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I just ate WHAT?
By Dirk Bansch
I consider myself to be quite an adventurous eater, but most of the time I know what I will eat beforehand. A few times I was only told afterwards and on those occasions, I nearly lost my reputation as the man with the iron stomach... I am originally from Germany, where food is mostly sausage-based. So I was never uncomfortable eating anything resembling a sausage and only found out recently that things like Sülze (Head Cheese: tongue or blood with parts of a pig's head in aspic), Blutwurst (blood sausage: pork rind, pork blood, barley), and Bregenwurst (brain sausage: pork cuts and pork brain) actually sound very unappetising when you think about it. And while I enjoyed eating alligator, kangaroo, and crocodile, I felt a bit queasy going for sliced cold jellyfish (very crunchy) and preserved egg (also called 100-year old egg or century egg). But when friends or students wanted to surprise me or honour me with certain meals, it often went wrong:
In Turkey I was presented with a sandwich that I thought was quite tasty, until I was told that I had just eaten part of a cow's head, including eyeballs. In Bahrain, I really enjoyed a burger, but when told that it was a camel burger, I somehow lost my appetite (I could have sworn it was lamb!). Also, when touring Thailand, I am sure that when I ordered chicken once, I was given something to eat that was not Chicken! It didn't even taste like chicken... The good news is that my partner is trying to turn me into a vegetarian, so in future I might only be shocked by the shape of some vegetables... |
  
Sülze or Head Cheese
Blutwurst or Blood Sausage
Preserved Egg
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Apfel und Rotkohl - one of my favourite German dishes either as a main dish or a side dish can make just about anything look unapetising - depending upon the amount of juice/sauce/liquid. When we were unable to get food supplies through into Aden it is safe to say that there was nothing that crawled, flew or walked upon the earth that did not get eaten. Mealy grubs were a great delicasy with the Kikuyu when I was living with them (there is a very involved etiquette for eating them). One point you make, though, that is very telling - if you don't know what you are eating, you will have no problems eating it. I love cervelat - even though I was a little startled to see what happened when the stuff was made. The flavour forgives all adulteration.
Ewwwwwwwww... I'm afraid that I'm not nearly as adventurous as you are Dirk.
Food all over the world has gone a long way, at least in the so called better eating establishments. I would say so. The emphasis is more on combining the real thing where fibre counts. This also means that red cabbage and apples (Rotkohl und Aepfel) may be prepared with apples but peaces of the fruit might be added in the last minute for more appetizing looks. They might even be treated with lemon to prevent oxydizing. So food presentation plays an enormous role now. In the olden days, not much thought was wasted. Ingredients were often mixed in a blender. Often they were overcooked until all goodness was lost. Today, cooks and consumers have better attitudes. That way it is also more easy to see what we are eating.
Oh my. I think I would stop asking about what it was I was eating. If it's either slimy or moving, I don't even try it.
Ever eat chitlins? Quite tasty for some but not for me. Thanks for reminding me of unsavory things. I may not eat all day.
I'm not a very adventuresome person when it comes to eating but, I must tell you, I did eat head cheese once. When I was a young girl mum sent me to neighbor, Sophie, to take a just-baked apple pie to her. They were good neighbors and mum made the best apple pie in the whole world, according to my whole world ;) Sophie, had just made some head cheese and asked me if I would like to try some. She didn't say what it was made from, didn't call it head cheese, it looked delicious, and so I said, "Yes, I think I'd like to try some." It WAS delicious! I found out what head cheese is, I have never eaten it since. This makes me believe that some of these things that I would never dream of eating (or maybe I would ONLY dream of eating) probably do taste delicious.
I love head cheese melted over a potato, and have no objection to eating blood sausage, but my favorite organ meat is beef tongue. I season it with cloves and bay leaves in the cooking pot, and add Bragg's Amino Acids (which taste like soy sauce) after it is cooked. Hot or cold, I love beef tongue.
I have eaten a lot of strange things, including Iguana and Armadillo, Pigs Feet, Cow Heel and Bulls Eggs (Testicles), but I do prefer to know what I am eating in advance...
wow all that stuff sounds really disgusting to me, no offense and that photo is horrifying. Of course having not eaten any form of meat in over 25 years I would never even think to try any of those items. I am rooting for your partner and cant wait to see what kind of strange vegetables you can find to eat next. There are some out there believe me..(check out the durian for example..)
Dirk, There is something sacrilegious about eating anything that is 100 years old, wow! Great post; I truly enjoyed it. Sandy
Did your Thai chicken bark?
I'll try most things at least once. But I don't thing dog or cat will be in the menu ever, That would feel like cannabilism. Strange things I have eaten and drunk include worms, goldfish, crocodile, elephant, muhango beer and a few other bits and pieces
Yuck!
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