Weirdest Food You've Eaten

[divisionten]

The Telltale community is scattered all over the globe, it seems. And we all probably have favorite foods that are wildly different from one another, as well as equally different foods that we can't stand. But what's the STRANGEST thing you've eaten? It can be delicious or revolting, it just needs to be weird.

As for me, I have a few. I visited Florida in the USA once and had alligator, which was delicious. It was dipped in spicy sauce and served with baked potato wedges and Cole slaw. In Beijing, my roommate got me to eat boiled congealed pigs' blood (was there for 6 weeks on a school exchange), which was pretty much eating maroon salty Jello. Not doing that again.

And about six years ago, when i was in high school, when on a trip to visit Hakone (a city in the mountains about 2 hours via bus from where I live) I got to try jellyfish for dinner. Weird texture, but it was in a miso broth. That I would eat again.

[Falanca]

I was looking in my chicken breast sandwich and a part had shrimp legs. Only the legs, attached. Rest was still chicken breast.

I ate it.

[Secret Fawful]

Chocolate scrambled eggs. It wasn't good. I won't count seafood or foreign foods of any sort as I don't consider most of it weird.

[SunnyGuy]

Well, I don't really think I've ever eaten anything weird, I'm a picky eater .___.

My father ate bugs once IIRC, though they're a typical food around some parts in this country.

[der_ketzer]

My father ate bugs once IIRC, though they're a typical food around some parts in this country.

well we all are eating a lot of insects while we are sleeping.

[RingmasterJ5]

I haven't ate much weird things, but two semi-weird things that come to mind are lobster-covered fries dipped in broth and chicken tails.

[SunnyGuy]

well we all are eating a lot of insects while we are sleeping.

Yeah but these were cooked I think.

EDIT: Oh, and my brother has eaten french fries with ice cream, eww, I just can't imagine how those tastes could be combined >__>

[GuruGuru214]

I'm sure I've eaten something weirder, but the weirdest thing that comes to mind is takoyaki. I don't know what I expected octopus to be like, but I was pleasantly surprised.

[der_ketzer]

I really like to watch people eat disgusting stuff though.

Like LordKat (http://www.lordkat.com/lordkat-eats-surtromming.html) and Chris Wreckless (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpyq4NWaxK0).

[dumpling321]

i've had frog legs which isn't that wierd really (tastes just like chicken)... and I once actually made up a batch of green eggs and ham...

[divisionten]

I'm sure I've eaten something weirder, but the weirdest thing that comes to mind is takoyaki. I don't know what I expected octopus to be like, but I was pleasantly surprised.

I love takoyaki like a fat kid loves cake. My dorm is full of people from Kansai (the kyoto and oosaka region) and they can make awesome takoyaki!

[Avistew]

I really don't know what people's definition of weird is, so I'll start off naming the animals I've eaten that aren't the basic beef, pork or chicken/turkey:

I've have alligator, bear, horse, donkey, snails, frogs, oysters (alive, which is why I put them there. Had lots of other shellfish, couldn't name them all, nor do I think it's particularly weird), rabbit, lamb, veal, elk, bison, duck, goose... Mmh, can't think of much else. Lots of types of fish including eel, which might be weird to some people. Had octopus as well as squid, too.

Non-animal, I think the weirdest thing have eaten was century eggs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg). They look weird, and they taste weird, too.

Most of what I eat regularly would also be considered weird by some people - quinoa, millet, seaweeds, and I've even known people who think of lentils as weird. And vegetable and fruit-wise, I've also had lots that might be more exotic but just seem normal to me. Like endives, I used to have them all the time but lots of people haven't heard of them here.

[Alcoremortis]

Deep fried squid and octopus. Both pretty much tasted the same, but the squid was more rubbery.

[PecanBlue]

I don't know, the weirdest I can think of right now that I've had is Natto, a common Japanese food that is basically fermented soybeans. They were absolutely disgusting and I knew they would be but I tried them because I've heard they're very hit or miss and wanted to see how I felt about them. I eat lots of other soy products every day, though.

There might be some weird foods I've had from my more native countries but I can't think of any I've had, probably because I'm used to them.

