Have you ever tried an 'unusual' food?
By Scindhia H
@Scindhia (1906)
India
April 12, 2016 5:58am CST
In Tamil Nadu, the goat and chicken have a special place in chettinad cuisine. What really surprises me is that they don't waste any part of the goat. In a traditional restaurant, every part of the goat would have been converted into a recipe and priced separately starting from the brain to the hooves. Two such famous dishes are 'aatu kal paaya' and 'Ratha poriyal'.
The first recipe is made of goat's leg. The goat's leg has a lot of hair. So it is burnt first and then cleaned thoroughly. Then a gravy type dish is made with it. The recipe is rich in calcium.
The second recipe is goat's blood. I don't know the actual recipe, but it has something to do with reducing the blood to thicken on a slow flame. The end product looks a bit like scrambled eggs. I have many friends who relish these recipes and prepare this at home too. For me, it looks a bit extreme.
Food is a highly subjective topic and what works for one might not work for another. I have heard that the north-east part of India has a variety of unusual recipes like frog's leg soup, red ant chutney and snail chutney as they are not something we regularly hear of in my part of the country.
Have you felt any food was 'unusual' or too extreme for your tastes?
Image Credit: Kitchentantra
20 people like this
17 responses
I know. Give me a list of your favorite bizarre foods.
. Honestly I can't try these dishes for sure
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
12 Apr 16
Really the most unusual food I have tried over here is buffalo meat. Thats as far as it goes here for me.
Not anything too unusual really.
2 people like this
@Scindhia (1906)
• India
14 Apr 16
I have heard of goat's brain, but pig's brain is new to me. Did it have any special nutrients that convinced your father?
@antonbunot (11093)
• Calgary, Alberta
13 Apr 16
O, I did! It is not that unusual but it was not the usual foods we eat in the Philippines and here in Canada. It is called goat curry and fried rice. O, I love it!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247183)
• United States
15 Apr 16
I am still thinking about visiting India. I'm not so sure now! Lol! I can't eat frogs legs or rabbit, but did have rabbit in a meal, along with alligator. They tasted like chicken. However, I tried blood pudding, yuck, but loved haggis. Go figure. I also gagged on turtle soup.
1 person likes this
@saurabhrmp (2283)
• Hyderabad, India
14 Apr 16
As I am a vegetarian, so I never tried unusual food until unless I am more then 100% sure about that item to be vegetarian.
1 person likes this
@saurabhrmp (2283)
• Hyderabad, India
14 Apr 16
@Scindhia ; That is because we are restricted to eat. Over that I belongs to Jain religion, where we are very cautious about Food.
1 person likes this
@rina110383 (24492)
•
12 Apr 16
Yes, I've tried some street food here in my country that are considered as unusual for some. We also eat goat here in my country.
1 person likes this
@rina110383 (24492)
•
13 Apr 16
@Scindhia Grilled chicken blood, chicken feet, three-week-old fertilized duck embryo or "balut", pork/chicken intestines, chicken head and pig ears are just of the street food here.
1 person likes this
@just4him (318962)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
18 Apr 16
I don't often go out of my comfort zone when it comes to food.
@CRK109 (14556)
• United States
29 Apr 16
When I was younger, I didn't mind trying different kinds of foods. These days I stick with what I enjoy, which is mostly fruit and vegetables. They keep me healthy and make me happy. :)
