Strange Food Thread

[zkreso]

A big part of why that batsoup is disgusting to me is that they didn't bother removing the hairy skin or, you know, face.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is I'd eat bat filet.

[keltoi]

cooking with semen?

[chenGOD]

^^ fuck that

 

although live/wriggly octopus with sesame oil/sauce is actually pretty fucking delicious. i think that's the craziest thing i had in seoul, except for the hot dog covered in french fry-laden batter, but that was more ingenious than weird.

 

Yeah the bat soup can fuck right off. I'd eat it if they actually prepped the bat in some way.

 

You've never had corn dogs before you went to korea?

 

And the cone pizza probably originated in Japan. I remember having it there before I had it in Korea.

[Guest KY]

No, this wasn't a corn dog. This was a hot dog covered in french fry-laden batter. Basically a hot dog/french fry combo on a stick.

This does not exist in the states, at least in the 25 years I've been here.

 

But as far as cone pizza is concerned, I'm glad to have an external target of vitriol, rather than my homeland.

[chenGOD]

Oh yeah those things - forgot about those. I always just thought of them as like "corn dog upgradeuh"

[kaini]

 

 

Hákarl:

 

Hákarl or kæstur hákarl (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈhauːkʰadl̥]) (Icelandic for "shark") is a food from Iceland. It is a Greenland- or basking shark which has been cured with a particular fermentationprocess and hung to dry for four to five months. Hákarl is often referred to as an acquired taste^[1] and has a very particular ammonia-rich smell and fishy taste, similar to very strong cheeseslathered in ammonia.

 

The Greenland shark itself is poisonous when fresh due to a high content of urea and trimethylamine oxide, but may be consumed after being processed (see below). It has a particular ammonia smell, similar to many cleaning products. It is often served in cubes on toothpicks. Those new to it will usually gag involuntarily on the first attempt to eat it due to the high ammonia content.^[1]

 

Hákarl is traditionally prepared by gutting and beheading a Greenland or basking shark and placing it in a shallow hole dug in gravelly-sand, with the now-cleaned cavity resting on a slight hill. The shark is then covered with sand and gravel, and stones are then placed on top of the sand in order to press the shark. The fluids from the shark are in this way pressed out of the body. The shark ferments in this fashion for 6–12 weeks depending on the season.

 

Lutefisk (Norwegian) or Lutfisk (Swedish) (pronounced [lʉːtfesk] in Northern Norway, [lʉːtəfɪsk] in Central and Southern Norway, [lʉːtfɪsk] in Sweden and the Swedish-speaking areas in Finland (Finnish: lipeäkala)) is a traditional dish of the Nordic countries and parts of the Midwest United States. It is made from aged stockfish (air-dried whitefish) or dried/salted whitefish (klippfisk) and lye (lut). It is gelatinous in texture, and has an extremely strong, pungent odor. Its name literally means "lye fish."

Contents [hide]

1 General

1.1 Preparation

1.2 Cooking

1.3 Eating

2 Origin

2.1 Traces in literature

3 Modern consumption

4 Humor

5 Spellings

6 See also

7 References

8 External links

[edit]General

 

[edit]Preparation

 

 

Lutefisk in a Norwegian market.

Lutefisk is made from dried whitefish (normally cod in Norway, but ling is also used) prepared with lye in a sequence of particular treatments. The watering steps of these treatments differ slightly for salted/dried whitefish because of its high salt content.

The first treatment is to soak the stockfish in cold water for five to six days (with the water changed daily). The saturated stockfish is then soaked in an unchanged solution of cold water and lye for an additional two days. The fish swells during this soaking, and its protein content decreases by more than 50 percent producing a jelly-like consistency. When this treatment is finished, the fish (saturated with lye) has a pH value of 11–12 and is therefore caustic. To make the fish edible, a final treatment of yet another four to six days of soaking in cold water (also changed daily) is needed. Eventually, the lutefisk is ready to be cooked.

