FDSC 150 - Exotic Foods and Cultural Food Traditions

Comprehensive practice flashcards reviewing all 100 specific key concepts, exotic food facts, origins, and preservation methods from the FDSC 150 lecture.

Who wrote the famous quote, "He was a bold man that first ate an oyster," in 1738?

Jonathan Swift

What is Nihari, a hearty traditional breakfast dish in Pakistan?

A stew made of beef sirloin or shank pieces

What are the main ingredients in Changua, a typical breakfast soup eaten in Colombia?

Meat, scallions, and eggs

Which dish components typically make up a full traditional English breakfast?

Eggs, sausage, bacon, beans, and mushrooms

What traditional Japanese dish consists of a raw egg mixed into steamed white rice?

Tamago kake gohan

What is umeboshi in Japanese cuisine?

Pickled plum

Which Southeast Asian fruit is characterized by a spiny green exterior, creamy center, and severe sewer-like odor?

Durian

How did food and travel writer Richard Sterling describe the odor of durian?

"Pig-sh##, turpentine, and onions, garnished with a gym sock."

Why is durian prohibited in many Southeast Asian public transportation buses, subways, and airports?

Because of its intense and pervasive odor

What is balut?

A boiled embryonic duck egg (incubated for $14$ to $21\,\text{days}$), typically eaten with salt and beer

In which country is balut considered a iconic street food?

Philippines

Which egg varieties are commonly used to prepare Century Eggs (100-year-old Eggs)?

Chicken, duck, or quail eggs

What mixture is used to pack raw eggs during the production of Chinese Century Eggs?

A mixture of clay, ash, lime, salt, and rice hulls

What is the pH range of a preserved Century Egg?

Highly alkaline, with a pH between $9$ and $12$

How long are raw eggs left in their preservation mixture to produce Century Eggs?

Several weeks to several months

What color changes occur in the yolk and white of a preserved Century Egg?

The yolk turns dark green/grey and the white turns dark green/brown

How is Southern US Country Ham cured and aged?

Salt-cured for $1$ to $3\,\text{months}$, aged from several months up to $2$ to $3\,\text{years}$, and typically smoked

What step must be taken prior to cooking or slicing a traditionally cured Country Ham?

It must be soaked and scrubbed to remove excess salt and surface mold

What does the word "prosciutto" literally translate to in Italian?

Ham

What is the difference between prosciutto "crudo" and prosciutto "cotto"?

Prosciutto "crudo" is uncooked (cured), whereas prosciutto "cotto" is cooked

What popular Italian appetizer pairs thin slices of dry-cured ham with fresh melon?

Prosciutto e melone

What is the fundamental difference between sushi and sashimi?

Sushi consists of seasoned rice paired with other ingredients (raw or cooked); sashimi consists solely of sliced raw fish

In what year was sushi introduced to the United States?

$$1966$$

What ingredient replaced raw tuna when the California Roll was developed in the 1970s?

Avocado

What style of sushi consists of ingredients and seasoned rice rolled inside sheets of seaweed (nori)?

Maki

What style of sushi features a hand-pressed mound of rice topped with a piece of raw or cooked fish?

Nigiri

What animal organ constitutes chitterlings (chitlins)?

The large intestines of hogs

In what city is the annual Chitlin Strut festival celebrated?

Salley, South Carolina

When is the Chitlin Strut festival held annually in Salley, SC?

The 1st Saturday after Thanksgiving

Which bird builds the edible nests used to prepare bird's nest soup?

Swift (swiftlet)

What primary substance composes the swift nests harvested for bird's nest soup?

Saliva of the male swift

Which key minerals are present in high levels in edible swift nests?

Calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium

What is the commercial price range for $1\,\text{kg}$ of swift nest material?

$\$2,000$ to $\$10,000$

Why is bird's nest soup famously nicknamed the "caviar of the East"?

Because of its high price tag (costing $\$30$ to $\$100$ per bowl in Hong Kong) and status as a luxury delicacy

What is Australia's Vegemite made from?

Yeast extract, a leftover by-product of beer brewing

How is the flavor profile of Vegemite characterized?

Salty, bitter, and malty

How is traditional Snake Wine produced in China and Southeast Asia?

Whole snakes (preferably poisonous) are steeped in rice wine or grain alcohol

How is Deer Penis Wine prepared in traditional Chinese practices?

Deer penis is extracted, sun-dried, and infused into rice wine or grain alcohol

What specific health claim or medicinal benefit is associated with Deer Penis Wine?

It is used as a remedy for athletic injuries

Why was Deer Penis Wine prohibited during the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

Because of potential contaminants and banned stimulant concerns

What animal parts are boiled to make the traditional dish Khash?

Cow or sheep feet and head

How are cow hooves treated during the overnight cooking of Khash?

They are simmered overnight until they become gelatinous

What condiments are added to Khash in Armenia when consumed as a hangover cure?

Lemon, salt, vinegar, and raw garlic

What is Black Pudding (blood sausage)?

Congealed blood mixed with seasonings, oatmeal, and pork fat or beef suet

In which countries is Black Pudding commonly consumed as a breakfast staple?

United Kingdom and Ireland

How is Drunken Shrimp served and eaten in China?

Live shrimp are stunned in strong liquor (baijiu), and their heads are bitten off before eating the body

What actual animal organ constitutes "Mountain Oysters" or "Rocky Mountain Oysters"?

Bull testicles (sliced and fried)

What are alternate regional names for Rocky Mountain Oysters in North America?

