# Diabetes Support Advent Calendar 2016



## Northerner (Dec 1, 2016)

Today marks the first day of our traditional Advent Calendar!  This year's theme is weird cuisine from around the world. Behind the first door we find...

Surstromming - Sweden

Baltic Sea herring fermented with just enough salt used to prevent it from rotting. Mainly found tinned in brine these days, when opened it releases such a pungent aroma that it usually needs to be eaten outside.


----------



## Stitch147 (Dec 1, 2016)

I think i need to get me some of that.......... NOT!


----------



## Lindarose (Dec 1, 2016)

I'm always amazed that some people actually pay money to eat such weird things.


----------



## Bloden (Dec 1, 2016)

My least fav Spanish delicacy is pig's ear - cartilage isn't my idea of tasty (especially the hairy variety). But at least they eat "everything but the squeal"...I admire their 'nothing goes to waste' mentality.


----------



## Redkite (Dec 1, 2016)

Is this an alternative to a nice Lindt chocolate advent calendar?  You haven't exactly sold it to me!!!


----------



## Northerner (Dec 1, 2016)

Redkite said:


> Is this an alternative to a nice Lindt chocolate advent calendar?  You haven't exactly sold it to me!!!


Low carb!


----------



## silentsquirrel (Dec 1, 2016)

It's FISH, @HOBIE!!!       Or is this a fish too far?


----------



## mikeyB (Dec 1, 2016)

This is one of those foods that smells and tastes the same going down as coming up. You can achieve the same effect without that bother by opening the tin and flushing the contents down the loo.


----------



## MrClogMan (Dec 1, 2016)

I don't do fish me.
(and now I know why!)


----------



## Northerner (Dec 1, 2016)

MrClogMan said:


> I don't do fish me.
> (and now I know why!)


I'll have to have a quick rethink about your Christmas present then!


----------



## Flower (Dec 1, 2016)

Bleurgghh! You're scrapping the bottom of the barrel - or is that what's it the tin - and it's only Day 1


----------



## Northerner (Dec 1, 2016)

Flower said:


> Bleurgghh! You're scrapping the bottom of the barrel - or is that what's it the tin - and it's only Day 1


Worse to come, I'm afraid!


----------



## AlisonM (Dec 1, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Worse to come, I'm afraid!


The mind boggles!


----------



## khskel (Dec 1, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Worse to come, I'm afraid!


Pie, mash and liquor? Surely not!


----------



## Northerner (Dec 1, 2016)

khskel said:


> Pie, mash and liquor? Surely not!


<checks list...>


----------



## Ljc (Dec 1, 2016)

I bet it comes up twice as fast as it goes down.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 1, 2016)

Ljc said:


> I bet it comes up twice as fast as it goes down.


I'm guessing it's not going to be on many plates this Christmas!


----------



## Matt Cycle (Dec 1, 2016)

Is the veggie option stinky tofu?







https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinky_tofu

(Although reading how it's made it would have to be a veggie brine)


----------



## Katieb (Dec 1, 2016)

Eeew gross!!!


----------



## SB2015 (Dec 1, 2016)

I am amazed you can find anything worse.
I wait with interest to see what comes next!!


----------



## Northerner (Dec 2, 2016)

Day 2, and behind the window we have...

Shiokara, from Japan 

 

A dish made of pieces of meat taken from a selection of sea creatures, served in a brown, viscous paste of their own salted and fermented viscera, all served raw  Yum!


----------



## Bloden (Dec 2, 2016)

Matt Cycle said:


> Is the veggie option stinky tofu?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looks very festive.


----------



## Bloden (Dec 2, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Day 2, and behind the window we have...
> 
> Shiokara, from Japan
> 
> ...


Whatever rocks your boat!


----------



## pottersusan (Dec 2, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Day 2, and behind the window we have...
> 
> Shiokara, from Japan
> 
> ...



I like the bowl... but the contents - ugh


----------



## happydog (Dec 2, 2016)

Is this an idea for helping us all to loose weight?  So far both things sound disgusting.  I am not a fish lover at the best of times!