In Finland, the traditional reagent used is birch ash. It contains high amounts of potassium carbonate and bicarbonate, giving the fish a more mellow treatment than would lye. It is important not to incubate the fish too long in the lye because saponification of the fish fats may occur. The term for such spoiled fish in Finnish is saippuakala (soap fish).[citation needed]

[edit]Cooking

After the preparation, the lutefisk is saturated with water and must therefore be cooked carefully so that it does not fall into pieces.

 

 

Cooking pots at a church supper: with this method, the lutefisk was boiled for about five minutes, until translucent, then promptly served.

To create a firm consistency in lutefisk, it is common to spread a layer of salt over the fish half an hour before it is cooked. This will "release" some of the water in the fish meat. The salt must be rinsed off before cooking.

There are several ways to cook lutefisk:

Lutefisk does not need additional water for the cooking; it is sufficient to place it in a pan, salt it, seal the lid tightly, and let it steam cook under a very low heat for 20–25 minutes. An alternative is to wrap in aluminium foil and bake at 225 °C (435 °F) for 40–50 minutes.

Another option is to parboil lutefisk; wrap the lutefisk in cheesecloth and gently boil until tender. This usually takes a very short time, so care must be taken to watch the fish and remove it before it falls apart. Prepare a white sauce to serve over the lutefisk.

Lutefisk can also be boiled directly in a pan of water. Fill the pan 2/3 full with water, add 2 ts of salt per liter water, and bring the water to a boil. Add lutefisk pieces to the water until they all are covered with water, and let it simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Carefully lift the lutefisk out of the water and serve.

Lutefisk sold in North America may also be cooked in a microwave oven. The average cooking time is 8–10 minutes per whole fish (a package of two fish sides) at high power in a covered glass cooking dish, preferably made of heat resistant glass. The cooking time will vary, depending upon the power of the microwave oven.

When cooking and eating lutefisk, it is important to clean the lutefisk and its residue off pans, plates, and utensils immediately. Lutefisk left overnight becomes nearly impossible to remove. Sterling silver should never be used in the cooking, serving or eating of lutefisk, which will permanently ruin silver. Stainless steel utensils are recommended instead.

[edit]Eating

 

 

Norwegian Constitution Day dinner in the United States, with lutefisk, lefse, and meatballs.

Lutefisk is very popular in Nordic-North American areas of Canada, especially the prairie regions and the large Finnish community at Sointula on Malcolm Island in the province of British Columbia, and the United States, particularly in the Upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest. From October to February, there are numerous lutefisk feeds in cities and towns around Puget Sound, northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. In the Nordic Countries, the "season" for lutefisk starts early in November and typically continues through Christmas.

 

 

Lutefisk (on the upper left side of the plate) as served in a Norwegian restaurant, with potatoes, mashed peas, and bacon.

Lutefisk is usually served with a variety of side dishes, including, but not limited to, bacon, green peas, green pea stew, potatoes, lefse, gravy, mashed rutabaga, white sauce, melted or clarified butter, syrup, geitost (goat cheese), or "old" cheese (gammelost). In the United States in particular it is sometimes eaten together with meatballs. Side dishes vary greatly from family-to-family and region-to-region, and can be a source of jovial contention when eaters of different "traditions" of lutefisk dine together.

Today, akvavit and beer often accompany the meal due to its use at festive and ceremonial occasions. This is a recent innovation, however; due to its preservative qualities, lutefisk has traditionally been a common "everyday" meal in wintertime.

Lutefisk prepared from cod is somewhat notorious, even in Scandinavia, for its intense (and to those unacquainted with the dish, offensive) odor. Conversely, lutefisk prepared from pollock or haddock emits almost no odor.

The taste of well-prepared lutefisk is very mild, and often the white sauce is spiced with pepper or other strong tasting spices to bring out the flavor. In Minnesota, this method (seasoned with allspice) is common among Swedish-Americans, while Norwegian-Americans prefer to eat it unseasoned with melted butter.

