What's the weirdest thing you ever ate?

[Jaggy thistle]

for me Locust beans [ cattle food] used to eat lots when I was a boy

[Bugbear]

for me Locust beans [ cattle food] used to eat lots when I was a boy

If Locust beans are carobs, I like those too. I also like the mesquite beans.

[LANCER1562]

My late wife (who was Philipino) introduced me to dinuguan (sp?) which I really like. Every couple of months I treat myself to a jar of kimchi. I've also had sushi, rattle snake, venison, beefalo chile, braised tripe and of course haggis.

[English Bloke]

When working in Zimbabwe a few years ago I was invited to break bread with some people from a local village. I regularly used to eat with the African soldiers so I was used to the oxtail stews, mealie meal and other such delightful ethnic quisine.

As I sat to eat on this occasion I could detect the aroma of fish. "Not averse to fish" thinks I, but this was particularly pungent. When the food arrived it turned out to be a dish called Capenta which is made from small fresh-water fish, about the size of sticklebacks which are net caught then first sun dried and then rehydrated into a soup or stew. It is pretty fishy.

In fact it is the fishiest fish dish in the history of fish dishes. Much too fishy for me and my tender European palate anyway. I must be honest, I'm more of a fish in batter, chips on the side kind of bloke. "Salt and vinegar? yes please..."

I was deeply honoured to have been invited and mindful that I was being given valuable rations generously by people who do not have much so in an effort not to offend my hosts, I battled through and finished every morsel of the fairly hefty plateful and expressed complete satisfaction as I laid down my empty plate.

Off to my side I observed the ZNA Captain (Zim Army) who was with me, was chuckling as he slowly ate his helping with his spoon. I was puzzled but then my plate was snatched away and within seconds was brought back with almost twice the serving I'd just struggled to finish. And the Captain chuckled on...

I raised an eyebrow at him to try and deduce what was going on and he leaned over to tell me quietly that it is African tradition to leave a small amount on your plate to indicate to the hosts that you have both enjoyed the food and that they have provided a more than sufficient amount. To present an empty plate means that they have not given you enough and is a bit of an insult.

Mortified, I pressed on... Spoon after spoon of intensely fishy concentrate. It was absolutely awful...

You'll be pleased to know though that I manfully finished all of the second plateful barring the small dollop which I left tidily next to my spoon.

A goodly lesson in the local manners and customs, reinforced by an almost inedible meal (to me at least) And there was I thinking "My, what incredibly warm and generous people". And there was them thinking "What a greedy, fat b&$£%*d".

If ever you get the opportunity to skip eating Capenta, I urge you to do so... Unless you really, really like fish that is.

[artificer]

A goodly lesson in the local manners and customs, reinforced by an almost inedible meal (to me at least) And there was I thinking "My, what incredibly warm and generous people". And there was them thinking "What a greedy, fat b&$£%*d".

If ever you get the opportunity to skip eating Capenta, I urge you to do so... Unless you really, really like fish that is.

this completely MADE my morning, John.

What a wonderful illustration of how tiny cultural differences can make ALL the difference (and for quite humourous misunderstandings).

ith:

[Rob, ClanMacMillan, NM]

Weirdest things, huh?

Well, rattlesnake, possum, coon, alligator, haggis, etc is "just food" and doesn't class as too weird. Had octopus, sea anemones, and various other delicacies cooked and uncooked in great variety at a 21st hangi in NZ several years ago - also "just food" - and "just good"

The weird stuff is, to me, grasshoppers, chocolate-covered ants, earthworm burgers, goat tongue fried in strips like french fries (chips), and lambs eyes in honey.

Rob.

[Tartan Tess]

"Rocky Mountain Oysters' AKA calf Nuts....deeped fried they are very good and a regular after branding season on the ranches where I worked.

[Mael Coluim]

My last week of a four year contract providing medical administration to Getty Oil/Texaco in their operation in Kuwait, one of the Saudis that I worked with invited to his home for dinner. It turned out I was the only westerner there. It was a huge feast with large trays on rice & lamb that we sat around and ate with our fingers. The men would pull off choice pieces and toss them in front of me so I had not to stretch! I realized I was the honored guest and soon be offered a rare delicacy. Sure enough my host reached for the sheep’s head on the tray, pulled out the eyeballs and tossed them to me. I quickly picked them up. I told myself to think of them as steamed oysters and swallowed. Never tasted them!

[Kintail's Lost Now Found]

Cow Stomach, in Paraguay. Tasted like nothing, chewed like rubber, and had the texture of what a dried up water hole in the middle of a desert looks like. Yeah, that's how I remember it.

[Coinneach]

I don't know what it was...and I still don't want to know...but whatever it was, it was in Singapore. And I hope it doesn't make its way here.