Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Bizarre Foods

Apparently I’m not finished discussing television programs. One of the strangest shows is the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods. Host Andrew Zimmern travels to some far flung corners of the globe as he embarks on a quest to taste the strangest foods on the planet in this fascinating program. Spain, Morocco, Ecuador, and the Philippines all provide some curious culinary treats (including guinea pigs, raccoons, live worms, and piranhas) for Zimmern as he undertakes his task.

Yummy! Veal mouth!

With all of the weird foods just mentioned here, not to mention the other rancid, fermented, animal parts – from snout to tail – he’s eaten, you might wonder if Zimmern's ever gotten sick on the job, left spending his nights praying to the porcelain god.

"I've yet to spend a night around the commode because of my job," he says, adding a shocking bit of information. "When the cameras stop rolling, I keep eating".


As peculiar as this show is, I still keep tuning in to see what he'll eat next. Watching this show makes me long for the days before HDTV. Check out what bizarre tastes Andrew Zimmern enjoyed while traveling the globe and filming Bizarre Foods.

Goa
Cow's Urine Tonic

Phuket
Fish Stomach Sauce

Ethiopia
Raw Camel Kidneys with Berbere and Lemon Juice

Tanzania
Fresh Goat's Blood

Uganda
Giant Flying Ants

Hawaii
Tofu Skin with Hana Snails and Salmon Roe

Samoa
Giant Clam Sashimi

Los Angeles
Wolfgang Puck's Hunan Style Rooster Balls

Chile
Niache (seasoned lamb's blood)

Iceland
Hakari (eight-week-old putrefied shark)
Slatur (blood pudding)

Russia
Pickled Lamprey

Bolivia
Chafaina (cow vein stew)
Chunos (freeze-dried rotten potatoes)

Minnesota
Lutefisk (dried cod rehydrated in lye)

China
Penis Soup
Donkey Skin

It comes to no surprise that Zimmern is the spokesperson for Pepto-Bismol. What bizarre foods have you eaten? What foods wouldn't you eat? When you travel, do you experiment by eating native foods? Or do you search for the golden arches? The older I get, the less of a risk taker I become. Especially when it comes to the foods I ingest. However, since moving to Georgia I have acquired a taste for foods not common in the mid-west. You can keep the boiled peanuts (slimy) and fried okra (super slimy), but please pass the grits and sweet potato souffle. And don't even get me started on my favorite place to eat for breakfast where nothing is lo-cal and everything is fried: Waffle House. They offer fabulous dishes such as heart-attack-on-a-plate (translated to scrambled eggs, hash browns scattered, covered, smothered [crispy with onions and cheese] and bacon). Yum!

7 comments:

Mama/Baby-Catcher/KellyJellyBelly/KJB/Wifey said...

Ugh. I'm not an adventurous eater. In fact, just watching that show would probably make me vomit. Being married to a Scandinavian I have had plenty of opportunity to eat lutefisk, I always politely decline. TYVM.

Deb said...

Oh, I cannot even begin to say I am adventurous. Heck, I think ordering something from a menu that I never tasted before is my limit!
All I have to say is Andrew must be paid very well in order to pop these weird combos into his mouth. Yuck...

Deb said...

Oh, I cannot even begin to say I am adventurous. Heck, I think ordering something from a menu that I never tasted before is my limit!
All I have to say is Andrew must be paid very well in order to pop these weird combos into his mouth. Yuck...

Anonymous said...

A couple $million a year, syndication, endorsements, and an overly expensive medical plan is frankly not worth what this screwball eats. Although I guess at a certain point, everything probably tastes like chicken once your tastebuds and gag reflexes go down for the count.

Leigh Forbes said...

While working in China I was treated to a meal of local cuisine (this was considered a treat). Amongst the eighteen courses, I remember chicken intestines, and pigs' ears, all translated for us with a introductory "Mmmmm". Diplomacy be damned; I ate only the rice.

Country Girl said...

I can't watch that show! I've tried and don't like it. I'm not that adventurous. I've gotten sick enough in my life and it keeps me away from strange foods.

Anonymous said...

I heartily agree with your Yum about Waffle House!! And, no, I don't even watch that show, let alone yearn to be like him!!!

Joan S