FOOD related films...
for ADVENTUROUS EATERS.
BIZARRE FOODS...are they for you?
What can your SENSES really handle?
MISSED the 1st part of this series?...Click here!
Right up front...I am saying here today...NO amount of money will ever convince me to eat a bat, cockroach...or any other creepy creature.
Yet, the saying of "never say never" does unfortunately apply at times...doesn’t it?
I've had a chance to take a peek at some of the 'Amazing Race' reality shows. I just cannot get over what these poor contestants are told to ingest in order to make it through to the next step towards their winnings.
I, for one, have an incredibly sensitive stomach with a terribly visual imagination to boot.
As a child, my grandma in Italy used to make
‘escargot tomato sauce‘.
I wasn't thrilled about the dish...
but, not really knowing what it was...
I ate what was on my plate.
Then, one night after an incredible rainfall...I was invited to hold a flashlight while my uncle went hunting for these very cute snails...and even then, I still didn't understand why we were doing this exercise. I took it as an amusing challenge...just to see how many we could find.
You could say that I had developed a small kinship with these little fellows...how dim-witted of me to think that my uncle was collecting them for us to enjoy as domesticated pets!?!
Boy, do I miss those days of pure 'naiveté'.
Their unfortunate demise was later divulged to me when the next day my grandma asked me to get the basket with the blue plastic bag near the exterior tavern door. When, I got there...I was stunned to see the snails we were 'playing' with the night before...crawling sneakily out of the bag.
I could only wonder...what were they doing there?
What did my grandma want with them?
I think you've got the jist of where this story is going. I never could ever eat another snail again. The only thing I would visualize...were the friends I had made the night before.
How could I eat them knowing what I knew???
However, one could quite justifiably say the same thing about ducks, chicken, goats...the list is extensive...and yet, I guess because I do not feel a direct compassionate connection...I'm still ok with having them in my meal.
I guess its best sometimes to remain somewhat slightly ignorant?!?
I do admit, though...that growing into my wiser food choices...I am driving much more into the direction of 'Veganism'. However, like many...making these changes have been...to say the least, challenging.
My next question was...how many people in my entourage would eat just about any of these bizarre looking and tasting things. So, naturally, to my surprise...my hubby said that he would indeed eat just about pretty much anything...if of course it meant getting tons of money for it.
Now, I had to re-evaluate my impression of this incredulous response. Was I that surprised? I guess so! He is a picky eater!!! Now, if he would have said no to the money but yes, if it meant saving his or my life...then, I would have cherished his response.
Ok, I'm stretching this more than it needs to be...but, admittedly, I've dwelled on the subject in the back of my mind.
It seems, that I'm not the only one with strange FOOD on the mind.
***
Take this quiz:
Can you eat it?
...worth the read: " Flying Fox Porridge for 'Adventurous Eaters':
Can you eat it?
It’s pretty obvious whether you can consume most potential food items. Turkey sandwich? Yes. Raw tiger brain? We'll pass, thanks. But there are quite a few dishes that could surprise you -- and many others that occupy a foggy middle ground. Sure, it won't kill you -- if it's prepared correctly and the liver is removed. If not ... well, who knows? Take a stab at the dishes in this quiz. Could you eat them and live to tell the tale?
Related site:
Weird Food is a list of odd things that people eat. Every culture invents a food that is weird or disgusting to outsiders. These strange foods are cultural markers to show who's a member (insiders like it) and who's not a member (outsiders hate it.)
Related article:...worth the read: " Flying Fox Porridge for 'Adventurous Eaters':
***
You still want to know more about this bizarre universe of food.
Here are some fascinating ' BIZARRE FOODS ' films put together
by a very courageously energetic host: Andrew Zimern.
Some others too were thrown in the bizarre mix.
