Bizarre foods YOU''VE eaten? Or want to try?

[jaysonsmom]

I love watching travel shows that are food related like Anthony Bordain''s No Reservations, or Andrew Zimmern''s Bizarre Foods....

The weirdest thing I''ve had is probably pig brain soup, the texture of pig brain is like silken tofu!

I''ve always wanted to try: deep fried insects or fried rattle snake. Anything fried cannot taste that bad right?

 

[Yimmers]

I just had balut this weekend. Both Tony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern have eaten it on their shows. If you don''t know what it is, it''s fertilized duck or chicken eggs. I had the duck version. And yes, I could see a duck in it. My husband is into trying funky things, so when I randomly saw it at the Farmer''s Market, I figured, give it a shot...

I had it RAW and cooked. I will never eat it raw again. Don''t ask me if you''re supposed it to eat one way over the other. I have heard both. The raw has a texture of a gooey raw oyster, minus the deliciousness of the raw oyster. It was really hard to stomach.

The cooked was not as bad as you think it''d be. The hardest part is looking at it before eating it. It is not a pleasant sight. I spit out a bone, and DH got a feather stuck in his teeth. But, as long as it''s not too far developed, it''s like a eating boiled duck/chicken with a huge yolk flavor. It does need seasoning, and I guess we''ll eat the rest with hot sauce. We both had gag reflexes b/c the image BURNS into your head. But, once you taste it, you''re like, hmmm, it''s not as horrible as you''d thought it would be.

Nonetheless, my "big balut adventure" pictures on facebook horrified a lot of friends.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Date: 6/22/2010 7:04:34 PM
Author: Yimmers
I just had balut this weekend. Both Tony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern have eaten it on their shows. If you don''t know what it is, it''s fertilized duck or chicken eggs. I had the duck version. And yes, I could see a duck in it. My husband is into trying funky things, so when I randomly saw it at the Farmer''s Market, I figured, give it a shot...

I had it RAW and cooked. I will never eat it raw again. Don''t ask me if you''re supposed it to eat one way over the other. I have heard both. The raw has a texture of a gooey raw oyster, minus the deliciousness of the raw oyster. It was really hard to stomach.

The cooked was not as bad as you think it''d be. The hardest part is looking at it before eating it. It is not a pleasant sight. I spit out a bone, and DH got a feather stuck in his teeth. But, as long as it''s not too far developed, it''s like a eating boiled duck/chicken with a huge yolk flavor. It does need seasoning, and I guess we''ll eat the rest with hot sauce. We both had gag reflexes b/c the image BURNS into your head. But, once you taste it, you''re like, hmmm, it''s not as horrible as you''d thought it would be.

Nonetheless, my ''big balut adventure'' pictures on facebook horrified a lot of friends.

My mom told me that when she was pregnant with my brother, she ate a lot of balut (we were stationed in Vietnam due to my dad''s job). She told me they served it steamed, kinda like an egg custard!

That is something I do NOT want to try!

 

[4ever]

I want to eat a bug, like a huhu grub or somthing. If some one was like, "here, try this delicious bug" I''d probably eat it as long as they hadn''t just plucked it off the ground or somthing.

BF would never kiss me again if I ate a bug. Never.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

A few. Pigeon, with the had still on it, frog, eel, shark, horse, rocky mountain oasters. The one time I was offered a weird food and could not do it was duck tongue. It was a favorite of an important Chinese emperess, but looking at it was too much, even for me. The wierdest I ever saw on a menu was an upscale resteraunt in China called the "Dollar Store". My group ordered en masse, so I didn''t get to try it, but it was Mongolian caterpillar fungus on yak genitals. I am not sure if it is a fungus that grows on caterpillars or a fungus they eat or one they look like.

 

[Elmorton]

I just tried sweetbreads last week - does that count as a bizarre food? It was delish. In the same meal, DH and I also tried foie gras (yes, I''m fully aware of how cruel it is, but I''m a curious creature and wanted to know what the fuss was about...now I know).

 

[Dancing Fire]

Chinese eat the weirdest foods.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Date: 6/22/2010 7:35:46 PM
Author: Dancing Fire
Chinese eat the weirdest foods.

Please share some of your favorites!

One thing that is considered common in Chinese restaurants (but I cannot stomach) is sea cucumber. Do you like it?

 

[Autumnovember]

I didn''t know what balut was but this is what I found when I googled it:

 

[jaysonsmom]

Date: 6/22/2010 7:28:04 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy
A few. Pigeon, with the had still on it, frog, eel, shark, horse, rocky mountain oasters. The one time I was offered a weird food and could not do it was duck tongue. It was a favorite of an important Chinese emperess, but looking at it was too much, even for me. The wierdest I ever saw on a menu was an upscale resteraunt in China called the ''Dollar Store''. My group ordered en masse, so I didn''t get to try it, but it was Mongolian caterpillar fungus on yak genitals. I am not sure if it is a fungus that grows on caterpillars or a fungus they eat or one they look like.

I''d pass on that too...the description alone is horrifying. What I want to know is why you "didn''t get to try it"? Don''t tell me it was so delish, there wasn''t a morsel left for you!

 

[Autumnovember]

I''ve had cow tongue...tastes like nothing.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Date: 6/22/2010 7:29:26 PM
Author: Elmorton
I just tried sweetbreads last week - does that count as a bizarre food? It was delish. In the same meal, DH and I also tried foie gras (yes, I''m fully aware of how cruel it is, but I''m a curious creature and wanted to know what the fuss was about...now I know).

I''ve had weird food in my day, but I''ve never had sweetbreads. I''ve only had foie-gras "en croute" (fancy words for on bite-size toast).

