Category: Weird Foods

Weird Foods

Fugu Pufferfish

The Fascinating History of Fugu Pufferfish: The Tastiest and Most Dangerous Fish in the World

Did you know that the pufferfish is considered to be both the tastiest and most dangerous fish in the world? This seafood delicacy is a favorite in many parts of Asia, but it can also be deadly if not prepared correctly. In this blog post, we will take a look at the fascinating history of Fugu pufferfish – from its culinary origins to its potential dangers.

The pufferfish is a type of saltwater fish that can be found in both fresh and salt water environments. It is known for its distinctive shape – it has a round, bulky body with a small head and wide mouth. Pufferfish are also known for their ability to inflate themselves when threatened, making them look much larger than they actually are.

The pufferfish is a popular seafood delicacy in many parts of Asia, where it is known as Fugu. In Japan, Fugu is considered to be a national dish and there are several restaurants that specialize in serving this fish. The most prized part of the pufferfish is the liver, which is often eaten raw in sushi and sashimi dishes.

In order for a chef to serve Fugu, he or she must complete a three-year training course and pass two separate exams before they are allowed to prepare the fish.

The pufferfish is often eaten raw in sushi and sashimi dishes, but it can also be ooked and served in a variety of other ways .

What makes the liver of the pufferfish toxic?

The liver of the pufferfish is toxic because it contains a high level of a paralytic toxin. The liver is the most toxic part of the fish, but all organs of the fish contain some toxins.

Fugu Pufferfish

What is tetrodotoxin (TTX)?

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that is found in the liver of the pufferfish. It is one of the most toxic substances known, and even a small amount can be fatal.

How is the pufferfish prepared

When the pufferfish is properly prepared, it can be a delicacy. The fish is caught, and then the toxic parts are removed. The fish is then cleaned and iced. It can be served raw, but it is more commonly served cooked.

The pufferfish is believed to taste good, although it has a texture that some people find off-putting. The flesh of the fish is somewhat firm and crunchy, but this isn’t necessarily bad.

In Japan, there are many different dishes made from pufferfish. One popular dish is

“Fugu chiri”, which is a hotpot made from thinly sliced pufferfish, vegetables and spices.

Another popular dish is “sashimi” which involves raw slices of pufferfish served on its own or with rice.

There are several different types of fugu,

“Tora Fugu” is considered the tastiest but also the most expensive.

“Shirauo” is a type of pufferfish that’s served raw in spring and autumn.

“Fugu karaage” is another popular dish that’s made with deep-fried pufferfish meat.

Some people are put off by the high price of fugu, but it’s worth it for the taste and experience.

A Delicious Introduction to Black Pudding (Blood Sausage)

If you’re looking for a unique and delicious way to start your day, then you need to try black pudding (blood sausage). This traditional British dish is made with pork blood and oatmeal, and it has a flavor that is unlike anything else. In this article, we will discuss the history of black pudding and show you how to make it at home. We’ll also share some recipes so that you can enjoy this dish year-round.

Black pudding is a dish that has been around for centuries. It was originally created by the Celts, and it was later adopted by the British. This sausage-like food is made with pork blood and oatmeal, and it has a rich and earthy flavor. Black pudding can be enjoyed on its own, or you can add it to your favorite recipes.

If you’re interested in making your own black pudding, here are a few recipes to get you started:

  • Black Pudding with Apples and Bacon: This dish is made with bacon, apples, and black pudding. It’s a great way to enjoy the flavors of autumn.
  • Pork and Black Pudding Stew: This stew is made with pork, black pudding, and root vegetables. It’s the perfect dish for a cold winter night.
  • Black Pudding Frittata: This frittata is made with eggs, black pudding, and cheese. It’s a great way to use up any leftovers in your refrigerator.

Black pudding is a delicious treat that you won’t want to miss out on. Whether you’re looking for a quick snack or an elaborate meal, there’s something here for everyone. We hope this article has given you some inspiration when it comes time to cook up your next batch of black pudding!

Black Pudding Recipe

Black Pudding (Blood Sausage)

This traditional British dish is made with pork blood and oatmeal, and it has a flavor that is unlike anything else.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine UK
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage leaves
  • 1 14 ounce can beef broth
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 8 ounces sliced bacon diced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 3 quart baking dish.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Add corn syrup and vinegar; mix well. Stir in water until thoroughly combined.
  • Sprinkle with sage leaves. Add beef broth and red wine; mix together. Pour into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle diced bacon on top.
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until center is firm when pressed lightly. Cool in pan before slicing to serve warm or at room temperature, accompanied by a dollop of English mustard or your favorite chutney. Enjoy!

This black pudding recipe is adapted from one that I found on the BBC Good Food website. If you’re looking for a delicious and hearty dish to add to your next meal, then I highly recommend giving this black pudding recipe a try! Trust me, you won’t regret it!

Post Tags: Food, Cooking, Recipe

America’s Best BBQ: Which Region is the King of Smoke?

There are many different opinions on who makes the best BBQ in America. Some people say that Texas is the king of smoke, while others claim that Kansas City is the true home of BBQ. So, which region really does make the best BBQ? In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the most popular BBQ styles from around the country and see which one comes out on top!

