The most exotic food you have eaten traveling?

[Mooshmouse]

Bastilla, basteeya, pastilla... numerous transliterations.

The addition of cinnamon is regional. The pastry is traditional warka (this also has several dfferent names) phyllo or spring roll wrappers are adequate substitutes if those are all you can find in the States.

←

I tried chicken bastela for the first time at a local Moroccan restaurant a couple of months ago. Very pleasantly surprised at how well the cinnamon complimented the flavour of the chicken... and at how good the powdered sugar dusted on top actually did taste. Sugar and chicken. Go figure.

[Hector]

Braised reindeer toungue in Finland, quite yummy!

←

Reindeer is great. I love smoked and sliced Reindeer heart. Never get it often though, don't live close to Lapland, live in southern Sweden, and from here it's closer to Milan than Lapland is.

The most "exotic" thing I've ever eaten must be grilled Opossum in Australia, and damn, it didn't taste good at all. Tasted dirt.

[Country Cook]

Braised reindeer toungue in Finland, quite yummy!

←

Reindeer is great. I love smoked and sliced Reindeer heart. Never get it often though, don't live close to Lapland, live in southern Sweden, and from here it's closer to Milan than Lapland is.

The most "exotic" thing I've ever eaten must be grilled Opossum in Australia, and damn, it didn't taste good at all. Tasted dirt.

←

I had it at the revolving tower restaurant in Tampere, Finland (in 1977). Still a ways from southern Sweden though.

[BCinBC]

Three helpings of roast beef in Birmingham during the BSE scare. I think I'm okay. I think I'm okay.

PS:

some young boys on the street were selling iguanas (NOT for pets).  My friend ended up buying all of them and setting them free.  I have to admit I am still curious about what they would have tasted like.

←

A friend whose husband is from Central America says they taste like chicken!

←

The guy mentioned in the post #1 of this thread says they taste like shit! (NOTE: Not an actual quote.)

[SuzySushi]

Three helpings of roast beef in Birmingham during the BSE scare. I think I'm okay. I think I'm okay.

PS:

some young boys on the street were selling iguanas (NOT for pets).  My friend ended up buying all of them and setting them free.  I have to admit I am still curious about what they would have tasted like.

←

A friend whose husband is from Central America says they taste like chicken!

←

The guy mentioned in the post #1 of this thread says they taste like shit! (NOTE: Not an actual quote.)

←

Chacun a son gout, I suppose!

[markk]

I have eaten Matzoh balls.

[markk]

Just, in the unlikely case, that nobody gets that, I should quote the joke here:

A Jewish family invited their gentile neighbors for holiday dinner.

The first course was set in front of them and the Jewish couple announced, "This is matzoh ball soup."

On seeing the 2 large matzoh balls in the soup, the Gentile man was hesitant to taste this strange looking brew. Gently, the Jewish couple pressed the Gentile man. "Just have a taste. If you don't like it, you don't have to finish it."

Finally he agreed. He digs his spoon in, first picking up a small piece of matzoh ball with some soup in the spoon, and tasting it gingerly. The usual "mmmmmmm" sound can be heard coming from somewhere deep in his chest, and he quickly finishes the soup.

"That was delicious," he said. "Tell me, what other parts of the Matzoh do you eat?"

[joshalow]

I lived in Spain for a year, so I had things there I had never had before, nor after. One was pig's brains, also pig's lungs, and pig's cheeks. I was offered iguana, but I grew up in Puerto Rico, where iguanas ran in our backyard, so I couldn't bring myself to eat it. I saw people, in Spain, eating chicken's feet, bull's testicles, baby eels, and garden snails- I couldn't bring myself to eat any of those. I also have had tripe and emu.

[PaoPao]

Well, I thought it was new and exotic, but really I was just a fool.

Returning on a cross USA road trip we stopped at a Key West Super Market to stock up on some groceries. I was in the mood for Bagels and Cream Cheese. I get back to the bakery, pick up a few Bagels and see a display of different types of Cream Cheese. Walking over to this display I am thinking to myself "Gee, how clever, Cream Cheese that you don't need to refrigerate!" I select one and proceed to eat most of the container on our way up Florida.

