Jason King
AmyHuangOne of the Most Hideous Meals I Have Heard Of
July 29th 2010 08:54
OK - this just makes me sick. I do love searching for hideous foods that I can put on Sydney Table to make you all squirm but this one takes the cake on many levels.
The worst meal I ever cooked was a squid ink pasta, I spent 5hrs trying to find squid ink and in the end a fish monger milked some squid for me - I had never made squid ink pasta before so kind of got my measurements from another planet. Everything was so disgusting at this dinner party I cooked I threw the whole thing out in front of the guests and paid for pizzas to be delivered. You win some and you lose some.
The worst food I have ever eaten is Lambs Brains - my mum used to cook this stuff as she loved it, and apparently I loved it before I could talk and protest about it. Whenever mum cooks this I have to leave the house for the day as I just vomit at the smell of it.
But both of these look like a yummy chocolate dish compared to:
BALUT
A balut is a fertilized duck (or chicken) egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell.
Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack, balut are mostly sold by street vendors in the regions where they are available. It is commonly sold as streetfood in the Philippines. They are common, everyday food in some other countries in Southeast Asia, such as in Laos (where it is called Khai Luk), Cambodia (Pong tea khon in Cambodian), and Vietnam. They are often served with beer.
This is a quote I read from someone else who had seen them when travelling:
Read more: Really Long Link
I would like mine served with a game of Russian Roulette. I know it is a delicacy in some countries but please this is not for me. Would these countries think it hideous we eat both the animals on our national emblem?
And what is your most hated food that you have cooked and/ or eaten?
Bon apetite
The worst meal I ever cooked was a squid ink pasta, I spent 5hrs trying to find squid ink and in the end a fish monger milked some squid for me - I had never made squid ink pasta before so kind of got my measurements from another planet. Everything was so disgusting at this dinner party I cooked I threw the whole thing out in front of the guests and paid for pizzas to be delivered. You win some and you lose some.
The worst food I have ever eaten is Lambs Brains - my mum used to cook this stuff as she loved it, and apparently I loved it before I could talk and protest about it. Whenever mum cooks this I have to leave the house for the day as I just vomit at the smell of it.
But both of these look like a yummy chocolate dish compared to:
BALUT
A balut is a fertilized duck (or chicken) egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell.
Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack, balut are mostly sold by street vendors in the regions where they are available. It is commonly sold as streetfood in the Philippines. They are common, everyday food in some other countries in Southeast Asia, such as in Laos (where it is called Khai Luk), Cambodia (Pong tea khon in Cambodian), and Vietnam. They are often served with beer.
This is a quote I read from someone else who had seen them when travelling:
They are enjoyed in Cambodia, Philippines and the fifth and seventh levels of hell. They are typically sold by street vendors at night, out of buckets of warm sand. You can spot the vendors because of their glowing red eyes, and the faint, otherworldly sound of children screaming.
Read more: Really Long Link
I would like mine served with a game of Russian Roulette. I know it is a delicacy in some countries but please this is not for me. Would these countries think it hideous we eat both the animals on our national emblem?
And what is your most hated food that you have cooked and/ or eaten?
Bon apetite
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Comment by Andy Tope
Bagman's Gazette
I've also had lamb's brains, livers, a bag of grasshoppers, frogs legs, a kangaroo tail with the skin on thrown straight into the fire, but I don't know if I could do this.
Interesting custom! Doesn't appear appetising to me in the slightest.
Shame about the squid pasta, at least you had a go!
Comment by K @ the Lair
Comment by AmyHuang
Project Job Search
Travel Debate
Travel String
Love Adventures
Lamb brains I've had deep fried - it wasn't too bad, and frog legs - meh, all pretty tame.
In my opinion sometimes you just have to eat and you'll find that these "disgusting" foods would appear more in less developed countries, because they don't have the luxury of having things processed to look nice..
but then again - monkey brains and the like - eek not even some of the developing countries would go there. I don't agree with things being eaten just because someone says it's good for your genitals.
Comment by Samantha Elley
Food Journo
The Sandwich Shak
Vintage Foodie
Little House among the Canefields
While it was a bit 'meh' on the flavour side, what turned my stomach was the picking those little bits of flesh out of the shells that I see so commonly in the garden.
Suffice to say it wasn't the best Christmas dish I'd ever had.
Sam
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
A friend of mine works for National Geo and they did a section on this food on their Taboo show as something bad to stay away from. It is worng on every level
Andy - have tried frogs legs, eaten plenty of Roo but you can keep the grasshoppers
Mum - no more cooking lamb's brain's - they look just like monkey's brains
Amy - LOL, monkey's brains are good for my genitals? Where do I find some
Sam - ewwwwww, have tried garlic snails in a restaurant but it was a garlic overload, could hardly taste the snails but to pick them out for a Christmas - no thanks, give me ham, turkey and prawns anyday
Have a great day kiddies - am cooking beetroot risotto with goat's cheese and walnuts - NO duck eggs
Comment by Helen Randell
Rough Cooking
Comment by Market Newbie
Gizmo Peek
Stock Market Punk
I've eaten some Balut though, and I'd say they are delicious, just add a little salt. But the "chick" (embryos# in the ones I've eaten weren't as developed as the ones shown in this post. And mind you, they are never presented on the table the way they are presented here. If you see them on the table at all they will have their shell intact. Not even a crack.
