Ruth & I are not especially venturesome when it comes to eating unusual foods in foreign spots. Oh, we eat what’s served in other cultures, sometimes not knowing what the contents are, but on our own we normally eat what we’re used to. I remember browsing through a cookbook on my 2nd trip to Hungary and being appalled to learn that there is lard in almost everything. I had eaten like a native on my 1st trip there. I have eaten octopi in Marsaxlokk, Malta, squid ink pasta in I don’t remember where, and recall brushing bugs off a plate in a Macedonian restaurant before eating off of it. But I know that I’m not as adventuresome as my cousin Tom, who gamely ordered the local dish above in a restaurant in Luxembourg and ate as much of it as he could.
I didn’t used to like lamb but now order it in restaurants on occasion because our daughter married into a French family that dotes on it. Over time I have learned to eat and enjoy it. Her French mother-in-law is from the South Pacific where the national dish is Poisson Cru, marinated raw red tuna in lime and coconut milk. It’s delicious, and we have eaten it on many family occasions. The photograph of it just above is from tripsavvy.
My most unusual meal was consumed in China, home to the supposedly food-originated coronavirus. Our flight was delayed for hours due to a bird in the fuselage. The Chinese passengers were especially angry. To save face, the airline reps frequently requested that we get in line and collect cash. We eventually had a free flight. At one point they served us a fast-food type meal. I didn’t recognize a single dish among the several on that tray, but I ate everything and am still here to talk about it.
Just this past summer Ruth and I devoured with delight a huge sandwich not unrealistically called Megadeath topped with “feisty slaw”. This was in a shop in Missoula, MT that had been recommended in a magazine. The owner proudly made this sandwich for us and encouraged me to photograph it. He and I talked about his very popular creation lovingly. It was full of delicious calories from foods that no human should eat. Once won’t kill you, will it?
Hank
Security Conscious 