[Sausy Gibbon]

Congelealed pigs blood doesn't sound that bad wouldn't it be just like black pudding?
Also weirdest food I've eat is human with chilli sauce. I mean could you imagine those tastes combined.

[Hayden]

McDonald's.

[GuruGuru214]

I love takoyaki like a fat kid loves cake. My dorm is full of people from Kansai (the kyoto and oosaka region) and they can make awesome takoyaki!

I'm jealous! I only got to try a piece of it that an Asian market was sampling during the cherry blossom festival downtown this year. My friend wants to learn to make it, and I wish her the best of luck for both our sakes.

Congelealed pigs blood doesn't sound that bad wouldn't it be just like black pudding?

You're acting as if black pudding isn't disgusting. Being an American, I can't say that I've actually tried black pudding, but I can't say it sounds appealing either. Not on my list of foods to try if I ever find myself in England.

Also weirdest food I've eat is human with chilli sauce. I mean could you imagine those tastes combined.

We have a winner! I don't think anybody's going to beat long pork.

[Icedhope]

I think the weirdest thing I've eaten is cat, because it tastes a lot like squirrel..

[Avistew]

Cat tastes a lot like rabbit too. It's pretty common knowledge now that during WWII in France, restaurants that served "rabbits" were actually serving cats they found in the alley. Well some restaurants at least.

I've had black pudding too, didn't think to mention it. And andouille, which is a type of intestine sausage. Actually, I used to have an iron problem so my parents wanted me to eat black pudding pretty much every meal. I got really tired of it.
Otherwise it's pretty tasty.

[divisionten]

Now that you mention it, I totally forgot that two years ago, on a volunteer program trip to Vietnam to rebuild schools and teach English, my host mother proudly served me dog for New Years. Not bad, actually, but my uncle, a major dog lover, fumed pretty bad.

[VeronicanPlay]

The only weird thing I've had is Rabbit.

[bosbeetle]

must have been a Sea urchin they move when you dip your spoon in!

[Bubblechan]

I'm sure I've eaten something weirder, but the weirdest thing that comes to mind is takoyaki. I don't know what I expected octopus to be like, but I was pleasantly surprised.

I'm surprised that you found takoyaki was weird, but I guess it's because you are not used to eat octopus.

For people who don't know what takoyaki is, Dominic Armato wrote about it in his blog;

http://www.skilletdoux.com/2006/05/takoyaki.html

[Sausy Gibbon]

You're acting as if black pudding isn't disgusting. Being an American, I can't say that I've actually tried black pudding, but I can't say it sounds appealing either. Not on my list of foods to try if I ever find myself in England.
I'm not English either but love black pudding but its hard to find in Australia. Speaking of weird Brittish foods. Who likes Scotch eggs?

[The Gentleman]

Frogs Legs when I went to France.

[GuruGuru214]

I'm surprised that you found takoyaki was weird, but I guess it's because you are not used to eat octopus.

For people who don't know what takoyaki is, Dominic Armato wrote about it in his blog;

http://www.skilletdoux.com/2006/05/takoyaki.html

Yep, octopus is a bit irregular around here.

[Bubblechan]

I don't know, the weirdest I can think of right now that I've had is Natto, a common Japanese food that is basically fermented soybeans. They were absolutely disgusting and I knew they would be but I tried them because I've heard they're very hit or miss and wanted to see how I felt about them. I eat lots of other soy products every day, though.

There might be some weird foods I've had from my more native countries but I can't think of any I've had, probably because I'm used to them.

Yeah, I often hear people from other countries say Natto is disgusting, but for Japanese it's tasty and healthy:)

[divisionten]

Yep, octopus is a bit irregular around here.

Guess you guys will just have to come crash here sometime. Going out to eat in Japan is equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest- you make many, many stops to see the sights, you wonder why the heck you signed up for it in the first place, and you start running out of breath near the end.

Err... wait, I'm pretty sire that came out REALLY wrong.

[tredlow]

Snake and crocodile, once in a foreign restaurant. They also have monkeys, but I was full.

[mgrant]

I like trying off the wall sort of things. I'm a big fan of unagi, and both the Norwegian and Italian sides of my family cook pretty traditionally, including some of the odder stuff (to Americans) like Lutefisk and Spek. However, the wierdest thing I've probably eaten has been fried fish eyeballs. They're not bad, they just have a very odd consistency.

