They Eat What! Latin America's Most Exotic Foods - Part 2

They Eat WHAT!

If you’re teaching English as a foreign language abroad, you can expect changes in foods ranging from the simple to the outrageous as we noted in yesterday's part 1 of this series.

So you’re back for more, huh? Well if I didn’t get to you in part one with “treats” from Colombia, Brazil and Mexico you’re gonna just love what you’ll get here in part two of this three-part series. We’re going to travel into the jungles of Colombia and up into the high Andes mountain range in Ecuador to introduce you to some “Eye-opening”, high-flying specialties that’ll make partly-cooked greasy pork liver seem like “Haute Cuisine”. Hungry yet? Tighten up your belts then and let’s continue our culinary tour.

Three-Toed Sloth

Called “Oso Perezoso” (lazy bear) in Spanish, these dense-haired, slow moving creatures live off of jungle foliage and leaves. You would think they’d be easy to catch, but in fact, they can live high up in the trees and be extremely difficult to spot. Cleaning and preparing to cook one takes several hours. Most of time being spent just to remove the coarse, dense hair which is done by dipping the carcass in boiling water and painstakingly scraping or pulling the hair off. The result is worth it though as it has the most delicious meat I’ve ever tasted when cooked in a thick, rich stew. Sloths are kept as pets since they’re actually quite harmless despite having up to four-inch long claws.

In the Cartagena photo above, English as a foreign language teacher Geny Vidal, from the southern Colombia city of Popayan, cuddles someone else’s pet sloth.

Bofe

Pronounced “bow-fay”, the dried, roasted lungs of a cow are this snack food. Often available at airport restaurants and street food vendors in Colombia, it’s a somewhat acquired taste, but not one that’s unpleasant by any means. Most people simply have to get past the thought of what it is (believe me; you DON’T want to see it before it’s cooked). It’s difficult and time-consuming to prepare. Ready to eat, it’s a dark, unappetizing looking concoction cut into bite-sized cubes for easy munching.

Vulture

Yup, you read right – Buzzard, is eaten in some towns in the Central Highlands of Ecuador. It’s caught, plucked and thoroughly cleaned (I wouldn’t want THAT job!). The high Andes mountain range runs from Colombia south through to Chile and is home to vast flocks of Condors. Condors are carrion-eating birds. I don’t have to tell you what “carrion” is, do I? The cleaned, prepared bird is normally prepared in soup with seasonings, broth and vegetables like yucca, potato, plantain, celery and carrots.

Cow’s Eye

Ever wonder what happens to the “unwanted” parts of food animals like the reproductive organs? Well in Latin countries, these parts are eaten same as the rest of the animal. Consisting mostly of liquid, cow’s eye is sold fresh, of course. It’s most frequently cooked by being stirred into a hot pot of chocolate and served as a drink or a thick “soup” of sorts. Although it’s relatively common and popular in Colombia, I haven’t taken the plunge yet. Several of my acquaintances say the concoction’s quite tasty.

How would YOU like to try it?

In part one of this three-part series, we traveled through Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to sample ants, piranha and green iguana. In part two you were introduced to sloth, vulture and cow’s eye and lungs. In the final part of this series you’ll meet more exotic foods. From the Pacific coast to the mountain highlands of the Peruvian Andes we’re going to rock you with even more “treats” of Latin America you’ll never forget. Brace yourself for this one. It’s definitely NOT for pansies.

If you’d like to get part three of this series “They Eat What! Latin America’s Most Exotic Foods”, please e-mail me at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com . I’ll be waiting.

Bon Appetit!

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

They Eat What! Colombia’s Most Exotic Foods Part 1

They eat WHAT!

They’re horrid, ghastly, gross, unthinkable, gut-wrenching, wonderful, savory and delicious. These are but a few of the adjectives used to describe commonly eaten fare “south of the border” from Mexico to Peru. The expression, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison” has never seen more fruition than evidenced in these “exotic” foods found throughout Latin America. Just feast your eyes on these typical taste-tempting treats from Colombia.

Iguana

Starting off our list is a common delicacy from the Pacific Coast of Colombia and Caribbean. Although protected in many countries, these green lizards, which can grow to more than 3 feet in length, are a prized stable in Aruba, Bonaire, Panama and Colombia. The eggs are also cooked and eaten even though they’re often taken illegally. A sizeable black market for them exists in Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. They’re not cheap, but they are good.

And yes, little Kenya Lopez' family ATE the Green Iguana she's holding in the above photo!

Armadillo

From Texas to Ecuador, these nine-banded creatures have been coveted for decades. Their numbers are now greatly diminished due to years of heavy hunting; they’re still considered a delightful treat when they can be found. Usually cooked in stews to help tenderize their thick, dense meat, almost everyone who has eaten Armadillo really likes them. You’ve got to be fast to catch them though. They can burrow into the soil at alarming speeds.

Ants

Technically known as “Hormigas Culonas”, these swollen abdomen ant species are a highly-prized food commodity in Colombia and Mexico. They’re gathered from seemingly innocuous places like cemeteries, parks and untended pastures, then roasted or fried until crisp. Only the enlarged abdomen is consumed, often with cheese or honey as an “aperitif”. Sold and exported by the pound, they’ve quickly become an international favorite among the insect-eating crowd.

To b honest, I like them myself.

Piranha

Despite numerous movies to the contrary, they don’t always attack without mercy. Children in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana and Peru swim in Piranha-infested waters all the time without injury. Women are also known to do the family laundry in streams and pools teeming with razor-toothed schools of them. Many of the 35 known varies of Piranha, including the Cachama family, are not only edible, but delicious. Piranha head soup is used as a form of “jungle Viagra”. Tales abound of elderly Indian men with more than a dozen children and multiple wives.

Well if I didn’t get to you here in part one with “treats” from Colombia, Brazil and Mexico you’re gonna just love what you’ll get in part two of this three-part series. We’re going to travel into the jungles of Colombia and up into the high Andes mountain range in Ecuador to introduce you to some “Eye-opening”, high-flying specialties that’ll make partly-cooked greasy pork liver seem like “Haute Cuisine”.

See you in part two of “They Eat What! Colombia’s Most Exotic Foods”.

Bon Appetit!


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com