To many people, especially those who know me, it is no secret that I love food. Eating is one of my favorite hobbies. Oh if only exercising was one of them. But that's not the point. The point is that food is a very big part of my life. I consider food a way to experience other cultures and a great way to make new friends. However, something tells me I might change my mind soon.
One of my biggest dreams is to travel the world. I hope that one day I can travel to different countries and see the sights and taste all the different dishes in the world. But there are a few countries that I think I might be wary of. Many countries, especially in Asia, seem to think that insects make a great dish.
In Thailand, one of the countries that I want to visit the most, has several delicacies made from insects. There are soups made from scorpions and silk worms. There are giants water bugs that people steam or mash them into a sweet and spicy sauce. Nom nom nom.
In Japan, another country that I'm planning on visiting, there are lots of foods that don't necessarily sound all that appealing. Things like sushi, which already makes some people squeamish, with insects inside and grasshoppers with sweet soy sauce. Or what about the puffer fish, which can be more poisonous than cyanide when cooked wrong. and for dessert you can have some digger wasp crackers. Yum.
One country everyone wants to go to is Italy. But imagine waiting for your authentic spaghetti to arrive at the restaurant and the man at the table next to you sneezes, causing the larvae eating the block of cheese sitting in front of him to jump six inches into the air. Apparently the larvae help the cheese, called casu marzu, ferment, and if you don't chew thoroughly, the larvae could nibble on your stomach like the cheese.
Some of the dishes don't seem too bad. At least some, like balut in the Phillipines, don't have insects in them. Balut is basically a boiled egg. The only drawback is the chicken fetus that's inside. Hey, you can have scrambled eggs and chicken at the same time.
I know quite well that food can represent a whole culture. I also know that food can be a pretty big stereotype to some cultures as well. (Mexicans eat tacos and black people like fried chicken, etc.) And I used to think that even if I don't like everything I eat, I'd be willing to try something new. However, I think I've changed my mind.
There is no way I will ever. Ever. Eat a fried tarantula.
