Culinary excursions

What’s the most exotic food that you’ve  ever tried?

I’d like to think of myself as pretty open to new foods and new tastes. I am not a picky eater and there are not too many things that I just simply can’t eat at all (one example would be liver).
However, I do have a problem with eating something  that resembles the original  shape and look of that something. I am obviously talking about carnivore indulgences.

I am not a big meat eater as it is, but I am pretty sure I would be a 100% vegetarian if I had to kill an animal myself in order to have meat. It just wouldn’t happen. (Don’t watch Fast Food Nation, just sayin’.) I know, that might sound pretty ignorant that I eat meat if it comes nicely cut up and packaged, but wouldn’t be able to kill an animal in order to eat meat. However, I am pretty sure that most of you (who eat meat) feel the same way, don’t you?

But I digress.

This is not about eating or not eating meat. I wanted to tell you about a little culinary adventure that J and I embarked on last weekend and which left me a little bit “uneasy”. We have a restaurant in our neighborhood that serves BBQ dinners and food that is generally considered “Southern cuisine”.

I’ve tried many exotic foods before. I had snails in France, eel for the first time at a Sushi dinner and I tried ostrich, ibex, camel and alligator. I couldn’t touch zebra and kangaroo, because I just couldn’t imagine myself eating animals that I personally find cute (I know, not a very solid reasoning, but that’s how I roll.) I also couldn’t imagine trying something that I personally find a little repulsive, like insects or amphibians.

So imagine my muted surprise when J declared that he was going to order the frog legs.

You see, frogs are not really animals/amphibians that I’d consider edible or “cook-worthy”. Just think of the “slimy” skin and the “squishy” rest of the body. But as you know, frogs are good jumpers and therefore have very muscular thighs, which some people obviously consider a delicacy.

To actually see a dead, fried bottom half of a frog on our table made me a little bit nervous. I spare you the visual (although I did take a picture) and will just say: I tried a tiny little piece (because I had promised I would) and decided it was not for me. It honestly took me some  time to bring myself to put the piece in my mouth. It had a very fishy taste to it and although I eat fish, it just didn’t taste right.

Is there something that you think you simply could not eat? Do you have any memorable food experiences?

  1. I don’t eat liver either, also would never eat tongue or heart. I am willing to try a few things but only if I am not grossed out already by the living animal (like eel or snails or frog – gross).

    I am not a fish fan but do love sushi an have tried a lot of different sushis even though it was something I could have never imagined I would eat. That’s something memorable, my first sushi and first time trying things like fried crab meat…

    On our honeymoon we went to Singapore and Bali and in Singapore we had lunch in one of those authentic soup kitchens that was located on some street corner. Hubby ordered wantan-soup and I am pretty sure I wouldn’t have eaten it if I knew all ingredients, but it tasted good, we also had some fried fish/meat on a stick (famous finger food there), let’s say it was an, ahhm interesting but def. ONE TIME experience. On Bali we had fried baby eels…salty, crunchy and ewwww, never again!!

    I however really like meat, sometimes even “cute” meat like bunny rabbits or deer, but not all the time, I have tried alligator but I don’t really remember the taste so I guess it probably wasn’t so fantastic.

    I am really grossed out by things like Pâté/Pastry e.g. liverpâté or meat in aspic, that is soooo gross!

  2. The BF and I watch a lot of cooking/travel shows and BF is ALL about weird stuff and offal (insides and stuff!). I am not anti-trying stuff, but I’ve said, like you, if it LOOKS like something, I probably won’t want to eat it. If it still looks like a cow’s head or liver, or something like that, I’m out. But if it is prepared nicely and cooked with stuff, I’ll probably try it.

    I’ve had shark, cheek meat, erm…I forget what else.

  3. I think it’s easy to say we’d never kill animals for their meat … because we don’t have to. But, stick us in a time period or location where it’s that or scavenging for food and we just might change our tune.

    One of my best meat-eating experiences was when a family friend made a stew consisting of venison, moose and bear (the men in her family hunt … and she loves cooking what they kill). It was honestly one of the best (stick to your insides) meals I’ve ever had.
    .-= Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks´s last blog ..Replay =-.

  4. I was just watching a show last night where people had to cook frog’s legs and I actually had to change the channel because for some reason…it just super grossed me out.

    …Veal does the same thing. I could never eat baby cow. My Italian relatives think I’m insane.
    .-= J´s last blog ..These Tears Suck =-.

  5. Yuck, frog legs!! That’s great you at least tried it.

    There are 2 things I love eating: smoked oysters with RTZ crackers, cream cheese & sweet pickles. OH YUM! Andddd…pickled herring with crackers.

    and funny thing is that I’m a picky eater. I absolutely cannot stand mustard so if my husband eats something with mustard, I won’t kiss him for HOURS. :)
    .-= steph anne´s last blog ..90 Day Challenge with Goals =-.

