Strangest food you've ever had?

XPViking · Post by **XPViking** » 2002-08-23 01:05am

Okay folks. I did it. After living in South Korea for over five years I finally went out today and ate dog. Specifically, it was a dog stew with peppers and stringy beans. Also in Korea, I've eaten silkworm ("bondaegi" in Korean). In Canada, I've eaten moose tongue, snake, and buffalo.

So what is the strangest food to enter your mouth?

XPViking

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2002-08-23 01:09am

Dog biscuits. Good source of protein, really!

No, seriously, the weirdest food I have ever eaten would have to be a very odd tasting Chinese dish that I'm pretty sure was kitty meat masquerading as something else. I could never eat dog, though. I love dogs, I would sooner starve than eat a dog.

Imperial Federation · Post by **Imperial Federation** » 2002-08-23 01:22am

Fried pig testicles..
I threw them all up when I found out what they were, though..

Rathark · Post by **Rathark** » 2002-08-23 01:36am

I'm living and working in South Korea right now (I've been here for a few months), and I refuse to eat dog on principle. I'm not holding it against you or anything, since your case sounds like a one-off, and I know that I would be a bit irritated if a Hindu or one of those delerious hippies scorned me for enjoying my cheeseburger (or bulgoggi burger, or teri burger as the case may be). I also refuse to eat wriggling octopus, since the only moving creatures I eat alive are the bacterium in yogurt. Whale meat is definitely off the list (I was in Japan for a few days), unless my life depended on it. I know it sounds inconcistent when Westerners choose to eat THESE animals and not THESE, but principles are a personal thing. If you're a stranger in a strange land, then your principles and your way of thinking is all you truly have. Come to think of it, ALL cultures have the same contradictions and inconsistencies - it's just trendy and "cred" and "PC" to criticise the West because we are supposed to feel guilty about being so "comfortable" (give me air conditioning and decent plumbing any day - I have a shower in a large "bucket" next to my barely functioning toilet every morning, so I'm already doing my bit for "cultural authenticity"). So long as you follow your own rules and avoid shoving them down the throats of others, the problem is minor even if I disagree with what you do.

And if it's considered "manly" to eat dog in South Korea, then very well. Go for it. But I'm quietly non-conformist by Australian standards, so in South Korea ... you get the picture.

But really, if a Westerner steps off the plane in Korea, and the first thing you do is drag him to a restaurant and serve him Wriggling Octopus, then from that moment on, it's going to be pretty hard going to drag that poor guy away from McDonald's. Sometimes the Devil has all the good music.

As for MY experience: In my second week in Korea, my boss ordered me a large sliced snail mixed with salad and hot spicy sauce. Ironically, it was the sauce that got to me. I ended up drinking twice as much lager as any of my co-workers present. (Australians are a fair match for Koreans for loving their beverage

).

My favourite Korean dish is Donkaseu (like Pork Schnitzel, but better). Bulgoggi (strips of marinated beef) is a close second, followed by fried honey chicken. Gimchi (very spicy vegetables) is OK in moderation, although I sometimes "dilute" mine by mixing it with rice.

Oh yes, and my eating habits are usually structured around avoiding those toilets.

Evil Sadistic Bastard · Post by **Evil Sadistic Bastard** » 2002-08-23 01:37am

Antelope's Horn soup. It is so incredibly repulsive that I had to clap my hand over my face the thing in order to keep from projectile-vomiting that shit out. (Chinese food is the most fucked-up food in the whole world, though you sometimes get stuff like shark's fin soup and Chinjao Rosu)

I've had dog too. It sucked. Too damn powdery for my liking. Sea cucumber is seriously gross, as is bird's nest.

Rathark · Post by **Rathark** » 2002-08-23 01:47am

Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:(Chinese food is the most fucked-up food in the whole world, though you sometimes get stuff like shark's fin soup and Chinjao Rosu).

If it was the Chinese who invented sweet-&-sour pork, then they've made up for it, since I much prefer that or Korean Donkaseu to traditional Western roast pork. (The thing about pork is that a lot needs to be done with it to make it truly delectable, which is probably the whole point of the Eastern dishes and German Schnitzel).

