What's the weirdest thing you ever ate?

**Mael Coluim** · 5th June 11, 03:43 AM

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!

**Jerry** · 5th June 11, 04:02 AM

Opossum, Raccoon , Canned Rattlesnake, Chitlins, Squirrel Brains and Eggs, American Puffer Fish to name a few.

**English Bloke** · 5th June 11, 04:03 AM

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** · 5th June 11, 04:19 AM

Originally Posted by English Bloke

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** · 5th June 11, 05:36 AM

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.

**Cowher** · 5th June 11, 08:09 AM

It doesn't look that bad English bloke

Lots of eyeball tasters here. What are they like? Texture? Flavor? I have always been curious.

**cruiser348** · 5th June 11, 08:20 AM

I agree somewhat odd to see a strange food post somewhere that only days before I had been reading about haggis cooking recipes. My list though would include haggis, pan fried calf testicles (actually not bad if eaten still warm on a roll with a little butter and slice of onion), possum/raccoon stew, blood sausage, and various "delicacies" prepared by the wife of a good Korean friend that I dared not ask what they included. All I knew was that she talked about how hard it was to find a place in America willing to sell the bits she needed for the meal.

**Korvyn** · 5th June 11, 08:39 AM

I tell my wife all the time that alot of the weird things i have eat/eat are just a matter of perception. things those of us living in the states think of as gross and disgusting really aren't we just perceive them to be so. Basically i try to be a bit more open minded on things and am willing to try things. surprisingly i like most of it and though some of it wouldn't order at a restaurant i'd eat again if offered to me in someones home.

**CDNSushi** · 5th June 11, 09:00 AM

Dog. Korea. Friend's wedding. Two days of my life were a haze. Enough said.

(For the record, Catholics & Koreans are both groups who know how to party. HARD!!!)