unusual cuisine?

Is there an unusual food or cuisine that you secretly love but that others may not necessarily know about? Or any strange food cravings that caused your spouse to...

I have one: Ankimo - monk fish liver. In fact, I love all kinds of liver pates!

[alison]

My brother even called Mars about the Marathon bar.

So funny! I'm sorry, but that must be what those toll free numbers are for on the packages!

Japanese people eat most anything that comes from the sea. And most "parts" from things that come from the sea.

Germans eat most anything that comes from a pig. And again, most "parts" from what comes from a pig.

I'm sure I've eaten quite a few odd things.

[Malpka]

I went with DH to London for a conference in September. We ate at a wonderful Polish resturaunt (DH is a Polish ex-pat). I had rabbit, and while I had eaten rabbit before, this particular dish was SO good, and I have been totally preoccupied with that craving for months now. In fact, when I see a wild rabbit in the yard I start thinking "If only I had a BB gun, I could probably take that sucker out right here from the window"

Kaozmo- I am a fellow liver lover. I think my body craves all that good iron!

[Momo]

I absolutely love pinkpickles yum yum! It wasn't until my first pregnancy that I discovered that I liked (no scratch that), LOVED them! I also really enjoy a dish called Kibbe nayee, it is raw uber fresh, lean cut of lamb that is finely ground and mixed with cracked wheat, natural herbs and spices. I squeeze fresh lemon juice all over it and eat it w/ arabic style pita bread. I actually used to eat it during my first pregnancy, now I stay away from it during pregnancy.

http://www.gardeniaspices.com/pickle...ledturnips.JPG[/url]

http://www.lashish.com/images/kibeepic.jpg

[Meenah]

I loved liver until I took Anatomy /Physiology, I still have cravings but cannot eat it.

[Amiens]

I love calamari, escargot, and this one isn't so wierd- when I did a study abroad in France, the region that I was in had a crepe dish that is baked in a creme sauce with chanterelles (a mushroom species).

Crystal

[alison]

I love calamari, escargot, and this one isn't so wierd- when I did a study abroad in France, the region that I was in had a crepe dish that is baked in a creme sauce with chanterelles (a mushroom species).
Crystal

That sounds so good! I love the savory crepes. Where were you in France?

[Amiens]

I love calamari, escargot, and this one isn't so wierd- when I did a study abroad in France, the region that I was in had a crepe dish that is baked in a creme sauce with chanterelles (a mushroom species).
Crystal

That sounds so good! I love the savory crepes. Where were you in France?

I spent some time in Amiens, which is in Somme,Picardie. It's about 1 1/2 hours northwest by train from Paris. Dh says that maybe in a couple of years when the kiddies are older we will take a trip back- he lived in the Netherlands for 2 years. It would be so much fun to go back. He has been gaining brownie points- he is learning French so I don't have to translate all of the time for him when we go.

Crystal

[alison]

I love chantrelles. They're tougher to come by in the shops in Chicago - my mom says they sell them at Costco in Seattle. Yum, yum. Otherwise I'd try making the crepe at home. I wonder what the cream is. Do you think it's heavy whipping cream?

I really like France, especially the Elsace Lorraine region, where the older folks speak German. We did a trip through wine country. We at least don't embarrass ourselves with our atrocious French. Maybe we can go with you and your family and you can translate for us! :>

Oh, by the way, what is fruit de soupe. Dh wouldn't ask for me, so we left the restaurant without dessert.

It's true! I've seen the chanterelles at Costco. I couldn't believe it nor could I think of what to do with a pound of them.

I like escargot too. I haven't had it in years.

[Momo]

I love oysters too! I can't wait until the baby is born...I miss my fave raw foods

[Auspicious]

I asked my husband and apparently it grosses him out that I like buttermilk. Is that weird?

Do you like buttermilk to drink? I've only ever used it in recipes. I've never tasted it though - so can't say if I think it's weird.

Pinkpickles, may I ask what pink pickles are? (Beyond the obvious description!?) What are they made of?

I ate all sorts of things while living in Japan - I have to second Alison's comments. Probably the oddest (and this was in pre-vegetarian days) was raw chicken. From a safety perspective I wasn't really keen, but it wasn't unpleasant. We eat sashimi very regularly, but there isn't the range in Australia that you can get Japan - for example we don't get raw horse or whale meat here (thank God!) I've eaten fugu (poisonous blowfish) a few times, as it was the specialty of the city where I lived. I think you've got to draw the line at ikedzukuri, which is sashimi which is still alive and cut so it squirms (or in the case of octopus, actually sticks) inside your mouth. The idea of this disgusts me!

However, I think you asked what we do like... We eat a lot of natto, which is fermented soybeans. Basically they're rotten and sticky, but rather addictive once you get past the smell! I also miss hijiki, which is a type of seaweed very hard to come by here.

Despite these freaky examples, Japanese food is phenomenal. It is the main thing that DH misses about home, and I have to agree.

which is fermented soybeans. Basically they're rotten and sticky, but rather addictive once you get past the smell

Ok, that makes my stomach turn. As a country boy, and former employee of the local grain elevator in Kansas...I stood knee deep in rotting, fermenting soybeans (along with every other type of grain) and didn't realize at that point it was edible.

I think I still have jeans with the that stench woven into the stitching...