----------



## MrClogMan (Dec 2, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Day 2, and behind the window we have...
> 
> Shiokara, from Japan
> 
> ...



If you squint, or have retinopathy, this looks like a loving couple in a passionate embrace - as sculpted by Henry Moore...


----------



## Ljc (Dec 2, 2016)

MrClogMan said:


> If you squint, or have retinopathy, this looks like a loving couple in a passionate embrace - as sculpted by Henry Moore...


Oh yeah, well spotted.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 3, 2016)

Day 3  It's occurred to me that I can use the forum's 'spoiler' feature so you can open the window yourselves  I'll give you the name and description, click on Yuck! to display (some of these are pretty disgusting!)

Pickled egg - UK


Spoiler: Yuck!







Mmmm... a hardboiled egg that been left to go cold and stuck in a jar of vinegar.


----------



## Ljc (Dec 3, 2016)

Now I like pickled eggs


----------



## Northerner (Dec 3, 2016)

Ljc said:


> Now I like pickled eggs


When I was a student in Sheffield we used to go to a pub that had a jar of pickled eggs behind the bar. We never saw anyone eating one, yet the jar would gradually empty over the week (we were students, we were in every night! ) So, we decided we would all try one, one night. Absolutely one of the most disgusting things I have ever eaten!  Partly, I suspect, because I don't like hard boiled eggs because of the texture and the way the yolk sticks to your teeth, ewww! Then made worse by the fact it was pickled!


----------



## Bloden (Dec 3, 2016)

Ljc said:


> Now I like pickled eggs


I'd like to like them, but alas...they're rank (IMHO)!


----------



## robert@fm (Dec 3, 2016)

Northerner said:


> It's occurred to me that I can use the forum's 'spoiler' feature so you can open the window yourselves


Appetite spoilers?


----------



## happydog (Dec 3, 2016)

Yuk Alan, how do you know all the things that I would hate?


----------



## Northerner (Dec 4, 2016)

Day 4 - Another egg, this time the 100/1000 year old egg from China  Mmm... (click 'Yuck' to open the door!)



Spoiler: Yuck!







OK, it’s neither a century nor a millennium old, but this egg is pretty rotten. After being preserved in a mixture of clay, ash and quicklime for a few months, the yolk turns a dark green or even black and slimy while the white has turns to a dark brown translucent jelly. Apparently it smells of strongly of sulphur and ammonia, but tastes like a hardboiled egg…


----------



## Ljc (Dec 4, 2016)

I'll rush on by with da peg on me dose with dis one


----------



## Lindarose (Dec 4, 2016)

Glad I've got a cheese roll for work today. Egg doesn't appeal!


----------



## Amigo (Dec 4, 2016)

I'm also sorted out for a dessert to follow this with Heston's bacon and banana trifle;

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/hesto...ipe-is-completely-bananas-and-bacon-1-8262668


----------



## HOBIE (Dec 4, 2016)

Ljc said:


> Now I like pickled eggs


Can you imagine how much I hate sweet stuff !  T1 from the age of 3 a long time ago.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 5, 2016)

Day 5 - That French staple of everyday life, snails  



Spoiler: Yuck!







Snails cooked in a sauce of white wine, garlic, butter and parsley served in their shells. Said to have a similar consistency to mussels or clams. I had some in Paris once and tasted chiefly the garlic and butter and didn't have the yuck factor that slugs would certainly have - must have been something about the shells!


----------



## Greyhound Gal (Dec 5, 2016)

I had snails a few years ago at a French restaurant as I was curious what they were like. They were in a similar sauce to above. They were actually quite nice (once you forgot what you were eating).


----------



## Ljc (Dec 5, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Day 5 - That French staple of everyday life, snails
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Annette (Dec 5, 2016)

I had snails, once. It reminded me of chewing on pencil erasers back when I was at school. I think they're just basically a way of getting garlic butter down your throat, arent they?


----------



## Northerner (Dec 6, 2016)

Day 6 - an internationally-renowned delicacy...tripe!  



Spoiler: Yuck!







