One food you have never had... but are curious

[outside92129]

Where is said place?

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Forgot the restaurant but it was on the south shore, somewhere between the East End and Georgetown.

 

[BeerGrylls]

Natto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natt%C5%8D
Or maybe (****): http://www.thesneeze.com/2004/steve-dont-eat-it-vol-6.php

 

[BGBC]

Natto.

I've had Natto a couple times and liked it. Nice, if you can get over the slime factor. Supposed to be good for you too.

 

[drainbamage]

I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater, but I had a hard time with Natto. Appearance, smell, taste, consistency...it just didn't appeal on any level. That second link pretty much sums up my experience with it.

 

[outside92129]

I've tricked a few folks into a bite of natto. At a busy sushi place it's hard to smell it, and it doesn't look bad. Almost like beans with caramel sugar. Besides, when you hear it's just fermented soy beans... well i've never had someone not fall for it!

 

[BeerGrylls]

I've tricked a few folks into a bite of natto. At a busy sushi place it's hard to smell it, and it doesn't look bad. Almost like beans with caramel sugar. Besides, when you hear it's just fermented soy beans... well i've never had someone not fall for it!

And what's the typical reaction then?

 

[BGBC]

C'mon, it's not that bad. Mix it up with some rice and I'd say it's pretty good. I'd agree it's tough to eat on its own tho.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

The sister in law and I both tried a taste of Japanese fermented fish entrails. Looks and tastes exactly as you would think it to. We both tasted (on the count of three), and looked at each other and said "okie, we've done that."

We then discretely gargled with Sapporo.

 

[drainbamage]

C'mon, it's not that bad. Mix it up with some rice and I'd say it's pretty good. I'd agree it's tough to eat on its own tho.

See, when I had it, there was raw squid mixed in. It was slime on top of slime, with no rice to dilute it. My one friend (who is a Japanese immigrant and loves the stuff) put raw egg yolk on top of hers as well. Even now, I'm having a hard time keeping down my coffee just thinking about it.

 

[Larso]

Tried natto recently and its not bad at all, sounds and looks worse than it is. Some interesting stuff on this menu

 

[BeerGrylls]

Tried natto recently and its not bad at all, sounds and looks worse than it is. Some interesting stuff on this menu

You'd have to be a sick freak to order some mystery 'luncheon meat' from a place that knowingly put beef penis on the menu.

BG

 

[gratus fermentatio]

The "Luncheon meat" is just the Asian version of Spam (lips & a$$holes), you can buy it at Walmart. The penis, beef or otherwise...
There's a pretty strong cultural wall in my brain that would have to fall before I'd try that; either that, or starvation motivation. The rest of the menu I think I could eat, though IMHO intestines should be stuffed with meat. Not sure just what "House pig trotter" is, but I'm guessing it's pigs feet. Regards, GF.

 

[drainbamage]

The "Luncheon meat" is just the Asian version of Spam (lips & a$$holes), you can buy it at Walmart. The penis, beef or otherwise...
There's a pretty strong cultural wall in my brain that would have to fall before I'd try that; either that, or starvation motivation. The rest of the menu I think I could eat, though IMHO intestines should be stuffed with meat. Not sure just what "House pig trotter" is, but I'm guessing it's pigs feet. Regards, GF.

Yep, "house pig trotter" is just feet.

Do you know what food the Japanese (at least the ones I've met) find absolutely disgusting? Peanut butter. They can't stand it. The stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth texture is just too much for them to handle. It seems odd to me that a culture that could eat beef penis or fermented soybeans with raw egg without batting an eye would be weirded out by ground up peanuts.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Yep, "house pig trotter" is just feet.

Do you know what food the Japanese (at least the ones I've met) find absolutely disgusting? Peanut butter. They can't stand it. The stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth texture is just too much for them to handle. It seems odd to me that a culture that could eat beef penis or fermented soybeans with raw egg without batting an eye would be weirded out by ground up peanuts.

