I've been told I'm disgusting. I am actually feeling quite smug! (Lighthearted)

[AuntMatilda]

My Mum manages some properties as a part time job, her boss is an old friend. One tenant had left and returned to his home country (Egypt) and I went to help her clear the flat

He had left LOADS of food. Mostly sealed, in packets, some dried food (lentils, grains, pasta etc) in jars or huge tupperware containers.

Lots of (sealed) huge bags of herbs and spices.

I've taken the lot.

My opinion is, I hate food waste, the stuff that has already been opened and decanted into another container is dried stuff that will need to be boiled before consumption anyway, and the other stuff is sealed.
So I'm feeling smug about having lots of free food (I love cooking)! and also happy to be 'recycling'.
My Brother and some of my friends I've told have told me things like this is disgusting having someones 'second hand food' and that I should have chucked it all.

My only issue is, I don't know what some of it is. I am currently making a 'risotto' with some grain type thing -looks a bit like a cross between rice and bulgar wheat! So a few surprise dinners to come I think.
Am I gross or economical?

Or just your thrift?

I've done it, thought it was later than it is.
Here's a couple of things I'm not sure about

My 'Rissoto' and another dubious item! I've got more I'll post later. :)

I'd have done the same as you. Although I'd be wary of any herbs or spices that I didn't recognise ( luckily they're usually quite recognisable by smell). The lentils and pasta etc are all going to be cooked anyway. Do people think that lentils etc are sterile when you get them out of the packet?

It's hard to tell from the picture but dried fungi? Dried figs, apricots or other fruit?

Might be worth reading up on Egyptian food, but of course the tenant might well have branched out a bit while overseas, if he enjoyed cooking and was able to get foods he couldn't find at home.

Are the seeds caraway?

Mostly economical (and non-wasteful, and culinarily a bit intrepid...)

I used to look forward to checking out the 'free food' shelves when I stayed at hostels in this country. Like a super-spartan version of Ready Steady Cook: put together a meal from a handful of pasta, a catering pack of mustard and some breadcrumb-saturated marmalade scrapings. I've occasionally made some real finds though: I once made a victoria sponge cakecomplete with buttercream fillingentirely out of stuff that had been left in a hostel kitchen. (Not most people's choice of activity when holidaying at an idyllic location, admittedly...)

With the herbs, surely it depends: with most meals you need a specific herb/spice, so you'd chec for one that smells/looks like what you're after, rather than just chucking in some random stuff. Kidney beans? They don't need 'brand instructions'most of the world buys them in anonymous bagsit's pretty standard that you soak them overnight then boil for at least 10 mins (before the rest of the cooking).

Yes, there are probably people who live on packets from the supermarket who shouldn't be trusted to deal with anything a bit unusual--and may well view 'irregular' food supplies with suspicion anyway. Assuming the OP isn't like that, then fill your boots!

Are those camel genitals OP?

Promise that if you survive you will come back on th thread and tell us what they taste like.

I'd have done the same OP. It would be awful to waste all that food.

Reminds me of my mil, she is lovely, she was visiting and offered to cook. She asked if I had any bay leaves, I said yes, on the tree outside, and showed her. She looked shocked, my fil laughed like I was joking and said "seriously?"

She didn't use any. Very strange. I never asked why as I was busy with a newborn, but really want to ask them what was wrong with my bay leaves?

The risotto looks like pearl barley.

Budgie seed is millet, which is very nice indeed when cooked like rice. Enjoy your freebies OP.

Dried mushrooms and buckwheat? That's what I'd say.

Your first three packets.
The purple one, is it Dulse, a seaweed?

I though that it was a normal thing to do .....

The first photo at 17:07 looks like wild rice to me. If so, it needs about 25 minutes cooking in twice the volume of water.

The first is fennel seeds, my Egyptian mil sent me some when I had my first baby to make a tea to help relieve colic. Also used by adults for upset stomachs. The last bag, judging by the colour and owners nationality looks like dried hibiscus flowers that are used to make a delicious drink called karkade.
The grain could be the delicious green wheat a pp suggested or could be helba which is also used to make a stomach calming drink.

The people who think it's disgusting, can they say why? Do they think he might have pissed all over his food before drying and storing it or something?
Do they think they stuff they buy in shops has never touched human hands before?

I was going to suggest fennel seeds, too Pink

Pinky purple thing is dried sorrel!

Have you never seen those environmental health programs

The stuff that's been decanted you don't know if that was stuff that was bought loose or came in a packet. And if it was sold loose was it bought that nice clean carribean shop or the slightly grubby looking shop that all the locals know is renowned for its rodent problem but someone new to the area wouldn't know and perhaps missed the foid hygiene rating sticker...

The people who think it's disgusting, can they say why?

Mainy because you don't know how old it is. It could be years old If my cupboards are anything to go by.

Sealed stuff, I would have no problem with.

I wouldn't. I like to know what I am eating and how old it is for a start. The pictures look somewhat unappetising to me.

But you are happy that's the main thing.

I once watched a programme about a man that ate roadkill.

I think the camel genitals () one is dried galangal. Possibly.