[edit]Origin

 

The origin of lutefisk is unknown. Legends include the accidental dropping of fish into a lye bucket or sodden wood ash containing lye under a drying rack. Another claims the practice enabled storing fish outdoors. Cold temperature acted as a preservative and the lye deterred wild animals from eating the fish.[citation needed] However, using lye to soften a hard, indigestible base is used to prepare other foods such as hominy.

[edit]Traces in literature

While some enthusiasts[1] claim the dish has been consumed since the time of the Vikings, most[who?] believe that its origins lie in the 16th-century Netherlands.[citation needed] It is generally agreed that the first reference to "lutefisk" is in a letter by Swedish king Gustav I in 1540, and what seems to be a description of the preparation process in the Swedish archbishop Olaus Magnus's (1490–1557) personal writings from 1555.[citation needed]

In Norway, author Henry Notaker (in the encyclopedia Apetittleksikon) states that the earliest historical traces are from the late 18th century in the southeastern region of the country. Additionally, a classic Norwegian cookbook (Hanna Winsnes) from 1845 tells about how to make lye for lutefisk from a combination of birch ash, limestone, and water.

Folklore holds that lutefisk originated during the Viking pillages of Ireland, when St. Patrick sent men to feed spoiled fish to the Viking raiders. When the raiders were found to enjoy the spoiled fish, St. Patrick ordered his men to pour lye on the fish, with the hope of poisoning the Vikings. However, rather than dying from ingestion of spoiled fish, or of subsequent poisoning of the spoiled fish, the Vikings declared lutefisk a delicacy. This is obviously a fairy tale, since St. Patrick was in Ireland about three centuries before the Vikings' arrival.

[edit]Modern consumption

 

Although lutefisk is eaten by Norwegians, more lutefisk is eaten by Americans and Canadians of Scandinavian descent.[citation needed] A 2005 survey of Norwegian dietary habits by sociologist Annechen Bahr Bugge indicated that 20% of Norwegians ate lutefisk during the Christmas holiday season.[2]

Lutefisk as a Christmas season meal became increasingly trendy in Norway during the 2000s.[3][4][5] The Norwegian Seafood Export Council indicated sales of lutefisk to restaurants and catering companies in Norway increased by 72% between 2005 and 2008.[3] In 2008 over 3,000 tons of lutefisk was sold in Norway, surpassing the annual consumption of cod.[3]

In the United States, Madison, Minnesota has dubbed itself the "lutefisk capital of the world" as well as claiming the largest per capita consumption of lutefisk in Minnesota.[6] St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota serves lutefisk during their famous Christmas Festival concerts. They also host an annual music festival called "Lutefest." Lutefisk, though, is not served at this festival.[7]

[edit]Humor

 

Lutefisk eaters thrive on quotes and jokes from skeptics of lutefisk comparing it to everything from rat poison (which has a hint of truth to it, because of the traces of nonstandard amino acid lysinoalanine found in lutefisk due to the reaction with lye) to weapons of mass destruction. A few examples are:

Quote from Garrison Keillor's book Lake Wobegon Days:

Every Advent we entered the purgatory of lutefisk, a repulsive gelatinous fishlike dish that tasted of soap and gave off an odor that would gag a goat. We did this in honor of Norwegian ancestors, much as if survivors of a famine might celebrate their deliverance by feasting on elm bark. I always felt the cold creeps as Advent approached, knowing that this dread delicacy would be put before me and I'd be told, "Just have a little." Eating a little was like vomiting a little, just as bad as a lot.

Quote from Garrison Keillor's book Pontoon:

Lutefisk is cod that has been dried in a lye solution. It looks like the desiccated cadavers of squirrels run over by trucks, but after it is soaked and reconstituted and the lye is washed out and it's cooked, it looks more fish-related, though with lutefisk, the window of success is small. It can be tasty, but the statistics aren’t on your side. It is the hereditary delicacy of Swedes and Norwegians who serve it around the holidays, in memory of their ancestors, who ate it because they were poor. Most lutefisk is not edible by normal people. It is reminiscent of the afterbirth of a dog or the world's largest chunk of phlegm.