That night on my turn for the drive my tummy started to feel a bit funny. As we were crossing "in the middle of nothingness" Texas the next morning I thought my bowels we're about to explode. For the next 30 hours at a motel it was nothing but Hot sweats and cold chills, and unfortunately not the good kind.

So, if any of you are up to topping that exoticness (or stupidness), I'm all ears.

[Hector]

I lived in Spain for a year, so I had things there I had never had before, nor after. One was pig's brains, also pig's lungs, and pig's cheeks. I was offered iguana, but I grew up in Puerto Rico, where iguanas ran in our backyard, so I couldn't bring myself to eat it.  I saw people, in Spain, eating chicken's feet,  bull's testicles, baby eels, and garden snails- I couldn't bring myself to eat any of those. I also have had tripe and emu.

←

Iguanas in spain!!! wow. never heard about it. but I know that you can be served Orellas for an apetizers. Which is dried pig ears!

Edited May 27, 2005 by Hector (log)

[afn33282]

While living in Thailand, my school hosted the track convention. A bunch of kids from other schools were to meet a Pizza Hut, so to make them feel more welcome I bought a baggie of fried locusts, and when I arrived at the Pizza Hut last I went from seat to seat depositing a locust on each student's plate (the height of humor when I was 17 ). Nobody would eat one and of course, being me, I had to but I was chicken and just at a leg. Crispy..... Now I regret not trying the whole thing.

One thing I saw but never tried. In a restaurant in Seoul they had braised bear's paw: in white sauce for 450$ and in brown sauce for 600$. Way out of my budget, but I bet it was tender. I used to think it was a bit inhumane; maybe not if they ate the rest of the bear. I guess I can't be too squeamish if at this point in my life I would try horse, dog, etc. if it was offered to me.

Also the week we moved to Bangkok I tried squid jerky--dried whole squid

(this is not a pic of me....)

Chewy. I did not try it again. Also in Korea they sold many different kinds of dried fish on the street. No big deal. What I though was interesting is that some of them, per fish, If I remember right, cost over 100$. And these were only about 10 inches long, tops. Did not try those either.

[Adam Balic]

On a recent trip to southern Spain I sadly didn't get to stuff my self with testicle goodness (the testicles are the pale ovoids on the left.

But I did eat fried sea anemones, which apart from snake and spider (killed and cooked 'em me self) is about it for me.

Sea anemones and cabbage salad

[David McDuff]

Andouillette. We were early for an appointment with a winery in St. Cyr-sur-Mer and were hankering for a spot of lunch. The only cafe in town that was open served two lunch specials: entrecote or andouillette. Upon ordering the entrecote, we found that there was really only one lunch special.... Let's just say that we made plentiful use of the mustard -- and the house rose -- that day. It may be a rustic brasserie staple but, for me, it's an acquired taste to say the least.

[afn33282]

Almost forgot: sea cucumber. In Seoul, they have places called "chin-goog jib" (China house), that are hybrid Chinese/Korean restaurants. They serve stuff you can't find at either Chinese or Korean restaurants, and their main feature is that they deliver. Among their yummy dishes that my friend and I survived on is Hal-mul-nee: mixed seafood over noodles (or was that rice?), and included in the mix along with baby squid, bivalves, etc., was sea cucumber. Unfortunately, I don't like gelatinous foods, and it was one, so I always picked it out. Anyway, that was 16 years ago, so now somebody from Korea can come and correct the details/name of the dish/etc., but the flavors stay true in my memory.....

[jpyvr]

Smoked cow's udder in Switzerland.

After a hike, we stopped in a small restaurant with a lovely buffet table of charcuterie and cheeses. The proprietors, who spoke only Swiss-German, keep pointing to one particular platter covered with slices of what appeared to be overused, dirty-grey kitchen sponges. I couldn't understand their explanation of what it was, but it was definitely something I'd never seen before. Being a sport, and a curiosity-cat, I added a slice to my plate.

The slice tasted of milk that had gone off, with a smoky overtone. Unless you're a fan of milk that pours from the container in curds, it's a combination of tastes that is particularly unfortunate. I still hadn't clued into the origin of the meat though, and when the proprietor came to my table to see how I was enjoying the mystery meat, I did my best to ask what I had been eating. It wasn't until he held one hand up with fingers dangling, and began to milk the fingers with his other hand while mooing that it clicked.

