What is your most unusual local food?

[Chatter-box]

Here it is Ramps. In fact, if you do not do at least one Ramp dinner you are not supporting your local town charity, fire department, school, senior center, church... Don't know what Ramps are? Google it, then come over and eat and stink and have a good time. But don't plan to go to work or to school the next day. Some communities here actually have school rules that prohibit students from attending class after a ramp dinner. Want to stay home?

[hawke86]

What is a ramp dinner???????????

[Chatter-box]

Ramps are the most delicious, stinkiest, onion-type plant you can find. It is absolutely the smelliest plant around but people eat it here in the spring. It is said to cleanse your body (and your soul, I guess). You cook it with eggs into a kind of ramp scramble and you can mix it with other things like ham or just eat it raw. Your pores sweat the stink and your breath is amazing. Like I said, Google it and tell me what you think. You can buy ramps on every back-woods corner for about 3 dollars a bunch, or less if you know the guy. just think ahead where you are going to store them until you cook them. Plan ahead or your spouse may move out for a few days. Sounds like a good time, right?

[skillefer]

LOL...When I was growing up in Nebraska the 2 most unusual local foods were pig brains and rocy mountain oysters. pig brains actually have no taste...you put them in scrambled eggs and they pretty much taste like scrambled eggs. They just turn the dish gray...ok, not exactly an appetizing picture...I know... The other dish, rocky mountain oysters, are bull testicles cut up and deep fat fried..now those are yummy... In fact one town I visited had a yearly testicle fetival....hey, if you're a farmer or rancher, you'll use any excuse you can to throw a party and not spend the day in the fields or pastures.

[Chatter-box]

I am trying to imagine ramp scrambled with pig brains and deep fried bull testicles....hmm...well, it's Easter, maybe with some chocolate bunnies and jelly beans...Quick, where's the skillet?

[flinnigan]

OMG That sounds so gross. I was going to say Smelt, but after yours it's quite normal I guess.

[BuckeyeFan]

Grits? Not the southern kind made out of grain that taste like Cream of Wheat. I am talking about good old meat grits made from scrap meat of pork or beef. Hi cholesterol - yep. Hi taste - YEP!

[Chatter-box]

I'm remembering a word, scrapple. Is that meat-grits scrapple?

[Chatter-box]

What is smelt? Honestly, it sounds like a word that would apply to all of these foods!

[RobinN]

I do like escargot... with garlic butter
and grilled eel

Chatter-box smelt is a fish. Never had it though. Sounds like something one would use on a fish hook.

[flinnigan]

Smelt are little fish that swim for just a few days in large groups. People go down to the river in packs and use nets or buckets to catch tons at a time. They call that smelt dippin. Then they dip the little critters in flour and fry them up. Eyes bones and all and eat them whole. They only run once a year. The local yocals go nuts for them. They're about 4" long and very thin.

[BuckeyeFan]

I'm remembering a word, scrapple. Is that meat-grits scrapple?

Never heard them called anything but grits, but I am sure that is regional as I could not even find them on the web.

Another good one is pickled eggs. Take hard boiled eggs and put them in a vinegar mixture with red beets. It pickles the red beets and the eggs. The eggs turn purple on the outside and take on a slightly sweet and sour taste from the beets.

[skillefer]

How about souse? (pickled pigs feet) My hubby's family doesn't necessarily pickle them per se.....I can't say it's a regional dish, as it's really only eaten by my hubby's family that I know of...it's a west indies dish....He says I make the second best pigs feet in the family. the first place prize goes to his aunt.

PS= OH! don't forget the head cheese!

[Chatter-box]

What is head cheese?

[alivenwell]

How about tripe? It's pickled cow's stomach. A PA Dutch/German delicacy.

[flinnigan]

Head Cheese = Brain

Maybe we really should be vegans 'cause this stuff is pretty gross.

[brain]

How about tripe? It's pickled cow's stomach. A PA Dutch/German delicacy.

Now, Now, Now ...
I am 100% southern, Tripe is a favorite here along
with Chitlin's!



It is NOT pickled cow's stomach! But you CAN pickle it
if you wanted to. We prefer the honeycomb end in
which I oven bake it first, then oven fry it (rather than
deep fry).... YUM!

Head Cheese = Brain

Maybe we really should be vegans 'cause this stuff is pretty gross.

Ahhhhhh! Head Cheese is NOT BRAIN!

Head cheese (AmE) or brawn (BrE) is a cold cut originating from Europe. Head cheese is in fact not a cheese, but meat pieces from the head of a calf or pig (sometimes a sheep or cow), in aspic, with onion, black pepper, allspice, bayleaf, salt and or vinegar. It may also include meat from the feet, tongue and heart. It is usually eaten cold or at room temperature as a luncheon meat. It is sometimes also known as souse meat, particularly if pickled with vinegar.

Historically meat jellies were made of the cleaned (all organs removed) head of the animal, which was simmered to produce stock, a peasant food made since the Middle Ages. When cooled, the stock congeals because of the natural gelatin found in the skull. The aspic may need additional gelatin in order to set properly.

It is actually very good Lunch Meat! Did you know it is very high
in vitamins and iron? You can even look it up on Wiki ... and it
will knock your socks off!



Our most unusual food is ... well; I really just don't know considering
we are 100% southerners here and it's all "normal" to us...

[Chatter-box]

I want to be a vegetarian!!!!

[skillefer]

LOL...I love trying regional cuisine whenever I travel...this means I've tasted some weird stuff. I think my favorite though was fried silkworms. Very yummy, and high in protein.

PS= My grandfather's only concern was that they might have been fed mulberry leaves that had been sprayed with pesticides.

Remember, strange foods is all in the eyes of the beholder. I've been to Korea where dog is on the menu. Here, dog's are pets or work animals...not menu items. But, it's understandable why dog would be eaten over there...they don't have as much land to feed cattle on. so, you have to get protein somewhere. And yes, I understand that tofu is a good source of protein...but it's not that good a source of fat, and we all do need to have some fat in our diets. In other parts of the world insects are common menu fare..as well as bats or monkeys. If they were to visit the US, they'd think some of our cuisine was perculiar too...like deep fried snickers.

[rackelsmom]

Anyone ever eat lamb fries? They are really good!