September 25, 2022

Title: BOXED IN

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

BOMBAY MIX (17A: British name for a South Asian snack)

BORDEAUX (36A: French port city known for its wines)

BODY MASS INDEX (56A: Metric by which Captain America would be classified as obese)

Theme synopsis: Each of the theme answers is BOXED IN by the word BOX.

Things I learned:

• SILK (1A: Hanbok fabric) Hanbok is a term used to refer to the clothing of the chaoxianzu (Korean Chinese), an ethnic group in China. The word "hanbok" means "Korean clothing." Many hanbok items are made of SILK.
• BEAD (29A: Japamala part) Japamala are prayer BEADs used in Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism.
• NES (44A: Super ___ (Sega Genesis rival)) NES stands for Nintendo Entertainment System. Somewhere in the back of my brain, I believe I knew this, but instead of trying to retrieve that information, I relied on crossing answers to reveal these letters.
• BOI (36D: Music producer ___-1da) BOI-1da, whose name is a play on "boy wonder," is a record producer who has worked with a number of artists including Drake, Rihanna, and Eminem. 
• OVAL (57D: Nagami kumquat's shape) Kumquats are edible citrus fruits that resemble tiny oranges. The Nagami kumquat, also known as the OVAL kumquat is known for its ovoid shape. Nagami kumquats are generally one to two inches in length, and are typically eaten whole, with the sweet skin offsetting the sour inside. 
• REI (60D: Martial arts bow) In the martial arts, REI is a formal bow that expresses gratitude.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BOMBAY MIX (17A: British name for a South Asian snack) BOMBAY MIX is a snack mix that can be made with a variety of ingredients, such as fried lentils, chickpeas, puffed rice, and fried onion. The snack is flavored with salt and spices.
• CREE (25A: Another name for the Nehiyaw) The Nêhiyaw, or CREE, are an indigenous people in North America. In the United States the majority of the Nêhiyaw now live in Montana. In Canada, CREE communities are found in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories.
• BODY MASS INDEX (56A: Metric by which Captain America would be classified as obese) This is a fun clue! The BODY MASS INDEX, commonly referred to as BMI, is determined based on a person's weight and height. The BMI is used to categorize people as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese, but it has significant limitations that make it less than useful. One example of its limitation is that individuals with high muscle mass, such as Captain America presumably, are often erroneously classified as obese according to their BMI.
• LIMES (3D: Fruits needed for tom yum) Tom yum is a hot and sour soup that originated in Thailand. It is usually made with shrimp, and other ingredients include LIMES, lemongrass, fish sauce, and crushed red chili peppers. 
• KOBE (4D: Highly marbled Japanese beef) KOBE beef comes from a breed of cattle, Wagyu, that have been raised in Japan's Hyōgo Prefecture. It is considered a delicacy and is valued for its highly marbled texture.
• PURR (22D: Contented kitty's sound) The PURR of a contented kitty is one

  

  Willow

  
  of my favorite sounds. 
• TAPAS BARS (35D: Eateries that serve croquettes and chopitos) Croquettes are deep-fried dumplings. Chopitos are battered, fried cuttlefish (baby squid). CALAMARI (38D: Seafood appetizer) is also squid.

Geography review:

• METRO (9A: Chengdu transit system) The city of Chengdu is the capital of the Sichuan province of China. The Chengdu METRO has been in operation since 2010.
• OHIO (14A: Cedar Point's state) Cedar Point , opened in 1870, is the second-oldest operating amusement park in the United States. (The oldest U.S. amusement park is Lake Compounce in Connecticut.) Cedar Point is located  in Sandusky, OHIO on a peninsula in Lake Erie.
• BORDEAUX (36A: French port city known for its wines) BORDEAUX is a city in the southwestern part of France, and is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitane region. BORDEAUX has been called the world's wine capital. It is known for its many vineyards and wine chateaus, including Chateau Mouton Rothschild. 
• SERBS (54D: Belgrade residents) Serbia is a landlocked country in southeastern Europe. Belgrade is its capital and largest city.

I'm feeling a bit BOXED IN by this puzzle...in a good way, of course! A nice set of theme answers for this classic theme type. I also liked ELLIPSES, TEAR STAIN, and DAINTY. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this puzzle that was a great way to start my Sunday morning.