Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than the korean dog food and the very expensive stuff, what is stopping the other OPs from trying the stuff, especially those that seem quite ordinary and easily available, e.g. ethiopian food, artichokes, couscous? I guess there isn't much that I would like to try, if I feel like trying something, I just go ahead and try. On my next list is the Mongolian Barbecue. For caviar, it actually has little to do in terms of taste with seafood (shrimps, etc), it's closer to the roe on california roll, but yes, it's a bit saltier. The really good stuff however, do not the overwhelming salt taste. It's more subtle, with a combination of moisture and texture. I definitely love it with rye bread and butter... and a good cup of tea or champagne. It's a bit of acquired taste, so you'd start enjoying it more with every bite you make.

Ooohhh, you're going to love it. Go hungry.

I'm with you, though, I don't go long wanting to try something. I mentioned bánh mì earlier, but with me it's usually that I've only become aware of a new food, or just haven't gotten to it yet. I haven't had proper soup dumplings, and really want to - I forget what they're called, but the kind with soup in them. They sound neat, look good.

The soupy dumplings are called xiao long bao. So good but hard to do right.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tongue. It looks so gross and I can't get past the idea of what I would be eating. However, I love deli meat and good sandwiches. My grandmother always orders it. But she's got bigger balls than me.

Why does it look gross? Fast foods a lot of times look gross, but not a piece of meat. To cook it, wash it, boil with onion, carrot, celery, salt and herbs for about 3 hours. Discard broth, take off the skin, and enjoy the most tender meat ever!

Hmmm! Yummy. Haven't eaten tongue in a while. Will get me some this weekend.

They are not easy to find. Don't buy them in the international food markets (lottos, and etc). Look in Wegmans, if they don't have it, place an order in a meat department. After you boil it, you will see some fat at the base of the tounge, just cut it off. We eat it with salads, on open faced sandwiches, with mashed potates, couscous, roasted veggies and etc.

Why not an international market? I get it at Great Wall all the time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tongue. It looks so gross and I can't get past the idea of what I would be eating. However, I love deli meat and good sandwiches. My grandmother always orders it. But she's got bigger balls than me.

Why does it look gross? Fast foods a lot of times look gross, but not a piece of meat. To cook it, wash it, boil with onion, carrot, celery, salt and herbs for about 3 hours. Discard broth, take off the skin, and enjoy the most tender meat ever!

Even better get a lengua taco off a taco truck!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ortolan - probably will never happen.

you weren't invited to the dinner than Tony Bourdain attended? me neither. the description sorta turned my stomach, though.

No, my invitation must have gotten lost.

I say I want to try it (or them, to be more accurate, I guess), but I'm not sure I could go through with it. I like (or at least can eat, even if I don't prefer it) most kinds of offal, but I have a hard time with blood sausage. That probaby makes me a bad candidate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tongue. It looks so gross and I can't get past the idea of what I would be eating. However, I love deli meat and good sandwiches. My grandmother always orders it. But she's got bigger balls than me.

Why does it look gross? Fast foods a lot of times look gross, but not a piece of meat. To cook it, wash it, boil with onion, carrot, celery, salt and herbs for about 3 hours. Discard broth, take off the skin, and enjoy the most tender meat ever!

Hmmm! Yummy. Haven't eaten tongue in a while. Will get me some this weekend.

They are not easy to find. Don't buy them in the international food markets (lottos, and etc). Look in Wegmans, if they don't have it, place an order in a meat department. After you boil it, you will see some fat at the base of the tounge, just cut it off. We eat it with salads, on open faced sandwiches, with mashed potates, couscous, roasted veggies and etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tongue. It looks so gross and I can't get past the idea of what I would be eating. However, I love deli meat and good sandwiches. My grandmother always orders it. But she's got bigger balls than me.

Why does it look gross? Fast foods a lot of times look gross, but not a piece of meat. To cook it, wash it, boil with onion, carrot, celery, salt and herbs for about 3 hours. Discard broth, take off the skin, and enjoy the most tender meat ever!

Hmmm! Yummy. Haven't eaten tongue in a while. Will get me some this weekend.

To the PP thinking about tongue...my husband swears it's the best. He'll order tongue tacos at different Salvadorian restaurants or at random taco carts. Loves it.

What is the name of the preserved shark dish served in Iceland? Has anyone tried it? I'm so intrigued by it.

Anonymous wrote:Ortolan - probably will never happen.

you weren't invited to the dinner than Tony Bourdain attended? me neither. the description sorta turned my stomach, though.

