Pan Sautéed Grasshoppers
This is NOT a Houston version of Andrew Bizarre Foods America. There is nothing "gross" in this list. It is merely a guide to some of the food items eaten as staples all over the world (and in Houston), yet shied away from by many here as weird or icky. Remember that in many poorer countries such as in South America, Central America, Mexico in North America, people don't waste food like we do! There is a tasty way to eat every part of the "food animals" that are indigenous to the area. Even along the bayous in Louisiana, Cajuns love to celebrate the "whole hog" where at celebrations called boucheries, friends and neighbors gather and dance to Zydeco music while they cook and eat everything on/in the hog except the hair on its chinny chin chin.
Try these dishes... you will like them (most of them). The purpose of this article is for many to broaden their culinary horizons. Here are some delightful dishes and where to find them ("Delightful" except for the Durian, in MY opinion). Many will say that they have tried most of them. 95% will not have tried all of them (if any at all). Why not make this your bucket list of bugs and edible offal? You will not qualify to compete for the title of “The most interesting man (or woman) in the world” without putting a dent in this list. Hey, I'm just trying to help you gather a crowd at the next party you go to!
1. Pork Salivary and Pituitary Glands
Pork Salivary Gland and Pituitary Gland Scrambled Eggs
(Huevos y Chorizo)
If I asked you to try pork salivary glands and pituitary glands, you might say “No, thank you.”, yet you have probably already eaten them and loved them. Take a look at the ingredients on the label on any package of Chorizo. Pig salivary and Pituitary glands are the main ingredients in most versions of Chorizo. Now that you see that you have probably already taken the first step toward being a culinary adventurer, see how far you can get down this list! I started with this item that will seem like a no-brainer. Most Texans have eaten dishes like the scrambled eggs with chorizo that I made above. My question to you is if you had known what you were ordering the first time you ate Chorizo, would you have still ordered it if the menu said "Scrambled eggs with tender pig salivary and pituitary glands", might you have just ordered ham & eggs? With that in mind, the next nine offerings might seem a little less frightening. Just sayin'...
Chapulines at Hugo's
I start off with Chapulines (grasshoppers), a menu item at Hugo’s Regional Mexican Cuisine at 1600 Westheimer in Houston, because it is something that makes most people (who are not adventurous) shiver at the thought of eating them... until they try them. I have eaten them in more than a dozen places in Houston and Mexico. I’ve had them as menu items in tacos, sopes, or sold as munchies piled on a table at outdoor markets in town squares and farmers markets in Oaxaca, Chiapas and even in Tijuana. Crispy, nutty and buttery, I order them every time I see them anywhere. The important point here is that of all of those who I’ve convinced to try them, no matter how much they were afraid of that first bite... LOVED them and was surprised by that fact.
3. Blood Sausage at Pradaria Churrascaria
Blood Sausage at Pradaria Churrascaria
Blood Sausage Queso Fundido at Hay Merchant
Blood Sausage Queso Fundido w/House-Made Tortillas
at Hay Merchant
4. Sweetbreads and Kidneys at Pradaria Churrascaria
Sweetbreads (Pancreas)
Kidneys
The wonderful Sweetbreads (Molleja) and Beef Kidneys (Rinon) aren’t on the tip of the average Houstonian’s tongue, but ARE quite common and a delicacy in Brazil, Argentina and Europe (Brits love 'em). The Kidneys are sautéed in oil with herbs and are an essential part of any meal I have at Pradaria Churrascaria. Sweetbreads are "stomach sweetbreads" (also known as heart or belly sweetbreads), which are an animal's pancreas. Kidneys are kidneys. These sweetbreads at Pradaria Churrascaria, 10694 Westheimer, are breaded and fried... and are delicious. The only bad thing about them is the knowledge that they are an animal’s pancreas (an oblong flattened gland located deep in the abdomen).
5. Menudo (Pork or Beef Tripe Soup) at Ruchis Rincon de Mexico (or hundreds of taquerias in Houston)
Menudo
Tripe is the rubbery lining of the stomach of cattle or other ruminants. It is the main ingredient in Menudo (soup). I was eating a bowl of it at Taqueria Arandas on Shepherd near 11th Street on a Sunday morning (it is usually served only on weekends in most Mexican restaurants and Taquerias) and a Hispanic police officer approached our table and told me that he had "never seen a gringo eat it before". Of course, many gringos eat Menudo... but not all of us. The bowl shown here was eaten at Ruchi's Taqueria el Rincon de Mexico on Westheimer at Winrock. Frankly, I can live without it, due to the chewy texture, but I still try it in different places to find a version I can't live without.
Sweet and Spicy Pig's Ears at Hay Merchant
If you are looking for a way to be able to brag about how good the last Pig's Ears you ate were, these at Hay Merchant, 1100 Westheimer, are crispy, and spicy. If you like pork cracklins, you will enjoy these. They are crispy, yet succulent... sweet and slightly spicy and served in a paper bag like popcorn. Better than popcorn, in my opinion.
7. Head Cheese
Head Cheese
Head cheese (or brawn) is a cold cut that originated in Europe. First of all, Head cheese is not cheese at all, but a terrine or meat jelly made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig (or, a sheep or cow), and often set in aspic. The parts of the head that are used can vary, but it is NOT usually the brain, eyes, or the tongue (sometimes the feet and heart, may be included).
Head cheese may be flavored with onion, black pepper, allspice, bay leaf, salt, and vinegar. It is usually eaten cold or at room temperature as a cold cut for sandwiches. It can also be made from quality trimmings from pork and veal, adding gelatin to the stock as a binder. The Head Cheese that I have pictured here is from La Michoacana Meat Market at 3012 Hillcroft between Westheimer and Richmond and is made only from the snout and the skin of the head. However, various versions of it are available at most meat markets and many supermarket deli counters in Houston.
