I’ll start in Japan I tried everything that was handed to me 99% good. Then I tried this octopus and I am not sure how it was prepared etc but that thing was nasty. It was hard and rubbery like chewing on a piece of tire. I tried to take one quick bite so I could swallow it. This one quick bite took some jaw power and when it separated the other piece shot across my mouth and hit my other cheek. Then I washed it down quickly with some beer and smiled while trying to hide the fact that I was gagging. Luckily our local friends were so busy talking I think Derek was the only one who noticed.
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About The Author
Jared is an on-and-off traveler and childhood friend of Derek, frequently joining him in random countries on sporadic adventures. If leaving women at an airport were an Olympic event he would surely win the gold. He once even whored himself out and sent the money to Derek so that Derek could buy his way out of a tricky situation. Recently however Jared has been forced back into the 9-5 but hopefully one day soon he will be able to break free again and resume traveling full-time. View More By Jared
Got to be Peruvian food for us, when we tried the local delicacy of Cuy, or guinea pig! The first time we tried it it was deep fried and looked like it had been a) run over by a car, and b) deep fried so wasn’t great! Second time was oven baked and tasted a lot better, but I probably won’t have it again! We actually just posted about it today on our blog if you fancy reading more!
Other than that, we are looking forward to trying snake when we visit south east asia later this year! Have you tried that?
Mmmm you are making me hungry for Peruvian food now! I was originally planning to visit there for the first time this fall, but now I think my journeys may take me else.
No, I have not tried snake despite spending lots of time in SEA. I want to do it the crazy way, where they bring out a live cobra, agitate it, and then kill it in front of you. They drain the blood and you (and anyone else brave enough) drinks it mixed half and half with rice wine.
But here’s the craziest part! Apparently the heart is brought to the honored guest of the table in a shot glass with a free pitcher of beer. Shortly after swallowing the heart you can feel it beating in your stomach until the stomach acids kill it around 20 minutes later.
Additionally, the snake blood and rice wine thing is a 36-hr aphrodisiac, so do it with a friend around 😉
That has got to be the nastiest thing I’ve ever heard. I think i’d hurl if I just had to watch someone drink a bloody alcoholic drink. The heart thing…revolting. Having said all that, I can’t wait read this to the kidlets 🙂 Halloween was just a few days ago, I think it’ll still be a great story.
Last year when our son was 10 months old, we traveled throughout Europe. Being an infant, he was still drinking mother’s milk; we would bring several 8 ounce bottles of milk with us when flying, especially on long-haul flights.
Normally this isn’t an issue. US airports have sophisticated machines to test the milk, and when airports globally lack the machine, they usually have a manual way of testing each bottle (a cotton swab and the like).
Going through security Milan, Italy airport, the security agent asked me (dad) to drink from each of the bottles! We of course asked if they had the machine or any other way to test the milk, which they did not. I counted with “can our son drink it” – and security refused. I then asked “can mom drink it” and they refused again. The Italians insisted on me (dad) drinking the milk 🙁
Adam Sommer
@adamsommer
Well let’s see. The worst was probably in Thailand. On the list one slightly drunken night was; Locust, grub worms, short fatty grubs that popped in your mouth, regular grasshoppers, and to top it off a big black scorpion.
The worst were the fatty grubs. That was the only one that just didn’t want to go down but I finally manged to get it down. Of course each bug was followed by a big drink of Chang beer.
Good times!
See Adam, that is why you are officially the man! With elegant posts like that, you’ve got my vote, always!
lol not to toot my own horn but I was pretty proud of myself. 🙂
Man you guys put me to shame! Great stories though and Barry I am really enjoying your blog. Also to both Adams I will be checking your blogs out tomorrow thanks for the comments.
In summer 2010 i take lang. Course in Edinburgh» Scotland
And my host mother cooked a scottish meal called Haggis
And i find out after i back home what it is.!!
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis
It was DELICIOUS;)
Also in kuwait where i live. We ate Truffle alot in winter;)
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle#section_3
Also in winter we hunt lot of birds, “Uromastyx”, and Jarboa a but i dont eat it >_<
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uromastyx
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerboa
That what i remeber about strange thing i ate and watch my family ate.!
Deep fried locusts. Actually not too bad, and apparently very healthy
Snake in Vietnam ..as well as its blood. Don’t wanna talk about it.
Yeah, I did the whole “eat the raw organs of a king cobra then chase it down with a glass full of blood” thing in Indonesia. I actually rather enjoyed it. Didn’t taste anywhere near as bad as I was expecting…
Tarantula cooked in garlic from a street stall on the road to Kampot in Cambodia. It sounds worse than it was!
I’ll be on the lookout for that when I’m in Cambodia. The only type of tarantulas I like are dead ones. If it turns out they taste good then I’ll start cooking every one I come across 😉
Has to be stinky snails in Marrakech.. They weren’t even really seasoned, just rubbery and disgusting!
Grab me a bit of butter and garlic and i am all over it!
Duncan