The stomach lining of various animals with a sponge-like honeycomb texture. Looks like some weird kind of sea plant life and has a peculiar and not entirely appetising rubbery texture. Served up with various sauces to add flavour or simply with an accompaniment like onions. A friend of mine got sacked from his job as a butcher's boy because he became addicted to eating raw tripe


----------



## Ljc (Dec 6, 2016)

Tripe and onions
 

Mind you I've not had any for more years than I care to remember.
I couldn't eat it raw though


----------



## Northerner (Dec 6, 2016)

Ljc said:


> Tripe and onions
> View attachment 2408
> Mind you I've not had any for more years than I care to remember.


My Dad once served some up for me and my sister when we were in our teens. I tried one bite, and have never touched it since


----------



## Robin (Dec 6, 2016)

As children, my sister and I were expected to eat everything put before us without a fuss. Tripe was the one exception!


----------



## Stitch147 (Dec 6, 2016)

Not even opening that one!!!


----------



## Flower (Dec 6, 2016)

Stitch147 said:


> Not even opening that one!!!



Ditto!


----------



## grovesy (Dec 6, 2016)

We feed it to a dog back in the 60's.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 7, 2016)

Day 7 - Bird's Nest Soup, Southeast Asia 



Spoiler: Yuck!







This Asian delicacy is made from the nest of the swiftlet bird, who instead of collecting twigs for its bed, builds it out of its own gummy saliva, which goes hard when exposed to air. Usually built high up on cliff faces, harvesting them is a dangerous business and many people die each year.  (from collecting them, not eating them, presumably! )


----------



## Ljc (Dec 7, 2016)

Yuk


----------



## happydog (Dec 7, 2016)

Our dogs love tripe (no onions though).  My Dad liked it and I have eaten it but it is no longer on the menu for humans here. Haven't tried bird spit soup yet,maybe I'll give it a miss


----------



## Northerner (Dec 8, 2016)

Day 8 - Kangeroo, Australia  



Spoiler: Yuck!







Historically the staple meat for indigenous Australians, kangaroo is high in protein and low in fat, making it a pretty healthy choice. It’s gamey in flavour and served in multiple ways, from a simple steak to sausages or burgers. Although some animal groups are against the hunting and harvesting of kangaroos for meat, many ecologists see farming native animals as much better for the fragile Australian rangelands than cattle and say it could massively reduce greenhouse emissions. Had it once as curious, but probably not again!


----------



## Ljc (Dec 8, 2016)

Oh poor poor Skippy how could you eat him.


----------



## khskel (Dec 8, 2016)

What's that Skippy? You don't want to go on the barbie.


----------



## Amigo (Dec 8, 2016)

The most disgusting thing I've ever seen was two decades ago in Taiwan. They had vending machines on the street selling what looked to me like eggs and intestines (were probably those translucent noodles). Customers would put money in and a portion would slip into a bowl. At the end of the day the vending machine owner would put a bucket underneath and the slimy contents whooshed into it. 

I actually baulked and I'm not squeamish!


----------



## happydog (Dec 8, 2016)

Wonder if kangaroo meat is tough after all that jumping?  (Not going to try it!)


----------



## happydog (Dec 8, 2016)

Amigo that sounds particularly disgusting.


----------



## Ljc (Dec 9, 2016)

Amigo said:


> The most disgusting thing I've ever seen was two decades ago in Taiwan. They had vending machines on the street selling what looked to me like eggs and intestines (were probably those translucent noodles). Customers would put money in and a portion would slip into a bowl. At the end of the day the vending machine owner would put a bucket underneath and the slimy contents whooshed into it.
> 
> I actually baulked and I'm not squeamish!


They make me feel


----------



## AlisonM (Dec 9, 2016)

Greyhound Gal said:


> I had snails a few years ago at a French restaurant as I was curious what they were like. They were in a similar sauce to above. They were actually quite nice (once you forgot what you were eating).


Yup, I liked them. Nul Points Northe.


----------



## AlisonM (Dec 9, 2016)

The most horridist thing I ever ett was Kimchi. If you run out of nasties Northe, you can have that one.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 9, 2016)

Day 9 - Rocky Mountain Oysters...  



Spoiler: Yuck!







