Can You Stomach These Extreme Global Delicacies?

[Math Is Hard]

What's the difference between PF Chang's and Pei Wei?

Dunno. Are they owned by the same company? I don't think I have seen any Pei Wei's out where I live.

 

[Evo]

I wonder if that's really the right recipe. Maybe it's a copycat recipe of the General Tso's chicken? Even the lousy stuff at Panda Express must have something orange in it, even if it's fake orange flavoring.

Blasphemy! Maybe you just have a crummy Panda franchise. People wait in line here for the Panda's orange chicken.

 

[Moonbear]

Blasphemy! Maybe you just have a crummy Panda franchise. People wait in line here for the Panda's orange chicken.

It's a mall, people wait in line for everything! When your choice is Panda Express or McDonald's, sure, Panda Express is better. I've actually eaten at several Panda Expresses...they're in a lot of malls. It all tastes the same.

 

[Evo]

It's a mall, people wait in line for everything! When your choice is Panda Express or McDonald's, sure, Panda Express is better. I've actually eaten at several Panda Expresses...they're in a lot of malls. It all tastes the same.

<gasp>

No, people will stand off to the side and wait for a new pan of orange chicken to come out because it's the only thing they went there to eat. I even waited and I never wait. This is the only "sweet on meat" item I consume.

Ok, we're going to arrange a blind taste test.

 

[moose]

The fried rice at panda express is also pretty good, at times. Over the summer I had a schedule in mind of the two times a week that there was the best orange chicken and best fried rice at the same time. The orange chicken was always good, but when this one guy made it, it was to die for. The fried rice ranged from OK to really good. It was heaven those two times a week that I got them both at once

This one guy who works at panda express fakes an accent while on the job completely. When I asked him what time they close, he told me without an accent AT ALL "8 o'clock"... I was like

 

[Mk]

What makes fugu disgusting? It is just fish that could kill you if your cook didn't cut it right.

Wendys
Tacco Bell
McDonalds
KFC
Panda Express
Burger King

We all know those are good... except for McDonald's and Taco Bell.

 

[Evo]

We all know those are good... except for McDonald's and Taco Bell.

Hey, the Taco Bell soft steak tacos with cilantro lime sauce were actually yummy. (yes, the Child of Evo takes me to junk food places) The only good thing at McDonald's were their salads.

Now Hardee's (Carl Jr's) thick angus burgers are to die for. I don't care that their sourdough burger is 1,040 calories, really, I don't.

 

[Kalimaa23]

I had some Panda Express "food" in a Scottsdale mall a few months ago. I don't even remember what it was, so you can guess how memorable it was...sorry Evo!

American fast food is indeed horrible. I was traveling with a friend, who had never been to the states before. We had to wait a couple of hours in Atlanta for our connecting flight. She was apalled that such a large airport did not have a single place where you can find a decent meal. I just smiled at here and said "Welcome to the States!".

This being said, there are plenty of places where you can eat very well in the States. These tend to be local diners more often then not. I usually stay clear of large fast food chains.

 

[J77]

Holland

The quintessential Dutch food experience is the FEBO snack automat...

Likewise the day a Dutch flatmate cooked us what she swore was a delicious traditional dish, then brought in a pan of reconstituted powdered mash, kale and tinned frankfurters.

Even the more appealing Dutch treats, such as double-fried chips with mayonnaise, are spoilt by lack of care: the oil for the second frying is often stale, while the mayo is a form of sickly, watery industrial run-off.

Thankfully, the Dutch Indonesians have improved things a little by injecting much needed care and spice into the national diet.

I think we covered FEBO and chips in another thread that the Belgian contingent took over

The highlighted bit is actually good food - though this person didn't give it much respect. It's called Stompot and there are a few ways of making it... but not with powered mash and frankfurters!

Obviously, you use proper potatoes; mash them up and mix with the curly greens, then place a sausage on top.

Not any sausage mind - the best are the ones that come from HEMA! (really, that's no joke).

