Stale Things

Everybody wants fresh: break, milk, air, water, soft drinks, potato chips, whatever. Have you ever noticed, however, that some things are better when aged, when stale? 

Really?

Yes, really.

Pray tell.

To start with, Oreo cookies.

Huh?

Have you ever eaten a stale Oreo.

They never last that long at my house.

I understand. But if they do notice how much easier a soft Oreo is to chew. I'll take stale over fresh any day.

O.K. What else you got?

Peanut butter and jelly.

I'm waiting.

Mix it up and put in the fridge for a day or two. 

And?

It gets thick and more candy like.

Hhmm. Maybe. I'll try that. On second thought, that would be like Oreos. It's never going to last that long.

Here's the third one. Cornbread.

You have to explain.

I like to age it in the refrigerator. It dries out and then it is better with milk.

I'm not convinced.

Try it. Fresh cornbread almost melts. Aged cornbread kind of fights back when you eat it with milk.

Isn't that sort of the opposite of Oreos? You want those old because they get softer, but the cornbread you want old because it gets harder.

Yeah, it is the opposite, but that's how I like it.

You're a weird one.

No I'm not.

You're weird.

I know you are. What am I?