Despite the name, these aren’t actually oysters at all. No, they are bull testicles deep in a batter of flour, pepper and salt. Cough!


----------



## Stitch147 (Dec 9, 2016)

Looks like good old ffried chicken, but you can keep your bulls nuts!!!


----------



## Northerner (Dec 9, 2016)

Stitch147 said:


> Looks like good old ffried chicken, but you can keep your bulls nuts!!!


I imagine the bull would agree with you!


----------



## Ljc (Dec 9, 2016)

Stitch147 said:


> Looks like good old ffried chicken, but you can keep your bulls nuts!!!


My sentiments entirely


----------



## happydog (Dec 9, 2016)

Too many carbs Alan LOL


----------



## AlisonM (Dec 9, 2016)

happydog said:


> Too many carbs Alan LOL


True that, but they're rather good all the same. I had them many years ago in the US while grinning at my soon to be ex husband. Can't think why he was so upset.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 12, 2016)

Oops! Forgot to open some doors over the weekend, so multiple treats today! 

Day 10 - Chicken Feet, East Asia, Caribbean, South America, South Africa



Spoiler: Yuck!







Made mostly of skin making it a little gelatinous in texture. They’re pretty tasty when flavoured properly, but the bones get on your nerves after a while.


Day 11 - Haggis (!!!), Scotland



Spoiler: Yuck!







A sheep’s heart, liver and lungs minced and mixed with onions, oatmeal, suet and seasoned with salt and spices cooked inside the animal’s stomach. Yum! 

Day 12 - Tuna eyeball, Japan 



Spoiler: Double Yuck!







Although it sounds nasty, apparently it’s rather tame, tasting pretty similar to squid or octopus.


----------



## Ljc (Dec 12, 2016)

Chickens feet and Tunas eyes 
Now Haggis is a much different matter , bring it on


----------



## Northerner (Dec 12, 2016)

Ljc said:


> Chickens feet and Tunas eyes View attachment 2444
> Now Haggis is a much different matter , bring it on
> View attachment 2445


I really like Haggis


----------



## khskel (Dec 12, 2016)

Upvote for the haggis. Looking forward to Burns Night already.


----------



## Robin (Dec 12, 2016)

I made my own haggis once ( had to substitute something for the bit of intestine you're supposed to wrap it all in) Had to procure a set of sheep's innards from the local butcher for my daughter to draw ( she was applying for an MSc course in Medical Art at the time). Cooked them after she'd finished dissecting them, on a waste not want not principle. Can't say the smell of simmering lung was particularly appetising, but the end result was edible, at least.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 12, 2016)

Robin said:


> I made my own haggis once ( had to substitute something for the bit of intestine you're supposed to wrap it all in) Had to procure a set of sheep's innards from the local butcher for my daughter to draw ( she was applying for an MSc course in Medical Art at the time). Cooked them after she'd finished dissecting them, on a waste not want not principle. Can't say the smell of simmering lung was particularly appetising, but the end result was edible, at least.


Medical illustration is a really valuable talent, I hope she is getting plenty of work  Only today I was looking at some remarkably detailed, but very clear, illustrations of the muscles and tendons around the hip, as I have a bit of an overuse injury from my run yesterday and wanted to know what might be at fault


----------



## Robin (Dec 12, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Medical illustration is a really valuable talent, I hope she is getting plenty of work  Only today I was looking at some remarkably detailed, but very clear, illustrations of the muscles and tendons around the hip, as I have a bit of an overuse injury from my run yesterday and wanted to know what might be at fault


Still doing a 'day job' while she tries to get a foot in the door, unfortunately!


----------



## Northerner (Dec 12, 2016)

Robin said:


> Still doing a 'day job' while she tries to get a foot in the door, unfortunately!


Oh no! What a waste of her talents! Hope she gets something good and solid before too long


----------



## Ditto (Dec 12, 2016)

We had haggis on our Oban holiday. It was very tasty.  I buy tripe for Mum every week, but she has it cold with vinegar that goes into all the crinkles. 

The most disgusting thing I've ever eaten was tinned spinach but that was here in the UK. Fresh spinach is nice, what the heck do they do to the canned variety!?