XPViking · Post by **XPViking** » 2002-08-23 07:05am

Rathark,

I thought that it was clear from my post that I tried the dog stew for interests sake, nothing more. If I went for the "stamina" line, then sign me up for cat soju, red ginseng and, well, you get the picture. Strangely enough, the dog tasted just like a well-done roast. I couldn't finish the stew because it was so hot, not because it was dog.

You like kimchi? I don't mind it but I don't go out of my way for it. Bulgogi seems to be every foreigner's favorite dish, but I prefer pork galbi.

Now that you mention it, I did eat some wiggling octopus. Mind you, it was the pieces of octopus that were still moving. It was a little weird seeing the stuff on the plate moving. I haven't yet tried those very small wriggling octopuses. A friend of mine did however. She said that once you eat it you have to chase with a bunch of soju, or else it will wiggle right out!

Good to hear from another person in South Korea. I hear you loud and clear about structuring your eating habits. Always carry your "hyoojee" (tissue) everywhere.

XPViking

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2002-08-23 07:12am

Ok:

Small Dog, Fried Grasshopper, BBQ/Honey ants, and Venoumous Snake.

Also I am very fond of Sushi.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2002-08-23 08:22am

Snake is good espcialy live

Well I did kill it myself if not cook it

Oddest "Food" I've ever eaten?

Who exactly desides these things are food?

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-08-23 08:23am

THe Yosemite Bear wrote:Ok:

Small Dog, Fried Grasshopper, BBQ/Honey ants, and Venoumous Snake.

Also I am very fond of Sushi.

Humanity discovered fire for a reason

I've personally eaten guinea pig, and it was fairly good. Course, I also keep one as a pet..

Rathark · Post by **Rathark** » 2002-08-23 08:31am

Sorry Viking, but I wasn't making assumptions about your motives, just commenting on a cultural belief that I cannot conform to. I was really talking about my own views and contrasting them with the Korean point-of-view. A lot of these thoughts have been buzzing around in my head a lot lately, so your post was really more of an associational trigger. I had so much to write about that I was shifting gears with every sentence, so it turned out to be more of a goulash of personal opinions rather than one single coherent message.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2002-08-23 11:42am

I accidently ordered stinky tofu at dim sum once. OH MY GOD! Its the worst thing you have ever smelled. I could not put it in my mouth.

As for the weirdest thing I have ever actually gotten into my mouth was probably jelly fish. It didnt like it much, I dont really like Chinese wedding banquet food anyway.

spongyblue · Post by **spongyblue** » 2002-08-23 12:24pm

Kangaroo, Alligator, ostirich, deep fried calimari, buffalo, shark, and that black pudding crap from England.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2002-08-23 05:25pm

The weirdest I ever had was probably Thai food. I wasn't familiar with the foods, and they seemed to put peanut butter on the appetizers. I still liked it, though.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2002-08-24 12:27am

I cannot reconcile myself with the idea of eating dog meat. The very idea turns my stomach.

I know that sounds arbitrary (yes, I eat beef, and no, I don't give a shit what Hindus think of that), but I honestly don't think it is. I wouldn't eat dolphin meat either. We tend to group animals into categories; some are intelligent, some are stupid, some are arguably non-sentient. Some are our friends, some are our enemies, etc.

But in this list, dogs are unquestionably our friends. Moreover, they are intelligent, since they can be trained. Intelligence denotes thought, which in turn deserves sympathy. The relationship between dog and man is unlike any other in the animal kingdom. I don't give a fuck what people in Thailand think; dog meat is verboten as far as I'm concerned.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-08-24 12:31am

Darth Wong wrote:I cannot reconcile myself with the idea of eating dog meat. The very idea turns my stomach.

I know that sounds arbitrary (yes, I eat beef, and no, I don't give a shit what Hindus think of that), but I honestly don't think it is. I wouldn't eat dolphin meat either. We tend to group animals into categories; some are intelligent, some are stupid, some are arguably non-sentient. Some are our friends, some are our enemies, etc.

But in this list, dogs are unquestionably our friends. Moreover, they are intelligent, since they can be trained. Intelligence denotes thought, which in turn deserves sympathy. The relationship between dog and man is unlike any other in the animal kingdom. I don't give a fuck what people in Thailand think; dog meat is verboten as far as I'm concerned.

Some people eat monkey brains, too. And some even eat gorillas!