8. Durian
Durian
Durian Ready to Eat
It's not important to like everything you try (I usually
like everything I taste, due to the requirements placed upon me as a child by
my parents). I knew in advance, though, that I
might not care for a Durian. Why? Anything that Andrew Zimmern will not eat
again and describes its aroma as like that of a "rotting corpse" gives me
pause (maybe a complete stop). BUT, the premise of this article is that it is
important to try new and interesting foods... not necessarily to like them. Who
knows, you may be the 1 in 10,000,000 people who likes Durian. They can be found at Hong Kong Market at
11205 Bellaire Blvd, just outside of Wilcrest. I bought the Durian on a Monday
morning and, as Monday is garbage pickup day, I opened it, tasted it and photographed
it just before the pickup.
After I cut it open (above) my first words were "Sweet mother of God, what have I done?" Other than the aroma, it was very sweet and I ate several bites (It really WAS tasty). However, the stench kept it from being an enjoyable experience. The aroma has also been described by various people as almonds, rotten
onions, turpentine, raw sewage, and gym socks. The odor has led to signs placed
on hotel entrances in Southeast Asia announcing the fruit's banishment from the
premises. It is also banned from much
public transportation in Southeast Asia, where it is grown. I did MY part. You can get one large enough to feed your whole family for about five bucks at Hong Kong Market. Your kids will love it. Just tell them that it's good for them.
The first time saw anyone eat a chicken foot, it was my
food/travel writer friend, George Rosenblatt at a Dim Sum restaurant in China
Town out Bellaire Drive. I was quiet and didn’t draw attention to the fact that I wasn’t
planning to order them. I knew what chickens scratch around it. However, that was in the past and they are now a regular
order for me in Chinese restaurants that serve them. When I’m in the mood for
Dim Sum and Chicken Feet now, my
favorite spot is Golden Palace on
Bellaire Blvd. The feet are served there
in a rich bean sauce spiced up with jalapenos. The waitress compliments me by
calling me a “brave white guy” when I order them. However, you only have to be
brave the first time you order them, as they are delicious, gelatanous, and melt in your
mouth.
10. Goat Brains at Indika
Brains evoke images to many of Hannibal Lechter declaring
that he likes his brains "with fava beans and a nice Chianti." Brains
get a bad rap. However, many Houstonians enjoy them frequently as specials at
Feast, or up Westheimer at Indika (a regular appetizer item for dinner there). You can buy brains
at many meat markets like La Michoacana and cook them yourself (They are
particularly nice in a creamy soup or chowder). First of all, there are calf brains around town... there are Halal lamb brains at Phoenicia (many find these to have a little stronger taste),
However, I really like the Goat Brains at Indika. They are braised with an amchur masala, and served on a pistachio and apricot filled naan. The thought always crosses my mind when I eat this dish that it may be the best dish I have ever had... but, without a doubt, this creamy item IS the best Indian dish I have ever had.
I know that this article is light-hearted and most of us chuckle about eating these dishes. We look at eating a $12.00 appetizer of brains as being adventurous. However, many in the world are hungry every day and ANY of these things may be all they will get to eat... or might be a luxury.
There are cultures in the world where no food is wasted and “whole hog” isn’t a description of a barbeque event... it is a necessity to eat everything from an animal... NOT an experiment. There are 49,000,000 hungry Americans who actually either go hungry, or are obese because they can only afford unhealthy high fat/calorie fast food for meals. Of the 49,000,000 hungry Americans, 17,000,000 of them are children. Many full-time workers still rely on soup kitchens to survive. In 2006, 27,000,000 were on Food Stamps. In 2012, nearly 50,000,000 are on Food Stamps.
This graph of the progression of the growth of Food Stamp is from
www.trivisonno.com
10. Goat Brains at Indika
Goat Brains at Indika
However, I really like the Goat Brains at Indika. They are braised with an amchur masala, and served on a pistachio and apricot filled naan. The thought always crosses my mind when I eat this dish that it may be the best dish I have ever had... but, without a doubt, this creamy item IS the best Indian dish I have ever had.
A PLACE AT THE TABLE
I know that this article is light-hearted and most of us chuckle about eating these dishes. We look at eating a $12.00 appetizer of brains as being adventurous. However, many in the world are hungry every day and ANY of these things may be all they will get to eat... or might be a luxury.
There are cultures in the world where no food is wasted and “whole hog” isn’t a description of a barbeque event... it is a necessity to eat everything from an animal... NOT an experiment. There are 49,000,000 hungry Americans who actually either go hungry, or are obese because they can only afford unhealthy high fat/calorie fast food for meals. Of the 49,000,000 hungry Americans, 17,000,000 of them are children. Many full-time workers still rely on soup kitchens to survive. In 2006, 27,000,000 were on Food Stamps. In 2012, nearly 50,000,000 are on Food Stamps.
It is estimated that one in four CHILDREN in America does not
get enough to eat!
Companion Book to the Film
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On Wednesday, February 27th, at the Asia
Society, Bank of America invited Houstonians to share an evening with Chef Chris Shepherd, owner of Montrose’s Underbelly (and enjoy food from his restaurant, which he served) and see a
pre-opening special screening of Participant Media’s and Magnolia Pictures’
upcoming documentary A Place at the
Table, which examines the 49 million people, including one in four
children who go hungry in the U.S. every day.
I urge you to see the movie and buy the companion book. Go to www.takepart.com/place-at-the-table and www.publicaffairsbooks.com for more information about how you can get involved.
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