What The Strangest Thing Your Thai/lao Better Half Eats?

[technocracy]

Now don't get me wrong here I do actually eat most of the creepy crawlies, ant eggs and I'll even eat some of the ducks blood (well unless they fill it with a truck load of mint like normal!).

However the one thing that I just don't understand that my wife eats is the tendons (ga dook on), you know the white bone looking stuff found on ribs or end of chicken legs. She loves crunching away at it , my main wonder is just how strong is her jaw muscles must be to chew the stuff! I am sure there is absolutely no nutritional value in it!

Also the sucking the brains and eyes out of fishheads - now this one turns my stomach more than the other because I don't eat fish never have done. Just one of things I don't like, I've tried many many time but just doesn't jangle my tastebuds.

[chinthee]

Yellow crab eggs - disgusting

[sceadugenga]

Don't watch them eat. I repeat....DON'T WATCH THEM EAT.

[lazeeboy]

Don't watch them eat. I repeat....DON'T WATCH THEM EAT.

nothing she eats is strange ,so she says ,lm the strange one marmite on toast ,she thinks thats discusting,thais who'd have um

[Minburi]

Chicken feet in gravey is pretty bad. But watching my wife and her sister eat a fish from nose to tail is pretty gross. But the nice this is nothing goes to waste. The leftovers what little there are goes to the Cat.

Edited June 17, 2007 by Minburi

[Pepe']

My darling ex used to gross me out when she added the black crabs to her sum tom salad. Talk about men mak mak.

She also ate the tendons and chickens feet that totally grossed me out.

I've been vegetarian since 1974 and I have always felt everyone should eat what they like. As long as you're willing to accept the "karmic bill."

Some of these things were just to gross and smelly.

Interestingly according to Traditional Chinese Medicine eating the tendons, eyes brains etc. supposedly benefit the corresponding organs of the one that consumes them...

[technocracy]

Oh yeah that's another one her and her aunt will fight over who eats the duck brains when they've BBQ a duck! Normally the person who BBQs the head will nick it before it's put on the table!!

I just don't understand some things!!!

Edited June 17, 2007 by technocracy

[dominique355]

Now don't get me wrong here I do actually eat most of the creepy crawlies, ant eggs and I'll even eat some of the ducks blood (well unless they fill it with a truck load of mint like normal!).

However the one thing that I just don't understand that my wife eats is the tendons (ga dook on), you know the white bone looking stuff found on ribs or end of chicken legs. She loves crunching away at it ,

I am not a butcher, but isn't that cartilage you mean? Also called "soft bone". I like it too and I eat it already as a kid when living in Switzerland. (long long time ago) It's not really typical Thai.

Tendons also are something I like. I have been once at a "garden party" in Argentina ... you know, the kind of party where they have four halves of a beef on a BBQ grill. The most coveted parts were the tendons. Crispy, tasty, really good. You wouldn't believe the amount of meat they can eat down there.

But back to the OP: Yeah, ant eggs is among the things I try to avoid. Chicken feet are next, but it's all in your head. I can't help thinking of where these feet scratched a life long. But ... they are not bad. Not much to eat, but "kin dai".

[Head Snake]

Interestingly according to Traditional Chinese Medicine eating the tendons, eyes brains etc. supposedly benefit the corresponding organs of the one that consumes them...

Does that include fish balls??

[KireB]

Mango with extremely bad smelling fermented fish sauce!

[Naam]

Yellow crab eggs - disgusting

are fish eggs like caviar disgusting too?

[chinthee]

Yellow crab eggs - disgusting

are fish eggs like caviar disgusting too?

No, surprisingly. I lived in Russia for 7 years and love caviar from Sturgeon. Not sure why I'm grossed out by crab eggs.

[ozzydom]

The placenta from new born a new born calf,leave in sun for a few days then stir fry.

[Pepe']

Interestingly according to Traditional Chinese Medicine eating the tendons, eyes brains etc. supposedly benefit the corresponding organs of the one that consumes them...

Does that include fish balls??

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

There is a famous Chinese Medicine formula that was called Seven Ball or something like that. And yes according to theory there is some benefit to the endocrine system. I remember some of the ingredients were balls from sea horse,

seals, dog, rabbit and horse.