----------



## robert@fm (Dec 12, 2016)

Did you know that a kangaroo can jump higher than the average house?

This is due to their powerful hind legs, and the fact that the average house can't jump.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 12, 2016)

robert@fm said:


> Did you know that a kangaroo can jump higher than the average house?
> 
> This is due to their powerful hind legs, and the fact that the average house can't jump.


That joke should have come with a warning too Robert!


----------



## Martin Canty (Dec 12, 2016)

OMG, Haggis...... Love the stuff


----------



## Northerner (Dec 13, 2016)

Day 13 - Crocodile, Australia, Southeast Asia and Africa



Spoiler: Yuck!







Not only harvested for shoes (one for all you Jimmy Nail fans out there), crocodile meat is considered a delicacy in many places around the world, supposedly tasting like a cross between chicken and crab. Although crocodiles are protected in many parts of the world, crocodile meat is usually farmed, so is sustainable if not particularly kind or natural.


----------



## Ljc (Dec 13, 2016)

Um I possibly could so long as it was minus it's head


----------



## Robin (Dec 13, 2016)

My kids have both eaten croc, one in Africa, one in Australia. Both of them report that it tastes like salty cartilage, and they reckon it only appears on menus so the locals can laugh at the tourists ordering it.


----------



## Martin Canty (Dec 13, 2016)

'gator tails is one of my favorite dishes when going 'Cajun'..... Tender & delicate.....


----------



## Northerner (Dec 14, 2016)

Day 14 - Southern fried rattlesnake - USA  



Spoiler: Yuck!







A favourite in the Southwestern United States, it’s said to taste a little like frogs legs. Experts advise boiling the meat off the bones before dipping in egg and covering in seasoned salt mix, flour and breadcrumbs. Deep fat fry and munch away.


----------



## happydog (Dec 14, 2016)

Too many carbs again Alan, maybe I would have to have it without the batter!


----------



## Martin Canty (Dec 14, 2016)

Never had it, would be willing to give rattlesnake a try though..... Strangely enough, even though I do live in the SouthWest it never appears on many menus here.....


----------



## Bloden (Dec 15, 2016)

Robin said:


> My kids have both eaten croc, one in Africa, one in Australia. Both of them report that it tastes like salty cartilage, and they reckon it only appears on menus so the locals can laugh at the tourists ordering it.


I ate it in South Africa - fishy chicken, is how I'd describe it (not cartilage-y at all) - and ostrich, impala liver...


----------



## Northerner (Dec 15, 2016)

Day 15 - Hakari, Iceland 



Spoiler: Yuck!







The rotting carcass of a Greenland or basking (Somniosidae) shark. It’s buried underground in a shallow pit and pressed with stones so the poisonous internal fluids that allow it to live in such cold waters can be drained out making the meat safe to eat. After this it’s hung out to dry before being cut into strips and served. With a smell that’s described as ammonia-rich and a strong ‘fishy-flavour’, it was described by Anthony Bourdain as “the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing” he’d tried.


----------



## Ljc (Dec 15, 2016)

Err no thanks, I only like fish that's deep fried in batter.


----------



## Stitch147 (Dec 15, 2016)

I'll pass on that one thanks.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 15, 2016)

Stitch147 said:


> I'll pass on that one thanks.


I'm afraid they're going to get worse, now that I've toughened you all up and desensitised you to the horrors!


----------



## Ditto (Dec 15, 2016)

Agh, I'm not desensitised!


----------



## pottersusan (Dec 15, 2016)

Is there a grossness scale we can rate these things on? You certainly get brownie points for your research, Northie.


----------



## Ljc (Dec 15, 2016)

Ditto said:


> Agh, I'm not desensitised!


No  not yet, but by the time Northener has worked his magic on us,  when the big day arrives we'll not only cope we will positively enjoy those soggy sprouts and dried out turkey


----------



## Northerner (Dec 15, 2016)

pottersusan said:


> Is there a grossness scale we can rate these things on? You certainly get brownie points for your research, Northie.


So far, you've just been 'treated' to the appetisers!


