Light Topic: Cultural/Locational Oddities?

[Aymn27]

Ladies/Gents,

This past week at work most of my time was spent preparing for/coordinating our big company "shin-dig" which boasts 300+ guests (not bad considering my office is only staffed by my boss and myself).

At any rate - the big occurance was, well, a crawfish-boil. I'm sure some of you are unfamiliar with Cajun cuisine and with the fact that we Louisianians boil and eat crawfish (or crayfish) - yes, those little lobster-looking thingies that live in the mud out in the fields and yards.

I was wondering what my friends from around the US and around the world have that compares to this odd delicacy. Anyone want to share? (I thought of this b/c of a post in another thread about pies, etc that sounded rather grotesque)...

What food is a treat in your part of the world that would be considered an oddity somewhere else?

[Naomi4Christ]

I'm from Scotland and we eat haggis. We eat if fairly regularly throughout the year (it is good student fare as it is cheap).

The time for us to make a feast out of haggis is 25th January, when we celebrate the birth of poet Robert Burns. The Burn's Supper has lots of elements to it, with obligatory speeches, poetry readings, and ceremonial activities. These include piping (ie with bag-pipes) the haggis on a silver platter, and having the master of ceremonies plunge his skean dhu (the dagger that a Highlander wears in his hose) into the haggis, while reciting, "To a haggis".

http://www.scotsindependent.org/2005/050128/haggis.jpg

[SirTimothy]

Over here octopus is a 'delicacy' which I don't touch.

[karen freeinchristman]

I can only think of an oddity that my kids love, which is Tongue. :sick:

Lunch Tongue, it's called.

Thinly sliced tongue of a cow (or a bull, I suppose).

[Naomi4Christ]

I ate tongue when I was growing up and loved it, but DH won't have it. We were served tongue in Switzerland, complete with tastebuds, and that put DH off for life before he even started.

[AngCath]

we eat cow tongue down here in south Texas as well... in tacos. very good.

[HandmaidenOfGod]

Up in the Northeastern part of the U.S. we eat Hostess Snowballs. They are little chocolate cakes with a cream filling, a marshmellow icing, and then their covered in coconut.

I love 'em! :yummy:

http://www.freshchocodiles.com/images/hostess_snoball_package.jpg

[karen freeinchristman]

Up in the Northeastern part of the U.S. we eat Hostess Snowballs. They are little chocolate cakes with a cream filling, a marshmellow icing, and then their covered in coconut.

I love 'em! :yummy:

http://www.freshchocodiles.com/images/hostess_snoball_package.jpg

That must cause an unbelievable sugar-rush! :eek:

[HandmaidenOfGod]

Yeah, that's something I indulge in about once a year. :) :)

[Naomi4Christ]

Up in the Northeastern part of the U.S. we eat Hostess Snowballs. They are little chocolate cakes with a cream filling, a marshmellow icing, and then their covered in coconut.

I love 'em! :yummy:

http://www.freshchocodiles.com/images/hostess_snoball_package.jpg

I thought maybe you could have mentioned lobster, steamers etc.

[artrx]

Chesapeake Bay crab feasts, covered in Old Bay seasoning and dipped in melted butter. It's a whole afternnon of eating and socializing at the beach/shore- It's wonderful:)!

[Tomoz]

we have a spread that we eat on bread or toast called vegemite. It's a yeast extract that doesn't really taste like anything else on earth (one english friend told me they thought it tastes like dead ants but I consider that the highest blasphemy) and i've never met an australian who didn't like it or a non-australian who did like it! But its sensational, I love it.
Some australians, especially in south australia, eat a thing called a pie floater. This is a meat pie that is floated on top of tinned mushy peas with heaps of tomato sauce. Tastes even better than it sounds!

And we have a delicious chocolate coated biscuit called a tim tam. The correct way to eat it is to have it with a tea or coffee, and you bite the two ends off the tim tam and then suck your tea or coffee through it like a straw. You have to act fast though, otherwise it all falls apart into you cuppa!

[DeoJuvante]

I was sitting there thinking that I was hungry.
Then I read Tomoz's post.
So I'm off to get myself some vegemite on toast.

'Blessed be the vegemite-makers!'

[Aymn27]

I'm from Scotland and we eat haggis. We eat if fairly regularly throughout the year (it is good student fare as it is cheap).

