Things I have eaten

Because of my many years (40+) in the airline industry I have been able to travel overseas quite a lot. Over the years I have eaten many different types of food, some with full knowledge of what it was and some by accident. Here are a few examples:

One of the most memorable meals was in Jerusalem. Our group of Swissair employees was invited to dinner at the home of Gabriel Khano. We had roast lamb and stuffed grape leaves. Gabriel's mother spent the entire day in the yard turning the lamb on a spit over an open fire. The stomach cavity had been stuffed with stuffed grape leaves. The grape leaves were stuffed with rice, raisins and pine nuts. We ate the whole meal Bedouin style (no utensils).

Another meal was while I was in India. It was called a Wazwan dinner and consited of 27 courses of lamb. Each course was prepared differently and served in a large bowl of rice. Again it was eaten without benefit of utensils.

In Cairo, Egypt Sharon and I had camel brains. It was a buffet lunch and they looked so good and I didn't know it was brains until I asked the waiter what it was and he pointed to his head then to the two camels outside.

In Greece we (again Swissair employees) went out to dinner and for an appitizer were served a bowl of little round things. After eating about a dozen it was revealed that they were sheep testicles (also known as Rocky Mountain Oysters).

In Bali, Indonesia the shrimp (I do not like shrimp) are called prawns and are served with all the legs, feelers, heads and beady eyes looking up at you.

I was in Montreux, Switzerland and had gone for lunch at a restaurant that was recommended to me. The menu was in French (I could have asked for an English menu) but I decided to try my luck. I saw "porc" and decided to try it thinking I would get a pork chop. I should have read more closely. I ordered Pies du Porc. It turned out to be pigs feet.

In Kenya, Africa we had "bush dinner". It consisted of samples of 5 different animals: Crocodile (tasted like eating a fish flavored eraser), Warthog (just like eating pork), Giraffe, Wildebeest (also known as a Gnu) and Zebra. All was served at the end of a spear.

Also in Kenya I was invited to drink cow blood right from the neck of a cow (I politely declined).

I ate monkey in India (tasted like chicken) and when I was a Boy Scout I ate rattle snake (also tasted like chicken).

The Israeli breakfasts are excellent. Hard boiled eggs, cucumber, tomatoes, cheeses, yogurt and hard rolls. Also some of the best pork I have eaten was in Israel.

The list could go on but you get the idea. It was always good to come home and have a Mickey D.