The Rainier Cherry is one of the sweetest of all the sweet cherries - although has a little more of a tart bite than the Early Robins - which has almost no acid. With its characteristic cream-colored flesh, Rainier Cherry farmers will not pick them until the sugar brix (a measure of how sweet the cherry is) reach 17. But, some wait until they reach 20 brix. That is one of the reasons they are so memorable, addictive, and difficult to buy online.

The Rainier is a cross between a Bing and a Van -- two sweet-red varieties. Created by Harold Fogle in 1952, who, at the time, directed the cherry breeding program at the Washington State University. And, boy, are we happy that Harold did what he did.

If anything can turn straw into gold, it would be Koji. I suspect that those who say Koji is not magic don't believe in magic, even when they see it right before their very eyes. For some things in life, explanations are only there to take the fear away from that which cannot be explained.

Koji was crafted 9,000 years ago, most likely under another name, in an earthen jar in China, and it has been a staple of food alchemy ever since. Just not so much here, at least not until recently.

To many, it is the newest food rage. In fact, it is not a food but a tool that harbors amazing little workers who can transform and change how and what we eat in ways that would never seem possible.

There is a lot of science in Koji. Papers have been written about the subject. Some are "dry," long-winded, and some so crusty they seem fermented themselves.