Help! Have free but maybe gone off chinese tea and 'black fungus'?!

miss_keep_counting

I don't usually buy oriental produce but I've got my hands on some free stuff and I'm wondering if it's a use or chuck jobby.

Basically I have 8 plastic/ metal lines tins with ring top pulls and it looks like inside each one there's 8 vacume packed sachets of tea in that weird plastic metal type wrapping. All the containers have been airtight sealed I've just opened one and on the sachet it have '20071116' on the back. Now I don't know it that's the sell by or use by date but I was wondering if it would be drinkable/ give me food poisoning? I may find that it's horrid but I'd like to give it a go if you wise MSE's say that it's unlikely to kill me.

I also have two boxes full of little matchbox size boxes of dried black fungus. I've read that it's used in cooking. Now it's less airtight then the above, being in I think non-airtight plastic and then cardboard boxes and the sell by or use by dates go back to the start of 2008... Yet again I'm happy to test it but I was wondering if it's likely to give me food poisoning? It may be horrid, I've read it's tasteless and full on protein etc, so I'm happy to add it to stirfrys. If it doesn't kill me is the vitamin/ mineral content likely to be gone after beign dried for so long? If so I probably wont test it as I don't want to risk hurting myself if there's no chance of it supplimenting my diet!

And also! I've got this metal container, it has a handle and is tin shaped and big, probably for two people and reasonably heavy so wont be good for work. It has two take out dishes from the top and large main container and then an inch thick hollow bottom (not sure why?) it's stainless steel. Any ideas for what I could use it for? I can't cook in it, I don't think food will stay hot in it and it's too big for me to use as a lunch box!

Thank you everyone!

whatatwit

Sounds like a Bento box/tin.
Have a google about them and a look on ebay

Not sure about the food

miss_keep_counting

Thank you whatatwit, it looks like it is a type of Bento tin. I'm having a google to see how I can best make use of it, otherwise I'll probably offer it on gumtree for a good home!

I spent the weekend scrubbing student halls and we were allowed to take anything they'd left behind. Most people didn't bother taking anything but I filled a massive bag with what I could grab, I was a bit shy and didn't take some things I wanted though Have ended up with a Ben Serman belt and Miss Selfridge top and a load of other goodies some sealed ones which I'll be putting in xmas gift boxes! It's crazy what these rich students leave behind!

allydowd

I am not a tea expert...I would drink the tea.

I regularly hunt for, identify and eat wild mushrooms and can offer only one piece of advice: PUT IT IN THE BIN. Some fungi can make you very ill as they begin to decay; however they've been preserved. Don't open the packet if you haven't already and if you have don't breathe in the spores or touch it either.

misskool

The tea might be fine, dunk in a teacup and if it smells and tastes ok, it will be ok. Old tea will just have less flavor or have a slight dust taste..

The black fungus. Is it one that is black all over or does it have black on one side and white on the other side?
If it's all black then it will be soft and slippery when you soak it to rehydrate it. It will taste lovely in a stir-fry, the Chinese use it to make herbal chicken broth mostly.
If it has a white side to it, it will be crunchy when you cook with it, you will probably need to slice it finely. Very tasty in home made spring rolls

the food box sounds like it could be a tiffin carrier instead of a bento box.

HTH