950: Z is for Zizania Latifolia

Zizania Latifolia is a type of wild rice that is grown in asia.

I know what you are going to say. Wild rice is a grain, not a vegetable.

Wrong! It turns out that Zizania Latifolia is actually not grown for its grain. It turns out that the stalk of Zizania Latifolia is very susceptible to a certain type of smut fungus, and stalks that have been infected with this smut are apparently considered delicious.

Much like this blog, people are not attracted to Zizania Latifolia for the vegetable itself, but for the smut.

14 thoughts on “950: Z is for Zizania Latifolia”

    This is much like truffles. They are ectomycorrhizal fungi that grow on tree roots and are more highly praised by gourmets than mushrooms. They are very fickle and have no organized pattern to which trees they will infect. That’s why in Europe they use truffle pigs to sniff for their scent and they can dig them up. Without the pigs the truffles are impossible to find. But there’s a secret…
    To a pig, the scent is the same as a pig sex hormone. In a pig’s fantasies, they imagine smut and are looking for smut. It’s an odd thing though, the gourmet hunters hog all the truffles and don’t give any to the pigs. Although the female pigs are looking for a mate who has that same musk smell. That’s why they go wild in the forest looking for unrequited truffles.
    Hmm, I wonder if any male pigs wait under a tree with a bottle of Champagne. Here’s where euphemism and innuendo may pay off if a guy is a charming male chauvinist pig who’s trying to reform his ways. Euphemism has totally made smut confusing. Who are the hogs and pigs. Who has two feet and who has four feet for feats?