Strange Eats

11/17/2010 Strange Eats Xian Shi

Street Food Spotlight: Xi’an’s Islamic Street

To many people, it’s surprising to find out that China isn’t a country full of just one ethnicity. In fact, China is home to 55 different ethnic minorities and actually has a significant Muslim population. A big part of that population is the Uyghur (pronounced wee-gur) people, who mainly reside in Xinjiang, a western province that borders Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Kygyzstan and Afghanistan. But Chinese Muslims can be found all over the country and in major cities like Xi’an in Shaanxi Province. While the Terracotta Warriors are surely the biggest draw to Xi’an, the city also has China’s biggest mosque, which looks like any other temple in China except for the Arabic writing. Xi’an also boasts some delicious Muslim food.

Asia Beiyuanmen Islamic Street China Chinese Halal Muslim Shaanxi Travel Uyghur Xi'an

11/15/2010 Strange Eats

Street Food Spotlight: Xi’an Skewer Sandwich

After Shanghai, we headed to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Warriors. We landed at night and although it was pretty late, I was a hungry unvegan. I remembered Xi’an having some great late-night street food, but after four years so much had changed in China and I hoped this was not one of them. I took a quick stroll just south of the Bell Tower and found just what I was looking for. While Shanghai had some good street skewer food (none of which I actually had on this trip), it was nothing compared to what could be found in Xi’an.

Asia China Chinese Late-Night Meat Sandwiches Skewers Strange Eats Street Food Travel Xi'an

11/11/2010 Strange Eats

Street Food Spotlight: Chou Doufu

Just what is chou doufu (pronounced cho dough-foo)? If you don’t know Mandarin, you might think it sounds pleasant. The words roll off the tongue pretty cleanly and it sounds like it could be some sort of doughy deliciousness. Like a doughnut or something. But if you know Mandarin, then you know the true meaning of the words and they are nothing at all like a doughnut. Chou doufu means, quite literally, stinky tofu. And the name is certainly appropriate. As with much of the rest of Chinese cuisine, chou doufu comes in many forms, but the form I know best can be found on the street.

Asia China Chinese Chou Doufu Shanghai Stinky Tofu Strange Eats Street Food Travel Yu Garden

11/9/2010 Strange Eats China

Street Food Spotlight: Cong You Bing

In my experience, I’ve learned that some of the best food in the world can be found on the street. No, not literally on the street (although the 10 second rule certainly applies for some of this food), but food that is sold on the street rather than from some brick and mortar building. A major part of the allure is the tracking down of the street food. There’s no address, so you really just have to stumble upon it. Plus, since it’s mobile and there are no hours, there’s no guarantee the food will be there again the next time you look for it. The biggest part of the allure, though, is the taste. It takes someone with an iron will to seek out this kind of food, but when you find something great, the payoff is huge.

Asia China Chinese Huangpu Shanghai Strange Eats Street Food The Bund Travel

1/4/2010 Strange Eats

Strange Meats: Bife de Lomo

Couldn't just bring the whole cow? — Couldn’t just bring the whole cow?

If you live in Argentina, Bife de Lomo isn’t exactly a strange meat, but anyone traveling there from the US is bound to find this cut of beef strange. No, it isn’t from some strange part of the cow, and is in fact essentially the same as a Filet Mignon, but this Argentinian beef should never be confused with the typical Filet Mignon. Weighing in at at least 12 ounces, this beef simply melts in your mouth, saving you all the annoying time associated with chewing and allows you to get more meat in your mouth faster.

Argentina Beef Bife de Lomo Buenos Aires Filet Mignon Happening Puerto Madero South America Strange Eats

12/7/2009 Strange Eats

Strange Meats: Patagonian Lamb

A little stretch before eating at Don Pichon.

The Asado beef of Argentina is world renowned and delicious because of the fertile lands of The Pampas. Yet, when you begin to head south towards the end of the world, beef takes a backseat to lamb. In the land of Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia, Patagonian Lamb reigns supreme.

Argentina Asado Chile Don Pichon El Calafate Hotel Rio Serrano La Tablita Lamb Chops Mutton Pampas Patagonia Patagonian Lamb Restaurants Strange Eats Tierra del Fuego Torres del Paines

11/5/2009 Strange Eats

Strange Meats: Mongolian Mutton

They have no idea what's coming. — They have no idea what’s coming.

Some of you may be wondering where I got that amazing picture of a sheep in the back of a car. The answer lies in this entry.

Now, mutton isn’t inherently a strange meat. Lamb chops, lamb gyros and lamb meatballs can be found all over the USA. It’s most definitely one of the top meats consumed in the USA, but the mutton I ate in the far east wasn’t normal by any means.

My day in Inner Mongolia, China, began just as any other. My Chinese friend was cracking jokes as he always does, but this time he made a joke about how we Americans would be catching our own dinner that night. This was a scary thought, but as we embarked on our journey for the day, I forgot about it while lost in thought in the Inner Mongolian countryside. Now and then, we would pass flocks of sheep, walking around and eating everything they could see. Then, we stopped at one of the flocks.

“It’s time,” my friend said.

Asia BBQ China Inner Mongolia Lamb Mongolian BBQ Mutton Sheep Strange Eats Travel

10/7/2009 Strange Eats Japan

Strange Meats: Kobe Beef

Kobe Beef is a world renowned form of meat that seems to have taken upon mythical status. It is exotic, yet signs for Kobe beef can be found everywhere. Technically speaking, most of the “Kobe Beef” outside of Japan isn’t really Kobe beef at all. The correct term for this is Kobe-style beef, which employs similar concepts but isn’t quite the same. Many restaurants just say Kobe beef because no one really knows the difference and to tell customers the difference would scare off potential buyers. True Kobe beef is only made in the Hyogo prefecture in Japan, which the city of Kobe is the capital of.

The best way to get real Kobe beef is to go straight to the source, Kobe, Japan. I was lucky enough to find myself in Kobe one day, so I didn’t have to add a thousand dollar plane ticket onto what would already be the most expensive steak of my life.

Japan Kobe Kobe Beef Meat Steak Strange Eats Teppanyaki Travel

7/10/2009 Strange Eats

Strange Meats: Chicken Head

It’s been a while since I’ve written about one of my strange meat escapades, so here’s a new one.

Hiking in the Cordillera Mountains of the Philippines, I got to experience some of the freshest food I’ve ever eaten. Along the way, I stayed in local homes and ate the way that the locals ate. I quickly learned that Chicken Adobo is a local specialty and although adobo can be found throughout the Latin American world, I found it to be a bit different in the Philippines.

Adobo Chicken Chicken Head Cordillera Mountains Hiking Ifugao Luzon Philippines Strange Eats

5/8/2009 Strange Eats

Strange Meats: Octopus

Just your normal buffet... — Just your normal buffet…

In honor of the Detroit Red Wings being in the playoffs and beating the Anaheim (Mighty) Ducks last night, I decided today would be a great opportunity to highlight the consumption of octopus. (For more information on why that is a reason to highlight octopus, please click here).

My first octopus-eating experience came while I was living in Japan. I attended an event that had a typical array of buffet-like foods, when I suddenly came across bowls of tentacles. One of the bowls had boiled octopus, while the other was fried. Taking a bit of each, I sat down to eat that eight-armed wonder of the sea.

Japanese Octopus Strange Eats Takoyaki Travel

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