The strangest food you have ever eaten

Monger, Your mention of sand reminded me of what our scout master told us about food we accidently drop it on the ground. Mind you, this was over fifty years ago. He told us to just wipe it off, and eat the food - don't waste food! I've lived with that 'teaching' ever since, and many people look at me strangely when I keep up that practice - even family members. c.i.

Monger, Shark fin soup is a Chinese delicacy, even here in the states, and it's pretty expensive. c.i.

Sheep's eyeballs in couscous.

Tartar, I don't think my gut will allow me the pleasure. c.i.

Hello cicerone! How nice to see you here!

As for your question, I have two experiences to share. One is common enough but still an interesting meal -- drunken shrimp. Large live prawns bathed in wine before being quickly boiled in a mild stock. Wonderful stuff that must be eaten heads, shell and all. I had it in San Francisco though I'm told you can find it in many large cities now.

Less common -- downright rare I'm told -- and not nearly as tempting is casu marzu, a truly strange cheese that apparently is very difficult to come by in Italy and impossible to find in the States -- not that you would want to look. The only way to describe it is a cabbage-size ball of a hard pungent romano-like cheese that is literally fermented by maggots. A friend and I tried some on a dare while touring Sardinia. Suffice to say that if you are in Sardinia and a local offers you formaggio commovente, take a pass.

Hi Tim King, My first experience with "drunken shrimp" was on my visit to Singapore. I met a Chinese couple from Singapore on my trip to Scandinavia many, many, years ago. They told me to let them know if I ever plan a trip to Singapore, so when I scheduled myself for a semi-independent tour of SE Asia, I told them which hotel, and on what dates I'd be there. The gentleman picked me up at my hotel, gave me a personal, all day tour of Singapore, and treated me to dinner at a seafood restaurant. The meal included drunken shrimp, and all the other fancy fresh seafood. They took me to the Raffles Hotel afterward for cocktails, and they treated me to a Singapore Sling. I still have that souvenier glass in our china. Good stuff, that drunken shrimp. c.i.

Well, I don't have all these exotic experiences to write about. I want to say, I always thought sow bugs were poison. This was given to me as the reason to be careful about letting an armadillo's stomach content break out on the meat. We used to eat quite a lot of armadillo and even a few 'coons. The most disgusting food I have put in my mouth is common okra (I don't care how you cook it). Lastly, as a child I recall sitting on the filthy ground in front of our trailer house and eating two soup spoons full of dirt. I tried to entice my brother to have a bite, but he balked. Chicken. And there is something malevolent about egg plant that keeps me from trying it.

edgar, I "love" egg plant. I guess you have to be Asian or from the Mediteraian countries to enjoy egg plant. c.i.

My friend on the job loves fried eggplant.

A chocolate-covered cockroach is the strangest food I have ever eaten. Quite crunchy.

Edgar, fried okra is great! The stewed stuff is pretty slimy, though.

Ikan tri with petah

I would eat rotten fish topped with a pound of cockroaches before I would eat any form of okra.

Love it best boiled, ummmmm-mmmmmmmmm!

Some Thai meal in Tel Aviv Thai restaurant. I sincerely do not want to know what was it cooked of...

Everybody know what an artichoke is, and where the artichoke capital of the world? c.i.

dog - in Hong Kong

Really, Tommy? You had dog in Hong Kong? I know they have them in Canton, because our tour guide told us she eats dog every year in winter to make her feel warm. c.i.

1/2 hr ago

I don't know the artichoke capitol, but I eat quite a few of them.