[ShaggE]

Who likes Scotch eggs?

*waves hand* Love 'em. :D

I can't recall any truly weird foods I've eaten off-hand, but I've recently grown an insatiable taste for sashimi and calamari, which is definitely outside of my norm.

[Sarendor]

Since I am a vegetarian, (although I became one quite recently,) I will probably not have too many things to post here. I do remember, however, that when the locusts swarmed Israel during 2004, fried locusts were quite popular. I even remember children in my class who told that the dining room in their Kibbuts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibbutz) served fried locusts. I never had the chance to taste them, although it was said that they taste like potato chips.
I once ate pineapple pizza. It was no bad, but not my favourite either.
I once ate a dish resembling cold Crème Brûlée (That is, without the Brûlée) in a restaurant, which was weird. (And disappointing - it was cold!)
Another strange thing was chicken cooked with lemon, (before I became vegetarian,) which was much stranger than it seems.
My Brother likes to eat French Toasts with hummus, but I guess it doesn't count since I didn't try it.

[der_ketzer]

My Brother likes to eat French Toasts with hummus, but I guess it doesn't count since I didn't try it.

http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/99254010-684f-4e09-a835-3ef8570fd524.jpg

My question would be why doesn't his? (the dirt question. Not the MOM question)

[Avistew]

I'm not English either but love black pudding but its hard to find in Australia. Speaking of weird British foods. Who likes Scotch eggs?

I should specify that the blood sausage I mentioned wasn't the British type, but the French type. It has a different texture and the French one has no flour in it.
Speaking of which, I've also had white pudding/white sausage, which is ground white meat (usually pork, sometimes bird) with eggs, milk and bread. The whole thing in intestines of course since it's a sausage. It's weird too I guess?

I think it's funny how "weird" can be so different from one person to the next. For me rabbit for instance is barely less common than beef and yet lots of people find it weird.

[Sausy Gibbon]

Probably my top two weirdest foods I want to try are: turducken and whale. Theres just sommething strange about a chicken in a duck in a turkey abit like an slaughterhouse matryoshka.

[Jen Kollic]

Probably either zebra or shark for me, depending on which one you think is weirder. The Mongolian restaraunt in the city centre loves its weird meats.

[mgrant]

Shark is awesome, my family uses it for Cioppino on Christmas eve when we can find it. XD

[Origami]

^
Elaine would DEFINITELY eat shark.

Weirdest thing I have eaten...hmmm.....escargot a.k.a snails in Morocco.
They have street vendors selling them on little sticks.

[Irishmile]

The only weird thing I've had is Rabbit.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9936/blechu.png

[GaryCXJk]

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9936/blechu.png

Don't worry, (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CompletelyMissingThePoint) he's a lagomorph. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DidNotDoTheResearch)

[Irishmile]

Don't worry, (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CompletelyMissingThePoint) he's a lagomorph. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DidNotDoTheResearch)

I know that.... I got the point and don't be a jerk. Purcell himself has called him a "hyperkinetic rabbity thing" It was a joke guy.

[Avistew]

Don't worry, (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CompletelyMissingThePoint) he's a lagomorph. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DidNotDoTheResearch)

Er, rabbits are lagomorphs. If someone had interrupted and said "don't worry, he's a mammal" that would not have sounded contradictory at all to you, right? Sure, not all mammals are rabbits, but saying "he's not a rabbit, he's a mammal" hardly makes sense. "He's a lagomorph" makes even less sense considering there are very few other lagomorphs than rabbits...

[divisionten]

Er, rabbits are lagomorphs. If someone had interrupted and said "don't worry, he's a mammal" that would not have sounded contradictory at all to you, right? Sure, not all mammals are rabbits, but saying "he's not a rabbit, he's a mammal" hardly makes sense. "He's a lagomorph" makes even less sense considering there are very few other lagomorphs than rabbits...

If you guys click on the links, it goes to "Completely Missing the Point"- detailing that the poster of said comment is making a joke.