Prairie fries, Montana tendergroins, and cowboy caviar

What is Kimchi?

A Korean fermented cabbage dish flavored with hot red pepper, garlic, and other spices

How many distinct varieties of Kimchi are documented in Korea?

At least $180$ different varieties

What is the literal translation of the word "Sauerkraut" from German?

Sour cabbage

Which classic sandwich combines Sauerkraut with corned beef and Swiss cheese?

Reuben sandwich

From what animal's milk is Pecorino cheese produced?

Sheep's milk ("pecorino" = Italian for ovine/sheep)

What does the name "Casu Marzu" (formaggio marcio) translate to?

Rotten cheese

How is Casu Marzu cheese uniquely prepared?

Pecorino cheese is left outdoors for $2$ to $3\,\text{months}$ for cheese flies to lay eggs; maggots digest and excrete the fat, softening the texture

Where is Casu Marzu cheese traditionally produced?

Sardinia, Italy

In what year was the commercial sale of Casu Marzu banned due to health regulations?

$$1962$$

What is Lutefisk?

A Scandinavian dish made from dried cod soaked in cold water and a lye solution

What is the pH level of the lye solution used to soak Lutefisk?

pH $11$ to $12$

According to legend, how was Lutefisk originally discovered by Vikings?

Dried cod was buried in ash after a village fire and soaked in a puddle of rainwater and wood ash

What does "Surströmming" translate to in Swedish?

Sour herring

How long is Baltic herring fermented during the preparation of Surströmming?

Greater than $6\,\text{months}$

Why are cans containing Surströmming notoriously swollen and under high pressure?

Because of active ongoing fermentation inside the sealed can

What is Fugu?

Japanese puffer fish

What lethal neurotoxin is found inside the internal organs of puffer fish?

Tetrodotoxin

How long must a chef train in Japan to earn a license to legally prepare Fugu?

$$2\,\text{years}$$

What is the estimated fatality rate among the 20 to 44 annual Fugu poisoning cases?

Approximately $7\%$

Which minced sheep organs are included in the filling for Scottish Haggis?

Sheep liver, lungs, and heart

What natural organ container is stuffed with Haggis filling before boiling?

A sheep stomach

What are "tatties and neeps", the classic side dishes served with Haggis?

Potatoes (tatties) and turnips (neeps)

How long is stuffed Haggis typically boiled?

Approximately $3\,\text{hours}$ ($3\,\text{hr}$)

What are "Stink heads" in native Alaskan cuisine?

Fermented salmon heads buried underground in burlap sacks for days to weeks

Why do people often wear gloves when eating Stink heads?

Because of the extremely strong and persistent odor

What is Hákarl?

Iceland's national dish consisting of fermented and dried Greenland shark meat

Why is fresh Greenland shark meat poisonous if consumed without processing?

Because it contains high concentrations of urea and trimethylamine oxide

How is Greenland shark meat processed to produce Hákarl?

Gutted, beheaded, buried to ferment for $3$ to $4\,\text{months}$, then hung to dry for several months

How did Anthony Bourdain describe Hákarl on his show "No Reservations"?

"The single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing!"

What characteristic smell dominates cured Hákarl?

A strong ammonia smell (resembling urine)

What animal skin forms the outer container for traditional Greenlandic Kiviak?

A hollowed-out seal skin

How are auk birds prepared when stuffed into a seal carcass for Kiviak?

They are stuffed whole, including feet, feathers, beak, and guts

Why are oils applied to the outer seal skin during Kiviak fermentation?

To repel flies and maggots

How long does Kiviak ferment under rocks, and when is it eaten?

It ferments for about $3\,\text{months}$ and is eaten at Christmas

What are the key characteristics of duck tongue served in China?

About $2\,\text{inches}$ long, contains thin cartilage layers, high in fat, with a strong duck flavor

What seasonings are used to coat tarantulas before deep frying them in Cambodia?

Sugar, salt, black pepper, and MSG

To which bird family does the French Ortolan belong?

Bunting family

How is the Ortolan bird fattened prior to preparation?

It is kept in dark cages where it eats continuously until reaching $4\times$ its body weight

How is the Ortolan bird killed in traditional French culinary practice?

Drowned in Armagnac brandy

What dining ritual do consumers perform when eating an Ortolan?

Diners cover their heads with cloth napkins while eating the bird whole in one bite

What ground meats are used to prepare Bulgarian Lukanka sausage?

Veal and pork

What natural agent cures Lukanka sausage while hanging to dry for 3 months?

White fungus (scraped off before consumption)

How is organ (offal) meat stew typically served in Chinese cuisine?

Served over noodles

What animal part is the primary ingredient in Turkey's Işkembe çorbasi?

Tripe (stomach lining of a cow)

What purpose does Işkembe çorbasi famously serve in Turkish food culture?

Consumed as a hangover cure

What is Sannakji in Korean gastronomy?

Small octopus cut into pieces and served raw while still writhing on the plate

What is Uni in Japanese sushi dining?

Raw sea urchin roe

What active cannabinoid compound is found naturally inside Uni?

Anandamide

What is the approximate market price per pound for Uni?

$$\$150/\text{lb}$$

What is the truth regarding the flavor of individual colored loops in Froot Loops cereal?

Every loop actually tastes the same despite having different colors

What quote from Mark Twain summarizes his humorous view on eating?

"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside."

What is the traditional Australian way to eat Vegemite for breakfast?

Spread thinly on toast