Oh, and Inodesian food isn't that great - the North Africans and Middle Eastians who have moved over have much better food

 

[Anttech]

Surinam food is the best IMO :) Have a lamb squworma (sp?) type thing there and try the green sauce if you dare...

Its the spiciest food I have ever had, I felt my throat start to swell.

Dutch food really is bad though, you have to admit. I remember one time going to a "Greek" restaurant near the pijp, it was run by some Eygptons?

 

[Evo]

Dutch food really is bad though, you have to admit. I remember one time going to a "Greek" restaurant near the pijp, it was run by some Eygptons?

Makes sense, the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled over Egypt for 300 years (think Cleopatra) and were actually Macedonians.

Obviously, you use proper potatoes; mash them up and mix with the curly greens, then place a sausage on top.

Now that actually sounds good.

 

[Anttech]

Makes sense, the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled over Egypt for 300 years (think Cleopatra) and were actually Macedonians.

Whats a Macedonian?

(And yeh you are right, thus the name Alexandria. There are still parts of Alexandria that speak greek. Saint Nektarious, the last Orthodox Saint was ordained as a priest there.) But still...

 

[scorpa]

The only fast food place that I can really say I love is Tim Hortons...I think the rest is disgusting. I love it there...no greasy nasty junk. They make the best coffee, soups, sandwiches, croissants, muffins, cookies...and of course the ice caps! There is nothing there I don't like.

 

[turbo]

The only fast food place that I can really say I love is Tim Hortons...I think the rest is disgusting. I love it there...no greasy nasty junk. They make the best coffee, soups, sandwiches, croissants, muffins, cookies...and of course the ice caps! There is nothing there I don't like.

Tim Hortons is starting to creep into Maine from Canada. I still won't eat there because of my sensitivity to MSG, but I have a friend from near the NB border that absolutely raves about the place, and he is not a fast-food fan.

 

[scorpa]

Tim Hortons is starting to creep into Maine from Canada. I still won't eat there because of my sensitivity to MSG, but I have a friend from near the NB border that absolutely raves about the place, and he is not a fast-food fan.

Does Tim Hortons have MSG in a lot of it's food or are you just not eating there because you need to be very cautious with your allergy and don't want to risk it? Really all they have there is soups, sandwiches and donuts so I don't know if those would contain MSG...or maybe they would I don't know.I always thought it was just a chinese food thing until I read your other post.

 

[Mk]

That orange chicken and especially the Pepsi with benzene made me hungry.

 

[turbo]

Does Tim Hortons have MSG in a lot of it's food or are you just not eating there because you need to be very cautious with your allergy and don't want to risk it? Really all they have there is soups, sandwiches and donuts so I don't know if those would contain MSG...or maybe they would I don't know.I always thought it was just a chinese food thing until I read your other post.

It's not really an allergy - it's a severe physiological reaction to a toxin, and I can't alleviate the effects with antihistamines, etc. I won't risk eating in any restaurant because the people preparing the food don't even know that they're putting MSG in it. When they use pre-packaged sauces, seasoning mixes, etc, they could be loading your food with MSG under one or more pseudonyms and not even know it. Nearly every commercially-available soup has MSG in it, as does every major brand of canned tuna, most prepared meats and, more recently, pork and chicken that has been injected with it (along with water to boost the weight). Dried soups, boullions, and most sauces and dressings are loaded with it. Our food supply is being intentionally contaminated with this stuff with no real oversight. Like I said earlier, unless the additive is at least 97% pure MSG, "MSG" or even the word "glutamate" does not have to appear on the label. If you have canned foods in your pantry, check the labels. Every time you eat something containing "natural flavors", "modified food starch", modified vegetable protein", "autolyzed yeast" (and at least 50 other aliases), you are eating MSG. I was not born with this sensitivity. I developed it over the years, as did my cousin. We both traveled a lot in our work and had to eat in restaurants, which was probably a sensitizing factor for both of us, and perhaps genetics played a role. Anyway, we are not alone:

http://members.aol.com/greenmagik/nsmsg.htm

 

[Moonbear]

"MSG" or even the word "glutamate" does not have to appear on the label.