----------



## Northerner (Dec 16, 2016)

Day 16 - Jing leed (Grasshoppers), Thailand  Yes, we're onto the insect courses 



Spoiler: Yuck!







Grasshopper seasoned with salt, pepper powder and chilli and fried in a big wok. Tastes a little like hollow popcorn skin… except a little juice squirts out when you bite into it…   Never tried it, and not sure if I could get it down my throat


----------



## Ljc (Dec 16, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Day 16 - Jing leed (Grasshoppers), Thailand  Yes, we're onto the insect courses
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Unless I was really starving , I wouldn't be able to get that *in *my mouth


----------



## mikeyB (Dec 16, 2016)

I'm sure our dislike of all these yucky foods is just cultural, nothing to do with taste - or at least not completely. My wife was appalled when I ordered the braised bottom half of a hare in a Budapest restaurant, but that just strikes me as normal food. It was delicious. 

And what's the moral difference between a farmed crocodile and a farmed cow or pig?

I'll eat anything that has fewer than 6 legs, or even none, such as snails.


----------



## Robin (Dec 16, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> I'll eat anything that has fewer than 6 legs, or even none, such as snails.


I'd make an exception on the leg count for lobsters, crab, etc.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 17, 2016)

Day 17 - More insects, I'm afraid  Wasp Crackers, Japan 



Spoiler: Yuck!







Erm, it’s a biscuit filled with wasps. Think chocolate chip cookies, only the insects replace the choccy chips. Apparently the digger wasp, which the biscuit contains, has a pretty mean sting. Why would you eat something like that?


----------



## Ljc (Dec 17, 2016)

Um  I'm a bit errrrr phobic about wasps and bees so no no no no no no no


----------



## Northerner (Dec 18, 2016)

Day 18 - Fried spider, Cambodia    Really, don't look at this one unless you are feeling particularly brave and have a strong stomach!  You might even want to avoid reading the description!



Spoiler: Aagh! Yuck!!! :eek:







Fried spider is a regional delicacy popular in the Cambodian town of Skuon, prepared by marinating it in MSG, sugar and salt and then frying it in garlic. Apparently it has more meat on it than a grasshopper, but also has brown sludge in the abdomen, which consists of mainly innards, eggs and excrement. Yum.


----------



## Ljc (Dec 18, 2016)

*Omg *I just wish I hadn't peeked 
 
It's not put me off my lunch though, celery and hummous


----------



## Northerner (Dec 18, 2016)

Ljc said:


> *Omg *I just wish I hadn't peeked
> View attachment 2483
> It's not put me off my lunch though, celery and hummous


You can't say you weren't warned!   Personally, I'd find any excuse, no matter how tenuous, to put me off a lunch of celery and hummous!


----------



## mikeyB (Dec 18, 2016)

I don't think I'd try the spider dish, the problem being working out the Creon dose. I wouldn't want to poo them out undigested


----------



## Ljc (Dec 18, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> I don't think I'd try the spider dish, the problem being working out the Creon dose. I wouldn't want to poo them out undigested


Omg That would be rather ouchy to say the least.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 19, 2016)

Day 19 - more insect-related fodder: Escamol, Mexico 



Spoiler: Yuck!







Also known as ‘insect caviar’, this dish is made of the edible larvae and pupae of ants, harvested from the tequila or mescal plant. Considered something of a delicacy, it is said to have the consistency of cottage cheese and a buttery, nutty taste. Looks a bit like risotto!


----------



## Ljc (Dec 19, 2016)

Now look , I've just had my breakfast and I'd rather like to keep it down


----------



## Northerner (Dec 20, 2016)

Day 20 - Fugu, Japan 



Spoiler: Yuck!







Made famous by The Simpsons, this little delicacy has the potential to be deadly if prepared incorrectly. As such, only chefs that have been drilled to perfection are allowed to handle the serving of the pufferfish. Still, it’s said to make one mean little sashimi dish.


----------



## pottersusan (Dec 20, 2016)

Give me fish fingers any day!


----------



## mikeyB (Dec 20, 2016)

I'm with you Susan. I don't eat to risk my life. Fish finger butties....