The time for us to make a feast out of haggis is 25th January, when we celebrate the birth of poet Robert Burns. The Burn's Supper has lots of elements to it, with obligatory speeches, poetry readings, and ceremonial activities. These include piping (ie with bag-pipes) the haggis on a silver platter, and having the master of ceremonies plunge his skean dhu (the dagger that a Highlander wears in his hose) into the haggis, while reciting, "To a haggis".

http://www.scotsindependent.org/2005/050128/haggis.jpg
what is is made of??

[Aymn27]

we eat cow tongue down here in south Texas as well... in tacos. very good.
yep..tongue is popular here too...hmmmm have no idea why??

[Aymn27]

Up in the Northeastern part of the U.S. we eat Hostess Snowballs. They are little chocolate cakes with a cream filling, a marshmellow icing, and then their covered in coconut.

I love 'em! :yummy:

http://www.freshchocodiles.com/images/hostess_snoball_package.jpg
We have those here too!! EXCEPT They're pink and called PomPoms...what up with that?? rofl...

[Aymn27]

we have a spread that we eat on bread or toast called vegemite. It's a yeast extract that doesn't really taste like anything else on earth (one english friend told me they thought it tastes like dead ants but I consider that the highest blasphemy) and i've never met an australian who didn't like it or a non-australian who did like it! But its sensational, I love it.
Some australians, especially in south australia, eat a thing called a pie floater. This is a meat pie that is floated on top of tinned mushy peas with heaps of tomato sauce. Tastes even better than it sounds!

And we have a delicious chocolate coated biscuit called a tim tam. The correct way to eat it is to have it with a tea or coffee, and you bite the two ends off the tim tam and then suck your tea or coffee through it like a straw. You have to act fast though, otherwise it all falls apart into you cuppa!
Always wondered what that was...in the 80s there was a song that said something about "he just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich"...don't remember the name but remember that verse!!

[Naomi4Christ]

what is is made of??

Sheep offal, oats, suet, spices, served in a sheep's paunch. :)

[artrx]

Sheep offal, oats, suet, spices, served in a sheep's paunch. :)

I new there was a reason I never asked that question.:sick: ;)

[Aymn27]

I new there was a reason I never asked that question.:sick: ;)
rofl...umm yea...yuck indeed!

[TomUK]

Do you guys get pork pies over the atlantic?

Surely one of the greatest foods ever. I've got a whole selection in the fridge to eat during the world cup along with a nice cold beer.

http://www.nelsonsbutchers.co.uk/specpies.jpg

:yum:

[Naomi4Christ]

rofl...umm yea...yuck indeed!

But what's in hotdogs, burgers and other US processed foods?

There's nowt that gets wasted, you know :)

[Ebor]

Chesapeake Bay crab feasts, covered in Old Bay seasoning and dipped in melted butter. It's a whole afternnon of eating and socializing at the beach/shore- It's wonderful:)!

Well, you beat me to the mention of the Crab Feast, but here in Maryland, I haven't seen anyone (my in-laws for example) dipping the crab in butter.

You spread the table (preferably outside) with lots of paper/newspapers etc. Then someone dumps a lot of crabs that have been steamed with Old Bay Seasoning (Accept no substitutes. It's great) in the middle. Now a kind of dining Marine Biology 101 comes into play. Some people (like one sister-in-law) only need a table knife to get at the crab meat. Other people use the Sacred Maryland Crab Mallets to break in.

Traditional accompaniments are corn on the cob, various salads (cole slaw, potato salad etc) beer and soda, watermelon.

Caution is needed as the crab shells have lots of little spines and sharp bits. The little nicks on your hands combined with the Old Bay can sting.

Not being a native Marylander, I view all this with an air of puzzlement and thing about beef bbq and pie (Montana is a big place for pie.)

Ebor

[junegillam]

Near my home is held the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival; I've never gone to it but each year I read and get a negative rush from "garlic ice cream" served there--one day I need to go taste it.

http://www.gilroygarlicfestival.com/

jg

[HandmaidenOfGod]

I thought maybe you could have mentioned lobster, steamers etc.

Nah, I'm from New Jersey. Lobster, steamers, all that, that's in New England, a bit north of me. (Although we do get it imported down here.) I know, to someone from outside the states it may seem all the same, but believe me, there is a difference in culture and cuisine.

New Jersey has more of a New York City influence which includes the world's greatest pizza and tons of good Italian-American food. :yum:

Okay, I'm getting hungry now...