  6. Probably the most interesting thing I ate that I enjoyed was tongue. Cow Tongue. I know, sounds awful, but when cooked correctly, and served with mustard, YUM!
    No could not eat dog, cat, or Kangaroo!
    .-= Maribeth´s last blog ..Hold Tight! =-.

  7. I ate goat when I was in Morocco. But I had no idea what it was until after. I’m not remotely adventurous when it comes to food …

  8. One thing I can’t eat – tete de veau – calf’s brain – it looks like a grey sponge – my mother-in-law loves it! I have been served dog in China and was told what it was after, asked my hosts to never do that again! Also in China went to a small town whose specialty was snails…no problem, I love snails, but when I was served them they were huge, they size of a small fist and I tried one, but couldn’t get it down.
    .-= Andi´s last blog ..French Friday – A Slice of Delight =-.

  9. I am pretty picky when it comes to meat. I only really eat the normal kind of meat (chicken, pork, beef, veal, lamb) but I also like ostrich. I don’t eat any seafood for the original shape reason and I don’t eat fish. I also have never tried alligator, horse, kangaroo, frog, snails, etc. and I honestly don’t think I will ever really feel the need to try any of these.
    I don’t think I could kill an animal either to eat it. Actually, I’m pretty sure I couldn’t. I’d rather go vegetarian. I am also not sure if I could eat meat if I saw the animal being killed.
    .-= Karen´s last blog ..The mysterious Gmail account =-.

  10. Oh good for you for having the guts to try it anyway!! I think the most adventurous food I’ve tried would be swordfish, but that’s not THAT exotic… When we were little though my grandparents ALWAYS made us liver and onions!!
    .-= Emily Jane´s last blog ..Foiled! =-.

  11. My stepfather used to terrorize me with threats of cooking the legs of innocent little froggies that would hop around our pond. I can’t imagine eating one. Ick!
    .-= Terra´s last blog ..Open Letters- To Idiots &amp Kitty Cats =-.

  12. I had Greek food in NYC for the first time this weekend! I am hooked. Everything was absolutely delicious!
    .-= Hannah Katy´s last blog ..Millennium Campus Conference 2010- “Together we are a brigade of red pens- ready to edit this screwed up yet brilliant word document of a world” =-.

  13. eww, i could never eat a frog leg! haha but ur such a tough one..ugh im so picky when it comes to food. so i guess im never adventurous :D
    but i do love spicy food nowadays because of K :D

  14. I know you are a lover of brussels sprouts – me, however, I can’t stand them. Just thinking about them makes me want to puke. Yes, it’s that bad! ;)I hope you forgive me! :)
    .-= Stefanie´s last blog ..Things I have learned in the past month =-.

  15. We have been to a French-Belgium restaurant in South Africa with a bunch of friends and the cook only opened up for us and we had – frog legs as starters.
    He made them in garlic-oil and I couldn’t eat them as well. They still look like a frog, I am sorry.
    M tried them with a tiny, little bite and he said they taste like chicken.
    Don’t know. I didn’t try.
    But the garlic-oil they were made in was delicious with white bread. ;-)
    .-= Steffi´s last blog ..Show in Mallersdorf- July 2010 =-.

  16. I’m not one of those vegetarian people who says “please don’t eat that around me”, but I can’t see frogs legs without feeling immediately & seriously nauseous. That’s one where I have to ask my adventurous friends to hold back lol You’re very brave :)
    .-= Kyla Roma´s last blog ..Chop Story =-.

  17. Oh man, there are TOO many things I wouldn’t eat. I’m seriously affected by the texture of my food, but I also struggle with the idea of eating something that still looks like it did when it was alive. I don’t even like eating chicken on the bone (like drumsticks); I’d rather have boneless/skinless, and heck, mash it up into a patty and I’m a happy girl. Anyway, frog legs…blech. My mom loves that kinda stuff (liver, too!) and I just gag at the thought of putting something like that in my mouth. You’re a trooper for trying!
    .-= Tabitha´s last blog ..In preparation for Wednesday… =-.

  18. I think I can try almost anything once as long as it is cooked. Insects or rodents on the other hand I could not do unless I were in a survival situation. Actually I take that back, when I was young I lived in S.Korea for a number of years and I do believe I ate some “bugs”, cooked of course and I was too yound to know what they were. My dad was nice enough to inform me when I was older.
    .-= olivia´s last blog ..Happy Birthday Marley =-.

  19. Sorry, my cat hit “enter” and the reply was posted before I was finished ;)

    In Germany, I used to eat Frog legs very often. It tasted like very tender chicken. Frog legs never taste fishy.. I guess it has something to do how your frog dish was prepared.. I loved it when they where cooked in a wine/garlic sauce. But that was before it was made public in what gruesomely way frogs are killed. That’s why Frog legs are (usually) not found on any restaurant menu in Germany.
    I grew up eating liver, lung and stomach. I don’t like kidneys. That’s what was cooked at home and that’s what we ate. I think it is something to do what you are accustomed from your childhood.

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