My Neighbor Gave Me a Bag of These: What Are They and How Do You Eat Them?

 There's something quietly charming about a neighbor handing you a bag of fresh food with no explanation. No label. No recipe. Just a casual offering, as if to say, "We've got more than we need."

Moments like that naturally spark curiosity—especially when what's inside isn't immediately familiar. You peer into the bag, turning things over in your hands, wondering what you've been given, how people usually eat it, and why there seems to be so much of it.

More often than not, these gifts come from simple abundance. Home gardens—especially in warmer months—can produce more than one household could ever use. Some plants grow fast and enthusiastically, spreading across beds and climbing trellises as if they've doubled overnight. Zucchini, cucumbers, okra, green beans, and squash are famous for this. One week there's barely anything, and the next there's an armful waiting every morning.

Fruits behave the same way. Fig trees, citrus, plums, tomatoes—all tend to ripen at once, creating a narrow window where everything is suddenly ready. Rather than letting good food go to waste, people share it. It's practical, generous, and deeply rooted in long-standing traditions of community exchange.

Sometimes the bag is filled with herbs. Mint, basil, dill, oregano, and rosemary can grow with surprising intensity once established. A single plant can overwhelm a garden, producing bunches of harvest all at once, so sharing becomes the easiest solution. Fresh herbs are too valuable to discard, yet too potent to consume alone in large quantities.

Another possibility is that the food holds cultural significance. Many households grow or have ingredients central to their own cooking traditions but unfamiliar to others nearby. What feels mysterious to one person may be an everyday staple to someone else. Bitter greens, unusual root vegetables, seed pods, or small fruits often fall into this category. Sharing them—intentionally or not—can be an invitation into another culinary world.

Mystery Gift Solved: Water Caltrops

These are water caltrops, also known as water chestnuts, buffalo nuts, devil pods, or singhara nuts. They're the edible seeds (often referred to as fruits) of an aquatic plant that grows in calm, freshwater environments such as ponds and lakes.

What Are Water Caltrops?