The Family Kitchen}
Peach Cobbler in a Jar
{Source: Gooseberry Patch via My Recipes}
Baked Brownies in a Jar
{Source: Pen n’ Paper Flowers}
Ice Cream Jars
{Source: Paula Deen}
White Chocolate Lemon Trifle Jars
{Source: Ezra Pound Cake}
Mason Jar Breakfast Parfaits
{Source: American Spoon}
Jam, Granola & Yogurt Parfait Jars
{Source: Today’s Nest}
Chocolate Banana Pudding Jars
{Source: Savor This Moment}
Bread Pudding in a Jar
{Source: Healthful Pursuit}
Layered Maple Oat n’ Apple Dessert Jars
{Source: My Baking Addiction}
Cherry Crisp in a Jar
{Source: The Family Kitchen}
Monkey Bread in a Jar
{Source: Good Food Bread & Muffins}
Chocolate Muffin Bread in a Jar
{Source: Simple Bites}
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Rolls in a Jar
{Source: The Chubby Vegetarian}
Caprese Salad in a Jar
{Source: Salad in a Jar}
Romaine Salad in a Jar
{Source: Savvy Mom}
Simple Layer Dip in a Jar
{Source: Southern Living}
Mason Jar Layered Cornbread and Turkey Salad
{Source: Savoring The Thyme}
Wheat Berry Apple Salad in a Jar
{Source: Country Living}
Corn and Chickpea Salad in a Jar
{Source: Fat and Happy}
Mason Jar Turkey Chickpea Salad
{Source: The Decorated Cookie}
Pesto Pasta in a Jar
{Source: Stone Gable}
Homemade Pasta Salad Jars
{Source: My Own Ideas}
Goat Cheese & Sun Dried Tomatoes with Garlic Herb Pesto in a Jar
{Source: Eat*Drink*Pretty}
Zucchini and Goat Cheese Tarts in a Jar
{Source: Good Housekeeping}
Shrimp Rillettes in a Jar
{Source: Fuchsia}
Hearty Lentil Stew with Roasted Squash & Pumpkin Jar
{Source: Jones in Hungry}
BBQ Sundae in a Jar
{Source: Giver’s Log}
Chili and Cornbread in a Jar
{Source: Saveur}
Strawberry Moonshine Julep
{Source: Nutrition to Invigorate Mind Body and Spirit}
Mason Jar Mojito Cocktail
{Source: Southern Weddings}
Mason Jar Mojitos
{Source: Martha Stewart}
Lemony Spiked Sweet Tea
{Source: Kahakai Kitchen}
Cranberry Apple Cider Shandy
Now I want to save even more jars!
Ultimate Guide to The Top 10 Natural Sweeteners
Shilo Urban | Organic Authority
If you have a sweet tooth, you know that completely cutting sugary foods out of your diet is not an option. You probably also know that eating too much sugar wrecks havoc on your body system’s balance, causing energy rushes, crashes, bellyaches and even more cravings for sweets.
We like sweet tastes for a reason; sugary foods are a source of easy energy and they stimulate the brain to release endorphins. Humans evolved in a world of scarcity, but we now live in a nation of overabundance- and our bodies haven’t caught up. Our brains are still chowing down on as many calories as possible whenever they present themselves so that we can outrun the lion on the savannah later tonight.
The modern human eats more sugar in one day than our ancestors did during their entire lives. When found in nature, sweet foods are not only a source of easy energy – they also contain minerals and nutrients. Today however, most sweeteners are sugars that have had all of their natural nutritional value completely refined away.
Enter: natural sweeteners. Although some foods on the list below are still simple carbohydrates that raise blood sugar levels (honey, stevia, fruit concentrates and sugar cane juice/Sucanat) and thus are technically still sugar, others contain more complex sugars that are more slowly absorbed by your body and don’t throw your system out of whack (agave, barley malt, brown rice syrup, date sugar, maple syrup, molasses and xylitol). Those that do raise blood sugar levels are still better than refined sugar; take honey for example. Because it is sweeter than sugar, you can use less of it, and along with the sweet you will also get some vitamins, nutrients and pollen – not just empty calories.