Oh, geez, you do realize that glutamate is a completely naturally occurring amino acid, right? It's in pretty much everything, and your own body even makes it. The sodium form is also naturally occurring, in pretty high concentration in things like tomatoes, which you seem to be okay eating. So, we can make it easy for you if that's what you want...we can just stamp "glutamate" on every product label in the store if that really helps.

Your reaction of calling it a toxin and insisting we all need to be protected from it because you have a sensitivity to it is like saying we all need to be protected from lactose and milk products because some people have a sensitivity or allergy to that.

 

[turbo]

Oh, geez, you do realize that glutamate is a completely naturally occurring amino acid, right?

Yes, I do. The additive industry processes foods and food by-products in order to form MSG, which is then added in concentrated form to processed foods. Your body takes up MSG much quicker than it takes up the glutamic acid in natural foods, which can be a factor in its apprent neurotoxicity in sensitized subjects. I can eat corn, tomatoes, mushrooms, beets, etc with impunity, although they contain the raw amino acid because it is in a natural form that the body uptakes slowly as the foods are digested.

The fact that some people like myself have life-threatening reactions should be motivation enough to force real disclosure instead of the "aliases". Heck, companies make label disclosures when a product has been made in a plant that also processes peanuts. How much would the labeling change cost? The problem with food-additive industry has is that if they had to disclose that the "natural flavors" injected into turkey breast was 40% MSG, people might not buy the turkey and sales of MSG would drop. I wrote to my congressman asking for some kind of action on this (his party controlled the House Agriculture comittee), and got a form letter in reply. Of course Con Agra and Archer-Daniels-Midland love to pay to have comittee members speak to them at breakfast...that might have a bearing on his lack of interest.

 

[Evo]

I checked my canned tuna and the ingredients were "light tuna, vegetable broth (soybean), water and salt" no "natural flavors". What's so funny is that is has "Allergy Warning - contains tuna" I sure hope so, it's a can of tuna.

 

[turbo]

I checked my canned tuna and the ingredients were "light tuna, vegetable broth (soybean), water and salt" no "natural flavors". What's so funny is that is has "Allergy Warning - contains tuna" I sure hope so, it's a can of tuna.

We get ours at a natural food store, and the ingredients are tuna, water, and salt. My wife would not buy any tuna that said "vegetable broth" on the label, since most broths contain MSG.

Truth in labeling is the issue, here. If people want to buy food laced with MSG, they should be allowed to do so. People also should be given the choice. Here is a site that might interest you: Foods that are labeled "No MSG" that contain MSG, sometimes from many sources.

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/nomsg.html

 

[moose]

I ate lunch at Panda Express today! My fortune cookie said "YOUR PRESENCE LIVENS UP ANY CONVERSATION"

 

[arildno]

Smalahovud-Sheep's head. Eaten by Western Norwegians as their Yuletide feast meal.

Reputedly, the eyes taste best.

As a note, I would prefer NOT to drink aquavit in order to say lutefisk is awful.
I hate aquavit, and have never dared to eat lutefisk.

 

[Evo]

I ate lunch at Panda Express today!

You lucky moose!

Smalahovud-Sheep's head. Eaten by Western Norwegians as their Yuletide feast meal.

Reputedly, the eyes taste best.

Thanks, I was eating dinner.

As a note, I would prefer NOT to drink aquavit in order to say lutefisk is awful.
I hate aquavit, and have never dared to eat lutefisk.

Aquavit is nasty stuff. Are you sure you're from Norway?

 

[arildno]

Certainly. Whale is tasty!

 

[Evo]

Certainly. Whale is tasty!

That would make you Japanese, or Inuit.

