IN an upcoming episode of the Travel Channel series “Bizarre Foods,” adventuresome eater Andrew Zimmern describes the foods of Trinidad and Tobago.
“If it swims, slithers or scampers, you can eat it here on Trinidad and Tobago!” he says, inadvertently providing a description for his own wide-ranging palate.
Zimmern, 45 – New York native (now living in Minnesota), chef, writer, lecturer – is TV’s reigning King of the Foodies.
On “Bizarre Foods,” which has been averaging about 500,000 viewers an episode since its premiere in February, Zimmern travels the world sampling the foods of diverse cultures.
He’s the first to admit that the show’s title reflects the point of view of his American viewership since the foods he consumes are not regarded as bizarre in the far-off locales where they are commonly eaten.
“I want to actually raise the point of asking people what is bizarre and I want them to reexamine what that word actually means,” Zimmern said in a phone interview. “For me, bizarre is beautiful.”
What is bizarre? You decide.
In the Philippines, Zimmern has tried worms, crickets, frogs and “balut” (fertilized duck embryos, steamed and served warm at street-corner stands); in Taiwan, bees sauteed with ginger and scallions; guinea pigs in Ecuador; and bats in Thailand.
On the Trinidad and Tobago show airing July 19, Zimmern eats curried iguana, cowskin soup, the tiny raw heart of a kingfish (sprinkled with a little lime juice and salt) and a shark sandwich he declares is the best fish sandwich he’s ever eaten.
Zimmern will try almost anything, but he draws the line at dogs, which are eaten across Asia.
He insists he has never had an adverse gastrointestinal reaction to anything he has eaten in his travels.
“I think I was born to do this job,” he says. “I’ve got the constitution for it.” In addition, he has developed various strategies for identifying the best regional foods in the places he visits. To him, choosing the best restaurants, takeout shacks or roadside stands is easy: Just look for “a long line of happy customers.”
“I have to be very careful to make sure that I know where the food is from,” Zimmern says.
“I’m more scared of the sliced tomatos at the hotel buffet in some of the countries I’m in than of the food that I’m eating in the local marketplace.”
A FEW OF ANDREW’S FAVORITE FOODS
Sparrows in Vietnam
Plucked, gutted, brushed with mixture of soy sauce, sweet rice wine and sesame oil, then continually basted while roasting; eaten whole, including head and bones.
Nutria in Louisiana
A 20-pound water rodent trapped fresh in the bayou; meat is diced, browned and stewed in a
gumbo.
Guinea pigs in Ecuador
Skinned, gutted, marinated overnight in orange juice, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper and then roasted on a skewer over a wood fire.