Wild Vermont Lobster

Ran across Les Hook and Nova Kim from the “northeast Kingdom of Vermont” at the New Amsterdam Market in New York yesterday. I did a double-take when I saw the packages marked “Wild Vermont Lobster.” Ain’t no ocean there, folks.

Of course, what they were selling was “lobster” mushrooms, harvested by hand and dried. Does anyone know if these things actually taste like lobster, or where the name comes from? I’d like to try a sushi roll made with them. Not sure about a lobster roll.

Looking at Les made me wonder why they didn’t film Lord of the Rings in said “northeast Kingdom.”

By the way, that stream of donuts coming out of Les’s ear is actually a decoratively strung row of the Finnish rye bread ruis leipä, being sold at the booth behind Les by Simo Kuusisto of Nordic Breads.

Ruis leipä is sort of the “Popeye’s spinach” of Finland, guaranteed to fill you with vigor and health, and I’ve downed many a loaf on my frequent trips to Finland. A phrase in Finnish to indicate a person who’s strong, ruista raansteessa, translates literally as having “rye in the wrist.”

I ended up leaving the market without any lobster, mushroomed or otherwise, but I did depart with an entire bag stuffed full of ruis leipä, so I expect to post a picture of my bulging wrist muscles shortly.