Language and Food — The Base of Any Culture
Our passion is not only for foreign languages, but also for the cultures of other countries. Since food is the base for any culture, we decided to embark on the search for endangered dishes that the average American may never have the chance to taste.
Sampling the World’s Endangered Foods
In certain parts of the world, the food options available to you are pretty boring: burgers, fries, that sort of thing. In places where traditional foods are still allowed to thrive, however, dining options can be livelier (in every sense of the word). From live octopus to foods infested with various living creatures, cuisine options around the globe are truly anything but ordinary.
Sannakji or Live Octopus
While most of the seafood consumed is no longer living by the time it reaches our plates, this is not the case for Sannakji, a Korean dish of live octopus. This dish is simply served as cut up morsels of the tentacles, and garnished with sesame oil. Whether you consume it in its hot or cold fashion, you are sure to find an incredibly unique and understated taste. While this dish is more than popular in its homeland, others may find the dining experience a strange one as the still-living octopus slithers about the plate.
Escamoles Ant Eggs
People of almost all cultures eat eggs, in most cases on a daily basis. So, why would eating the eggs of an ant be any different? Escamoles refers to the eggs of the giant Mexican Lionetopum ant. This creature finds its home in the root systems of maguey and agave plants, making collecting the eggs a rather difficult task. For some though, the reward of its intense flavor is well worth it. Harvesting these eggs is not a job for the faint of heart however as the ants are highly venomous, and are known for being incredibly vicious towards humans. With the eggs in tow, diners will find a consistency similar to cottage cheese and a buttery taste with slight hints of salt. They are commonly served as a garnish in tacos along with guacamole in their native homeland of Mexico.
Casu Marzu Cheese
Essentially, Casu Marzu is a type of cheese. Sounds harmless enough, but do not get too comfortable. Cazu Marzu is a cheese made from sheep’s milk that is deliberately infested with “Piophilia casei,” commonly known as the “cheese fly.” Aside from infiltrating the cheese with a tangy stench, this insect also creates a maggot-ridden ball of cheese. If this is not enough, the live translucent maggots found in the cheese are able to jump up to six inches in the air, making for a wild dining experience. Residents of Sardinia, Italy love this delicacy. However, the cheese is deemed illegal in Sardinia. Even though it is illegal, residents of Sardinia just cannot get enough of the otherworldly taste and are more than willing to sacrifice their health for the taste of that tangy, aromatic cheese. This food became part of the SlowFood foundation’s Ark of Taste in 1998. The Slow Food Foundation is dedicated to preserving local food culture in an age where many traditional foods are becoming homogenized.
Lutefisk or Cod Marinated in Lye
Lutefisk may not need to be on the Slow Food Foundation’s Ark of Taste, but it certainly is a regional delicacy in Norway. And you may or may not agree that it is worth eating. This traditional Norwegian dish is nothing more than cod that has been steeped for several days in a solution of lye. If you know anything about lye, I will let that statement sink in for a moment, as it most definitely is not something you would ever consider ingesting. Lye is commonly used as an industrial cleaning chemical used in a variety of instances: none of them to do with eating. Do not fret though; the solution in which this fish is steeped voids it of any harm to the human body. Still, you are in for a surprise in terms of taste when eating Lutefisk. You might as well begin preparations to sample the dish though, as in recent years this seafood delicacy has become increasingly popular in the United States.
Baby Mice Wine
Once again, hailing from Korea, baby mice wine is a traditional beverage consumed for its supposed health benefits. The drink comes in the same form as any other wine. However, sitting at the bottom are a handful of baby mice, which have been plucked from their mothers for this purpose. While still living, the mice are placed into a bottle of rice wine where they are left to ferment. It is unclear what health benefits this drink provides. Well at least you will not have to watch out for baby mice when you visit Korea.
Always Culturally Sensitive, Never Endangered: LanguageTran
In this weird and wild world, you can count on LanguageTran to offer state-of-the-art and quality translation services giving you the edge in any unknown territory.
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A few of these foods are highlighted over at Cracked, in a hilarious and irreverent way. Though we stand by our feeling that all food deserves to be on a plate somewhere, their take on some of the world’s oddest foods is pretty funny.
In this weird and wild world, you can count on LanguageTran to offer state-of-the-art and quality translation services giving you the edge in any unknown territory.
For a free quote and more information on the services offered by LanguageTran fill out this easy to digest form.
A few of these foods are highlighted over at Cracked, in a hilarious and irreverent way. Though we stand by our feeling that all food deserves to be on a plate somewhere, their take on some of the world’s oddest foods is pretty funny.
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