Lampredotto sandwich from Florence, Italy. A regional delicacy.
One of the best parts of traveling all over the world is trying out all the cuisine that's out there. You'll find the popular foods you can find at home in the United States, but there are so many local specialities that are unknown in the US... and for good reason! They're not for the faint of heart.
Being adventurous is more than exploration of new places. It's just as important to be willing to try new things, such as food. You never know if you might end up being a favorite of yours.
The main photo featured in this entry is a local favorite of Florence, Italy. It's called Lampredotto and it's made from the fourth stomach of a cow and then turned into a sandwich. It's a regional delicacy that was supposedly it was popular streetfood during the Renaissance. To my surprise, it was actually quite delicious. It was buttery soft and seasoned perfectly.
Gelatinized Eels, commonly called "Jellied Eels" in London, England.
This dish took a little more convincing to try. I'm glad we did, because it is a famous (or infamous) London dish that was served during the recession after the World Wars. They're called Jellied Eels. Essentially, the backstory of this dish was that eels used to be plentiful and cheap. They were fished to great abundance from the Thames River. The Brits would then cook and gelatinize the eels in a refrigerator. This dish was actually rather plain and you could add this spicy vinegar sauce to it. The meat pie, mash, and jellied eels sauce (on the left) was pretty good though!
During the visit to the restaurant, we were the only ones there (go figure), and we got a chance to chat up the 3rd generation grandson of the founder. It was interesting hear from someone who had such knowledge of British heritage and history. Even thought it wasn't my favorite, I'm happy to know there are still businesses passed down from generation to generation that are still open. It's a shame that there are so few left, and due to various reasons, many are closing their doors.
Yours truly, inspecting the cricket he's about to eat. Yum!
This one is more of a bonus one since it's really in my hometown, New York City. One of my favorite taxidermy shops, Evolution, sells these Salt & Vinegar Crickets. I chose this to illustrate that sometimes foods that gross you out, might surprise you. Initially, my friend, Hugh, and I got this as a gag and we wanted to try it for fun. It turns out, they are actually very delicious! I'll let you try it to find out what it tastes like, but imagine a cross between popcorn and salt & vinegar chips. I will gladly have these again... they're high in protein, right?
Okay, so try to keep an open mind when it comes to food. It's impossible to try everything in every city. But if there are cuisines unique to the area, try it! Don't be the person who is eating spaghetti and pizza every day when you're in Italy.
Bon Appetit!