Not For The Squeamish: Delicacies Quiz

Answer: Fried Tarantulas

Probably originating during the Khmer Rouge reign, when people were starving and ate what they could to survive, this dish was cheap and became quite popular. Pan-fried with garlic and salt, these critters are sold on the streets as snacks. Yum Yum.
Remember insects have six legs and arachnids {spiders, mites, scorpions, etc} have eight.

Answer: Civet Coffee

Also known locally as 'Kopi Luwak', the process is to feed the coffee beans to a civet {a small feral cat}, run them through, sift them out when they are passed, grind them and make a tasty cuppa. Apparently the acids and enzymes in the animals digestive tract enhance the flavor. I knew you'd like it. We should buy a pound to take home. Oops, it costs anywhere from $120 to $300 a pound!

Answer: A partially formed chicken embryo

Well, what would you expect in an egg? These fertilized eggs are boiled a day or so prior to hatching {there are inaccuracies}, so the first taste you get is a bit of yolk and then you can crunch up the tiny chicken or duck. Feeling queasy? Let us venture north then.

Answer: Puffin heart

There are plenty of Puffins. The heart is eaten first, warm from the bird and then the rest of the bird is smoked or grilled. I thought you were hungry! Perhaps 'Hakari', rancid shark meat, would be a better choice; we can dig one up that's been putrefying for six to twelve weeks. No? Well, Sweden's not far; maybe you'll find something you like there.

Answer: Fermented herring

Relax, it's just fermented Baltic herring, that is herring that were about to spawn and have been fermenting for one or two months. Many stores and airlines do not allow this treat aboard in cans because the cans sometimes burst from the fermenting process, and it makes an awful mess. What, still not hungry? You've lost weight. I think you need a stiff drink!

Answer: Snake wine

It's plain old snake wine. Of course, it has to be a venomous snake, with its belly pierced to allow the poison out - the wine or liquor it's been in for one to two years has rendered it harmless. Foul, but harmless. Source: personal experience, catching three pygmy rattlers from our backyard in Florida, to give to my employer who was originally from Canton, China.

He kept them in a large bottle of gin for two years. When he finally deemed the medicine to be ready he offered me the first drink. Quickly backing away from the smell, I told him my arthritis would NEVER be that bad! He wouldn't even drink it himself.

Answer: Maggot cheese

The cheese is usually Romano and is left out to encourage flies to lay eggs on it. Once ready, it should be eaten while the maggots are still alive and squirming; otherwise it could be toxic. Awfully picky, aren't you! Some soup will perk you up!

Answer: Swift's nests

Swifts 'glue' their nests together with their saliva, which is what gives the soup its great taste, which is a bit gluttinous and rubbery. The danger is in collecting the nests as they are usually on steep and treacherous cliffs. Not your cup of tea? Well there are Beetles, Horseshoe Crab Roe or Rotten Soybeans?

Answer: Live octopus tentacles

This is prepared in front of the customer. The tentacles are cut off small live octupi and sliced into morsels. The suckers are still able to adhere to your gums, tongue, throat,etc. if given a chance, often causing choking. So, eat one at a time and chew well, my friend. Otherwise YOU could become fish food.

Answer: Durian

Durian is the King - tastes like heaven and smells like hell! It is hardly ever exported because of its stench contaminating other cargo. Mangosteen - "The Queen of Fruits" - has a dark maroon hard shell inside of which are tangerine type segments of fruit - and it's delicious! Rambutan is an apple sized, oddly shaped and very colorful fruit, but has little taste, almost like Starfruit. Loquat is a fruit resembling Kumquat or Longan, but is far tastier and a real pleasure to eat. Nothing like fruit off the vine/tree/bush to cleanse the palate. You look better already. Good thing we didn't go down to South Africa for the live Monkey Brain treat!
Source: personal experience with European, Central American and several Asian cuisines and stories my Danish sailor cousins told me from when they went all over the world. Also www.bootsnall.com; ibtimes.com/delicacies; philadelphiarestaurants.com
www.sessions.com, where you can see pictures of some of these foods, but be advised that the site is loaded with graphic nudity and suggestive trailers. Danger, Will Robinson, do NOT let your kids in there. In fact, unless it pleases you to see pictures of the above foods, I'd avoid the site entirely.