Since Psyop was over in the ZDC discussing how he had eaten crickets with his smothered pork chops, I figured "hey! Let's all discuss this!" So throw down a list of the most "interesting" foods you've had. I'll start 'er off:

- The exotics, like alligator, crocodile, gemsbuk, impala, ostrich, kangaroo (yeah, I know that's not exotic for our brethren down under), etc. but those don't really count <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

- Rocky Mountain Oysters. Yeah, I know I not alone in that, but it takes a brave man to eat the, ahem, masculine bits of another animal.

- Deep-fried scorpions. Watch out for the stingers. Taste like nuts.

- Oven roasted cicadas. SF45ACP roasted a bunch during a huge storm and we gave it a go. Also, tasted like nuts.

- Sauteed baby sparrows. Bones are rubbery and edible. Beak? Not so much.

- Dog. Tastes like....beef. Except the vacuum packed dog I bought of a train platform vendor somewhere in China in 1996. THAT tasted like wet dog smelled. Too much skin for my liking...Learned an important lesson about NOT buying questionable meat from street vendors in the middle of nowhere. Never a good idea. Trust me.

- Pidan. This is a Chinese delicacy also known as a 1000 Year Old Eggs. These are duck eggs soaked in ammonia, wrapped in clay, and then buried until the insides gel and turn bluish green. Used to be they soaked them in horse urine. Mmmmmmm....starvation food.... Tastes about as good as it sounds.

- Stinky Tofu. Tofu that has been soaked in a briny mixture that smells vaguely of fecal matter. "Vaguely" is too euphamistic. "Exactly" is probably better. The tofu is deep fried and served with garlic, kimchi, soy sauce and vinegar. First time I had it, it tasted like I was licking the floor of a horse stall (don't ask how I know that flavor). Second time, it grew on me. It's now one of my favorite Taiwanese dishes. It's easy to find--it's signature aroma drifts around the vendors' stalls in about a half-mile radius. Sometimes I get misled by open sewers though...

- Sea cucumbers. Rubbery black rings that taste like rubber.

- Birds nest soup. Nothing says "gourmet" like eating crystalized bird spit. Interesting factoid: once the nest is collected, the instinct is so strong that the sparrows will continue trying to build the nests in the same place (makes it easy to collect them) until they eventually start spitting blood and die. The higher quality nests have little to no blood in the spit. Thankfully, I've only had "quality" spit.

- Toad ovaries/toad skin fat. Served at official banquets in Hangzhou, the ovaries and or fatty layer under the skins of toads is served steamed with tapioca and coconut milk in half a papaya. This is one of the primary ways Chinese officials use to attempt to cow foreign diplomats into submission. Thankfully, I represented my country well every time.

Ok, your turn! Go!