Hachinoko (Bee Larvae)
Twenty years ago you probably thought sushi was weird, right? Well get ready -- not only is hachinoko not an
unusual Japanese dish -- it's a
traditional
Japanese dish! They're said to taste sweet, starchy and rich, with a
bit of a smoky aftertaste. Sort of crunchy outside, soft and mushy
inside. (Yeah,
that's a surprise huh?) Cook them up with a
little soy sauce, spread them on a cracker, and surprise your guests at
your next party with the new, hip
canapé!
Kopi Luwak
Starbucks™ has
nothin' on our next entry.
Kopi Luwak are coffee beans that have been eaten by a Civet -- a cat-sized mammal native to
tropical Asia and Africa -- and have, ummm, well... shall we say, "co
me
out the other end". Yes, they are harvested from Civet poop. Pretty
crazy, huh? Yeah... crazy like a fox! (Or would that be "crazy like a
Civet"?!) Because Kopi Luwak sells for up to $600 a pound! So I don't
know about you, but I'm just about *this* close to getting myself a barn
full of Civets and starting a Kopi Luwak factory.
Casu Marzu (maggot cheese)Oh those crazy Sardinians!
It's not enough that they gave George Clooney his
longtime girlfriend
Elisabetta Canalis, they
gave
the rest of the world casu marzu! Yes, I'm afraid so -- George
Clooney gets Elisabetta Canalis, and we get maggot cheese.
This is the way the world works.
But
it's ok, casu marzu is an amazing taste treat! In fact it's so good
that Sardinians continue to eat it on the sly despite the fact that it
is illegal. Casu Marzu is made just like the Italian cheeses you know
and love, right up to the moment when they let it get infested with
maggots. And the maggots are still alive when you eat the cheese.
(Because, seriously, who wants to eat
dead maggots?!
Am I right?) Just be careful when you take a bite, the maggots are known to jump, and they have a knack for aiming for the eyes.
HaggisMy
inclusion of Haggis in this list will be seen as heresy to many,
especially those of Scottish ancestry. But look, let's face it: it's
sheep's innards boiled inside a sheep's stomach! I mean c'mon, would
you eat that if you didn't
have to?! Sure, it's a long winter'
s
night in ancient Scotland, the Roman soldiers are sharpening their
swords and banging at the city gates, and all that's left of ol' Bessie
is a few gnawed-upon leg bones and...
innards! Yup, you bet you'd eat it! And you'd
enjoy it! Hell, you'd write an
epic poem in its honor! That's what a True Scotsman does!
Mountain Oysters
I
must admit, there is only one item on this list that I have actually
eaten. That I have tasted, swallowed, and enjoyed. Yes, it's true. I
have eaten Mountain Oysters. And they were
delicious!
Thin-sliced, like medallions of veal, fried in batter in a cast-iron pan
that was probably older than I was, served up in the kitchen of a small
country restaurant in the mountains of North Carolina... it don't
get much better than that!
And
this is why I say you should try the foods I've described. The world
is a big, strange place, and you never know what you might find. That's
the joy of travel! Would you journey all the way to China or Africa,
then eat at a McDonalds? Encountering native cuisine, at times the mind
may reel, but the stomach knows... trust me. You may find a favorite
new food. Heck, at the very least... you'll get a blog post out of it!
