Oddest thing you have ever eaten by choice

[Moontanman]

What is the most unusual thing you have ever eaten by choice or because it was all you had?

[Moontanman]

I'll start, when I was a child I would go with my grandfather into the backwoods to plant corn along the bottom land of the Poca River. we would be gone for days or even a couple weeks and all we would take was grease, cornmeal and the horse and sled and all the farm implements. We would usually fish the first couple of days to food until we could trap a few muskrats and dig some tubers from the forest. One year we didn't catch anything the first day but several mudpuppies about 16 to 18" long. since that was all we had we gutted them, rolled them in meal and fried them in grease. They tasted great by the wood stove on a cold early spring evening

[Overdog]

Octopus, boiled in it's own ink.

BTW, that's a tasty-looking avatar you've got...

[Moontanman]

Originally Posted by Overdog

Octopus, boiled in it's own ink.

BTW, that's a tasty-looking avatar you've got...

By choice or by necessity? Be careful of that avatar they are also known as thumb splitters! They fight back!

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Animate or inanimate? Both?
The list she is long
Name the bug if it's found in the round here I've likely eaten it. (lightening bugs are by far the most fun they make your teeth and tongue glow)
Same for plants a couple of times with rather nasty results.
The fungi list is still lacking a few delectible looking goodies lacking... are "elephant's ears" poisonous? (those ear shaped woody mushrooms that grow on trees) I really hope not as they look really tasty.
Rat's pretty good if you don't think about it too much.
Rattle snake is mighty tasty though the bones are a nuicense.
Bull frog tadpoles fry up nice but aren't very tasty. (great bait though!)
Earthworms are well...disgusting...not something I'd ever eat again.

[Overdog]

Originally Posted by Moontanman

By choice or by necessity?

It was by choice.

[freeztar]

Hmmm...those are tough act to follow!

I would have to say, dirt. When I was two years old, I remember scooping up a handful and swallowing it. Once was apparently enough.

I also ate ants as a kid.

As an adult, I can't imagine eating insects. I know I would if I had to, but it's not something I'm seeking out right now. (Although, glowing teeth does sound cool )

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by DFINITLYDISTRUBD

are "elephant's ears" poisonous? (those ear shaped woody mushrooms that grow on trees) I really hope not as they look really tasty.

DISCLAIMER: With fungus, it's always wise to only eat what you *absolutely know* is ok. This is serious! Some mushrooms can only be distinguished by looking at the spores through a powerful microscope. The great variety of mushrooms makes this a difficult task at times. Proceed with caution.

That said, I believe you are referring to "shelf fungus", DD.

Here's some info on them:

Shelf fungi are used as herbal medicines. A bag on the body of the 5,300 year-old Ice Man mummy contained pieces of Piptoporus betulinus. This shelf fungus when eaten causes diarrhea. He probably carried it to control a whipworm infection in his colon. The reishi or Ling Chi shelf fungus, Ganoderma lucidum, is a traditional Asian medicine. Another herbal shelf fungus is Turkey Tail, Trametes versicolor.

Most shelf fungi are inedible because they are very tough. As a result, shelf fungi are ground into powder and used to make teas in herbal medicine. One edible species is the sulfur shelf or chicken-of-the-woods, Laetiporus sulphureus. The new, tender, layer of pore tissue is trimmed off and cooked. Although it is highly recommended, it causes stomach upsets in some people. Another highly recommended shelf fungus is hen-of-the-woods or sheep's head, Grifola frondosa. Again, some people report problems eating this species.

Shelf Fungi

[Buffy]

You mean *other* than Vegemite?

Well when I was in college, the place I lived had a dinner in which all of the courses consisted of bugs. I did not want to know what most of it was, and given that, it was actually not bad. Did include ants and various roaches...

You don't need a silver fork to eat good food,
Buffy

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Yup that's it shelf fungus.
And yes I'm always extremely careful with fungi.
Nifty link