Bizarre Foods
with Andrew Zimmern:
Collection 1
[2007] ...Running Time: 338 mins [2 Discs]
* General Review Rating... 3/5
Summary: Ever wonder what a piranha tastes like? What about live worms? Now's your chance to find out as Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern travels the world on a fascinating mission to indulge in some of the weirdest foods you can imagine! You won't be able to look away as Zimmern puts his iron stomach to the test, swallowing all sorts of exotic creatures and unthinkable body parts. If you dare, come along on this wild gastronomical adventure, and open wide for a taste of daredevil dining! -- Amazon.com
Viewers had their say:
Me and my husband absolutely love this program. My husband especially likes the Phillipines because the people are friendly and they have good food. I like the one in Morocco, because I laugh over and over during the scene when he eats putrid meat, and hits his head with his hands. We enjoy it repeadedly. --T. Aleman
Bizarre Foods
with Andrew Zimmern:
Collection 2
[2008] Running Time: 436 mins [2 Discs]
* General Review Rating...3 /5
Summary: The world's most adventurous eater, Andrew Zimmern, is on a quest to find the planet's most exotic foods. Even if that means chewing on rotten shark meat or polishing off a plate of wild boar brains, Andrew is game for anything. From China to Chile to Minnesota, Andrew takes a fascinating journey discovering one unimaginable food after another. -- Amazon.com
Viewers had their say:
I got this collection for my hubby and he loves it. He actually watches how Andrew Zimmern digs eyeballs out of sheep heads and soulfully moaning slurps them down. And that's just an example of those 'Bizarre Foods'. All together the episodes are more entertaining than gross and you can actually watch them over and over and still be amused by wiggling worms and nicely plated rotten meat. Makes me wonder what Andrews wife cooks for dinner. --Nostalgic mom
Bizarre Foods
with Andrew Zimmern:
Collection 3
[2008] Running Time: 300 mins [2 Discs]
* General Review Rating... 3 /5
Summary: Savor the weirdest the world has to offer with Andrew Zimmern, the planet's most adventurous eater! Armed with taste buds of iron, Andrew samples beaver chili in Maine, chows on cheese-sprinkled cow spleen in Sicily, learns to "confit" an entire piglet in a lesson from Chef Ben Ford (Harrison Ford's son) in Los Angeles and enjoys "Bombay Duck" - actually an ugly, smelly lizard eaten whole, bones and all - in Goa and so much more! Each episode of this popular series is a death-defying culinary adventure that will have you salivating for the next! -- Amazon.com
Viewers had their say:
i read the reviews about andrew. i thought that it needed a response from me. he is a unique host. sitting in the cozy of our house and chewing the traditional meals is not a brave thing. but going there, facing the challenging situations , both physical and mental , eating these unknown foods is a brave thing. In that situations they react like what we/ human beings does in that situations. he is unique host of his kind. he is just reacting like anybody else like Anthony Bourdaine or Adam Richman. they are all masters in what they are doing and they are very unique in thier reactions. and i understood that this not a telecast from the cozy media room but from real places and real situations, so their reactions may not that classic or very aristocratic.i think, they are not doing it for their own glory but glory to the food that they are eating. --Krilan
Eating the Uneatable
[2001] ... Running time: 52 mins.
* General Review Rating... 3 /5
Summary: Tribes in southwestern China take all their food from the land. This leads to some culinary experiences that the average person may find off-putting. The documentary Eating the Uneatable shows how these people gather and prepare a variety of nature's wonders, including worms, insects, and wild leaves. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Viewers had their say:
The place is Yunnan Province in Southern China and it is home to 3 distinct climatic regions, 15,000 species of plants, 300 animal species, and over 2400 species of insects. Various tribes are spread throughout this diverse territory and they all have a discriminating palate for unique food.
What many westerners might identify as revolting for human consumption is the daily fare for these indigenous groups and it has been this way for centuries. Not only are their diets looked at in this program, but there is interesting information regarding their cultures, cooking methods, foraging techniques, and the use of various insects for medicinal purposes. As far as educational value and good entertainment is concerned, this documentary does a nice job in both respects. The video footage of all the food collection and preparation is done tastefully and humanely and nothing I saw in this program was even remotely unpleasant in any way.-- K.Tolle
Well, for now...
this is the end of the road.
this is the end of the road.
Tune in for updates as more...
Food Documentaries are reviewed.
If I've missed a movie you've seen...
and it received very good ratings...
please do not hesitate to share it with us.
Help me keep this list as updated as possible...greatly appreciated.
Has any one of these films piqued your curiosity?
Is it enough to make your 'MUST SEE' list?
Is it enough to make your 'MUST SEE' list?
Flavourful wishes and happy viewing,
Foodessa
Comments or suggestions ... write me :o)
Claudia at: foodessa [at] gmail [dot] com
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