Living in California, you grow accustomed to non-California family members turning their noses up at some of the food we eat out here. I can't even introduce sushimi (raw fish) to my family, much less other types of "safe sushi." And you can forget about even trying to explain why we eat so many avocados. I came across this interesting article today about interesting food fests that redefine "weird." For those of you who don't have time to read the full article, here are the highlights:
Roadkill Cook-Off - This one doesn't need an explanation except to point out the fact that it occurs in West Virginia . . . and that "Judges will deduct points for every chipped tooth resulting from gravel not removed from the RoadKill . . ." What about the attendees with chipped teeth? Done.
Waikiki Spam Jam - SPAM might be weird to some people, but at least it's sold in stores as edible food. Held in Honolulu, HI, favorite dishes here include Spam Fried Rice, Spam Burgers, and Guava Mango BBQ Spam Sliders. Yummy...wait....did they mention sliders and Spam in the same sentence? Never mind about the yummy part.
Gilroy Garlic Festival - Bringing it back to good 'ole California, this festival features everything garlic. Again - you can find garlic in the grocery store, so this one is lower on the "yuck" scale. However, adding garlic to vanilla ice cream (as is sold during this festival) might not appeal to everyone. Load up on breath mints.
Cafe Insecta - You see the picture of the girl with a bug handing out of her mouth above? She is a proud attendee of North Carolina Museum of Natural Science's Cafe Insecta. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, throw out your gourmet taste buds and pinch your nose. Eating bugs is now OK - as long as you bake the ants in a cheese enchilada, deep fry the wax worm grub, or stir fry the scorpions. Step on up - take a bite. Not sure if you'll be sorry you do or not - I never intend on trying this one.
The next time you're in West Virginia, Hawaii, California, or North Carolina stop by these tasty yuck fests and expand your palate. Enjoy.
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