Strange food you should really give a try

Off-topic
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I was inspired to make this post by my lunch of today…

Well, let me explain: you don’t like FPSs… You like old style adventure games… so you’re a game connoisseur… so you probably like good things in life. Good music, good movies, good books, good wine… good food.

We discussed movies in another thread. Let’s discuss food.

I would like to focus, here, on very STRANGE gourmet foods.

I’ll start with a less known and quite strange italian food:

The Fruit Mustard

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Actually, if you say “mostarda”, in Italy, you’re not referring to mustard. But to this peculiar food.

Fruit Mustard is a particular sweetish mustard made with candied fruit.
It is eaten by a minority of italian people, especially in the northern regions (most people don’t like it or simply don’t eat it regularly).

That’s because this food has a very strange taste that is unusual in italian cuisine (and in western cuisine in general). It’s a sweet and sour taste, or better, a sweet and spicy taste which is much more common in asian food, for example.

Eating it is quite a shocking experience: if nobody tells you in advance, its aspect would suggest a sweet, fruity taste… But of the fruits you have only the flavors and the aftertaste. It has a strong and spicy mustard taste!

It was invented ad a garnishment for stewed meats, but i love it with seasoned cheeses and good red wines…

Have you have ever tried it? Would any non-italian user comment his experience?
Or, if you haven’t tried it: did I make you curious and willing to try it? :slight_smile:

2 Likes
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Pretty sure I tried it, but I can’t remember right now. It was surely a loooong time ago.

Talk about strange foods: next time I come back in Cagliari I’ll try the Casu marzu.

I never tried it. I’ve always been a picky eater, and I’m now regretting my choice. I’ll let you know how it went as soon as I try it.

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Good topic choice :+1: I LOVE food. Looking at it. Eating it. Creating it.

I love trying new things so I’d happily give that fruit mustard a go if I got the chance. I’ve never heard of it, but it looks interesting!

Does it look exactly like the picture? So basically mustard hiding in fruit?

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It does. It has a jelly transparent look, with fruits floating in it. It has the consistency of honey.

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Me? Hahaha, that was a good one!

No but really, I´m an omnivore.

Especially if it looks like in any way it might possibly violate the geneva convention, I´d probably still give it a try, for curiosity’s sake.

Whoop, completely misread that word on the first look.

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Interesting. I’ve never had it, but I love all kinds of mustard. I’m less interested in very sweet foods, usually, but it does sound interesting. After reading your post, I wasn’t sure why is was called a mustard, but then when I looked on the Wiki page (there’s always a Wiki page), I found this:

Commercially the essential oil of mustard is employed, which has the advantage of transparency; in home cooking, mustard powder heated in white wine may be used.[1][2]

And now I’m definitely more interested in checking it out. I’ll have to see if it’s available, maybe in the “International Foods” aisle of one of the grocery stores near me.

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Yes, I linked that wiki page in my post, too! But it’s quite… hidden… :wink:

Actually, yes, mustard is an ingredient and the main taste is of mustard.

I’m sure you won’t have problems, you can find it online in the biggest e-shops.
The most common industrial mixed fruits mostarda is Sperlari’s, which isn’t bad.
But online you can find different kinds made with just one fruit: cherry, quince, pear…
Rarely you can find also mostarda made with tomatoes or with onion (I tried it only one time at restaurant, never found it in shops).

I suggest you to try it together with gorgonzola cheese.

I’m looking forward to hear your impressions. :slight_smile:

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Maybe the only thing more spicy than mostarda is japanese wasabi …

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I have tried it multiple times with aged cheese or at least with strongly flavoured cheese. I like mostarda, but I also like non-spicy things on cheese.

If you think that mostarda or wasabi are very spicy, I invite you to have a look at the Scoville scale. :stuck_out_tongue:

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I trust you on your word! :smiley:

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Well, if I were asked to compare it with normal mustards, I’d say it has a spicy level of a mild/medium mustard…

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Well, I’m not picky about food, but I admit I could have some reserves in eating the worms…
Are you planning to eat it with the larvae inside? I know that they also sell a variety in which larvae are taken away before selling.

Anyway, this particular technique of seasoning cheese is pretty common. In Italy and abroad there are many similar products

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Yep. I mean, it’s the most important part :stuck_out_tongue: and I can’t really claim to be Sardinian if I never ate it.

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If you travel to Malaysia, they sell pickled mango and other fruit. I suggest not to try them for any reason.

And in Japan, most kids choose bean-flavored ice cream. I don’t know if it’s good. But their bean flavored pastries are awesome.

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Durian. Try it. Malaysian/Indonesian Durians are the best (but unfortunately it is an aquired taste, so you will need a few trips)

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The smell was everywhere, vaguely resemblant of mashed bugs. I then tried a durian ice cream and it was a major mistake :slight_smile: The smell was completely indicative of the flavour! God was sending me a warning, and I did not listen.

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If you mean sweetened adzuki beans, than they are very good. Several Japanese sweets contain anko, which is a red bean paste.

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Yes, I mean that. I like it a lot, I prefer it even to chocolate. :). Too bad they don’t sell it here.

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I can find it where I live, but everyone can buy it online. :slight_smile:

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I’ve got family in Singapore where they have lots of fruit stalls selling durian. I’ve never been able to get past the notorious smell to try it. It smells like it’s rotting, bleurgh.

Not hugely strange, but a few years ago I discovered a Norwegian brown cheese (probably Brunost based on Wikipedia) which has an appearance and texture similar to fudge. It’s really tasty and we have it on the cheese board most Christmases. Maybe it would go well with the mustard fruit!

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