What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever eaten? And did you like it?
It’s a nice, soft Friday edition of TOTD. And yes, I know, this isn’t exactly crazy food: deer meat. But the topic of deer meat inspired the question. So, here’s the story, by my colleague Georgina Gustin:
Thousands of pounds of deer meat will reach food pantries in coming months with new economic incentives from the state. Gov. Jay Nixon announced Thursday that the state will increase its reimbursements to meat processors who accept donated meat from hunters and process it for distribution to the state’s food pantries.
I have never had venison. Always wanted to try it, but have so far never had the opportunity. I suspect I’m not the only one around here, even as popular as deer hunting is.
When I was a youngster, I was presented with octopus. Even at my tender age, I had eaten plenty of calamari — squid — but when I was presented with those octopus legs and their enormous suckers, I couldn’t manage it. It was years before I tried it. And liked it.
Then there’s Rocky Mountain oysters. They’re good, too. Fans of a certain Illinois festival know what I’m talking about. ‘Nuf said.
How about you? Have you gone out on a limb for a meal? What’d you try? Did you like it? Have you had friends or family who have tried stuff on a dare?
Kurt has been an editor at the Post-Dispatch since August 2002, working on both STLtoday and the newspaper. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
Rattlesnake! My husband’s cousin killed one outside of Festus, MO and we grilled it up the day after our wedding. Kind of reminded me of frog meat.
I had cow’s tongue when I stayed with a family in France!
Chinese Bird Nest Soup. Instead of using real bird nests used the next best thing, dried finch vomit. In China I ate, dried pigs blood that had the same texture as tofu, frog the whole frog not just legs, sea urchins. In Japan ate a whole lot of raw food like raw snails, crab, fish, squid. In Europe, had cow tongue, horse meat. In the States, in rural areas, you eat anything you can catch. Trapped a beaver and made stew.
General rule of thumb, food always taste good when you are hungry.
Live octopuss
Fried cow brains (early 1980s, pre-made cow disease) with scrambled eggs and a few dashes of hot sauce. Yum, creamy and crispy goodness:) A distant second would be yogurt that I made in my college Microbiology class.
Weird, hmm…Fish head soup (an Ozark specialty) - tastes like clam chowder, alligator on a stick (tasted grossly fishy) at Mardi Gras; in Paris this past summer had pasta carbonara and when they brought it out, it had a raw quail’s egg cracked over the top of the pasta (I scooped as much raw egg off as I could before eating it). I’m not much for weird animal-based food but will eat any plant I can get my hands on, including weeds, flowers, etc.
One time I ate some San Diego. You know, that’s German for…
raw horse and duck’s tongue (with facial bones still attached)
@Tom - awesome
Although not odd to me now, the first time I had these, they were odd to me. I like them all, now.
Crawfish (sucked the heads!)
Raw Oysters on the half shell
Escargot
Softshell crabs
Conch Ceviche
Some sushi items were pretty out there, the first time I tried them
In Belize, we were warned against eating the street vendor’s food items, but it looked good, so we ate it anyway, and it was awesome, and we had no problems. I think our hotel was just trying to scare it’s patrons so they would dine more at the hotel restaurant.
The softshell crabs and escargot I first tried when I was 16. Most high schoolers (and many adults in the St. Louis area) never get crazier than chicken fingers or a burger no matter where they are.
My husband and I had chocolate covered bacon this year at the Festival of the Little Hills in St. Charles. It was prety good.