Make no mistake- all sweeteners should be used sparingly, but when you can’t fight that sweet tooth, a natural option is always better than refined white or brown sugar or even worse- high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS and agave syrup or agave nectar, have taken some considerable heat in the media. According to Dr. Nalini Chilkov, L.Ac., O.M.D.,
“The negative health effects of high fructose corn syrup are well documented. Agave syrup has been recently promoted as a “healthy” sweetener. However, most health conscious users don’t realize that agave is also a high fructose syrup. Agave syrup is typically 95% fructose and 5% glucose.
High fructose syrups increase risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure) and liver inflammation. This is clearly not a healthy choice for a sweetener. America must get over its sweet tooth and learn to enjoy the natural sweetness of foods.”
Try a few of the sugar alternatives below, and as their unfamiliarity wears away and you get a sense of when and where to use them, you may even find that you like them better than traditional refined sugar.
- BARLEY MALT SYRUP or GRANULES: Everyone loves a malt, the milkshake’s sassier cousin. Barley malt syrup has the same rich, roasted taste and goes well with barbeque and winter squash. In granulated form, barley malt syrup makes a good substitute for brown sugar, and this healthier alternative contains complex carbohydrates and protein along with maltose and glucose.
- BROWN RICE SYRUP or GRANULES: With a mild, almost butterscotch taste, brown rice syrup is made when brown rice grains plus various enzymes are cooked down into a thick liquid. Half as sweet as sugar, brown rice syrup contains complex carbohydrates and is good in cooking and beverages, although it tends to make baked goods too crisp unless combined with another sweetener like honey or maple syrup.
- DATE SUGAR: High in fiber and rich in potassium and iron, date sugar is made of dried dates that have been pulverized and possibly combined with oat powder and/or oil. Date sugar does not dissolve, and thus works best on a crumbled topping, a bowl of oatmeal or similar endeavors.
- FRUIT CONCENTRATES: Made when fruit juices are cooked down to a thick syrup and then frozen, these sweeteners have slight flavors depending on the fruits they came from. Apple and grape concentrates are most common, as are mixtures of pineapple, peach and pear. Beware: concentrated fruit juice means that any pesticides used on the fruit will be concentrated too, so be sure to opt for organic on this one. Fruit concentrates do not work well with chocolate.
- HONEY: Humans have loved honey for at least 10,000 years and probably more. Although it is still considered a refined sugar, unheated and unfiltered (raw) honey contains propolis and pollen as well as B vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Honey is excellent in baking but should not be eaten by children under two.
- MAPLE SYRUP: With brilliant red leaves, sugar maples all over the northeastern part of the country are tapped for sap, which is then boiled down into a sugar or dehydrated into granules, much in the same way it has been done since the time of the colonists. Grade A is lighter, milder and comes from early pressings, and Grade B is darker, stouter, comes later in the year and is much better for you. Maple syrup is great in pies!
- MOLASSES: Molasses is a by-product of refining sugar cane and like maple syrup, comes in different strengths. Sweet or “Barbados” molasses comes from the first press and is light and tangy; bittersweet Blackstrap molasses comes from the last press and is much stronger and darker with more minerals like calcium and iron.
- STEVIA: The newest star of the sweetener world, stevia is a South American bush whose leaves are 300 times sweeter than sugar. It has zero calories and does not raise the blood sugar, making it a good alternative for diabetics – though some say it has a slight aftertaste. Women trying to conceive should not consume stevia as native peoples used it as a birth control.
- SUCANAT and SUGAR CANE JUICE: Sugar cane juice is made from crushing juice from the whole cane, and comes in many forms both liquid and granulated. The most popular and most nutritious form is Sucanat, a brand name (a contraction of Sugar-Cane-Natural) for one types of dehydrated, unrefined sugar cane juice made with a hint of molasses.
- XYLITOL: Low in calories, xylitol is a sugar alcohol sweetener derived from the fibers of many plants including mushrooms, oats, berries and birch. However most xylitol today is derived from cornhusks, meaning much of what is available domestically contains genetically modified ingredients, so tread with caution.
