can you identify this?

[Paul]

Family brought me this back from Ecuador and said that it was served like coffee but not ground but that is all they got for me in terms of explanation. Not even what it is called... I've been searching online but haven't come up with anything. Can anyone tell me what this is called?

I added the penny to show size.

https://eat.at/dnd/paul/ecuador-coffee-like1.jpg

 

[Paul]

not sure if this is any better

https://eat.at/dnd/paul/ecuador-coffee-like2.jpg

 

[Marg CDN]

roasted cocoa beans of some sort??

 

[marilynfl]

Put a call into Lisbeth Salander. She'll have the answer in 10 nanoseconds.

 

[charley]

Maybe this

https://www.amazon.com/Crio-Bru-Substitute-Caffeine-Whole-30/dp/B005OJEWGU?th=1

 

[Paul]

I don't get it?

 

[Paul]

I don't think it is cocoa

It doesn't look like it and I tasted one and it doesn't taste like raw cocoa. It is also smaller than the cocoa beans I've seen. It looks like the little pods in wheat.

 

[marilynfl]

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Brilliant hacker...can find anything on the Internet.

 

[marilynfl]

I agree. The shape is too consistent to look like cocoa pods. I'm stumped. What area

of Ecuador were they visiting?

 

[Paul]

Banos, Ecuador. On the edge of the Amazon

 

[karennoca]

That is a fictional character?

that is a

 

[marilynfl]

Yes...female protagonist from a series of books about a computer hacker.

 

[Paul]

I watched the originals but not the Hollywoodized remakes

I just didn't get the reference.

 

[marilynfl]

I've been using Google Image searches to no avail.

 

[pat-nocal]

ditto

 

[cynupstateny]

I think it's a brain eating insect pod or maybe I should stop watching bad horror movies at night.

 

[michael-in-phoenix]

My first thought was Black Seed, but it's not that. I'm stumped.

 

[marilynfl]

Does it keep finding MUSSELS for you?

 

[pat-nocal]

among other non-related things, yes.