So for those who don't treasure the thought of sucking sour smoky milk out of a dirty sponge, watch for anything that matches my description.

[Mooshmouse]

But I did eat fried sea anemones, which apart from snake and spider (killed and cooked 'em me self) is about it for me.

←

Now, I know that snake tastes like fish, but what exactly does sea anemone taste like? Texture?

[Sandra Levine]

I've eaten sea cucmber right here in NYC's Chinatown, as well as some other exotica, but traveling, it has to be cod's tongues in Newfoundland. They are not unlike fried oysters, unless they are large, in which case there is some gelatinous stuff in the middle.

[Grub]

Elk and buffalo at the Buckhorn Exchange in Denver -- excellent.

Pickled ocra, homemade, somewhere in the south. A client brought it into the office and offered me some -- suspecting a practical joke, I excused myself until I saw someone else eat it... Very interesting taste, not bad.

Pickled eggs in Manchester, England. Apparently a southern English treat, from what the landlord claimed, as I never saw it any other pub there. Very nice with a pint...

Reindeer, moose and whale in Norway. All good. And lutefisk -- NOT good.

Bad reindeer in Finland, but great steak tartare -- at whatever restaurant/cafe Sibelius used to order it. They had bear in Finland as well, but I never tried it -- it was extremely expensive.

Jerked goat in Jamaica. Not good, mon.

[CharityCase]

Nothing I've eaten overseas came anywhere near the Potted Meat Food Product in Hawaii.

[Adam Balic]

But I did eat fried sea anemones, which apart from snake and spider (killed and cooked 'em me self) is about it for me.

←

Now, I know that snake tastes like fish, but what exactly does sea anemone taste like? Texture?

←

The texture was creamy (or mushy in plain speak), they tasted 'of the sea', mild and briney.

[Abra]

Hey, Country Cook, I've eaten at that revolving restaurant in Tampere too! I had chanterelle soup - first time I ever tasted chanterelles.

I've eaten blood sausage in various places, but I really like it, so I don't think of it as exotic.

I was served kangaroo anonymously, in Switzerland, of all places. I thought it was a mysterious cut of beef until my host revealed the secret ingredient.

I think tete de veau is exotic, in an unpleasant way, also andouillette and pieds et paquets. Weird French food, all.

I ate turkey testicles once, on a dare, but that was in California. In case you're wondering, they're very small.

I ate durian in Indonesia and liked it a lot. Also, water buffalo on Sumatra.

All in all, pretty tame stuff.

[Mistinguett]

Blood sausage and any part of the pig from snout to tail I grew up with and I don't consider them exotic. Even had spleen and lungs - nothing was wasted when my grandpa would kill the beast.

Pork mountain oysters (a.k.a. testicles) were part of the mixed grill we had for our engagement party, along with pork spinal cord and of course, regular meats like chops and tenderloin and sweetbreads. :lol:

Other than that: bear and deer sausages, frog legs, alligator, chicken legs, sea cucumber... can't even remember what else.

I've never had insects and I'm in no hurry to try those. Other than that, I'm game.

[evongvisith]

In Thailand, I had shark's fin soup, roasted pigeons, jackfruit, durian, rambutans, abalone, leathery tamarind candy made by my grandmother, a lot of seafood I was unable to identify, and soups with various offal bits floating around in them. I was once offered roasted insects too, but I confess that I was too squeamish to try them.

My cousins would take green, unripe mangos and peel and cut them up, then we'd dip them into a mixture of sugar, salt and chile powder. I'd love to duplicate that but can't find any unripe mangos here, and it's just not the same unless they're green.

Last year, on a road trip to New England, I finally tried scrapple. I'd never tasted or even seen it until then. It was exotic to me though I consider okra ordinary fare, having spent most of my life in Oklahoma and Texas

[cjsadler]

Fried frog skins in Hue, Vietnam. I'm not sure if it was because I was so drunk, but they were tasty.

[Hest88]

Had fried scorpions for the first time two weeks ago - in Beijing.

In Hong Kong we also had pig uterus, but it was too much like other Chinese organ meats I eat regularly so I can't really think of it as exotic.