Anonymous wrote:Tongue. It looks so gross and I can't get past the idea of what I would be eating. However, I love deli meat and good sandwiches. My grandmother always orders it. But she's got bigger balls than me.

Why does it look gross? Fast foods a lot of times look gross, but not a piece of meat. To cook it, wash it, boil with onion, carrot, celery, salt and herbs for about 3 hours. Discard broth, take off the skin, and enjoy the most tender meat ever!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than the korean dog food and the very expensive stuff, what is stopping the other OPs from trying the stuff, especially those that seem quite ordinary and easily available, e.g. ethiopian food, artichokes, couscous? I guess there isn't much that I would like to try, if I feel like trying something, I just go ahead and try. On my next list is the Mongolian Barbecue. For caviar, it actually has little to do in terms of taste with seafood (shrimps, etc), it's closer to the roe on california roll, but yes, it's a bit saltier. The really good stuff however, do not the overwhelming salt taste. It's more subtle, with a combination of moisture and texture. I definitely love it with rye bread and butter... and a good cup of tea or champagne. It's a bit of acquired taste, so you'd start enjoying it more with every bite you make.

Well, ortolan is illegal in the US, and I think even in France. Sucks.

Yep, as of 1999.

Anonymous wrote:Other than the korean dog food and the very expensive stuff, what is stopping the other OPs from trying the stuff, especially those that seem quite ordinary and easily available, e.g. ethiopian food, artichokes, couscous? I guess there isn't much that I would like to try, if I feel like trying something, I just go ahead and try. On my next list is the Mongolian Barbecue. For caviar, it actually has little to do in terms of taste with seafood (shrimps, etc), it's closer to the roe on california roll, but yes, it's a bit saltier. The really good stuff however, do not the overwhelming salt taste. It's more subtle, with a combination of moisture and texture. I definitely love it with rye bread and butter... and a good cup of tea or champagne. It's a bit of acquired taste, so you'd start enjoying it more with every bite you make.

Well, ortolan is illegal in the US, and I think even in France. Sucks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something in aspic.
Geoduck (I can't get over its similarity to a certain body part, but it's also hard to find in these parts)

My dream is to go to Singapore or certain Chinese cities and eat copious amounts of street vendor food with total disregard for a) what I am actually eating and b) possible health code violations.

Also to the person afraid of couscous, are you thinking of Israeli couscous? It's bigger than typical couscous, little firm balls instead of tiny grains. I think Israeli couscous is better than the regular stuff, and has a wonderful texture. But like regular couscous, it doesn't have much flavor on its own.

Me too. I swoon when they show those fabulous street markets on cooking shows.

you might want to add c) the parasites you will inevitably pick up. I speak from experience. But they have still been some of the best experiences of my life!

Singapore has pretty strict codes, so I wouldn't worry about getting sick there any more than I do here. The main food market there is one of the cleanest I've seen, cleaner than a lot of ethnic markets here that sell a lot of fresh fish and meat alongside fruit & veg.
OP - you have to try Ethiopian in DC! Go to Habesha Market, it looks like a deli but it's where all the Ethiopians eat.

As for me, I went vegetarian 10 years ago and there are definitely some food items I wish I'd tried before giving up fish and meat. Jamon iberrico, Stone crabs, Foie Gras to name a few. It's purely out of interest in food, though, I don't ever feel cravings for fish/ meat. As for other stuff that I can eat, I'm longing to travel to Brazil some day and gorge myself on all their amazing tropical fruit.

To PP: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/326727

A cooked squid impregnates a woman's throat because they didn't remove all the guts first. In US, we only eat the legs and the outer "shell" as calamari rings and stuff, but this lady apparently ate the whole thing. Ugh.

On topic, I hear escargo's great, but last time I saw it, it was just butter and garlic with some snails. Blech.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something in aspic.
Geoduck (I can't get over its similarity to a certain body part, but it's also hard to find in these parts)

My dream is to go to Singapore or certain Chinese cities and eat copious amounts of street vendor food with total disregard for a) what I am actually eating and b) possible health code violations.

Also to the person afraid of couscous, are you thinking of Israeli couscous? It's bigger than typical couscous, little firm balls instead of tiny grains. I think Israeli couscous is better than the regular stuff, and has a wonderful texture. But like regular couscous, it doesn't have much flavor on its own.

Me too. I swoon when they show those fabulous street markets on cooking shows.

you might want to add c) the parasites you will inevitably pick up. I speak from experience. But they have still been some of the best experiences of my life!

What did you pick up and where?
I've eaten on the street for years around asia, and haven't picked up any critters so far...