Interview with Jeffrey Steingarten, author of The Man Who Ate Everything (translated quote from a 1999 article in Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet):

Lutefisk is not food, it is a weapon of mass destruction. It is currently the only exception for the man who ate everything. Otherwise, I am fairly liberal, I gladly eat worms and insects, but I draw the line on lutefisk.

What is special with lutefisk?

Lutefisk is the Norwegians' attempt at conquering the world. When they discovered that Viking raids didn't give world supremacy, they invented a meal so terrifying, so cruel, that they could scare people to become one's subordinates. And if I'm not terribly wrong, you will be able to do it as well.

But some people say that they like lutefisk. Do you think they tell the truth?

I do not know. Of all food, lutefisk is the only one that I don't take any stand on. I simply cannot decide whether it is nice or disgusting, if the taste is interesting or commonplace. The only thing I know, is that I like bacon, mustard and lefse. Lutefisk is an example of food that almost doesn't taste like anything, but is so full of emotions that the taste buds get knocked out.

The Ole and Lena joke books make frequent references to lutefisk; for example, the punch line of one joke is:

Well, we tried the lutefisk trick and the raccoons went away, but now we've got a family of Norwegians living under our house!

When Lutefisk is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Have Lutefisk! A bumper sticker seen around Seattle in the 1980s, parodying the gun-rights slogan of the era.

The negative view of lutefisk exemplified in these jokes may have led Ulf Gunnarsson to write his parody Lutefisk and Yams.[8] This take-off starts out in trochaic hexameter: "Hark and ware oh warrior, weird of Sven now hear you". The initial section uses alliteration instead of rhyme, like much Old English heroic poetry (e.g., Beowulf): "Finally pounds of pancakes paired with lingonberries." Then it switches to iambic tetrameter as it imitates Dr. Seuss: "I do not like lutefisk and yams/I do not like them Sven-I-Am".

The Wisconsin Employees' Right to Know Law specifically exempts lutefisk in defining "toxic substances".[9]

"Revenge of the Lutefisk", an episode of the animated series King of the Hill, uses the dish as a key plot device. When a new Methodist minister arrives in town from Minnesota, she brings some lutefisk to a potluck welcome dinner. Bobby Hill steals and eats the entire batch, enjoying the taste despite its strong smell, and inadvertently sets in motion a chain of events that leads to the church being burned down.

Drop Dead Gorgeous dialog:

Brett Clemmens: [after Becky has tossed her food tray in, splattering Amber who's working in the cafeteria with its contents - Brett looks apologetic] Oh man...you got some lutefisk in your hair.

Amber Atkins: (upbeat) Then it must be Wednesday!

Iona Hildebrandt: (speaking to camera) Lutefisk is codfish that's been salted and soaked in lye for a week or so. It's best with lots of butter.

In "How I Met Your Mother", Season 6 Episode 2 'Cleaning House', Marshall reveals that his family of Minnesotans leave Santa milk and lutefisk instead of cookies. He tells Lilly in a matter-of-fact tone, "Yeah, that's just what Santa needs at 3 a.m. when he's battling a snow storm over the Rockies, a sugar crash! No, he needs protein."

[Hugh Mughnus]

Good one kaini. There's a place here that sells lutefisk but I cant bring myself to try it :(

[kaini]

Casu marzu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Casu marzu

 

Country of origin Italy

Region, town Sardinia

Source of milk Sheep

Pasteurised No

Texture Soft

Certification none

Casu marzu (also called casu modde, casu cundhídu in Sardinian language, or in Italian formaggio marcio, "rotten cheese") is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese, notable for containing live insect larvae. It is found mainly in Sardinia, Italy.