[Avistew]

I saw the link, I thought he meant that Irishmile was completely missing the point and did not do the research. It DOES make sense if he meant that he himself was missing the point and didn't do the research, and that it was a joke.
It's hard to tell sometimes on the Internet :P

[Sausy Gibbon]

I don't think rabbit or shark are weird there pretty common, when ever you go in to a fish and chip shop the cheapest fish they have is almost always flake and as I live in a rural area there are many people who go rabbit shooting. A list of weird meats I've had buffalo, camel, crocodile, emu, kangaroo, door-mouse and eels.

[VeronicanPlay]

A list of weird meats I've had buffalo, emu, crocodile, emu, kangaroo, door-mouse and eels.

Have you tried Emu?
Sorry I couldn't resist. :p

Eel is very common in Denmark, so I have had it before.
So it's not on my strange list.

[puzzlebox]

It's interesting that most of these "weird" foods are animal rather than vegetable. I wonder why plants are generally not considered unusual things to eat.

[GaryCXJk]

I saw the link, I thought he meant that Irishmile was completely missing the point and did not do the research. It DOES make sense if he meant that he himself was missing the point and didn't do the research, and that it was a joke.
It's hard to tell sometimes on the Internet :P

A common joke on TV Tropes is that tropers label their own lines as "Incredibly Lame Pun", "Critical Research Failure", "Flat What" or whatever is appropriate.

[JedExodus]

I ate a small sponge once, thinking it was a marshmallow

[puzzlebox]

I ate a small sponge once, thinking it was a marshmallow

At what point did you discover your error?

[JedExodus]

At what point did you discover your error?

When my brother asked me where the sponge for the cup-trick in his Sooty magic kit went.

I remained silent and strong

[Avistew]

It's interesting that most of these "weird" foods are animal rather than vegetable. I wonder why plants are generally not considered unusual things to eat.

Yes, I've been thinking about that too. I think it's because there is more culture attached to eating animals. From one culture to the next, there will be animals that are "right" to eat or "wrong" to eat, animal that you don't eat because they're too cute or too ugly or too clever or just too exotic.

I think there is less of a distinction with plants because there is less potential emotional attachment with plants. Often, animals that you "aren't supposed to eat" are pets or animal companions (such as horses), you wouldn't have an equivalent with plants.

[GuruGuru214]

I would think the other component would be that a lot of the animals mentioned here have vastly different tastes and textures than what we're used to. Octopus sure as hell is a far cry from beef. Plants do have the potential to be a little different or weird, but not nearly on the same level as animal.

[Avistew]

I would think the other component would be that a lot of the animals mentioned here have vastly different tastes and textures than what we're used to. Octopus sure as hell is a far cry from beef. Plants do have the potential to be a little different or weird, but not nearly on the same level as animal.

I'm not sure that's true... flan, cake, pasta, various vegetables, various grains, various nuts, various fruits... there are plenty of tastes and textures in the plant-food world. Slimey, crumbly, crunchy, sweet, sour, salty, soft, creamy, rich, dry... I'd say there probably is more variety than with just meat.

[Sausy Gibbon]

I find thats not always true a few people I now find vegetable juices strange and disgusting.

[Origami]

No GuruGuru is correct.

Eating a 'slimey' vegetable is different from eating a 'slimey' animal.
The latter will have us associating it with nasty things.
We'll start to speculate about the preservation of the animal meat. Did it have a disease? etc...

I'll have a pudding over a slimey squid any day.

[adventureaddict]

I think it's completely normal(and delicious), but everyone always gives me looks of disgust when I have vegemite on pancakes.
And of course, being an aussie I've tried emu and kangaroo(Is it odd we like to eat our national animals?)

[GuruGuru214]

I was not aware that people ate kangaroo. Learning something new every day.

[adventureaddict]

Yep, it's pretty common to see kangaroo on the shelf next to beef and chicken in the supermarkets.

[Avistew]

From what I hear, kangaroo is leaner, better for you and cheaper compared to beef (same as horse, except usually less emotional for people as it's rare to have the same relationship with a kangaroo as you do with a horse).

[Sausy Gibbon]

Yeah, some tourists I met thought kangaroos were endangered.

[tredlow]

You're allowed to eat kangaroos? I want to eat one!

[Giant Tope]

Can't think of them off the top of my head, but i've certainly seen some pretty weird shit in Taiwanese night markets. Weird smells from everywhere.