You just open them when you are about to eat them.
They are usually peddled at night along with hard boiled eggs called "Penoy". So, you'll hear the peddler shout "Penoy! Balut!" in one breath. You'll have your choice, they are both eggs but one has the embryo.
But there's nothing hideous about it. If you eat Peking Duck in Chinese restaurants when they are fully grown, what is so wrong about eating a duck while it is in early stage of development?
Well, if you still find that idea revolting, you may try eating balut minus the embryo. Just forget about it. That's not what make it so special afterall. Drink the soup inside the eggshell #which taste really good#, get that yellow portion shown in the picture #it's really the best part# and throw all the rest.
Oh, and yeah, Balut is believed to be an aphrodisiac. Lots of cholesterols too!
Comment by Toni Girl
What's Your Story?
Big Day Plunge
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Market Newbie - everything is subjective - that is what makes different cultures just that - different. Very cool to see someone comment though that has actually eaten them. Spins me out completely but like I said some cultures would find Australian's insane for eating both animals on the Australian emblem. The kangaroo and emu - plus we eat withcety grubs
The thing I find disturbing is, while Peking duck has grown up and become a duck, seen the sun, eaten some bugs, the embryo egg never got that far, it was just about to take its first breath in the daylight when BAM -have a quick death in boiling water and then get eaten. It is sad to imagine this. It's like having an abortion a week before birth (that is an extreme example of it). But now you have said it is an aphrodisiac I am an for one
Toni - of course the pic makes it look worse - but look at that pic - would you want that for breakfast?
Anonymous - I don't know whether calling us all pussies is accurate - having a different culture and belief is probably more apt. But totally agree with you about us not knowing what is in half the food we eat here. They all have too many numbers for us to know as opposed to a name. It has been shown that the mixing of certain food colourings in some foods actually leads to A.D.D.
Anyways - ladies and gents it's time for some bacon and eggs for brekkie - YUMMMY. Have a great day!
Comment by Market Newbie
Gizmo Peek
Stock Market Punk
I have not gone to a duck farm, but the way I heard it, thru experience, the farmers developed a way of knowing which ones of the eggs will successfuly grow into a duck ( which they can sell at better prices than eggs or baluts) and only those they "knew" have the slimmest chance of survival and growth and might eventually rot are turned into Balut.
As in, why waste it if you can make a delicacy out of it (eliminate spoilage) and make some bucks?
On the aphrodisiac issue, only thing I can say is...maybe you should give it a try
Dunno of any correlation but we do have a problem on over population.
Here's the caveat: Go easy on it if you have heart conditions.
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
I am relieved that there is some sort of science or way of working out the better and more humane ways to eat and select them.
LOL - to no issues on over population - it could be a hoax to sell more
And maybe one, once, if I am near a balut seller
Comment by Toni Girl
What's Your Story?
Big Day Plunge
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
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Comment by Someone
Evil Pleasures
Random Musings on Life, Love and Everything
Let's Get Down To Business
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
cultural sensitivities aside....
eeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!
and to be fair, let me add an old fave of Anglo Saxons, Celts etc...HAGGIS!!!! EEEEWWWW!!!
And BLOOD PUDDING!!!
EEEEWWWWWW!!!!!!!
Give me sushi and sashimi any day, love it all!!!
cheers
fog
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
YUM sushi
Comment by K @ the Lair
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
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And OMG those fish eyes were hideous - warning to everyone - do not chew on eyes lol
Comment by Anonymous
Nightly DVD Review
Cinema Voyage
Green and Healthy
The Writer's Nook
I had to keep my eyes closed to do it and image I was eating deviled eggs. You know what? It worked.
It was very good. The flavor was similar to a mixture of the best roast duck I had ever eaten and some excellent eggs.
I'm not sure I could ever do it again. I think next time, I would just eat Balut Pinoy (duck egg without the chick). But I promised my wife I would try it, and I kept my word.
It was good, but, I still can't believe I did it.
Now, I have to get her to eat a SALAD. HAHAHA. In my wife's culture, many people find it disgusting to eat raw vegetables. Go figure, huh?
I know I mentioned Durian to you before. I'll put it this way. I recently watched a TV program here on a channel called The Food Network. There is a man on a show there that goes all over the world trying local foods and giving his opinion.
I have watched him eat live bugs. Catterpillars. Baked spiders and MANY other exotic dishes without so much as twisting his mouth funny.
In one recent episode, he went to Davao in Mindanao to eat their Durian. (Supposedly the best in the Philippines)
He said this: "That is the worst tasting thing I have ever eaten to date."
He could not finish.
On the same episode, he ate Balut.
He ate 4 and asked for more.
(He's braver than I am. One was more than enough to last me a lifetime.)
Take care.
Mike
BTW, did you get to try the Sweet Potato Cassarole yet?
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
WOW about the Durian - I commented back to you on the article. I think I may skip it - although I will have to try it once - and what a goose on the food network eating 4 Balut - it is meant to be one of the highest cholesterol foods in existence - his arteries shrank a bit that day lol.
I am going for either Wed or Fri as the night to make the casserole as I have people coming over then - I will keep you posted.
Good luck with the salad lol