Strange Foods I've Eaten

For me one of the best things about traveling is getting to try new foods that I would otherwise never encounter. I'm generally a picky eater but when I travel I end up being a lot more open minded about food. I remember my place as a respectful traveler and try not to offend people by not eating a beloved dish as that would just be rude.

I may not always go out of my way to try the strange and bizarre but I do my best to avoid very familiar foods. I don't see the point in traveling half way around the world to eat a hamburger. I have found however that it is totally acceptable to eat a steak just about wherever you can find one. My top 3 steaks have all been consumed outside of the United States.

Below is a list of some of the strange foods that I have consumed and a little bit about them:

Black tofu (coagulated blood): Tastes like a very savory Jello. I've had this made from cow blood and pig blood, pig blood tastes better.

Reindeer: I had this at an airport while leaving Finland, it was what you expect from airport food. Served with lingion berry jam. I'd try it again but not at an airport.

Alligator: One of my first odd foods I've eaten. It was in sausage form and tasted like a cross between pork and chicken.

Seasoned pig intestine: Ground up into a paste and served in a sandwich I had in Spain. I was only told what it was after I finished. It was quite good.

Pig feet: A lot of work for not a whole lot of meat, mostly jelly like fat. Everyone else seemed to like it.

Durian ice cream: Eaten mostly on a dare. I'm sure that turning it into ice cream took some of the stink out of it but it left a thick coating in my mouth and just tasted thick if that makes sense.

Preserved duck egg: If you preserve a duck egg just right the white of the egg turns black and is not completely unlike a tough piece of slimy Jello. I can't recall the taste but I only had one bite and did not make it to the yolk (as a rule I only like eggs in other things; like cookies).

NOTE: This list is not complete and I reserve the right to add to the list as I recall suppressed food related memories.

If you've enjoyed this post please consider subscribing to the RSS feed.

Coming Soon: My Favorite Travel Gear