Share a unique/ exotic local dish you have ever tried!

[YanniY]

Ok, I must admit, while food is the love of my life, I am not very adventurous with them. Most people would say ignorance is bliss but I need to know what is inside my food first before I tuck in. 

What about you? Is there a local and/or exotic food that is unique to where you stay/ visited and would like to introduce to other Local Guides? Whether you like/ dislike it, I would love to learn more about it and so would other Local Guides as well! Share the name of the country and how the dish tastes like - see format below. 

Country: Singapore

Food: "Kway Chap" a dish the contains a mixture of pig innards, pig skin, hard-boiled eggs, pork belly, tofu, fishcake, etc. It is a commonly eaten cuisine in Singapore and I eat it occassionally when if I am feeling adventurous. This dish is always accompanied by a bowl of broad rice sheets in soup which is super delicious.

How it tastes: The dish is braised in a dark sauce and is masterfully seasoned and cooked. So while I normally skip the innards (not a fan!), I would go for the pork belly, eggs and fishcakes. It is a really satisfying dish that I love and "hate" at the same time. Would you be keen to try it?

[iyudhi]

I almost tried the live octopus in Seoul, but didn't have the courage, so I guess I'll post something else 😛

This is soondae. It's basically pig intestines stuffed with cellophane noodles. They might use the blood as well, but not too sure. This one is also mixed with livers (I think..). Seriously, it's probably better not knowing what it's made of...

I personally like it, but I can see how some people would get turned off by it. It's more of an acquired taste I guess. It's even served with a healthy dose of MSG on the side 😉

Anyway, this is one of the most popular street snack in Korea, and you can find it at most street food stalls everywhere. 

Edit:

Another variant is called soondae bokkum. It's basically the same thing stir fried with gochujang (chili pepper sauce) and veggies. Spicy and refreshing!

 

[MikeB]

That reminds me of frog tounge, my favorite thing

[LuisRG]

So here's my weird thing... I've tried cod shirako in Tokio, at RyuGin, a 3 Michelin star restaurant by acclaimed chef Yamamoto Seiji. And maybe some of you will wonder... "What is shirako?"

Shirako is the milt or sperm sacs of the fish, so you eat the seminal fluid that contains the sperm. I know, gross. But is a delicacy in Japan and really, really expensive. This was just a dish on a multi-course tasting menu. And the strange thing was that it was delicious. Really soft and creamy 🙂

[YanniY]

@iyudhi I can't even...  But if this is a dare, I might just eat it! LOL

P/S: The tteokbokki in the background looks great. 

[YanniY]

@LuisRG I have heard of that but never had a friend who ate it. Sounds like an amazing experience. 

[YanniY]

@MikeB Show a picture! Wouldn't the shop have to serve a lot of tongues since it is not that big? 

[LuisRG]

It was an amazing experience @YanniY, but not just this one course, but the whole menu (and I photographed everything :D)

[GregW]

Oh boy,  where do I start? 

Growing up in New Zealand, every kind of shellfish,  preferably raw and straight out of the ocean. Raw fish is good but unlike the shellfish you usually have to kill them first because they are too hard to eat if they are still moving. The only thing I don't like is sea urchin. 

While living in Australia, kangaroo and crocodile. 

While living in SE Asia the last few years,  rat, cat, bat, snake,  dog, various intestines various ways, lots of different insects,  grasshoppers I'm not a fan of but fried bamboo grubs (look like maggots) I could eat by the handful, ant eggs (which are really difficult to crack into the frying pan) and bee larvae. 

Travelling in the US,  the Denny's grand slam breakfast and the casino buffets in Vegas. 

Travelling in the UK,  the full English breakfast,  one of the greatest meals ever invented. 

Sorry,  no photos of any of them,  hands too busy eating to take photos. 🙂 

[iyudhi]

@YanniY It tastes better than it look 😛

@LuisRG I've always heard about the fish sperm. Gotta try it next time I'm in Japan!