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Word of the Day:
TREHALA (n. pl. -S)
Definition(s):
- (n.) a sweet, edible substance obtained from the pupal case of certain Asiatic weevils
Useful info for word game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: -S
- Anagrams: (none)
- Longer extensions: (none)
- Wraparounds: (none)
- Other Spellings: (none)
- Related Forms: TREHALOSE
Current theme:
Weird Foods
Epilogue:
You may know MANNA from biblical stories, specifically as a type of food supposedly supplied miraculously to the Israelites in the wilderness during their flight from Egypt. Today manna is the term for sweet substances obtained from tree or plant sap, or from the excretions of certain insects. They are manna in that they appear to be produced out of nothing, as if by divine providence.
TREHALA, for example, is a brittle, sweet “nest sugar” obtained from the pupal case of certain “snout beetles,” or WEEVILS, of Turkey and neighboring countries. The term comes from Turkish and Persian forms of the word for the same substance. It has been used as a food and as an ingredient in various drugs. The sugary case — which includes a sugar known as TREHALOSE — does not appear out of nowhere, of course, as it is actually formed by abdominal excretions of the weevil in its larval stage. In truth, you are unlikely to encounter trehala on your plate anytime soon, but a 2010 New York Times article did mention a few high-end restaurants that utilize plant-based forms of manna as ingredients in various foods and drinks.
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