LOL That's funny! I find culinary differences between cultures interesting. Trying to figure out why one thing is tasty in one culture, yet reviled in another is sometimes difficult or even impossible for me to do, but it's fun to try.

I mean technically, the penis is just another piece of meat; why not eat it? It's my own cultural bias that would make it difficult for me to eat it. I think I could eat dog, though I'd feel a little guilty about it. I've eaten cat in the form of cougar (aka mountain lion), and it was quite tasty; but up to actually putting the 1st piece of cougar meat in my mouth, I was pretty sure it was going to taste nasty; bobcat does. One of these days I'd like to try eating a rhinocerous steak or giraffe stew.
Regards, GF.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

See, while I would NOT be totally thrilled or order bull penis, I would be pretty excited if there was a history behind the dish. Lets say it became a mainstay among Argentine cattle-workers because it was the only cut that the ranch owners couldnt make any money on.

Hopping-john because American slaves ate it. Bitter melon because my friend's grandmother used to pine that she couldnt get "good" bitter melon any more... what was the experience of eating the "good" bitter melon like?

Am I making sense?

 

[drainbamage]

LOL That's funny! I find culinary differences between cultures interesting. Trying to figure out why one thing is tasty in one culture, yet reviled in another is sometimes difficult or even impossible for me to do, but it's fun to try.

I mean technically, the penis is just another piece of meat; why not eat it? It's my own cultural bias that would make it difficult for me to eat it. I think I could eat dog, though I'd feel a little guilty about it. I've eaten cat in the form of cougar (aka mountain lion), and it was quite tasty; but up to actually putting the 1st piece of cougar meat in my mouth, I was pretty sure it was going to taste nasty; bobcat does. One of these days I'd like to try eating a rhinocerous steak or giraffe stew.
Regards, GF.

Yeah, I feel like I could eat dog as long as I didn't have to kill it myself and roast it on a spit or anything. If someone just brought the prepared food out to me, I think I could turn my brain off enough to just think of it as another piece of meat. I came *this* close to buying horse steaks once in an Italian grocery store (my lack of ready access to a grill was pretty much the only thing that stopped me), but if I had to go out and slaughter a horse myself, I don't think I could do it.

Side note: As I've tried neither, I have this weird mental association of dog being "red meat" and cat being "white meat", or at least closer to pork. Don't ask me why; I have no idea.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Not sure about all cats, but mountain lion is a lighter red meat; not as red as beef, but not as white as chicken. The bobcat I tried was already cooked when I saw it. Never tried dog.
Regards, GF.

 

[liquiditynerd]

GF , good to know. We have a lion prowling and Ill have my tag so I figured id get her before she gets someones pet. Dont like killing if I wont eat it. Same for the bear and coyote. No quarrel with the bear though yet.

 

[Subsailor]

Not sure about all cats, but mountain lion is a lighter red meat; not as red as beef, but not as white as chicken. The bobcat I tried was already cooked when I saw it. Never tried dog.
Regards, GF.

I'd really like to try mountain lion. A buddy of mine from Montana said it was pretty good too. Never had bobcat either.

GF , good to know. We have a lion prowling and Ill have my tag so I figured id get her before she gets someones pet. Dont like killing if I wont eat it. Same for the bear and coyote. No quarrel with the bear though yet.

liquiditynerd, up here spring bear is pretty good or an interior bear that's been on berries and no fish in the fall. Bears on fish are nasty. I'd imagine coyote being very similar to dog, just free range dog.

I won't dispatch a dog, cat, horse or whatever in the name of dinner experimentation. My family would have fits if I did.

I have seriously thought about the ability to kill and eat "pets", be it dog, horse, cat or whatever else has a 'name'. If the need were there, I have come to the conclusion that I can and would do so with very little emotional problems. I would regret any necessity that forced me to do so but would still do what needed to be done.

 

[Andrikos]

Has anyone tried Huitlacoche? I'm pretty curious, but I'm actually a little nervous. I can try 'cules no problem... but this stuff scares me.

