Unusual Foods

[LearningMan]

What is the most unusual food item/recipe you have seen or tried? If you have tried the unusual item, what was it like? Did you like or dislike it?

[kalynraye]

Re: Unusual Foods

I had to think on this a little bit because I don't know what to consider unusual food any more. So I am going with sweatbreads. If you don't know what sweatbreads are its basically the thymus or the pancreas of an animal mainly calf and lamb. You have to eat them hot!!! Cold is gross, and I didn't dislike them but they are by no means my favorite.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Unusual Foods

Tripe.

Don't ask.

Bleh.

[Medusa]

Re: Unusual Foods

Tripe.

Don't ask.

Bleh.

I pretend I don't know. When I was a kid I could eat it in menudo just fine. But I would first wrap it in a piece of tortilla. I didn't like the hard jelly consistency. Like you KNOW what you are eating. As I got older I just ate the hominy and the broth. Soo good. And I would always skip the pata. Ewe. No.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Unusual Foods

What is the most unusual food item/recipe you have seen or tried? If you have tried the unusual item, what was it like? Did you like or dislike it?

Either snails (escargot) which are really, really good if cooked right, or giant puffball fungus, which is OK fried. The little puffballs are OK, too.

I would like to try brain sometime...

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Unusual Foods

Squirrel. It makes a great pot pie!

[anunitu]

Re: Unusual Foods

Now Hawk,you have caught my interest...Squirrel you say...hmmmm

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Unusual Foods

In NY/NJ I never heard of anyone eating squirrel, but it's pretty common in the Ozarks. Makes a good pot pie or pulled/shredded with some kind of sauce like pork BBQ. They also just fry it but I'm not crazy about that myself.

[anunitu]

Re: Unusual Foods

Seems you haz gone Native there Jersey Girl...

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Unusual Foods

I'm NY born, Jersey bred, Appalachian educated, and Ozarks pasteurized.

"Real" pizza & bagels will always top my list, but I can get down with some fried catfish & hush puppies, too. Hush puppies are southern Zeppole, I guess....

[anunitu]

Re: Unusual Foods

I have had "Blackened catfish" so,YEH

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Unusual Foods

In NY/NJ I never heard of anyone eating squirrel, but it's pretty common in the Ozarks. Makes a good pot pie or pulled/shredded with some kind of sauce like pork BBQ. They also just fry it but I'm not crazy about that myself.

Squirrel is common food in most rural places. I've never had it myself (I don't hunt), but I wouldn't mind giving it a try.

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Unusual Foods

Squirrel is common food in most rural places. I've never had it myself (I don't hunt), but I wouldn't mind giving it a try.

I first had it at a local festival where someone does cooking demonstrations of old-time stuff. I was a little apprehensive, but I liked it. It's a lot like dark meat chicken. It has to be cooked down a lot, to where it's falling off the bones, thenyou use the pieces for pot pie etc. If you don't do all that pre-cooking it's gamier, but not too bad.

Someday I'd like to try alligator. Have any of you?

[anunitu]

Re: Unusual Foods

Someday I'd like to try alligator. Have any of you?

Haven't had that but would like to try it maybe..

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Unusual Foods

Someday I'd like to try alligator. Have any of you?

Haven't had that but would like to try it maybe..

My sister (who likes to cook) took a cooking class from some famous chef while she was in New Orleans. After the class he took her to the back refrig to show her "something special" - a big gator...

Up here we have a lot of roadside smoked fish/jerky stands. I've seen gator jerky, but never tried it (I always go for the bear - it is crazy good!). Next time I pop into one, I'll get some gator jerky and send you some.

With the exception of turtle (tastes like chicken) I've not eaten reptiles...