Bizarre Food: Grasshoppers and More | Cambodia

The last time I posted about bizarre food was tarantula in Cambodia. You would think that would be extent of our strange eats, but there was even more! We asked our tuk-tuk driver, MJ, to take us somewhere we could eat something strange in Siem Reap. He said he knew of a place that we could eat crickets. We couldn't turn down the opportunity and asked him to take us there!

When we arrived to the nondescript corner of a random street, we saw the piles of items lined up on the sidewalk. There wasn't a person in sight and understandably so. I think tourists are not on the search for strange eats like this. There were crickets, grasshoppers, beetles and even dried snake. I think any creepy thing you could think of was cooked and ready to eat!

Initially, we only wanted to try the grasshoppers, but we decided to be adventurous and order a variety. I mean, might as well, you never know when you'll have the chance again. I will say that for a moment I freaked out. I was holding the bag of bugs and I looked down. For a split second, I imagined them all alive and slithering about. I quickly got over it and we dug into that bag o' bugs.

Surprisingly, they weren't bad. It's not my favorite thing in the world, but it's definitley worth trying. I was most keen on the crickets and grasshoppers, but could've passed on the snake and beetles. All I know is that if something happens and we run out of other protein sources, I could survive on insects!

Steamed Buns, Okonomiyaki & Green Tea Slushies | Itsukushima, Japan

One of my favorite parts of traveling through Japan was eating so many delicious things. I'm such a huge fan of food. Not sure if you could tell, but I would spend good money on an unforgettable meal.
While in Itsukushima, we were able to sample a variety of foods that you can't find in the States or in Korea. Who knew a tiny little island would have so many yummy things? Who am I kidding? This is Japan. Everything is yummy.

I'm a huge fan of buns. That totally sounds weird, but it's true. I love any kind of steamed bun. When I was a kid, I used to make my parents buy these pre-made roasted pork buns at the Asian supermarket. They came in a package of four. I would always open the package and heat up one, but would end up eating the rest. No wonder I was a chubby kid.

Anyway, so with all of that in mind, when Markus and I were exploring the little alleyways of Itsukushima. My heart squealed in glee when I saw steamed buns. I was even more excited when I realized they were filled with conger eel. I've had so many steamed buns in my life. I've eaten roasted pork, shredded chicken, ground beef and even red bean, but never eel. It didn't disappoint and it was amazing. The flavors were really mild and were accented by the slight sweetness of the bun.

Something I had been dying to try for ages was okonomiyaki. It's a widely popular and well known dish in Japan. It's basically a savory pancake with layers of deliciousness. They have okonomiyaki joints all over Japan, but I was dying to try the ones with oysters in Itsukushima. We sat right at the grill and watched the chef create our meal right before our eyes. It's comprised of shredded cabbage, green onions, noodles, a thin pancake and then it's topped off with more green onions, brown sauce and oysters. I really loved okonimiyaki, but I knew I would. It was quite filling and Markus and I were able to share this whole plate and only spent about $15. It may seem like a lot but $7 per person for lunch in Japan is a steal.

 

We concluded our food tour of Itsukushima with a green tea slush. If green tea is ever an option for a dessert, I always choose it. I didn't think I would like this slush, but it was really nice. It was also a great way to cool down. We visited Japan in August and it was swelteringly hot and border line unbearable. Thankfully, this green tea slush refreshed me on such a hot day.

Later, I'll be posting more about eating cheap in Japan. People always so it's expensive, but Markus and I did it! So dear readers, be on the lookout for that!

Bizarre Food: Tarantula | Cambodia

While Markus and I are traveling, we always try to find what the locals eat. I never want to say, "I wish I ate that when I was in..." I definitley try to live my life without regrets. That's why I find things that are strange and weird and off the beaten path. I know that for most, they find these things unusual, but for Markus and I, it's an opportunity for an adventure.

With that on the forefront of our minds, we decided to try tarantula in Cambodia. I remember watching the Cambodian episode of Bizarre Foods. Of course he ate tarantula and I vowed that I would eat it if I ever went to Cambodia. I never thought I would ever travel to Cambodia, but sometimes life takes you to unexpected places!

On a ten hour bus ride to Koh Rong, we stopped at a rest area. It was only a five minute stop, so we didn't get out. As we drove out of the bus stop, we saw a huge tarantula statue and heaps of women selling them on the side of the road. We were so disappointed and vowed that we would find it in one of the cities or on the way back to Siem Reap. On the way back, we took a different route and stopped at another rest stop. It was actually much nicer than the first one and we made a bee-line for the food area.

At first, we didn't see them. We looked and looked and were quite disappointed. Then, as we were about to walk out, we saw them. They took them out and even let Markus hold them. Then they fried them up for us to eat. I have to admit, it was a bit strange being able to see them alive one minute and then cooked the next.

