Adventurous Asian food suggestions

[breadisfunny]

Recently my wife and I have been trying to expand our pallets by visiting the local Asian markets and selecting foods that we have never tried before (and some we don't recognize at all) and making a meal out of them. We have tried, cuttlefish balls (delicious), sea cumber (not bad), and grasshoppers (never again) as far as protein and an assortment of fruits/vegetables including durian. I am looking for suggestions on what to try next. I want something that is not normally seen in the United States and would be outside of most people's (in the US) comfort zone. The only allergies in the house are to Pecans and Walnuts so as long as it doesn't contain them it is an option. So what suggestions do people on this forum have?

try indian or thai food or malaysian if you like spicy.

[Mormolyce]

Do you guys get persimmons over there? If that counts... they're delicious.

You shouldn't eat asians.

Only with consent.

Maybe some kimchi if you can find it in a korean market? My korean friend loves the stuff and eats it all the time but it smells funky as hell to me so I'll pass. I think it's fermented cabbage and some other vegetables.

I don't get kimchi, personally.

I've been told it's also an excellent aphrodisiac.

They say that about everything!

- - - Updated - - -

try indian or thai food or malaysian if you like spicy.

Indian and Sri Lankan are great.

[Garnier Fructis]

I can eat any food, no matter how it is seasoned, but if I bite down to piece of meat that makes a crunchy sound or that *indescribable squeaky hard rubbery feeling* thingy, I'm liable to gag or get visible shivers. I know it would be horribly impolite so I'd like to know to prepare in advance if I ever visit China.

I'd say it's rather common. Just do what I do, which is to view it as willpower training.

[shadowmouse]

I'm used to eating meats that have had all the funny bits cut out, how is traditional chinese food like in that department?

It depends on what you eat and where you eat it.

Let's say you're just having skewers of grilled stuff at a street side place. Ordinary skewers of meat may run three pieces of meat alternated with two chunks of fat (M/F/M/F/M/). A separate order might be bits of meat with tendon served the same way. Something different would be large tendons from beef that are split very thin, then the slices are skewered and grilled. My drinking buddy likes to order skewers of the cartilage from chicken breasts, she says she likes the crunch and it is something she can enjoy without worrying about her weight. Many places also serve the cartilage from chicken knees. If you got tendon, cartilage, or sheep penis, it was because someone ordered it -- and paid extra!

In an upscale place like Hai Di Lao, the amount of fat may vary according to what you order, but it is meticulously prepared. The machine sliced mutton had a marbling of fat, and that was intended. The hand sliced mutton was absolutely lean, with no trace of any funny bits.

There are middle of the road restaurants that may be less careful about preparation, but even then it is probable that what you got reflects local tastes and the nature of that dish.

[belfpala]

I can eat any food, no matter how it is seasoned, but if I bite down to piece of meat that makes a crunchy sound or that *indescribable squeaky hard rubbery feeling* thingy, I'm liable to gag or get visible shivers. I know it would be horribly impolite so I'd like to know to prepare in advance if I ever visit China.

Bungee already answered, but I'll just add, even in my humble US city, I can go to Asian restaurants and see this on the menu: Saigon Special Pho
Fresh eye of round, flank, brisket, tripe, tendon, and beef meatballs.

I'm pretty sure I saw someone order off menu there once, and it looked like it had fish eyes in the soup. Yehah.

All swimming happily in a beautiful soup. Good stuff. Try pho, southeast Asian as I said above.

[Rasulis]

Recently my wife and I have been trying to expand our pallets by visiting the local Asian markets and selecting foods that we have never tried before (and some we don't recognize at all) and making a meal out of them. We have tried, cuttlefish balls (delicious), sea cumber (not bad), and grasshoppers (never again) as far as protein and an assortment of fruits/vegetables including durian. I am looking for suggestions on what to try next. I want something that is not normally seen in the United States and would be outside of most people's (in the US) comfort zone. The only allergies in the house are to Pecans and Walnuts so as long as it doesn't contain them it is an option. So what suggestions do people on this forum have?

I can recommend a lot of exotic foods for you to try. The problem is finding those in the US. BTW, I am impressed you like Durian. That is the one and only food that I can not eat.

If you can find a restaurant that serves them, try fresh water eel Chinese style. My favorite is Shanghai style stir-fried with hot peppers and black bean sauce. Yangzhou style stew with green peppers is also good. I love a good fresh water eel dish.

I have only eaten this once in Japan. Raw horse meat with chives and ginger. The meat was sliced paper thin. It was really good.

In Indonesia I ate a frog leg dish called “Kodok Batu” which translates as “Stone Frog”. The frog legs are served with the skin on. The black color of the skin looks like river stones. Hence the name. Those were delicious.

If you have not tried it, my favorite fruit is Jackfruit. My wife even tried it with her apple pie recipe (using canned jackfruits instead of apples). We both loved it. We would love to try that with fresh jackfruits.

Then there are mangosteen, snake fruit (salak) and Soursop.

[Puupi]

After seeing some of the foods Asians eat, I can't stop wondering why foreigners consider mämmi as the most horrible thing ever.

[mickybrighteyes]

WEll.. Adobo, and manapua come to mind. If you want to try something WAY out there go for Balut, pronounce Bah-loot. >.> It's an egg, from a chicken... I'll say no more.

[zenkai]

Gas Station Sushi

That should be classified as attempted murder.

[Puupi]

Lets face it. It looks like wet shit.

Yes, but it isn't wet shit.

[Deleted]

The most adventurous asian food is the typical "chinese" restaurant food in europe.

As like duck a la canton. Its some deep fried crumbed undefinable meat with undefinable vegetables which are being put in a dark sauce thats mainly made out of sugar and fat.

That stuff is even more unhealthy than the dirt you get at Mc Burgerking.

Something real chinese never would eat.

[Ayirasi]

Depends on how adventurous you want to be. Can't really go wrong with Thai. There's a pork blood soup and something else with chicken feet. A family friend took me for noodles at a small restaurant outside of Bangkok that had a beak in it. There's a large beetle that has a texture and taste not unlike unsalted crab meat.

I'd go moderately adventurous and stick to stuff like Pad Ga Pow Moo with Khai Dow, Yum Neau, Larb Gai, Larb Moo, Tom Yum Goong (or Gai), Po Tak, Tom Ka Gai, Sen Lek Nam with some Luk Chin Moo, Lad Na Gai (or Goong or Moo), Yum Woonsen, Som Tum, Moo Satay, Tod Mun Pla, Pla Neung Manao, Khao Mun Gai, Khao Neau with some Chiang Mai sausage, or, um... I forget the name of it, but there's also a slow-cooked pork dish with egg (duck?) and rice. So much to choose from.

Tons of desserts, too. Grandma likes to stuff me full of mango with sticky rice.