Scrumptious or Stran-gee?

As a kid, I was probably one of the pickiest around. If it wasn't pasta, pizza, or cheese, it wasn't going on my dinner plate. There were a few exceptions like olives and artichokes and spinach. Come to think of it, I was probably Italian in a past life. I was so picky, in fact, that I had never even tried broccoli until I was in college. But, at some point in the past 5 years, I started trying new foods... and liking them. I realized that I had been missing out on so many yummy foods that I vowed never to pass on a dish without trying it first. I've found that there are very few foods that I actually dislike and my gastronomic experiences have since covered a wide range of culinary goodies, including some stranger ones that are essentially Korean. Below are the strangest foods I've encountered here, but I must warn you, the reader: these dishes aren't for the faint of stomach.

Odeng (오뎅): Or, simply put, fish cake. The first time I tried this common Korean food (which I think is actually Japanese) was during a school lunch. They came in a soup and I mistook them for some sort of bread. I wasn't particularly fond of the texture, but I didn't think it was so bad. Later on, I found out that it was actually fish cake. I'm not exactly sure how it's made but a Korean friend told me that the fish are scrambled- yes, like eggs- and kneaded together to make certain shapes. It can be formed into small slices to add to tteokboggi, or longer strips to be put on a stick and sold on the streets. (They can be found everywhere and are sold for less than a dollar.) Yet, I find that the strangest way fish cake is served is in noodle soups in the form of a small oval and decorated with colorful pictures of cherries. Like I said, it doesn't taste so bad, but scrambled, colorfully printed fish turn me off, if not by the texture then the unnaturalness.

Bundaegi (번대기): If the thought of roasted silkworm larvae doesn't turn you off, then the smell will. I've acclimatized to the smells of Seoul, but the stench of these little creatures is impossible to get used to. The dish is another common street food, mostly eaten as a snack and often popular with children. I'm guessing that most of these kids don't realize that they are bugs, as a fear of insects is widespread across younger generations. Anyway, bundaegi are often smelled before seen but when I do happen to see a vendor, I hold my breath until I've passed. A year ago, my cousin and her boyfriend at the time came to visit me in Seoul. He lived in Korea as a young boy and wanted a taste of his childhood so he naturally went to the bugs. I tried one and one was more than enough. Simply put, it tasted like it smelled; Andrew Zimmern might describe them as a roasty, chewy, putrid, insecty fusion that leaves one hell of an aftertaste. Unfortunately, they were not on his agenda when he visited Seoul. I've heard they're sold canned, stewed in a nasty juice, and are available at Asian markets in the Western World, if you're feeling adventurous.

Despite their appearance, foul smell, and rather rancid taste, bundaegi are a popular street food in Korea. (Image: Korean Food Crime)

Dalk Dong Jib: This little treat translates literally to "Chicken's House of Poo" which, in essence, is chicken anus. They're usually steamed but can be served stir fried. Dalk dong jib is cooked with oil, chilies, and garnished with sesame seeds. I was a bit apprehensive to try it, but I was with a Korean friend and didn't want to come across as rude. While it was a bit chewy at first, the flavor was good and I ate until I was full. Then again, I guess anything is good when accompanied by soju. It wasn't necessarily a dish I'd find myself craving, but of the stranger foods, it was one of my favorites.

Stir fried chicken anus is more appetizing than one might imagine. (Image: Yelp)

Seonji Haejangguk: Coagulated ox blood hangover soup. I know your mouth is watering already. I was on a trip in Gangchon with a guy I was dating at the time and was super hungry as our pension was out in the middle of nowhere. Having walked in freezing temperatures to find a restaurant, I got so excited to see a place serving up dalkgalbi, my favorite Korean food. But, my ex wanted to try something a bit different, something one couldn't find easily in Seoul. So, we headed into the empty restaurant across the street. He insisted on ordering this foul sounding soup while I made sure we got a bowl of mushroom soup- the most normal looking dish on the menu. I didn't know what to expect but I cringed on the inside when the waitress set the ox blood soup on our table. There, in a bowl of salty water sat something that resembled a moldy, gray sponge. Damn that food vow of trying everything. One spoonful was all it took for me to realize I wasn't a fan; it was definitely a texture thing. He didn't like it either and quickly suggested that he eat the mushroom soup. Needless to say, that relationship didn't last long. Still, this soup is common all throughout Korea and is often consumed as a means of a hangover cure. Thanks, but I'll stick to Tylenol and water.

The nastier the dish, the more medicinal properties it's claimed to have. Cow's blood soup is considered a go-to hangover cure amongst Koreans. (Photo: Butterfly Jewel)

Sannakji: Live baby octopus. A quintessentially Korean food, and a must try for all visitors to the country, live octopus is as fun as it is tasty. It can be prepared in different ways and I've actually seen people pull them right out the ocean and go in for a bite, but I thought it would be best to take baby steps. I was with a Korean so I was instructed how to eat it, but despite his help, it wasn't too easy. The octopus was served cut into small pieces topped with some sort of green vegetable and sesame seeds, with a couple of spicy sauces for dipping. The thing was still very much alive and it danced wildly on our plate while I attempted to pull a tentacle off with chopsticks. The little guy- or part of him- wasn't going to give up easily and sucked and sucked to stick to the plate until I finally was able to pry him off, dip him in some sauce, and chew away. Chewing is the most important part of dining on live octopus, as there have been cases (approximately 6 a year) in which the octopus has used its suction cups to grab on to the eater's esophagus, thus choking him or her to death. Who would have thought that octopi could make their way to the top of the food chain?

While sannakji- live octopus- doesn't have much flavor, it's super fun to eat. (Image: Google Images)

Now, for the biggie. I wouldn't recommend either die-hard animal lovers or any active member of PETA to keep reading. Really.

Boshintang (보신탕): Dog soup. Yeah, I did it. I ate dog. It was something that was on my Korean bucket list, despite the serious taboo associated with it. I really try to live as the locals do when traveling and I didn't let the strangeness of the dish keep me from doing so. So, when I told my former supervisor that I wanted to try it, he gathered a few of us together one day for lunch- it's cheaper compared to dinner- to sample the local delicacy. I felt really strange walking into a dog restaurant and it didn't help that a co-worker was jokingly barking when we sat down, but I wasn't going to back out.

Tanya and I preparing ourselves to eat dog meat. Perhaps our facial expressions could have been more P.C.

First on the menu was dog meat (개고기). It came out much like other animal meats do in Korea- sliced into medium sized chunks. I took my first bite with eyes closed, figuring that might help the whole psychological uneasiness of the situation. Soon enough, I found out that the dog meat was.... well, delicious and as tender as a perfect pot roast. I guess meat is meat is meat. The soup, on the other hand, wasn't as enjoyable and was much to gritty for my taste. It was almost as if there was a blender... no, I'll stop there. It's not something I'll be eating again, but dog is considered a delicacy here and it's quite expensive. It's most often consumed by older men, as it has a reputation for enhancing stamina (along with most Korean foods). Most younger people (my generation and under) are absolutely appalled by the idea of eating dog. It's quite common to see animal rights organizations out and about, protesting dog farming, if that's what it is in fact called.

I'm a firm believer that one cannot experience a country's culture until he or she has eaten the food, no matter how unusual it may be. Korea is no different. While not all of these more bizarre foods have been exactly what I would consider delicious, I have enjoyed trying them; despite their tastes, I've cherished the experiences associated with them. If only I could muster the courage to try that peanut buttered squid stuff they sell in the movie theaters, or the dead body soup (named for it's smell, not it's ingredients) then I'd really be able to consider myself adventurous.