Even though, I was super excited to try the tarantula, I was really worried it wouldn't taste good. I was totally wrong. It was really yummy and quite delicious. They cooked the little guys in oil, green onions, garlic and lots of spices. They were fried until crispy and the smell was so fragrant. When we got on the bus, everyone came over and started taking photos. We were the only ones who had them, so they all swarmed us. When all the people finally dispersed, we were able to try them. I remember Andrew Zimmern saying that they tasted like soft shell crab and he was right. They were really tasty and I really liked it. To be honest, I would probably eat them again. Experiences like this are the reason why I love traveling. You never know what you really like until you try it!

Jagalchi Market | Busan, South Korea

The creepiest bits of the ocean.

In November of 2011, my mom came to visit us in Busan. For the two years that Markus and I have been in Korea, she is the only person that came to visit us. I'm sad that no one else was able to make it out here, but I'm really happy that she still came! I don't know why I've never posted the photos but it's better late than never! In the short five days that she was here, we tried to fit in as much of Busan as possible. It was very important that we showed her the best places! 

The first place that I took her was Jagalchi Market. It's one of the most popular spots in Busan. If you visit, you must go to Jagalchi. It's a huge seafood market that is both indoors and outdoors. There are heaps of booths and stations full of live seafood. Every time I've gone, it's been overflowing with people and it's really busy. It's amazing seeing some of the things that are popular in Korea. There were so many different things that I never saw before.

산낙지 Sannakji or Squirming Octopus

While we walked around Jagalchi, it's very easy to get a craving for seafood. My mom wasn't any different and she insisted on going to the 2nd floor to eat. At this time, my Korean wasn't that good, so I ended up using a lot of hand gestures. It was a bit confusing and when we finally got our food, it ended up being all the scary bits of the ocean. Somehow, we ordered sea squirt, sea cucumber and Sannakji. Sannakji is known as the octopus that moves while you eat it. I have to admit it was a bit strange at first, but after a while it tasted really good. They mix it with sesame oil and it's really delicious. The only difference from other octopus is that it was moving. Personally, all the other seafood wasn't to my liking. It was either really fishy or the texture was strange.
 

I'm really glad that I was able to share this experience with my mom. I don't know how we ended up ordering the strange foods we did, but it was great being able to go on that sort of adventure with her! I love that she's like me and is really up for anything. Now I know where I get my adventurous spirit!

Eats with Jeff #6: Chicken Feet and Raw Beef

Chicken Feet Restaurant

For this Eats with Jeff, somehow we ended up eating two bizarre foods, chicken feet and raw beef. Coincidentally, the restaurants happened to be in the same neighborhood. I will say that I'm no stranger to unique foods. Even though I was raised in America, my parents were really adamant about introducing me to other cultures and their foods.  I think that's one of the best parts of life and traveling is experiencing new things.

I apologize for the shameless photo of me, but I was really excited about my outfit. As Jeff told me, it was very Korean. I find that the longer I live in Korea, the more Korean I look. All my Korean friends already tell me they think of me as one of them. Before I know it, I'll be an honorary Korean and will be so confused when I'm back in America.

Chicken Feet

Chicken Feet

Chicken Feet Wrap

I've eaten chicken feet at dimsum restaurants before and I've enjoyed it. It's not necessarily my favorite dish and I wouldn't immediatley think to eat it, but it's quite tasty. Although, I hate holding up a mangled chicken foot and knawing away at it. I always feel a bit awkward. Thankfully, these chicken feet were deboned, so I didn't have to spend heaps of time taking off the meat. Korean style chicken feet is very different from the Chinese style. It's mixed with red sauce and sesame seeds. It's also grilled so it's not full of sauce. When you find a really nice blackened piece and eat it with a sesame leaf, it's really yummy.

Jeff is seriously the little brother I never had. It's really creepy how similar he is to my older brother Chris. They make the same expressions. They even speak like one another. Even though they have similarities, Jeff is also completely different. I'm so thankful we were able to meet and become friends. Just think, if we never met, I never would have tried so many delicious foods. 

Hanu Beef Pajeon

Raw Beef or Yukhoe

Beef Sashimi

I've always been a bit iffy about raw meat. I think it's one of the things that they drill in your head back home. Raw meat can lead to an upset stomach, food poisoning or worse, death. It isn't something that I was keen on, but after being in Korea, I really wanted to try it. Jeff was able to find a really good restaurant that only served raw beef and at a reasonable price. I couldn't believe some of the prices he quoted me. Since we stuffed our faces full of chicken feet earlier, we decided to order a small sampler. There was ground marinated beef with a raw egg and beef sashimi. The beef sashimi wasn't that great. It was cold and a little tasteless. The marinated beef was amazing. It was so flavorful. I would actually eat that again if I get the chance.

Ugh, why is his face so cute?

Seriously, sometimes I can't deal with it.

Carrot Cake

Strawberry Cake and Cappuccino

Afterward, we wandered around Seomyeon for a bit looking for a nice cafe. We finally found the Coffee and Cake Studio and ended the evening with yummy cake and coffee. I feel like Eats with Jeff wouldn't be complete unless we eat some kind of cake or sweet treat. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed chicken feet and raw beef. It's definitely something I would recommend to anyone in visiting or living in Korea.