God knows what it really has in it. Some of my patients have used it for years and report good results...

[BboyRusty]

I tried a dish which consisted mainly of pigs intestine tasted extremly srummy but anything that dosn't start to break down after a number of chews gets removed from my mouth sadly.

Another one I tried was an eel dish, teribble! very boney

[technocracy]

I am not a butcher, but isn't that cartilage you mean? Also called "soft bone". I like it too and I eat it already as a kid when living in Switzerland. (long long time ago) It's not really typical Thai.

Tendons also are something I like. I have been once at a "garden party" in Argentina ... you know, the kind of party where they have four halves of a beef on a BBQ grill. The most coveted parts were the tendons. Crispy, tasty, really good. You wouldn't believe the amount of meat they can eat down there.

But back to the OP: Yeah, ant eggs is among the things I try to avoid. Chicken feet are next, but it's all in your head. I can't help thinking of where these feet scratched a life long. But ... they are not bad. Not much to eat, but "kin dai".

Ahh yes it probably is cartilage now you mention it . . but your still weird for eating it!!! You're the first western person I know of who eats it anyway!

But she also eats tendons, chicken and duck feet.

The placenta thing is a new one!! Don't think I'll be in any rush to try that should she stir fry one up!

Oh yeah also duck foetus boiled eaten straight from the shell . . . the only thing I have never been able stomach to even try!!

The fermented fish sauce and mango is the bpaa dek . . . yep it reeks! But I have actually eaten it quite a bit when done in a sauce or in bamboo soup . . . gaeng nom mai .. .. sep lai lai (Lao not Thai before people wonder aka - aloi mak mak!)

[colino]

CHEESE BURGERS

[Chung noi]

Howdy,

Homemade fish sausage Isaan style, aged in the ground for three days. Then her and her friends fried it in the house. I did'nt see her eat it. However, I smelt it on her breath, and in the house for what seemed weeks. I really did not think it was safe to eat.

She thinks eatting mountain oysters is sick. First time she seen me eat them she ask me if they had any bones.

Chung *j*

Edited June 17, 2007 by Chung noi

[keebone]

The only thing she eats I find disgusting is ants. For her part she found the fact I ate potato skins none too pleasant, her mum felt the same even though she eats rats. Not long after me eating potato and yam skins which they found strange they bought some fish that they proceeded to eat the skin from. I pointed out that fish skins harbour all sorts of lice and ticks which it seems they had never thought of.

[meemiathai]

I found those beatle-like creatures that almost covered the whole lamp at night on the plates fried, the next morning. They say it was thai-cookies.

[eek]

Ahh yes it probably is cartilage now you mention it . . but your still weird for eating it!!! You're the first western person I know of who eats it anyway!

Im from UK and I used to love sucking the cartilage outta chicken bones. I thought it was the best bit of all. Known others (westerners) who liked it also (Been veggie since 16 tho' so doesnt apply anymore). Ioved salami and black pudding aIso..all kinda gross too when youre not familiar with it.

[CarlBkk]

Quite shocked at what you guys allow your loved-one to digest!

I just about draw the line with somtam, and that's only allowable once a fortnight. I'm a strict b'stard, but she's looking the better for it :-)

Some Filipino friends in the north tried to forcefeed me a "drinking snack" they were downing with their beers. They had a plate of balsamic vinegar which was used for dipping hugely thick pork fat into. I was nearly chundering at the sight of it - not only where they huge chunks of fat, but they still had the layer of skin on with hairs sticking out. Filipinos aren't fussy.

[Mossfinn]

hugely thick pork fat into. I was nearly chundering at the sight of it - not only where they huge chunks of fat, but they still had the layer of skin on with hairs sticking out.

I guess you have never tried Limerick Boiled Hairy Bacon then!

Moss

[Paulbangkok]

My wife loves the locusts, some of the beetles, the grubs and the red ants. I have tried some of it and I won't say that it was terrible but it wasn't exactly tasty either so I wouldn't eat them again.

