'Unusual/Exotic' Foods you've eaten?

[DarrenL]

Following on from the 'Get yer tree rat' thread...what weird, wonderful, strange food have you eaten that aren't part of your everyday diet or culture? Heres mine:

-Marinated Ducks tongue (from Japan)
-Crocodile
-Kangaroo
-Ostrich (actually that was last weekend, from a food stall featured on 'The F word' at the Prodigy gig in Milton Keynes!)

I'd quite like to try squirral. Im going to Thailand in October, I hope to try snake!

[Goochie]

Duck tongue - China. I really like it as long as its' noce and hot.

Sea slug - China. The texture that you'd expect but not salty like you'd imagine.

Buffalo - USA. Unusual in my mind but I think it'll turn out to be quite common on this thread!

Escargot - USA. Saw it on the menu so had to try it. Really enjoyed it so had it again on the following night.

[dan101smith]

Puffin breast in Iceland (not that Iceland).

Delicious.

[bigandclever]

DarrenL said:

Im going to Thailand in October, I hope to try snake!

You have to try durian then, and fried insects.

[calibrax]

I had turtle soup... it was gorgeous!

Had it at Brennan's while on a trip to Houston... fabulous restaurant.

http://www.brennanshouston.com/

[Shaw Tarse]

Somewhere on PH this has been asked before, (as have most things)
I've tried ostrich, croc, kangaroo, snails, horse ...
TBh, there isn't much I wouldn't try eating, I'd have a dilema about dog!

[OzzyR1]

Casu marzu in Sardinia, bit of a mind over matter thing but the cheese itself was nice in (very) small amounts - comparatively similar to biting into a lovely piece of toast with a thin spread of marmite and spreading half an inch on and taking your breath away.

Much stronger than I would normally choose to eat and I am a fan of a powerful cheese.

[Dave200]

OzzyR1 said:

Casu marzu in Sardinia, bit of a mind over matter thing but the cheese itself was nice in (very) small amounts - comparatively similar to biting into a lovely piece of toast with a thin spread of marmite and spreading half an inch on and taking your breath away.

Much stronger than I would normally choose to eat and I am a fan of a powerful cheese.

It actually makes me feel a little bit sick to even think about that... I've eaten pretty much everything the Chinese could throw at me, without too much protestation - although duck feet were certainly an 'acquired' taste.

Another thing which makes my stomach churn is the Philippine delicacy of a boiled bird foetus in its own shell...

[toasty]

Reindeer in Helsinki, Finland - lovely, very tender
Crocodile in Ayers Rock, Aus - fishy chicken
Mopane Worms in Swakopmund, Namibia - texture was a bit like liquorice, tasted of the chilies and garlic it was fried in.
Alpaca in Arequipa, Peru - like the leanest, juiciest, tenderest steak.

[PaulHogan]

As a student I used to buy mince from the Grainger Market in Newcastle upon Tyne. As such I've probably consumed every type of meat known to man, especially as I have subsequently eaten beef and pork consumed from reputable butchers.

[Don]

Monitor Lizard
Gibbon
Bat

Usually stir fried with ginger/garlic/chilli/lemongrass etc.

Yes. In Malaysia...

[Cheese Mechanic]

Shaw Tarse said:

Somewhere on PH this has been asked before, (as have most things)
I've tried ostrich, croc, kangaroo, snails, horse ...
TBh, there isn't much I wouldn't try eating, I'd have a dilema about dog!

I would entirely agree regarding dog. Whilst we all taste with our eyes , to a certain extent,and with varying degrees of bravado, the thought of pooch, battered , with chips, a step too far for me.

In fact, I reckon I'd have less trouble with the neighbour , than with friendly tail wagging pooch.

[dan101smith]

I don't find the idea of dog repulsive. And I like dogs.

What I really don't find appealing is the idea of eating spiders, scorpions and the like.

[Don]

dan101smith said:

I don't find the idea of dog repulsive. And I like dogs.

What I really don't find appealing is the idea of eating spiders, scorpions and the like.

Not sure I could tell myself that an insect is something like a crustacean. Sorry - grasshoppers and the like are NOT prawns!

[RosscoPCole]

Chocolate coated locusts. Tasted like a Kit Kat!

[Mr Dave]

Don said:

dan101smith said:

I don't find the idea of dog repulsive. And I like dogs.

What I really don't find appealing is the idea of eating spiders, scorpions and the like.

Not sure I could tell myself that an insect is something like a crustacean. Sorry - grasshoppers and the like are NOT prawns!

I find the idea of eating crustaceans far worse than eating insects.Who looks at a lobster and thinks "Oh I have to eat that!"

[thatone1967]

was on hols in France a couple of years ago, having dinner at a traditional french restaraunt... had mussels and l'escargot, but a fried ordered "tet vu" (not sure of the spelling) the waitress asked him to confirm that he DEFINITELY wanted it, then went onto to explain it was a stuffed veals head....

He politley changed his mind...

[Henry Hawthorne]

Ostrich. Whale liver. Zebra (although I'm suspicious it was actually beef). Snails. Turtle. Octopus.

[robsco]

I thought I was Mr Exotic when I tried squid once, clearly I'm not trying hard enough...

[Whoozit]

Veal and lamb sweetbreads (aka thyroid or thymus glands) Yummy!
Braaaaains (lambs) fried in butter also yummy!
Snake soup - could have been chicken for all I could tell
Coypu - giant south american guinea pig and the foulest thing I have ever tried
Boiled chickens feet in chinatown - interesting texture, taste was bleh
Callos a la madrilena - basically boiled stomach lining, smooth on one side and rough on the other so tastes and feels like boiled carpet. Not Nice At ALL
Sea snails - with garlic butter and cooked in salt - very nice if a bit chewy and gritty
Goose barnacles - amazingly tender, if you like oysters these are awesome!

I likes my food

Edited by Whoozit on Thursday 29th July 22:20