Hey, this stuff is literally everywhere here.

I didn't even know it was edible.
The Germans surely won't eat it even though they are the biggest mushroom eaters in the world.

I harvested one out of curiosity and it's pretty freaky.
I should have taken a picture of its inside (maybe tomorrow).
When you cut it you are met with millions of black spores and a slimy interior.
It smells mushroomy and very corny. Quite pleasant actually.

I'll try to find some recipes and preparation techniques.
If you never hear from me, you'll know what happened.

 

[Andrikos]

Today I ate deep fried grasshoppers from Indonesia.

A bit underwhelming I'd say.

If you have experience chewing on super crispy chicken bones (say the wing tips) you get an idea of the sensation.
But, the chicken tips taste a lot better.
The grasshoppers smelled a bit fishy too which wasn't very appealing especially after I was told that they didn't have any fish sauce on them.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I have seriously thought about the ability to kill and eat "pets", be it dog, horse, cat or whatever else has a 'name'. If the need were there, I have come to the conclusion that I can and would do so with very little emotional problems. I would regret any necessity that forced me to do so but would still do what needed to be done.

We are on the same page my friend.
Ever read this book? It deals with the pet thing in a chapter or two.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0765356864/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Regards, GF.

 

[Goofynewfie]

If it was them or me, theres alot of stuff I could eat no problem

 

[drainbamage]

We are on the same page my friend.
Ever read this book? It deals with the pet thing in a chapter or two.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0765356864/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Regards, GF.

I've read that book and yeah, in a starvation situation I could get over any moral objections. I'd just have trouble justifying it simply out of morbid curiosity.

 

[Subsailor]

We are on the same page my friend.
Ever read this book? It deals with the pet thing in a chapter or two.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0765356864/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Regards, GF.

I have not read that yet. I just had it sent to my Kindle. The summary/review looked interesting on a couple of different sites, thanks!

 

[podz]

I came *this* close to buying horse steaks once in an Italian grocery store (my lack of ready access to a grill was pretty much the only thing that stopped me), but if I had to go out and slaughter a horse myself, I don't think I could do it.

Slaughtering and butchering large animals is pretty hard work. Anything bigger than a lamb or a goat and you start to need things like booms, winches, hoists, hooks and other such rigging equipment in order to get them hanging for draining and sectioning. I think a lot of rednecks use their cherry pickers in combination with a small army of friends.

Now and then horse filet can be found at my local supermarket. It's always making it's way into my shopping basket because 1) it's a little bit cheaper than beef and 2) it tastes a whole helluva lot better than beef.

Sometimes horses need to be put out of their misery due to a severe injury, sometimes they just die from old age. The meat is very good and there's a whole lot of it. Unless it's a diseased animal, why anybody would dispose of it instead of eat it is beyond me.

 

[bleme]

Sometimes horses need to be put out of their misery due to a severe injury, sometimes they just die from old age. The meat is very good and there's a whole lot of it. Unless it's a diseased animal, why anybody would dispose of it instead of eat it is beyond me.

About 90% of the horses in the U.S. have had Phenylbutazoneon (Bute), which stays in the meat. It is extremely dangerous to humans and can disrupt the production of blood cells.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Sometimes horses need to be put out of their misery due to a severe injury, sometimes they just die from old age. The meat is very good and there's a whole lot of it. Unless it's a diseased animal, why anybody would dispose of it instead of eat it is beyond me.

Here in the USA, there are any number of reasons & groups to protest; so much so, that now we can't eat horse, nor even ship live horses to coutries where they'll be slaughtered for human food:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2034431/
Regards, GF.

 

[Andrikos]

About 90% of the horses in the U.S. have had Phenylbutazoneon (Bute), which stays in the meat. It is extremely dangerous to humans and can disrupt the production of blood cells.

Holy crap.
That was my daily "piece of information I learned today that I didn't really want to know"

 

[Danbreeze]

I have always wanted to eat rattlesnake, while wearing snake skin boots.