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2002-08-24 03:42am

Darth Wong wrote:I cannot reconcile myself with the idea of eating dog meat. The very idea turns my stomach.

I know that sounds arbitrary (yes, I eat beef, and no, I don't give a shit what Hindus think of that), but I honestly don't think it is. I wouldn't eat dolphin meat either. We tend to group animals into categories; some are intelligent, some are stupid, some are arguably non-sentient. Some are our friends, some are our enemies, etc.

But in this list, dogs are unquestionably our friends. Moreover, they are intelligent, since they can be trained. Intelligence denotes thought, which in turn deserves sympathy. The relationship between dog and man is unlike any other in the animal kingdom. I don't give a fuck what people in Thailand think; dog meat is verboten as far as I'm concerned.

Some how I now have that "Pulp fiction monolog about personality going a long way running through my head in telation to that post.

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2002-08-25 03:32am

I'm a dog lover, and I have a dog, and I love it (duh), but I wouldn't be averse to eating dog. The arguments of Darth Wong and the others are all very valid, but from my personal point of view, any dogs raised for meat are simply dogs raised for meat, not little Timmy's family pup.
I would hold them to the same health standards I hold all my food; I wouldn't just eat some nasty mut out of the gutter.
Now, I'm not going to choose to go out and eat dog, I just don't find it wrong.

I ate horse in Germany once. Tasted good. As far as intelligence goes, horse is on par with a dog in my estimation, but that didn't get in my way. I was at the Pferd Metzger's, and I was going to eat me some Pferd, whether it was smart or not.

I guess I'd draw the meat-eating line at human. But there are plenty of plants and insects and stuff that I wouldn't eat. I also don't like eggs. Go figure.

Evil Sadistic Bastard · Post by **Evil Sadistic Bastard** » 2002-08-25 09:09pm

There IS a difference. The dogs raised for meat are some special breed, not your Shih-Tzu or Chihuahua or the other kinds commnoly kept by people. They have all kinds of quality control on dog meat in China, and it was used as a food for the sick.

LadyBarbara · Post by **LadyBarbara** » 2002-08-25 09:26pm

I've had sushi, sashimi (which grosses some of my friends out), broiled octopus, mako shark fillet, and smoked alligator dip.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-08-25 09:32pm

I've never really understood why sashimi grosses some people out. Don't they realize that in many cultures they cook apples (including our own culture), or that in some cultures they boil milk before drinking it?

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2002-08-26 08:54pm

Originally posted by Darth Wong:
I cannot reconcile myself with the idea of eating dog meat. The very idea turns my stomach.

I know that sounds arbitrary (yes, I eat beef, and no, I don't give a shit what Hindus think of that), but I honestly don't think it is. I wouldn't eat dolphin meat either. We tend to group animals into categories; some are intelligent, some are stupid, some are arguably non-sentient. Some are our friends, some are our enemies, etc.

But in this list, dogs are unquestionably our friends. Moreover, they are intelligent, since they can be trained. Intelligence denotes thought, which in turn deserves sympathy. The relationship between dog and man is unlike any other in the animal kingdom. I don't give a fuck what people in Thailand think; dog meat is verboten as far as I'm concerned.

I would not eat dog myself. However, I dont think it is wrong for others to do. Same thing with cats. I could not be brought to eat one, either. I've owned too many.

There is something about eating monkeys I find to be unsettling. Not because they are friends like cats and dogs, but because I see them as being too close on the family tree.

Vertigo1 · Post by **Vertigo1** » 2002-08-28 12:35am

Strangest thing I've ever eaten.....this is really embarassing.

Dog food!

I was in one of my whacky moods when I was 5 and ate a few kibbles of dog food. I remember the taste to this day. Tasted like a tortilla chip.

Jack Lain · Post by **Jack Lain** » 2002-08-28 09:39pm

Tiny octopi. It was horrible. I picked the little octopus up off the plate and popped it in my mouth. I chewed and chewed and chewed and then I hit something solid. Like a little rock. Turned out it was the beak.

I don't mind sushi, some of it is good, but baby octopus sux ass.
Word to the wise - avoid it. It isn't the same a calamari.

Next of Kin · Post by **Next of Kin** » 2002-08-28 09:51pm

Breakfast: cornflakes and rye