P.S. Regarding the pink pom-pom's yeah, they sell them up here too, but they still call them Sno Balls. Figure that one out! ^_^

[karen freeinchristman]

P.S. Regarding the pink pom-pom's yeah, they sell them up here too, but they still call them Sno Balls. Figure that one out! ^_^

Pink sno-balls are better than yellow sno-balls... :sorry:

[TomUK]

Pink sno-balls are better than yellow sno-balls... :sorry:

:eek: Karen! I wouldn't expect that sort of thing from you!




:D

[HandmaidenOfGod]

Pink sno-balls are better than yellow sno-balls... :sorry:

^_^

[karen freeinchristman]

:eek: Karen! I wouldn't expect that sort of thing from you!


:blush:

[longhair75]

I ate tongue when I was growing up and loved it, but DH won't have it. We were served tongue in Switzerland, complete with tastebuds, and that put DH off for life before he even started.


many years ago, when jobs were very scarce, i spent a year working in a slaughter house running the tongue saw.

it is amazing what you will do if you really need the money....

[higgs2]

Rocky Mountain Oysters.

That's all I'm gonna say about that.

[svdbygrace]

Rocky Mountain Oysters.

That's all I'm gonna say about that.

:sick: ewww... is all I can say about that. I saw a television program on the Discovery channel about weird foods. :eek: :sick:

[Tomoz]

I saw a television program on the Discovery channel about weird foods. :eek: :sick:

Yeah I saw something like that on TV - one segment spoke about how some small groups of Indian christians eat cow foetus!!!:yum:
Apparently, because they are quite a minority there (and the hindu majority, of course, would never eat it), it serves as a real bonding experience :sick:

[artrx]

Rocky Mountain Oysters.

That's all I'm gonna say about that.

They are popular in Bolivia and Argentina as well, a manly dish....;)

[Finella]

I'm in the Philly area, so you've got your traditional Cheesesteak:
http://robbloom.com/popculture/images/cheesesteak.jpg

But I also lived in Lancaster, PA for a while, and there you can get Whoopie Pies:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/WhoopiePieLarge.jpg

and Scrapple:

http://www.countrystore.cc/images/scrapple-b.jpg

and Lebanon balonga:
http://www.stoltzfusmeats.com/pics/9.jpg

mmmm... getting hungry.

[Naomi4Christ]

Nah, I'm from New Jersey. Lobster, steamers, all that, that's in New England, a bit north of me. (Although we do get it imported down here.) I know, to someone from outside the states it may seem all the same, but believe me, there is a difference in culture and cuisine.

You did say the north-east...

[higgs2]

They are popular in Bolivia and Argentina as well, a manly dish....;)

:D

[Inside Edge]

When I lived around Philly, I thought scrapple was pretty nasty. After my time living around Philly was through, I still thought scrapple was pretty nasty!

It's not local to where I live now, but as brought down through my Italian family, Christmas Eve dinner features eel.

[Simon_Templar]

I'm from wisconsin, but my mother's family are all norwegian and they have an old traditional dish called Krube (not sure of the spelling so I spelled it phoneticly) but basicly is blood baked in a pan, seasoned and cut into peices. I'm thinking that one would not have gone over well with the Apostles :)

[Finella]

When I lived around Philly, I thought scrapple was pretty nasty. After my time living around Philly was through, I still thought scrapple was pretty nasty!
When I was a kid, my mom enthusiastically introduced me to scrapple, with warm memories of her childhood (she grew up in Amish country). After the first bite as an adult, however, she refused to eat anymore. I recall not being very impressed with it at the time, either. I've heard you have to cook it right to get the crispy texture on the outside, but to me it's just a loaf of fried ground up miscellaneous meat. :)

It's not local to where I live now, but as brought down through my Italian family, Christmas Eve dinner features eel.
Does that have anything to do with the seven fish dinner? South Philly fish markets apparently do rockin' buisiness for their Italian Catholic customers making that traditional meal for Christmas.

[Inside Edge]

Does that have anything to do with the seven fish dinner? South Philly fish markets apparently do rockin' buisiness for their Italian Catholic customers making that traditional meal for Christmas.
Yes. I spent many a winter freezing my *** off shopping at the fish market with my Dad, in preparation for Christmas Eve. :)

[erin74]

Well the other aussies mentioned Vegemite which is probably the most enjoyed oddity of australia - along with the tim tams. Definitely worth trying!

What they didn't mention is that, I think, we are the only nation to eat both the animals on our coat of arms!!!

