...but I love eating meat! That horse meat thread the other day reminded me of some horse prosciutto I once tried - delicious!
I must say my favourite is kangaroo or wallaby. I have also enjoyed venison, elk (älg in Sweden, more like a moose), crocodile, emu, ostrich, goat and the usual farm animals. But you know what, I'm really squeamish when it comes to poultry and sea creatures (fish excepted, I LOVE sushi).
I am not adventurous really, I definitely wouldn't try fried tarantula like on Survivor, that is truly too gross.

What unusual animals have you eaten and enjoyed and would recommend?

charlottegelin said:

its a night id rather forget .....

Christopher said:

sounds interesting?

charlottegelin said:

One time a mosquito flew in my mouth and I swallowed it by accident.

charlottegelin said:

now that sounds interesting...please describe

Hare is too strong. Rabbit's better but very fatty.

Damn - floppy-eared animals are crap for eating.

Elk is probably the most delicious meat I've eaten.

Kangaroo and Ostrich are two 'exotic' meats I love and eat quite often.

Buffalo is also a favourite (and of all the red meats it's the best for you cos it has no fat) but it's really hard to cook properly without turning it into shoe leather.

I have tried frogs legs, veal, and foix gras (once each).
They were all delicious but I won't be trying them again for obvious reasons.

The closest I've ever come to turning vegggie was when I once cooked quails, I was lining the poor little fuckers up on a tray, they looked so sad and pathetic, I really felt like a cruel bastard. They were delicious though.

When I was in Denver I fell in love with mesquite flavoured beef jerky. It's impossible to get jerky in this country, I'd make my own if I had a smoke room.

I guess the strangest meat I've tried is crocodile, it was quite nice but it's a bit too ordinary tasting and too expensive to bother with.

I guess I would consider myself fairly adventurous when it comes to trying new foods, but I'm with you on the fried tarantula, I'd want to be really hungry (or looking for publicity) to go for that. Although, I'd quite happily skewer me some tasty rat if I had to.

AsylumUtopia said:

Yeah, i was a bit disappointed with crocodile.

Can't beat some good old fashioned British Bangers, anyway. Though the most tasty animal/fish i've ever eaten was Eel in a sushi restaurant in China. Outrageously expensive, but it was just

now you KNOW i had to click on this one!

enjoy - who am i to tell you what to eat?! but if and when you're ready to make some changes, i'll be happy to help in any way i can!

Escargot and Frog's legs. These are Really Delicious ya wouldn't believe.

IAmTheTouch said:

Actually, i have to admit that i regularly eat vegetarian-equivalents of some products, just because - well, i think they taste nicer. Like the Southern-fried Quorn burgers and nuggets. They are fucking lovely.

Zelaira said:

TheFrog said:

Yeah, Quorn puts out some good products.

And well they're French also.French Food was Once My Favorite....I still love me a good ole Fondue.
[This message was edited Thu May 13 2:32:18 2004 by Zelaira]

Zelaira said:

so you've switched to Swiss food then? good choice!

AsylumUtopia said:

I won't try quail after seeing Eraserhead!!!!!

My husband said his family used to have to eat the frogs and pigeons he caught out of necessity (back in Argentina in the 70s). So for old times he brought home some frogs and I'd heartily agreed to eat them, until I saw the little legs, they looked like little people legs and I couldn't go through with it! He likes all those sea things, I try to like prawns, crabs and lobsters and everytime I try them I just can't, so much work to get at it and so much mess. I do like abalone though, yum!

My granny cooks up a mean bit of elk. She lets the hunters on her property one day a year when it's hunting season and they always give her half of one, and she goes nuts cutting it up, mincing it, putting it in the deep freeze. Elk meat balls - so yummy!

Horse prosciutto, Christopher, like the regular kind but bigger, came in a packet in the supermarket, very tasty, really thinly sliced, divine aroma - I read people said horsemeat smelled bad, but as prosciutto it didn't. Elk prosciutto is nice too, come to think of it. I am drooling...

TheFrog said:

Eel is something I haven't tried, I must admit I've been put off trying it by looking at the English version, jellied eels just ain't food.

British Bangers! Yeuch! Pale oblongs of fat and sawdust that grow pustules and scabs when you cook them. Not for me, anyway. I like my meat to come from animals, not a rendering machine and factory floors. You are aware of the actual meat content of the average British banger, aren't you ?

There's a local deli/butcher here that advertises rabbit. I've been going in periodically over the last two years asking for some, but they always tell me that the guy they get them from hasn't been out hunting. I'm wondering if I should borrow his gun cos there's tons of them running around the fields where I live. Maybe if I'm quick enough I can whack a couple of them with a shovel or something. It's daft, the fields are full of rabbits and yet you can't buy them in a shop. I asked in Tesco once and was told there's no demand for them - a response which always really fucks me off - Well, I'm asking for them, asshole, there's your demand.

As for meat substitutes - I agree the Quorn range is very good. I always use Quorn mince instead of the real thing if I'm making chile or bolognaise. I used to use TVP but the texture of quorn mince is better.
I used to buy these non-meat hot dogs, can't remember who made them now, and haven't seen them for ages, they were delicious - far nicer than the meat ones.

charlottegelin said

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that!
Yep, just cut 'em up like regular chickens!

AsylumUtopia said:

I ought to declare an interest here. My brother manages a shop which specialises in pork pies and pork sausages. And i've worked there, and I know the quality of the pork used for their sausages. Though they are damn expensive. I agree - you buy some regular supermarket sausages and you're getting scrotum and gristle. But if you buy organic, decent sausages they can be outstanding, honestly. Full of herbs and flavours. Damn, i'm hungry.

Oh, i totally agree about jellied eels They are just

Zelaira said:

escargot ?

PEJ said:

They don't really have any taste. It's all in the sauce.

AsylumUtopia said:

eel is quite delicious. i had some at a japanese resturant once and i've had it in sushi a few times and i have to say that eel is my favorite seafood. It's sort of like lamb and duck, very rich and only for special occasions.

Ive tried ostrich before,... its kinda tough

JasmineFire said:

Well, next time I'm in a japanese restaurant or sushi bar I might consider it. But if you've ever had the British version of jellied eels, considered by some crazy people to be a 'delicacy', you'd understand my aversion to it. Just looking at it makes my stomach feels delicate.

ella731 said:

It must've been overcooked.
Ostrich should be fairly tender, about the same as a medium cooked steak.

AsylumUtopia said:

the british version of any kind of food is usually bad. sorry for being so stereotypical but that's been my experience with british food.

fine, i know when i'm not wanted...i'm gonna go sit in corner and eat tofu worms...

JasmineFire said:

You need to get a steak and kidney pudding down you, fast.

Anxiety said:

tofu worms!!

IAmTheTouch said:

tofu smoothies are better.