What's the most exotic thing you've ever eaten?

[Compassionist]

Latest post of the previous page:

I am most impressed by the adventurous appetites many of you have! I had stir-fried ants. Nice!

[Felicia]

I love all the shellfish things, but only oysters if they're cooked.

The Chinese have some truly weird things - eg our local dim sum place does chicken and duck feet (actually delicious), fish lip soup (not tried it), lamb's hoof's curry (horrible).

But the weirdest thing I've ever had was in Turkey, a cow's stomach soup which tasted just like a cow pat smells.

[gcb01]

I'm afraid I haven't eaten anything more exotic than snails.

I've never eaten tripe because my mother used to cook it for my father who claimed to love it. It was boiled for an eternity and the smell was stunningly awful.

I think I could try it if I didn't smell it cooking but I sometimes had to check it hadn't boiled dry and I don't think I ever vomited into the pan but it was close.

[Chineapple punk]

Lol! My mum used to cook tripe and I couldnt be within a 10 mile radius of our house when she did it- the smell was absolutely rank!

I had caviar once and it was utterly bogging-thank crunchie I'm a veggie now.

[Moose]

I think I might have tasted very cheap caviar once but if I did it was an unmemorable experience. I sometimes wonder if people would eat these things if they were going for 50 p at the supermarket.

[Maria Mac]

I agree caviar is terribly over-rated. I had both red and black caviar in the USSR and didn't think much of either though the black is better than the red.

[Moose]

heh I didn't realise it came in different colours . I wonder if any foodstuff is worth the prices of the top caviar though - doesn't it run to hundreds of pounds for a tiny tin?

[Nick]

What about that Scottish delicacy - deep-fried Mars Bar?

[lewist]

Nick! I believe in Shotts the deep fried Mars Bar is now one of a battered range that includes Milky Way, Snickers and Maltesers!

In this multicultural age when even on Speyside we can eat Chinese, Italian and Indian, plus go out to some outstanding native ethnic restaurants, is there really any such think as exotic?

On the other hand, we have been watching the Michael Palin 'Full Circle' series and in the last episode he visited a restaurant that promised to only serve the foods from before the Spaniards arrived. It was mainly insects but he had a dish of maggots with tortillas and guacamole.

How long ago were tortillas and guacamole unknown? And now even the Aviemore Tesco sells them. I really wonder about the concept of Exotic.

By the way, guacamole is made from avocado. The Avocado comes from a South American plant, the wild version of which is called (in its native tongue) a testicle tree.

I just thought everyone should know!

[Bryn]

The most exotic thing I've ever eaten is a haggis. Seriously.

[Noggin]

The most exotic thing I remember having eaten is Hollandse Nieuwe - raw herring - straight down the hatch and followed by a glass of Jenever (Dutch juniper berry gin).

It was an...interesting experience.

[lewist]

Exotic eating, eh? I have an exotic quest these days, to find the restaurant with the best Cullen Skink. At the moment it is a cafe in Carrbridge that has the best combination of flavours and the most fish.

[Alan H]

Exotic eating, eh? I have an exotic quest these days, to find the restaurant with the best Cullen Skink. At the moment it is a cafe in Carrbridge that has the best combination of flavours and the most fish.

But you have to tell us how many you've tried! Do you keep a diary?

[lewist]

Exotic eating, eh? I have an exotic quest these days, to find the restaurant with the best Cullen Skink. At the moment it is a cafe in Carrbridge that has the best combination of flavours and the most fish.

But you have to tell us how many you've tried! Do you keep a diary?

I don't, Alan. It's not a scientific investigation. However, if I kept a diary, I would remember them.