That's right both kangaroo and emu are on menus around our country. Most supermarkets sell kangaroo.

I'm not really into 'gamey' foods, so I'll stick to the normal fare.

[Greg the byzantine]

Over here octopus is a 'delicacy' which I don't touch.
Oh that's the best, octopus grilled and then topped with a squeeze of lemon :yum:

Other strange cypriot delicacies include:

vakla- the fat from the back side of a lamb grilled on a skewer

pickled capers- no we are not talking about the caper flowers you buy in the market, we are talking about the caper plant with thorns and all.

eggplant spoon sweets- yup thats right little eggplants cooked in a ton of sugar

[SirTimothy]

Yep. But don't forget the delicious fried sweet dumplings. Had them again last night (at the Κατακλισμος celebration).... WOW!

Timothy

[DeoJuvante]

Well the other aussies mentioned Vegemite which is probably the most enjoyed oddity of australia - along with the tim tams. Definitely worth trying!

What they didn't mention is that, I think, we are the only nation to eat both the animals on our coat of arms!!!

That's right both kangaroo and emu are on menus around our country. Most supermarkets sell kangaroo.

I'm not really into 'gamey' foods, so I'll stick to the normal fare.
True, but on the other hand, most Australians are too wimpy to try kangaroo (and it's usually overcooked) and emu is not exactly easy to get.

[Lel]

You know, I can't think of much around here. Maybe prickly pear margaritas, cactus honey, and menudo or something like that.

As for those of you who don't know non-Aussies who like vegemite, I cordially invite you to gaze at my avatar. :P

PS: Vegemite and Old Bay are sure expensive here. Bah!

[boppysbud]

Around here we have a "delicacy" that is prepared by Hispanics called Menudo. It is a stew made of cow stomach and chile peppers.

Menudo the breakfast of champions is reputed to be a sure fire cure for hangovers.

[karen freeinchristman]

Around here we have a "delicacy" that is prepared by Hispanics called Menudo. It is a stew made of cow stomach and chile peppers.

Menudo the breakfast of champions is reputed to be a sure fire cure for hangovers.

Hey, boppysbud, welcome to Christian Forums, and to the Anglican bit of it! :wave:

[Lel]

Around here we have a "delicacy" that is prepared by Hispanics called Menudo. It is a stew made of cow stomach and chile peppers.

Menudo the breakfast of champions is reputed to be a sure fire cure for hangovers.

I still can't stomach (ha ha) menudo, but there are always signs for it being sold Saturday & Sunday.

[Greg the byzantine]

Yep. But don't forget the delicious fried sweet dumplings. Had them again last night (at the ??????????? celebration).... WOW!

Timothy
xerotigena sometimes called loukoumades. I had some liast night at our church's festival :yum:

[Naomi4Christ]

Yep. But don't forget the delicious fried sweet dumplings. Had them again last night (at the Κατακλισμος celebration).... WOW!

Timothy

Are these anything like the Glasgow delicacy of deep-fried Mars Bars? ;)

[erin74]

I thought that was a Bondi Beach delicacy...

But I have heard of an english pub that deepfries pretty much anything... at least I think it was english...

[Greg the byzantine]

Are these anything like the Glasgow delicacy of deep-fried Mars Bars? ;)
No :D . To compare they are very much like Italian Zeppolis (sp?)
Pieces of dough fried and then smothered in syrup(sometimes flavored with rose or orange) and sprinkled with cinnamon.

[SirTimothy]

Are these anything like the Glasgow delicacy of deep-fried Mars Bars?

We're still trying to get that delicacy over here. They don't use normal batter for fish over here though so it's proving tough..

[Naomi4Christ]

We're still trying to get that delicacy over here. They don't use normal batter for fish over here though so it's proving tough..

Someone of your culinary skills can make their own!

I've never actually had a deep-fried Mars Bar, but wouldn't object. Nigella has a recipe for deep-fried Bounty Bars, which do sound rather yummy.

[Ebor]

Are these anything like the Glasgow delicacy of deep-fried Mars Bars? ;)

My word! That sounds thunderingly rich. Scary

:D

Ebor

[Mary of Bethany]

Anyone ever had "sugar toast"? My great-aunt used to make it by buttering and sugaring both sides of the bread and browning it in the skillet, then sprinking it with cinnamon. I've never known anyone else that made it.

For a kid, it was heaven. :yum:

Mary