Are You Going To Eat That?

My family has decided to start a new tradition where each month we pick a country and we prepare dishes popular in that particular country, just to see what they are like. This filled me with excitement. "Yes, I get to experience new and interesting things!" I thought to myself. Unfortunately the first country chosen was Morocco. I am not a fan of fruit in my food. As a dessert, certainly, but not as part of the main meal. You could probably guess how I feel about pineapple on my pizza. Next on the list was Thailand, and unfortunately fruit was once more a popular ingredient. I had goji berries and plums in my chicken soup. Half the time I couldn't figure out if I'm eating a soup or drinking a lukewarm punch! But that got me thinking, what other weird and wonderful things are out there. So off I went to go ask the all-knowing Google. And now I wish I hadn't! Let me share some findings with you.

Snake Wine

This drink is very popular in China and Vietnam. Unsurprisingly. It is said to have immense restorative properties. I honestly don't think I'll ever be quite that ill! My knowledge of wine is sort of limited to red wine and white wine. If someone asks me what wine I would like I go by colour. But I am pretty sure my wine is not supposed to contain cobra!

Fried Spiders

This little gem comes to us from Cambodia, where I am pretty sure that they are smoking something highly hallucinogenic. I have never looked at a big hairy spider and thought "Hmmm, little bit of soy sauce, some light frying and you will be delicious!" No, generally when I see a large hairy spider I think "Yaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhh!" and run away crying in the opposite direction!

Witchetty Grubs

Trust the Australians to also gain a spot on this list. These are large grubs from a certain species of moth, and are considered a delicacy by the Aboriginal tribes. Unfortunately they have become somewhat of a speciality dish for other folks as well which makes me wonder "Don't they have hotdogs and hamburgers there? Aren't they quite fond of sheep? Surely they don't have to eat large disgusting worms!"

Octopus

Now, I have had fried octopus, and it was quite good, but in Korea they don't even bother with all that cooking business. No, you get the octopus live. The trick is to hack off its tentacles and to eat them while they are still squirming or before your octopus escapes. I don't know about you, but this seems like a bit of a choking hazard if you ask me!

Hakarl

I wish I was joking about this but unfortunately this is all too real. It is decomposed shark. In Iceland they bury sharks and leave them to decompose in their own fluids and then cut them up into slivers and hang them up to dry. This seems a bit extreme to me! Once again, hotdogs and hamburgers people! They are out there! They exist!

Rocky Mountain Oysters

"Finally!" you exclaim. Oysters! Familiar territory at last! But no, these oysters aren't plucked from the ocean and served with Tabasco. They are, in fact, deep fried bull testicles. Just when you thought the Americans couldn't get any stranger!

Black Ivory Coffee

Who doesn't like coffee after a good meal? Especially because this coffee is hailed as some of the finest in the world. And also some of the most expensive! Expect to pay a cool $11 000 for just 1KG of Black Ivory Coffee. That seems a bit excessive, especially considering the fact that the main ingredient for this coffee is pooped out by elephants. Yep, you are drinking beans that were eaten and digested by Thai elephants, pooped out and then dug out of the resulting mound of dung, washed and used in coffee. Apparently it has quite a smooth, full taste, but I do not intend ever finding out......