Derived from Pecorino, casu marzu goes beyond typical fermentation to a stage most would consider decomposition, brought about by the digestive action of the larvae of the cheese fly Piophila casei. These larvae are deliberately introduced to the cheese, promoting an advanced level of fermentation and breaking down of the cheese's fats. The texture of the cheese becomes very soft, with some liquid (called lagrima, from Latin for "tear") seeping out. The larvae themselves appear as translucent white worms, about 8 millimetres (0.3 in) long.[1] When disturbed, the larvae can launch themselves for distances up to 15 centimetres (6 in). Some people clear the larvae from the cheese before consuming while others do not.

Contents [hide]

1 Fermentation

2 Consumption

3 Legality

4 Health concerns

5 Other regional variations

6 See also

7 References

[edit]Fermentation

 

Casu marzu is created by leaving whole Pecorino cheeses outside with part of the rind removed to allow the eggs of the cheese fly Piophila casei to be laid in the cheese. A female Piophila casei can lay more than five hundred eggs at one time.[1][2] The eggs hatch and the larvae begin to eat through the cheese.[3] The acid from the maggots' digestive system breaks down the cheese's fats,[3] making the texture of the cheese very soft; by the time it is ready for consumption, a typical casu marzu will contain thousands of these maggots.[4]

[edit]Consumption

 

Casu marzu is considered to be unsafe to eat by Sardinian aficionados when the maggots in the cheese have died. Because of this, only cheese in which the maggots are still alive is usually eaten, although allowances are made for cheese that has been refrigerated, which can kill the maggots. When the cheese has fermented enough, it is often cut into thin strips and spread on moistened Sardinian flatbread (pane carasau), to be served with a strong red wine.[3][5] Casu marzu is believed to be an aphrodisiac by local Sardinians.[6] Because the larvae in the cheese can launch themselves for distances up to 15 centimetres (6 in) when disturbed,[1][7] diners hold their hands above the sandwich to prevent the maggots from leaping. Those who do not wish to eat live maggots place the cheese in a sealed paper bag. The maggots, starved for oxygen, writhe and jump in the bag, creating a "pitter-patter" sound. When the sounds subside, the maggots are dead and the cheese can be eaten.[8]

[edit]Legality

 

Because of European Union food hygiene-health regulations, the cheese was outlawed for a time, and offenders faced heavy fines.[8] However, it remained possible to acquire casu marzu on the black market, where it could sell for double the price of an ordinary block of pecorino cheese.[6]

Currently, the EU ban has been circumvented by means of another EU regulation. Casu marzu has been declared a "traditional" food (it has been made in the same manner for more than 25 years, and the recipe is thousands of years old) and it is therefore exempt from ordinary food hygiene regulations. The traditional method of making the cheese is explained by an official paper of the local government.[9]

[edit]Health concerns

 

Consumption of casu marzu is believed to be safe.

Certain species of fly larvae (NOT the larvae of the cheese fly, which belong to a completely different family), have adapted to pass through the mammalian digestive system alive when accidentally ingested: stomach acids do not usually kill them). The larvae live for some time in the intestines, feeding on the food material ingested by the host, and subsequently surviving in the host feces, which provide nutrition to the developing larvae. This is referred to as an enteric or intestinal myiasis.[10]

Some fruit fly Larvae of the family Tephritidae are a cause of myiasis in livestock and possibly humans.[11] The larvae can cause serious intestinal lesions as they attempt to bore through the intestinal walls. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, and bloody diarrhea.

Most instances of detection of fly larvae in stools are refereed to as "pseudo-myiasis", because the larvae are dead and/or semi-digested. A case of true intestinal myiasis with the living larvae of Hermetia iliucens was reported in Malaysia in 1995. [12]

However, there have been no reports of myiasis in Sardinia or Italy following casu marzu ingestion.

[Hoodie]

there's a serbian dish called pihtija. it's like jelly with meat, eggs and other vile shit inside of it. i'm pretty sure it made me puke once when i was a kid.

 

 

 

 

i guess it's not as strange as a lot of the other stuff in this thread because it's not visceral in some way, but damn it, gelatin and meat shouldn't mix.