Often while visiting the in-laws my father in-law will treat himself to a fresh Rat that he has caught out in the rice field's. I've been offered a taste and even though it isn't sewer Rat, and is probably not bad I've declined, for me Rat is Rat wherever it came from.........

[kankaroo]

Quite shocked at what you guys allow your loved-one to digest!

I just about draw the line with somtam, and that's only allowable once a fortnight. I'm a strict b'stard, but she's looking the better for it :-)

Some Filipino friends in the north tried to forcefeed me a "drinking snack" they were downing with their beers. They had a plate of balsamic vinegar which was used for dipping hugely thick pork fat into. I was nearly chundering at the sight of it - not only where they huge chunks of fat, but they still had the layer of skin on with hairs sticking out. Filipinos aren't fussy.

HEIL HITLER !!!!!

[sceadugenga]

Interestingly according to Traditional Chinese Medicine eating the tendons, eyes brains etc. supposedly benefit the corresponding organs of the one that consumes them...

Does that include fish balls??

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

There is a famous Chinese Medicine formula that was called Seven Ball or something like that. And yes according to theory there is some benefit to the endocrine system. I remember some of the ingredients were balls from sea horse,

seals, dog, rabbit and horse.

God knows what it really has in it. Some of my patients have used it for years and report good results...

The results weren't so good for the previous owners of the balls though.

[technocracy]

My wife loves the locusts, some of the beetles, the grubs and the red ants. I have tried some of it and I won't say that it was terrible but it wasn't exactly tasty either so I wouldn't eat them again.

Often while visiting the in-laws my father in-law will treat himself to a fresh Rat that he has caught out in the rice field's. I've been offered a taste and even though it isn't sewer Rat, and is probably not bad I've declined, for me Rat is Rat wherever it came from.........

Rat I can confirm unsurprisingly tastes rather like chicken (doesn't everything!!).

Salami and Black pudding are great - however I was rather surprised that my wife didn't like Black Pudding considering she'll eat the blood out of anything!

This thick pork fat was it crispy? Or just uncooked?? If it was the big crunchy pork rind like they do here it's great I eat it quite a bit in fact had a plate of it with my beer on Saturday night.

[bradda88]

I never flinched until the rat tail was hanging off a plate of leftovers, hanging over my beers in the fridge. The sight of the tail on my bear really put me off(I had to drink my beer in a glass). So now they clip the tail off and it looks like a small 4 legged chicken(wings for all!) No more worries:).

Well as a big farmer we cut the nuts off the small male pigs all in one go. My father in law used my best skillet and fried up a pile of nads. He sat around dipping them in hot sauce. Couldn't understand why I didn't snack out with him what with all the cold beer and all...

Cheers all,

Bradda88

[kmart]

I have seen some of my staff at work eat some horrendous (to me) <deleted>. Lizards and snake fried up with basil being some of the least worrisome. The strangest "dish" has to be "goong tehn" or literally dancing shrimp that are very small shrimp still alive and still jumping en masse; "dancing" out of the diner's mouth while they're trying to ingest the poor little sods.

I don't eat offal / organ food due to occasional gout attacks, but the "shrimp balls" my missus occasionally tucks into has me trying to imagine the size of the generous crustacean that donated them...

Those fried locust and insect things are horrible. They use so much msg (mono sodium glutamate) to try and make them taste anywhere half-decent that you might have a heart attack before you've downed the first one. Guess Thailand never adopted Old Testament Christianity because they couldn't take Biblical Plagues seriously;-

G*d: I'm going to punish you for your wicked ways with a Plague Of Frogs!

Thailand: Great! We love those!

G*d (exasperated): Ok, then; seeing how you're being difficult; here! Have a Plague Of Locusts!

Thailand: *drools* Quick! Call everyone you know and bring some whisky round!

G*d gives up....

[Paulbangkok]

Guess Thailand never adopted Old Testament Christianity because they couldn't take Biblical Plagues seriously;-

G*d: I'm going to punish you for your wicked ways with a Plague Of Frogs!

Thailand: Great! We love those!

G*d (exasperated): Ok, then; seeing how you're being difficult; here! Have a Plague Of Locusts!

Thailand: *drools* Quick! Call everyone you know and bring some whisky round!

G*d gives up....

Too Funny!