Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Try a New Food Tuesday: A Teaspoon of Puff Pastry Makes the Squid Go Down

Let me preface this by saying that we love calamari. I mean pink-bloated-hearts-and-rainbows-shooting-out-of-our-eyes LOVE calamari. Extra crispy with marinara or even just a squirt of lemon makes us drool and vibrate. Dried and shredded squid can't be that different, right? It's not deep-fried in a batter of southern goodness and sin...but it is the same animal. It's not like trying dried elephant just because I like frog legs.

Wrong.

So, so very wrong.

Exhibit A:
I'm assuming the characters down the side say something like "if you don't want to vomit in the back of your mouth, do not attempt to eat this. Dried, shredded squid should be reserved for reality show contestants and sadists only." And you know they can fit all of that into 3 characters because that's how they roll in Taiwan. (As I noticed today, there is an exorbitant amount of food packaging in the commissary that is not in English. Five years of French is doing nothing for me right now.)

The ingredient list is simple: squid (yeah, got that from the very first whiff), sugar (really?? No need to be stingy with the sugar, Orchids.), salt, and MSG sorbic acid lactose (yes, that is all one ingredient).

The smell is simple, too: fishy.

After getting busted on my last Try a New Food Tuesday, I've decided to devote a little more time and research (in the form of a quick Wikipedia search) to the food I'm taste-testing.

Dried, shredded squid is a seasoned snack that is most commonly found in Asian countries and Hawaii. True, this stuff was everywhere in Honolulu. More than once it prompted the idea of a Fear Factor Hawaii while we were visiting Princess Pomtini. It is also referred to as sun-dried squid and cuttlefish. This MSG-laden snack was most often consumed in Japan, as an accompaniment to alcohol (hey, beer nuts are not for everyone) until someone decided the English didn't know what they were missing. I would have to say that this would go down much more smoothly if there was beer (or vodka) involved.




Neal thinks so, too.


Anticipating a lingering fishy taste, I decided that we would need something to wash this down with, so I picked up these.

While I am reserving the full description for next Tuesday, let's just say they are layers of puff pastry, shaped like a pretzel. YUMSTERS!

I now realize that I need to devise a rating scale for Tuesdays. Surferwife has margaritas, Salt has an unrevealed rating scale for her new recipe blog...I should follow suit. While I think on it, I will simply say that if you like beef jerky with an aroma of Pacific Ocean, this could be the snack for you. If not, add sake and try again.

20 comments:

  1. Yep, that stuff is everywhere here in Hawaii. Remember the crispy shrimp and the marlin jerky at the Swap Meet? YUCK!

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  2. Ewww! I was wondering what that fishy smell was! ;D I don't know if I would have the nerve to try this. Good for you for braving it! The puff pastry looks a heck of a lot better, that's for sure.

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  3. As Brooke said...the cuttlefish is everywhere in Hawaii. I firmly believe it's just a preference because I, for one, happen to like this stuff. :) Not all of my family members do, but the majority loves it.

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  4. Blech! Nothing about that sounds appetizing. Although after 3 or 4 beers I might be able to choke one down.

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  5. The gross out factor on this one is huge. My face was crinkled up the entire time I was reading it trying to avoid the imaginary smell that I know was all to real for you!!

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  6. Even though I think of myself as pretty adventurous, I doubt I'd try that! I love seafood..but safe sea food. :P
    And here's a random virtual hug for you...just because I miss you! *hug*

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  7. Oh EW! Yeah definitely not, I am not a squid fan at ALL and that just looks so wrong!

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  8. You are one brave soul and so is Neal!!! You won't catch me trying that stuff it looks too strange. *chicken*

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  9. Wow, Neal really adores you...to try that stuff in the name of blog research. J would have run screaming from the room. I will be staying away from this stuff.

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  10. Puff pastries? I'm in!

    Dried squid? Not so much! I'm a calamari snob as it is and will only eat the stuff that's not overly squishy aka frozen and from 2005.

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  11. You're such the hero for going where none of us has in a culinary type of way =) BTW, I saw your chocolate covered bananas in my local grocery store on Monday!! For a limited time only. I couldn't buy them though--no place to keep them frozen b/4 I was going home, but I sure thought of you!!!

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  12. I think sake will be the only thing that will help you with these. Of course, you could trash the whole thing and PRETEND that you indulged, correctamundo?

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  13. No thanks!!

    Although I suspect that my 10 yr. old might like this. He loves all types of jerky and seafood. Plus, he's very strange.

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  14. You're a VERY brave woman...that's all I have to say!

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  15. You are far braver than I am... someone would have to pay me to get me to eat that!

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  16. I love calamari too but I just dreamed of raised toilet seats and this morning's Total after reading that. Looking forward to the puff pretzels! REALLY!

    Rating Scale Ideas:

    *champagne glasses
    *champagne bottles
    *champagne bubbles
    *a thermometer (since you're in GA)
    *palmetto bugs? (j/k)


    And a Try a New Food Tuesday suggestion... intensityacademy.com Best Sauces ever. The Ketchup is outstanding and her BBQ sauce is the best I have ever had, EVER. She also has some really great hot sauces. Even if you don't use it for the blog, you should still try the sauces. She's won Scovie awards! And has a pretty inspiring story.

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  17. I'm sorry, but that looks like something that crawled OUT of my trash can. Lady, you're much braver than I am.

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  18. You are totally brave. I would have run away screaming. Also, my husband would probably LOVE this mess.

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  19. Thanks, but I'll pass... you are truly brave considering the product description, smell, and subsequent ick faces going on in those pictures, LOL!!

    Those pretzel cookies on the other hand look delish :)

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  20. Your face in that third picture says it all!

    Kelly

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That's it, let it all out....