 

[Evo]

MIH's pizza thread reminded me of this. The episode from Space Ghost Coast to Coast where Michael Stipe was the guest and they called out for sun bloated orange roughy pizza.

Gastrointestinal delights

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mmmmmm, mmmmm, good!

(Caution, this thread is not for the weak.)

Here are some "favorites" from around the world, ok these first few are from Iceland.

Hakarl (Rotted Shark)

This is without a doubt the most pungent and dubious thing at the table. Tastes like a combination of dodgy fish and strong French cheese with a hint of ammonia. If you are new to shark and are offered some, it is wise to take the darkest piece you see (the lighter the colour, the stronger the taste). The shark is prepared by burying it in sand for about six months. Served cold in little pieces, be careful not to eat too much as it can result in diarrhoea.

Note - do not attempt to prepare rotted shark at home! If you do it wrong or don't leave it in the ground for long enough, it's quite likely that you will die in agony from eating it, as it is full of neurotoxins and ammonia, which are filtered out using the process described above.

Hrutspungar (Sour Ram's Testicles)

Ram's testicles, pickled in whey, put in gelatin, pressed either into a cake with garlic, as a jam, or as a kind of pâté that tastes sour and spongy, with a texture reminiscent of pressed cod roe. Guidebooks comment: 'Not bad if you don't think about it too much, especially in pâté form.' Or you could just take their word for it.

Lundabaggar (Sour Lamb)

This is a tough one to explain - it is made from secondary meats, like colons and other such stuff, rolled up, boiled, pickled (made sour in mysa, more commonly known as whey), sliced and held together with string. Very fatty, it may be a good idea to cut away the fat before eating, as sour fat usually tastes bad, but it won't leave you with much meat on your plate.

Selshreyfar (Sour Seal Flippers)

The flippers of those adorable animals, made sour in milk and salted. They taste sour, salty and slimy. These are rare, except at some family feasts where the participants have hunted the seals themselves. Quite revolting.

Hvalrengi (Sour Whale-fat)

Made sour with milk. Tastes like sour papier mâché, and probably not very healthy either. Fresh whale blubber is stringy and tough, but apparently pickling it makes it soft and more easily digestible.

Kæst skata (Rotted Stingray)

Made in the same way as the shark, but not as pungent and offensive to the nose as the rotted shark. It has a strong smell of ammonia about it. Sometimes it is mashed, then it is called skotustappa. Usually eaten as a main course, with potatoes.

According to some sources, Skata originates from the Western fjords in the eighteenth century when the brighter lights of society, on þorláksmessa (the day before Christmas), gave their humble hired help 'Skata' so as to assure that until the next þorláksmessa, anything would taste better (!) while they themselves stuffed themselves with hangikjöt (see below).

Svid ('Burned' Sheep-heads)

Stuff that most people associate with devil-worship. A sheep's head that's been burned to remove the wool, cut in two in order to remove the brain, boiled, and either eaten fresh or pressed into jelly (Svidasulta, 'sheep-head jam'). Despite the rather gruesome appearance, these taste quite good.

Even though they look quite serene and peaceful, some people can't stand the thought of eating a burned head. Many people eat only the lower jaw and the tongue to avoid 'eye contact.'

As long as anyone can remember, Icelandic children have then used the lower jawbones as playthings, usually pretending that it was livestock such as sheep. However, after the 1940s, the jawbone became a gun in children's games, and cowboys and Indians became quite popular. Today the jawbone has been replaced by videogames.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Even though they look quite serene and peaceful, some people can't stand the thought of eating a burned head. Many people eat only the lower jaw and the tongue to avoid 'eye contact.'

<shudder>

As long as anyone can remember, Icelandic children have then used the lower jawbones as playthings, usually pretending that it was livestock such as sheep. However, after the 1940s, the jawbone became a gun in children's games, and cowboys and Indians became quite popular. Today the jawbone has been replaced by videogames.

 

[arildno]

Well, Icelanders are weird.