Chilled Monkey Brains

Does anyone else remember that scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom where they are in India and they are served Chilled Monkey Brains for dessert? Remember how Kate Capshaw sort of freaks when the monkey heads, with the tops sliced off, come to the table? My gag reflex is acting up, just thinking about that scene. Here’s the thing, I can totally relate to Kate’s reaction. Despite being a self-proclaimed “foodie,” I am not truly adventurous in my eating.

I was doing some work at home this morning and had the Travel Channel on in the background. At one point, I noticed an ad for a new show called Bizarre Foods. As the name implies, the host basically travels around the world, looking for the weirdest possible culinary specialties of different regions and eating them. The ad featured the poor guy downing “delights” such as fermented ducks’ eggs and huge grey worms that are eaten live, straight from the bark of a local tree. I have only one word for this. Barf. The host actually looked like he was having a good time sucking down the slimy, wiggling worms. Either this dude is crazy or they are paying him buckets of money to keep that smile on his face. My foodieness just simply does not extend to super obscure, bizarre foods. I just can’t do it.

This whole thing got me thinking. Can you really be a foodie if you aren’t willing to try new, weird food? Have I eaten enough “semi-bizarre” things to maintain my title? Let’s consider…

I’ve spent more than one delicious Sunday morning in Chinatown, dining on dim sum at the China Pearl. Happily eating shu mai and steamed buns, stuffed with unidentifiable meats and spices, crunching on spicy shrimp complete with shells and heads still on, and finishing things off with mung bean paste desserts. I stop short of munching on the chickens’ feet.

I love sushi and will eat pretty much any raw fish served to me, especially if it’s slathered with a good dollop of spicy wasabi. And even though I am not a huge fan, I’ve tried all types of roe – including the tiny, salty eggs that crunch in your mouth, to the big, gelatinous ones that pop like tapioca. I’ve tried eel, octopus, and sea urchin. The later two more suited to my palate than the first.

At one fine dining experience, I slurped raw oysters topped with a fish-essence foam, followed by a course that included a poached quail egg and roasted squab. It was all outstanding. At another high-end restaurant, I had an exquisite course that featured pork belly.

Having lived in France, I’ve tried the requisite frogs’ legs, escargot, and sweetbreads. Growing up in California, I traveled to Mexico frequently and indulged in all types of street food, prepared in less-than-pristine conditions. Amongst my family, only my brother Joe would join me.

Other – mostly European – travels had me eating liver, kidneys, and chicken hearts. Trips to the Southern US have meant sampling alligator and turtle and shark, as well as peeling and eating fresh crawfish. A backpacking trip to the Southwest had me eating kippers from a can and tasting rattlesnake.

Are my food experiences sufficient to still claim that I am foodie? More so than what I’ve eaten in the past, I think what makes me a true foodie is that I relish trying new things – within reason, of course! I may not be willing to taste pickled pig’s feet at my next outing, but I am certainly game for adventurous cooking techniques, unique blends of flavors, and obscure ethnic ingredients. I think I can still sleep at night.

I would love to know – what have you tried that would be considered bizarre?