----------



## robert@fm (Dec 20, 2016)

Fortunately, none of us (except those who traverse afar) are likely to encounter fugu, as it's banned in the EU.  The Emperor of Japan is also prohibited by law to eat it.

There are just 17 licensed fugu restaurants in the USA (18 if you count the fictional one in Springfield), most of them in New York State.

The training and licensing process for fugu chefs culminates in their having to prepare a dish of fugu and eat it themselves. This has led to the black joke that those who survive are the ones who get their licence.


----------



## Ditto (Dec 20, 2016)

When my son went to France with the school back in the day he brought me a puffer fish back...like you do. I hung it in the bathroom and yonks later flung it out when it slowly deflated.  Would not want to eat one.


----------



## Ljc (Dec 20, 2016)

Phew I'm safe I only like fish in batter.


----------



## Martin Canty (Dec 20, 2016)

Perfect Keto meal.....


----------



## SB2015 (Dec 20, 2016)

I have just started looking at these!! Where have you found these, they are horrendous.  I like the anticipation of revealing the pictures ourselves.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 21, 2016)

Day 21 - Spam, USA, a perfect Christmas choice 



Spoiler: Yuck!







The famous mystery meat. It’s said that Spam is made from chopped pork shoulder meat, ham and potato starch, but who knows what ends up in there.  Actually, one of my favourite snacks as a child was grilled luncheon meat sandwiches, with a liberal dollop of brown sauce


----------



## Robin (Dec 21, 2016)

AAArgh! Just had a flashback to school lunch spam fritters! Now, I like spam on its own, but enclose it in a batter which seals all the cheap spam fat in, so it's swimming in grease when you cut into it, then deep fry it in more cheap fat?


----------



## mikeyB (Dec 21, 2016)

Good grief, Spam. 

Somebody must buy it, but I don't know who. I'm always vaguely tempted when I pass it in the shop, but then what do you do with it? You can't eat nostalgia, its bad for you


----------



## Amigo (Dec 21, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> Good grief, Spam.
> 
> Somebody must buy it, but I don't know who. I'm always vaguely tempted when I pass it in the shop, but then what do you do with it? You can't eat nostalgia, its bad for you



I'm told by a Spam officiando that you batter and fry it to make a nice high fat, tasty but very cheap meal!


----------



## Stitch147 (Dec 21, 2016)

I always remember having spam fritters at school.


----------



## grovesy (Dec 21, 2016)

I used like spam fritters at school, but then again I am not or have ever been a fussy eater.


----------



## Stitch147 (Dec 21, 2016)

I used to enjoy them too, and I'm like you grovesy, not a fussy eater at all.


----------



## Lindarose (Dec 21, 2016)

I think spam can be used as fishing bait!


----------



## Robin (Dec 21, 2016)

You weren't allowed to be a fussy eater in those days, the rule was, eat everything on your plate unless you'd got a note from your Mum, and no way was my mother ever going to write a note for anything, as an ex teacher she sang from the same hymn sheet as school. I just remember having to steel myself to wade through the grease. I think at home, we didn't get served a lot of fat ( I remember my mother scraping the butter on to the bread with the edge of the knife...and scraping any off again if she thought she'd overdone it, and a '2 biscuit maximum' rule) so my stomach rebelled at a sudden ingestion of fat. I could eat one now, though.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 21, 2016)

Robin said:


> AAArgh! Just had a flashback to school lunch spam fritters! Now, I like spam on its own, but enclose it in a batter which seals all the cheap spam fat in, so it's swimming in grease when you cut into it, then deep fry it in more cheap fat?


Spam fritters were a favourite of mine at school!


----------



## Ljc (Dec 21, 2016)

I used to love spam fritters, haven't had any for years though. My schools never served up spam for dinner.


----------



## Martin Canty (Dec 21, 2016)

One of my Dads favorite memories was when (before they were married) Mum invited Dad home for a meal with my Grandparents.... They were mortified as they were having Spam Fritter that night & she had given them no notice. My Dad enjoyed it as it was a regular, no frills, family meal, something which had been in short supply as he had grown up as an orphan since his parents were killed in the war.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 22, 2016)

Day 22 - Beondegi, Korea (pretty disgusting - be warned! )



Spoiler: Yuck!







