When I lived in South Korea I was able to try much of the local cuisine. At first, my palette deceived me and I did not enjoy it. The tastes were very different and the spice was more pronounced. As time went by, I adapted and in the end Korean food became one of my favorites.
There is one 'snack' which is very popular there which I only tried once and didn't care for. To be honest, it came as a dare from one of my friends before I left the country - that snack is called Beondegi (번데기) or roasted silk larva. In South Korea it's sold everywhere, especially near venues where large crowds gather. It was winter when I first saw the stalls selling Beondegi; at the time I thought they were selling roasted nuts (makes sense)... but the smell was not recognizable or appetizing. It's difficult to describe the smell - it was acrid. Yet, people walked by eating these tiny morsels like peanuts from paper funnels.
When I tried Beondegi, it wasn't bad... a bit salty and chewy (the smell was the worst). I've read a lot of health benefits attributed to eating Beondegi though - they're supposed to be very high in protein (for very cheap). So they might be on to something...
A little while ago, as I strolled through my local Korean market I came across a can of Beondegi (amazing!). I flipped it over to check the price ... what the heck, I thought, for good old times. That's when I noticed a sticker stating that this was purely bird food and not meant for human consumption. That's really weird - perhaps it's an insurance safeguard in the event someone gets sick... the US is less forgiving than a lot of other countries.
None the less, it was nice to reminisce once again of a magical place and time.
cheers,
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I read somewhere that in Holland they served burgers made of larva as an experiment in one of college cafeterias. Seems like a great idea for a world with more and more mouths needed to be fed. Thanks for sharing, if I ever come across this weird snack, I'll definitely give it a nimble :)
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That's an interesting idea. High protein patties - all you would need is some flavoring and emulsifiers and you would have a savory burger. Probably healthier than eating beef in the long run.
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Great post! I've seen these around and have always been too grossed out to try them. Maybe I'll try them just once for curiousity's sake but you mentioning how bad it smelt is not helping. Haha! I'm write about food and travel, check my profile out if you get a chance.
Btw, I see you're quite new! Welcome to Steemit! I would recommend writing a few words about yourself underneath your name on your blog page so people will know what you like to write about. Happy steeming! :D
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Hi @jellyfishdonut thanks for the tip - I will do that. Yes, you must try it once at least 🙂
It amazing how many people never travel or try new things - heck, that's what life's about IMHO.
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I totally agree with you! Don't get me started on how picky some of my friends are, haha!!
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@jellyfishdonut I have a neighbor who recently vowed never to go a restaurant, which is easily one of the best in town, again. His reason for not going there anymore - they served octopus in the buffet. I think he vomited a little when I told him I liked octopus 😂
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Hahaha!! That's such a small reason to no go somewhere! Just because they serve it, doesn't mean he has to eat it!
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