Texas-style BBQ is it the best?

The first BBQ style that we will take a look at is Texas-style BBQ. This type of BBQ is famous for its smoked meats, such as brisket and ribs. The meat is cooked over indirect heat using oak or pecan wood, which gives it a delicious smoky flavor. Texans are extremely proud of their BBQ traditions, and many people travel from all over the world just to get a taste of authentic Texas BBQ.

Carolina-style BBQ nothing better than good southern cooking.

The next BBQ style we will examine is Carolina-style BBQ. This type of barbecue is often made with pork, and it’s usually cooked on a pit or an open fire using hardwood coals as fuel. It’s typically served without sauce, and the pork is shredded or chopped into small pieces. Carolina-style BBQ is known for its intense smoky flavor and crispy skin.

Kansas City-style BBQ is the midwest the best?

Next, we have Kansas City-style BBQ. This type of barbecue is famous for its thick and sticky sauce. Which is made with tomatoes, molasses, brown sugar, vinegar, and various spices. The meat is typically slow-cooked on a smoker or grill with hickory wood chips, and it’s often served over white bread.

Memphis-style barbecue enough said.

The last BBQ style that we’re going to take a look at today is Memphis-style barbecue. This type of barbecue uses dry spice rubs to season the meat before cooking. It’s typically cooked in a smoker using hickory, apple, or cherry wood. Memphis-style BBQ is famous for its sweet and tangy sauce. Which is made with vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.

So, who makes the best BBQ in America? In my opinion, it’s a toss-up between Texas and Kansas City. Both regions have amazing BBQ traditions, but I think that the sauce in Kansas City-style barbecue gives it an edge over Texas-style barbecue.

If you want to try some of America’s best BBQ for yourself, then check out our guide on where to find great BBQ near you! We’ve got you covered with everything from traditional Memphis-style BBQ joints to modern Texas-style BBQ restaurants.

Rocky Mountain Oysters

Rocky Mountain Oysters – Yum!

Surprise…Rocky Mountain Oysters are not oysters! Fact is…they’re bull testicles. They’re infamous in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, usually battered and deep fried.

Rocky Mountain Oysters

A dish not only indigenous to the Rocky Mountain region, but anywhere in the world where there is animal breeding such as cattle, bison, lamb and/or sheep, the likelihood of a local affinity for “Rocky Mountain Oysters” may be quite prevalent.

Funny Farm-Sheep Balls video

In the U.S. alone, Rocky Mountain oysters are so popular in towns like Severance, Colorado, Ashland, Nebraska, Deerfield, Michigan; Olean, Missouri.; Tiro, Ohio; and Huntley, Illinois that they hold testicle festivals every year. 

Like any delicacy, rumors abound about its sexual potency.  Usually, that heightens the apparel for the adventurous.

However, Rocky Mountain oysters are certainly not for the squeamish!

Rocky Mountain Oysters

Eating the actual oysters has been described this way:

“There’s no good way to say this: They were surprisingly juicy. And I know this is cliche, but the bison tasted like chicken. The lamb was similar in taste and texture. But the beef was in a league all their own, chewy and meaty and full of a unique flavor somewhere between liver and gizzard.”   Luke Runyon

Rocky Mountain Oysters

Yum!! Rocky Mountain Oysters

Hold back your gag reflex and remember that what’s disgusting offal “meatballs” to some is cowboy caviar to others.

No judgement here…

And believe it or not, adventurers and Rocky Mountain Oysters aficionados  can even purchase them on Amazon – a 10lb bag for $218.40!

So order yours today!

To learn more about Rocky Mountain Oysters:

11 Things You Didn’t Know About Rocky Mountain Oysters

Rocky Mountain Oysters History and Recipe

Rocky Mountain Oysters Aren’t Shellfish. They’re Testicles.

What You Need to Know About Testy Fest, Montana’s Testicle Eating Festival

Chitterlings

Chitterlings or “Chitlins” A Soul Food Delicacy

Hear the word chitterlings or “chitlins” as they’re known in the Southern part of the United States and your face automatically grimaces.  Just the thought of eating pig intestines, be they boiled or fried, immediately suppresses the appetite.

Yet chitterlings, among other pork outcasts like the head,  snout, tails, and trotters was a food staple for Black folk during the U.S. slavery period. 

Chitlins 1

A Soul Food Delicacy

Chitterlings’ legacy is intimately tied to “soul food” cuisine, although Black folks, poor and otherwise, were not the only people savoring pork offal.

It often graced the table of the rich and cultured under the guise of a rare and unmistakable delicacy.

Sweetbreads and tripe come to mind.

According to chitlin aficionados, cooking chitterlings correctly is an art form, although recipes do vary.

Chitlin Strut Festival

Every year in Salley, South Carolina, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, a festival entitled the “Chitlins Strut” is in full swing welcoming some 50,000 attendees to partake in this “tasty” delicacy.