Mmm, lovely, lovely silkworm. Simply boiled or steamed and lightly seasoned, this is popular snack all over Korea and usually sold from street vendors. Apparently they taste like wood, if you’ve ever tried wood...


----------



## Stitch147 (Dec 22, 2016)

I'll skip that one thanks. Pass the Spam fritters.


----------



## Ljc (Dec 22, 2016)

Um err no ta


----------



## Northerner (Dec 22, 2016)

Ljc said:


> Um err no ta
> View attachment 2522


Not even a little tempted?


----------



## mikeyB (Dec 22, 2016)

Well, folk are quite happy to wear silk scarves and ties from the silk that comes out of the arse end of those creatures, so surely it's not such a great leap to eat them. I would actually give them a go.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 22, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> Well, folk are quite happy to wear silk scarves and ties from the silk that comes out of the arse end of those creatures, so surely it's not such a great leap to eat them. I would actually give them a go.


That's Christmas sorted for you next year...!


----------



## Bloden (Dec 22, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> Well, folk are quite happy to wear silk scarves and ties from the silk that comes out of the arse end of those creatures, so surely it's not such a great leap to eat them. I would actually give them a go.


Would one's poo be silky too?


----------



## Ljc (Dec 22, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Not even a little tempted?




On second thoughts


----------



## Northerner (Dec 23, 2016)

Day 23 - Starfish, China 



Spoiler: Yuck!







Served dry and covered in hard and spiny armour, this isn’t a snack you want to bite into. According to online accounts, you want to break off a leg and peel open the skin to get at the green coloured meat inside. Hopefully it won’t regenerate in your stomach…


----------



## Stitch147 (Dec 23, 2016)

Sounds gross, but im kind of intrigued by the green coloured meat!


----------



## Ljc (Dec 23, 2016)

I would give it a try


----------



## Stitch147 (Dec 23, 2016)

Stitch147 said:


> Sounds gross, but im kind of intrigued by the green coloured meat!



Just googled it........ I think i'll now pass on the starfish!

http://www.chinesestreetfood.com/2012/07/starfish.html


----------



## Ljc (Dec 23, 2016)

Stitch147 said:


> Just googled it........ I think i'll now pass on the starfish!
> 
> http://www.chinesestreetfood.com/2012/07/starfish.html


Oh dear, that's put me right off now


----------



## Robin (Dec 23, 2016)

Stitch147 said:


> Just googled it........ I think i'll now pass on the starfish!
> 
> http://www.chinesestreetfood.com/2012/07/starfish.html


I'm with you there, Stitch, having read that you extract the meat with your tongue, which must get perilously close to the sharp bits!


----------



## Northerner (Dec 24, 2016)

Day 24 - Tequila worm, Mexico 



Spoiler: Yuck!







Not actually found in tequila but rather it’s cheaper cousin, mescal, it’s said that the legendary hallucinogenic properties of the worm are pretty much non-existent.


----------



## Ljc (Dec 24, 2016)

Upchuck. 
So glad I had breakfast much earlier


----------



## SB2015 (Dec 24, 2016)

I am still wondering where on earth you find such grotesque offerings.
I look forward to seeing what you have for us tomorrow.


----------



## Stitch147 (Dec 24, 2016)

More tempting than the starfish!


----------



## Ditto (Dec 24, 2016)

Yuck.


----------



## Northerner (Dec 25, 2016)

It's the big day! Day 25 - TV dinner, western world  



Spoiler: Yum!







For all us single men celebrating Christmas alone, a culinary feast!   

Hope this calendar has given you some ideas for trying new things in the year to come, have a very Merry Christmas, one and all!


----------



## Ljc (Dec 25, 2016)

Uggg spit ca ca car carrots spit and gravy yuk yuk
Now Northener If you fancy a nice juicy well aged rump steak, perhaps topped with a fried egg?,  mushrooms, fried onions , with or without some crispy potato slices I'm having some   Followed by Kir Royale if you have any space left, if not that's for tea. Then  you're welcome to join us today.


----------

