I’ve posted pictures in the past of some of the more “exotic” culinary offerings I come across when I visit Louisiana. See here and here.

Now, I didn’t actually find the items below myself. You may have seen the pictures below as they’re from an email making the rounds in conjunction with the beginning of the Olympics in Beijing, although they may have their origin in an earlier context. The photos are attributed to a “G. Pollack,” and I don’t know who he is, but from the briefest of research I did on the internet, evidently the pictures are really from the Beijing market.

You know, I’m much more adventurous in what I’ll eat than Kathy. After seeing these pictures, she said that when we go to China next year, she’s going to take plenty of Ramen noodles with her. I don’t know why she’s selected Ramen noodles. I’d assume that noodles would be in abundance in China. I, however, may carry a number of PowerBars with me.

You know, I’d not be opposed to eating sea urchin--as long as it was cooked--but the problem is that I don’t know how to eat sea urchin!


Starfish fried in shark oil.


Baby sharks, deep fried star fish, and sea urchins.


Top left: turkey vulture schnitzels; bottom left: sea snakes; bottom right: silk worms


Snake about to be grilled


Dog liver with vegetables (don’t tell Bessie Mae!)


Goat lungs with red peppers


Mixed cow and horse stew


Top row: silk worms, black scorpions, and dung beetles; bottom: cicadas


Scorpion brochettes


Lizard legs


Dog brain soup


Oysters, squid, and iguana tails


Assorted scorpions & beetles


Scorpions, crickets, and beetles


Seahorses


Grilled snake and silk worms

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Just remember what Mom said: “You can’t get up from the table until you try at least one bite of everything on your plate.