Chitlins 7

The festival’s broad and extensive state fair menu, beside chitlins cooked every way imaginable also includes

turkey legs, turkey wings, sausage, smoked sausage, chicago style sausage, shrimp, shrimp kabobs, shrimp combo jambalaya, fried fish, fried oysters, crab legs, chicken tenders, chicken boat, jerk chicken, philly cheese steak, oxtail, pork kabobs, pork skins, ribs, curry, steak & cheese subs, gyros and much, much more. 

Chitlins 5

Something for everyone to munch on while enjoying the multiple activities of the Chitlin Strut!

They even sponsor a Ms. & Mrs. Chitlin Strut Pageant and the winners are not always who you think they are!

  • Chitlins 7
  • Chitlins 5
  • Chitlins 1

To eat chitlins is a mind over matter situation.  They’re usually served during holiday celebrations.

So, if you have the opportunity and the will, give them a try.

They’re definitely an acquired taste, for sure!

“Chitlin’s From Slave food to Delicacy | The Black American Kitchen

Chitlins: These entrails identified safe venues for Black musicians during the Jim Crow era.

Chitterlings (Chitlins) History and Recipe

WELCOME TO SALLEY, SC HOME OF THE WORLD FAMOUS CHITLIN STRUT!

Brava Oven Review: The Pros and Cons of Cooking with Light

World Famous Garbage Plate Only in America

Hear the words garbage plates, the first thought that comes to mind is garbage. Make no mistake about it, the garbage plate is a real thing. One would think that the garbage plate consists of basically whatever is left over in the fridge.

Not quite.

Garbage Plate

The Origins


The garbage plate evolved from the kitchen of Nick Tahou Hots restaurant in Rochester, New York.

According to Eater, college students in the ’80s would make late night visits to Nick’s, most likely inebriated and request “that plate with all the garbage on it”.

Garbage Plate

Needless to say, the “garbage plate” grew in popularity, receiving its official trademark name in 1992.

An authentic Nick Tahou’s garbage plate consists of macaroni salad, baked beans, or home or french fried potatoes with choice of two meats, chopped onions, spiced mustard doused with Nick’s hot sauce and 2 thick slices of buttered fresh Italian bread.

This calorie ridden (1700) comfort dish has since diversified to include a choice of meats and potatoes. Sounds like a carb lover’s fantasy!

A garbage plate at Nick’s ranges between from $4.50 – $6.50.

How to make a Homemade Garbage Plate


The plate

Here is a blueprint on how to make a garbage plate at home. The great thing about this dish is that all you have to do is open up your fridge and let your imagination run wild!

Garbage Plate


First begin by building the base. Cover your plate with a healthy serving of either french fries, home fries, macaroni salad, and/or baked beans. The most common combo is home fries/mac salad.


Next there’s the meat. Once you have the base laid out on your plate, then you add the meat of your choosing. Your choices are not limited to the standard chicken, beef, pork, or fish. You can really choose any type of meat as the piece de resistance of your particular garbage plate.
Nick’s has been known to offer garbage plates that feature hot dogs, hamburger patties, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, veggie burgers, grilled cheese, sausages, or a fish fry.


As you can see, the selection is very diverse and the ultimate choice is yours according to your personal preferences.
And lastly, there is an assortment of condiments including the traditional ketchup, mustard, and onions. All are, however, optional, except for the hot sauce.

Garbage Plate


The traditional garbage plate incorporates a flavorful, meaty hot sauce that you can make, if you’re inspired to do so.
It consists of beef, garlic, onions, tomato sauce, vinegar and a handful of spices including cayenne and chili powder.
Once the garbage plate is assembled, mix all of it together so that you get a little bit of everything in every sigle bite.
And don’t forget the side of fresh Italian bread and butter.


Visiting Rochester Any Time Soon?

Garbage plates are a known entity among food aficionados across America. Variations on the theme are as diverse chocolate cake recipes.

So, if you happen to be in the Rochester or the Finger Lakes region of New York area, don’t forget to add Nick’s to your dining list.

Although Nick’s is the original, this quirky gastronomic combo is served at both low and high end restaurants throughout the area.

Copy of Spam

The Wonderfulness of Spam: 5 Fun Facts

Although I only eat it about once or twice a year, I love Spam.  Why, you may wonder? Processed meat is a no-no on most healthy food lists.  And my particular dietary needs dictate minimizing processed foods.

The Wonders of Spam: 5 Fun Facts

However, when I do have my favorite pumpernickel, mayonnaise and Spam sandwich, it engenders such comfort and satisfaction!

Brings back warm childhood memories, when Spam and government cheese was all our family could afford at the time.

5 Fun Facts about spam

Developed in 1937 by the Hormel Corporation in Austin Minnesota, Spamtown, USA.

Consists of processed pork shoulder, water, salt, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrate.

An absolute favorite in the Hawaiian Islands, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.

Annual Spam Festival, SpamJam, eld in Waikiki, Oahu and Spam Museum in  Austin, Minnesota.

Spam flavors:  Regular, Black Pepper, Jalapeño, Chorizo, Teriyaki, with Bacon, Hickory Smoke, and Hot & Spicy, with Tabasco sauce.

Spam