 

[jaysonsmom]

Date: 6/22/2010 7:48:30 PM
Author: Autumnovember
I''ve had cow tongue...tastes like nothing.

I actually love cow tongue. It''s just like a tender piece of steak. If no one pointed out what part of the cow it came from, I bet tons more people would eat it.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Date: 6/22/2010 7:47:14 PM
Author: jaysonsmom

Date: 6/22/2010 7:28:04 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy
A few. Pigeon, with the had still on it, frog, eel, shark, horse, rocky mountain oasters. The one time I was offered a weird food and could not do it was duck tongue. It was a favorite of an important Chinese emperess, but looking at it was too much, even for me. The wierdest I ever saw on a menu was an upscale resteraunt in China called the 'Dollar Store'. My group ordered en masse, so I didn't get to try it, but it was Mongolian caterpillar fungus on yak genitals. I am not sure if it is a fungus that grows on caterpillars or a fungus they eat or one they look like.

I'd pass on that too...the description alone is horrifying. What I want to know is why you 'didn't get to try it'? Don't tell me it was so delish, there wasn't a morsel left for you!

No, the teachers ordered for us and didn't let us pick things like that, which was quite expensive, but to practice our Chinese, we went over the menu. I have also eaten goose liver pate and can honestly say I would not do so again.
My husband likes snake, tastes like a lean cut of chicken but a lot chewier.

I have also had snail and caviar. Caviar doesn't seem that odd until you realize it is fish eggs. Odd texture, tastes like fish and cost thousands of dollars, now that is bizzare.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Autumnnovember: That Balut picture is NASTY!

 

[sctsbride09]

Does alligator count as wierd? I actually thought it was delicious.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Date: 6/22/2010 8:32:30 PM
Author: sctsbride09
Does alligator count as wierd? I actually thought it was delicious.

Yup, it counts. I''ve always wanted to try it..I''ve been to gator country (Florida) a couple times on vacation, and never tried it!

 

[Autumnovember]

I hate caviar =/ I used to it it when I was younger with pringles...who knows.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 6/22/2010 7:45:29 PM
Author: jaysonsmom

Date: 6/22/2010 7:35:46 PM
Author: Dancing Fire
Chinese eat the weirdest foods.

Please share some of your favorites!

One thing that is considered common in Chinese restaurants (but I cannot stomach) is sea cucumber. Do you like it?

with abalone in oyster sauce.

 

[purselover]

I''m really not into strange foods, I think I had foie gras as a child but other than that I keep it tame. My dad''s into more unique foods though I''ve witnessed him eat pig''s knuckles before.

 

[zoebartlett]

The only truly weird thing (for me) that I''ve tried is alligator. It was good...tasted like chicken. That was years ago though, so I''m not sure if I''d still like it. I''ve also eaten rabbit. I wouldn''t do that again. Nor would I eat venison or lamb. Those aren''t bizarre foods though.

 

[MissMina]

I put bonito shavings on top of my Japanese dishes.
They move and look like they are alive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bUvNEwFzaY&NR=1

I want to try durian
I do not want to try balut

 

[Autumnovember]

I love bonito shavings

 

[Cehrabehra]

My limits on this front are tested every day - I have it all easily available, from grubs to dogs. I struggle every day to maintain my boundaries.

We went to a fish place up near north korea on our trip and I smelled something wonderful being smoked. I mean seriously mouthwatering. I asked what it was - it was dog. Lovely. I may be able to avoid eating it but now I know it smells good. More than I needed to know. You can have your pig brains and I''ll stick with tofu lol

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 6/22/2010 7:46:59 PM
Author: Autumnovember
I didn't know what balut was but this is what I found when I googled it:

Oh my - well if we're sharing gross pictures then THIS is what we see at the local markets here:

BTW I don't think it is just the chinese but asians in general who corner the market on "will eat anything" The northern chinese make fun of the southern chinese saying they'll really eat anything including rats. They sell scorpions on sticks in Beijing but here it's mostly squid.

ETA - I know this is gross and I'm sorry if it offends some, but this is my reality here, seriously. And I think this isn't half as gross as the duck embryo.

 

[Cehrabehra]

The chinese use the same character for goat and lamb but they use the english word "lamb" but really you''re eating goat. I ate a lot of lamb here before I realized none of it was lamb. Apparently now I''m a goat eater. And it''s tasty lol

 

[somethingshiny]

OY! The graphic pics should be referenced in this thread title!


The weirdest thing I''ve eaten is probably cow tongue. Although, my grandparents lived in an area with a lot of Laotians. They often had huge block parties with tons of food, so I''m really not sure what I''ve eaten. I usually chose not to inquire.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Oh I just wanted to say that when I first moved here the smell of durian was revolting and now I just don''t smell it or at least it doesn''t smell bad anymore... it''s everywhere and I guess I''ve gotten used to the smell.... but I tried some durian gelato and it was gross. Really gross. Like throw the gelato in the garbage unfinished gross lol

 

[megumic]

Date: 6/22/2010 8:38:20 PM
Author: jaysonsmom

Date: 6/22/2010 8:32:30 PM

Author: sctsbride09

Does alligator count as wierd? I actually thought it was delicious.

Yup, it counts. I''ve always wanted to try it..I''ve been to gator country (Florida) a couple times on vacation, and never tried it!

I also have had alligator and I thought it was disgusting! It tasted exactly as you imagine an alligator would taste. BLECH!

 

[redfaerythinker]

I''ve eaten caviar, full grown octopus tentacle, baby whole octopus, pigeon, venison, buffalo, frog, eel, squid, just the standard stuff really. I just don''t run into many opportunities for weird food but i''ll try almost anything once!