Andrew Zimmern consistently claims that one man’s bizarre is another’s ordinary, but some foods even give him pause. These are a few of the biggest sacrifices he’s made in the name of entertaining television.
Cow Placenta
Placenta may be “life itself,” but that doesn’t mean the average individual is willing to eat it! Zimmern was brave, however, and despite making some very strange faces, he admitted that it tasted a lot like liver.
Bizarre Ice Cream Flavors
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Neapolitan? Rocky Road? How about beef tongue or octopus? Zimmern put these unusual flavors to the test in Japan. He’s also tried bugs in his ice cream. Yum.
Cod Sperm
Yes, fish sperm is edible, and yes, Andrew Zimmern has sampled it. When tasting cod sperm for his show, he referred to the delicacy as ” a salute to [pornographic actor] Ron Jeremy in a bowl.” As disgusting as fish sperm might sound, Zimmern claims it tastes “creamy and yummy.”
Ox Penis
Speaking of reproductive organs, Zimmern has consumed his fair share of penises over the years. Not all have been particularly satisfying, but he does approve of ox penis because “size really does matter!”
Eyeballs
The eyes are the windows to the soul, but they’re a bit intimidating when served in a restaurant or street market. Zimmern has tried the eyeballs of numerous animals, including salmon, tuna and even wildebeest.
Tofu
Tofu doesn’t seem like a big deal, right? It sounds downright edible compared to most of the foods on this list. But when it’s of the stinky variety, Zimmern physically cannot eat it. He compared the taste to “rotten nuts mixed with rotted fish.”
Coconut Grubs
Despite looking like something only Timon and Pumba from The Lion King would dare eat, Zimmern claims that coconut tree grubs can be delicious when prepared correctly. If not, however, they taste like “pus bags filled with rotted digested wood.” Doesn’t seem worth the risk, but then again, this is a guy who thrives on gastronomical risk-taking!
Bamboo Rat
Almost everything Zimmern samples looks disgusting, but viewers actively recoiled when they witnessed the rat delicacy he agreed to eat. The rat was actually his second choice; on this particular occasion, he passed up cow placenta! He was initially excited to eat the rat, “until it split open and the smell of its entrails flooded the marketplace.”
Cane Rat
Did you think Zimmern’s bamboo rat looked inedible? Now, try tripling the size! The cane rat he hunted for in Uganda was frightening, to say the least.
Fermented Snake
South Koreans have a love-hate relationship with fermented skate, which is sometimes referred to as hongeo. Andrew Zimmern has compared its distinct odor to “hospital floor cleaner mixed with glue solvent.” However, he also admits that trying the delicacy was worth it, despite “[smelling] like an outhouse” afterwards.
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