[kaini]

there's a serbian dish called pihtija. it's like jelly with meat, eggs and other vile shit inside of it. i'm pretty sure it made me puke once when i was a kid.

 

 

 

that. looks. vile.

[Hoodie]

did i mention that it has a distinct smell? because it does. i don't even know how to describe it other than meaty and wrong.

 

my family has tried to get me to eat it on numerous occasions. i just say, "i'm american, we don't do that shit. sry blud."

[zkreso]

I've seen that jello crap before. Appearantly it's called aspic, a fitting name I feel. Here in Norway it's called a cabaret for reasons unknown to me. Quite a few people eat lutefisk for christmas here, so it can't be that bad I guess. I will probably never eat it however.

[Guest MortstoX]

Good one kaini. There's a place here that sells lutefisk but I cant bring myself to try it :(

 

 

It´s fish, and it tastes like fish. It´s has a bit of a jelly texture, but if you like fish, you will probably like lutefisk.

Here it´s served with potatoes, peas and bacon. Not very strange.

[cumberland sauce]

there's a serbian dish called pihtija. it's like jelly with meat, eggs and other vile shit inside of it. i'm pretty sure it made me puke once when i was a kid.

 

 

 

that. looks. vile.

 

Thats makeing me sick just looking at it nevermind vile,

[Hugh Mughnus]

Good one kaini. There's a place here that sells lutefisk but I cant bring myself to try it :(

 

 

It´s fish, and it tastes like fish. It´s has a bit of a jelly texture, but if you like fish, you will probably like lutefisk.

Here it´s served with potatoes, peas and bacon. Not very strange.

 

I just found the smell particularly strong. Maybe I'll give it a shot though. =)

[modey]

Kopi Luwak

 

 

Kopi luwak, or civet coffe, is one of the world's most expensive and low-production varieties of coffee. It is made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet and other related civets, then passed through its digestive tract. A civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. In its stomach, proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Passing through a civet's intestines the beans are then defecated, keeping their shape. After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness.

 

Weasel shit coffee. Once paid a load of money for just a cup of this and my god was it worth it, best coffee I ever drank.

Yeah, this is the only one I've had from the examples so far. Amazing stuff!

[lumpenprol]

clean breaks and coffee, what's not to like? Tres watmm

[Kanakori]

there's a serbian dish called pihtija. it's like jelly with meat, eggs and other vile shit inside of it. i'm pretty sure it made me puke once when i was a kid.

 

 

nasty

Edited May 2, 2012 by Kanakori

[Kanakori]

Btw

 

 

 

[kaini]

 

i dunno what that is but it look tasty.

[Kanakori]

Cabidela.

It is tasty but:

 

It is chicken or rabbit that is browned in oil and served in a lightly flavored sauce. Although traditional recipes for the dish often called for hanging a freshly butchered chicken or rabbit upside and using the animal’s drained blood as the basis for a sauce, more modern versions of the recipe may use other liquids instead.

The main ingredient in cabidela tends to be either a whole chicken or rabbit that is cut down into pieces with the bones intact. Boneless pieces of meat are not used as often because they generally don’t have the same amount of flavor and moisture as bone-in pieces. In addition to the chicken or rabbit, other ingredients that may be used in the dish include onions, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, or peppers. Chicken broth, wine, or water may be substituted for the traditional animal blood as the liquids for making the sauce.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Kanakori

[Guest disparaissant]

a peruvian guinea pig dish

looks like they are going to use hand sanitizer as a condiment, too.

[Hugh Mughnus]

a peruvian guinea pig dish

looks like they are going to use hand sanitizer as a condiment, too.

 

dinner and drinks, all in one

[lumpenprol]

oh yeah, I had those guinea pig guys while in Peru! They also have beer made with spit in Peru. Chicha.

[chenGOD]

oh yeah, I had those guinea pig guys while in Peru! They also have beer made with spit in Peru. Chicha.

 

Food made with spit isn't that special if you eat at fast food joints...;)

 

Btw

 

 

 

 

Looks delicious.