Last weekend I went to the local farmer's market to buy some fresh mozzarella. While the vendor was getting it for me, I spied an interesting item in her cooler. There was a large bowl, full of something that I had never seen before. At first it looked to me like a salad of some kind, but the colors were all wrong: purple, white and blue. Upon closer inspection, I saw tentacles with suction cups on them!

I HAD to know what this stuff was!

I began pelting the vendor with questions about this mystery dish. I'm sorry that I cannot recall the name of it, but she told me that it's considered a treasure in India. She took the bowl out of the cooler to give me a closer look. There were all sizes of squid and octopi, all completely whole, with their tentacles spread back like the petals of a flower. There were also mussels, and scallops, as well as several items I was unable to identify. It looked like something that was served at the banquet in Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom!

Then I asked the million dollar question: "What does it taste like?"

The vendor flashed me a big smile (she found my curiosity to be very amusing), and said, "Wanna TRY it?"

She fished around (no pun intended) in the "salad" with a toothpick, finally spearing a baby octopus. She presented it to me, I inspected it...incredulous that I was about to EAT this thing...and here was this perfectly-formed baby octopus, purple and white...it looked like a strange flower from an alien world.

I ate it.

... with all the places I'VE lived, it's up to the individual to decide what the WEIRDEST thing I've eaten was. Variously: raw beef liver in Osaka (garnished with scallions! how appetizing!), fresh-killed raw lobster that was still wiggling (this was Tokyo, and I didn't even know what it was when I ordered it -- I never trusted that waitress again, it was she who sensed I was trying to impress someone and fobbed it off on me), beef-intestine fufu in Ghana (hideous, unchewable slop), smoked fish fufu in Ghana (this was a bit more edible, but I lost something like 20 pounds when I lived there, and I've never been a huge guy), and -- this wasn't me, but on my first trip to Japan, with my father as it happened, we were wandering around a supermarket and some especially gregarious salesman started chasing me with a bit of whatever-the-hell-it-was. My father took the bullet for me, and ate it. (Really, he'd eat anything, though. Well, not anymore.)

I like squid, but would never eat octopus again because of all the stories my best friend tells about what sweet, sociable creatures they are. As intelligent as a dog or cat, and potentially just as friendly. I'm glad I never liked the taste of them to begin with. (Octopus puffs are more popular and ubiquitous in Japan than popcorn -- I kid you not.)

Once in Japan, I tasted something that I was told was raw whale. There's a lot of mock whale in Japan, though. I still feel guilty that I contributed, however vaguely and indirectly, to the whale-slaughter market.

Pickled sea creatures...many varieties, but all pickled the same way. I grew to love that flavor, in spite of the fact that I very nearly vomited the first time I tasted it!

I also had to spit out a mouthful of beer and wine the first time I tried them both, about five New Year's Eves ago. They were absolutely disgusting. I don't see how anybody got sit there and drink three, four beers in a row. Urine probably tastes better than beer.

...a pinky.

But many sources to this day still claim it was a fishstick.

As you can see I'm not afraid to try anything once (except insects, forget about it).

The more exotic the more intriguing to me which is why I love to watch IRON CHEF.

And I'm getting a taste for grass jelly juice.

Those rows of terrier-sized rats strung up for sale in Viet Nam are nice to LOOK at (uh, some of them ARE dogs, just not the big ones-- those are definitely rats!).

- 2lbs dried black beans
- 10 cups of water
- 1 boneless smoked pork butt(about 2 lbs)
- 1/2 lb pepperoni, cut in 1/2 in. pieces
- 3 large onions sliced-
- 2 cups dry red wine or beef broth
- 2tsp salt
- 3 oranges peeled and sectioned Pick over the beans and rinse in cold water.

Combine beans with water and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for one hour. Place beans in a 5 quart slow cooker: add pork butt, pepperoni, onions, wine or broth, salt; cover.

Cook on low 8 hours. stir after 4 if possible or cook on high for 4 hours and stir after 2. Remove pork; press beans against side of cooker to mash some of them. Serve with rice and top with orange slices.

I use picnic ham instead of the pork but make sure you eliminate the salt. The new and easy way to make it is to buy the cans of black beans in your supermarket add the meat, etc., and simmer. Yummy Yummy. You don't need a crock pot for this, but if you simmer it on the stove keep your eye on it.

But beware...!

Andre, hmm Pigs Butt? Isn't that the best part?

The lady was all excited about eating a complete FEIJOADA meal. And she really went to a restaurant to dive into it... but that was BEFORE she saw the cauldron with that incredible black & red boiling bouillon inside.
She just ate the salad... I remember seing Jeff Goldblum behind her with a grin look at his face. Can't remember if he proved it however.

There was a slaughterhouse not far from the house I was staying at (this was the capital city, not the bush country), and I still remember the vultures circling in the sun around noontime, waiting for the morning slops to be thrown out. That single image defines my African experience quite well, and will be the title of the essay I might write some day: "Vultures In the Noontime Sun."

EXCEPT...

You said, "But, BEWARE!"

BEWARE OF WHAT???

SNAILS were not meant to be eaten by man. sorry.

NP -- don't know yet. about to hit the hay

quote:

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Originally posted by Chris Kinsinger:
The only thing I can think of is Black Bean FARTS!!!

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Precisely!!
Huge, dreadful farts...

This reminds me of a typical brasilian joke:

Right before the sinking of the TITANIC, the Devil himself appeared for 3 guys - a French, an American and a Brasilian. He said:
- "If any of you ask me something I can't do I'll make you appear on your home just now. But, beware! Fail and go straigh to hell!!"
The french said:
- "I wanna see Paris floating over the ocean now!"
- "Easy..." - FLUSSSSHH!! The city appeared over the ocean and the french went to hell.
Them the american said:
- "Annnn... I want a bottle of the older wine ever made on this planet, still sealed!!"
TCHAM!! The wine appeared and the american went to hell...
- "Now it's only you!" the devil said to the poor shaking brazilian.

He couldn't think on anything...
He was going to hell, for sure!
Suddenly, he release a huge, dreadful fart because he just finished a Feijoada meal...
- "Aha!!! I want you to pick this up, tinge it of red and put into a picture frame!!!"
CHOMMMM! The brasilian went home...

That's it. The only moral I can find on this joke is: FEIJOADAS CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE SOME DAY.

quote:

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Originally posted by H Rocco:
Just for you, Marian: I remember documentary footage taken in South America wherein the locals were throwing tarantulas into a fire, to roast them to perfection (as one might normally roast potatoes), and tossing them irritably back in whenever they tried to crawl smoldering out of the blaze. Even my dad was grossed out. Pleasant dreams, chum!

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I wouldn't dare to come near them, even if they're grilled. In fact, those things coming out of old potatoes are somehow so spider-like to me that I always try not to touch them when cutting them away.

But I must say, the WIERDEST thing has to be fried GRASSHOPPERS! Mmmm ... a crunchy blend of crab and bacon. First you catch a bunch of 'em, let them sit overnight so they can 'do their business', move 'em to another jar, freeze them to death, then wash 'em and fry 'em in a skillet with butter.