From Neatorama.com
10. Ortolan
Eating a roasted bird isn’t really that crazy, but the process leading up to the roasting of Ortolan birds has actually caused France to declare it illegal for humane reasons. Ortolan birds are nocturnal, sparrow-like birds. To prepare them for cooking, the live birds are trapped in a dark box. The darkness messes with their eating schedule and causes them to continually eat until they are about two to three times their original ’size. After a proper level of obesity has occurred, the birds are drowned in brandy or other liquor and then, finally, roasted.
Funny how a country that defends fois gras even finds this practice too barbaric. If tortured animals make yummier meals, than this little guy must be quite a treat.
9. Canard la Rouennaise (Duck in Blood Sauce)
Have you ever ate a duck and thought, I could get so much more out of those bones and guts? If so, Canard la Rouennaise is right up your alley. Basically, the recipe takes a nice roast duck, then places the carcass in a press and crushes the juice out of everything left over. The result is a very bloody, very rich ’sauce ‘that can cost around $1000 a plate.
While the presentation may be quite interesting, as they crush the duck ‘right at your table, I just can’t understand paying that much for some blood. I know a lot of people love marrow, but isn’t this just too crazy?
8. Huitlacoche (Corn Fungus)
Corn ’smut is a fungus that destroys corn crops. Like many indigenous people, early villagers decided to make the most out of a bad situation and ate ‘the fungus that took over their crop. Nowadays, the smut is considered ‘to be quite a delicacy and sometimes costs more than corn itself.
This is the only thing on this list I have actually ate, of course, that’s probably because I don’t have the money to be a real gourmet foodie. Surprisingly, it’s very delicious if you get it from a good restaurant -preferably one actually in Mexico. It’s similar to mushrooms and quite has a nice aroma.
Source (Photo: Zampano Flickr )
7. Durian
Many people claim durian is quite good. The smell however, is one of the worst ‘things on Earth. It is said that you can smell the durian fruit stands from all the way down the street. Some hotels and airports refuse to let people bring the fruit inside for fear that it will chase away their customers.
While many people hate the fruit -smell is closely associated with taste after all, many people are quite passionate about their love of durian. The fruit is said to be strongly flavored and savory, with a custard-like ‘texture. Anthony Bordain may have described it the best when he said, “its taste can only be described as…indescribable, something you will either love or despise. …Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother.”
Source (Photo: Sama Sama – Massa Flickr )
6. Live Baby Octopus
Here’s a food that wouldn’t be so strange if it was served in any other manner. Even other foods eaten alive, like shrimp aren’t that strange, ‘the main thing here is the whole life-threatening thing. Live octopi can choke you with their moving tentacles. It’s a real-life kill or be killed ’situation.
Dipping your dinner in alcohol is said to help knock them out momentarily and make them less deadly, but that is to be debated. Truly skilled baby octopi eaters will barely chew their meals before gulping them down, but amateurs generally choose to chew them thoroughly -which can take up to 15 minutes. As you can see in the ‘video, eating the treat can be quite a challenge for a novice.
5. De Jaeger (Snail Caviar)
French foodies flip over a lot of things, but two things they hold close to heart are caviar and escargot. So a pair of snail farmers thought, why not combine them? The flavor is said to be delicate and quite nice, but from what I hear, most people still prefer caviar.
The process to making snail caviar is a carefully guarded secret by the couple who invented it. We do know it involves very happy snails getting freaky in a huge barn and a hand review all of the eggs to make sure they are up to par. Between there being only one supplier and requiring quite tedious harvesting, all done by hand, the price of ‘the snail caviar is quite high -about $82 an ounce to be more specific.
Source (Photo: Fr Antunes Flickr )
