Oh, Louisiana.
01. Cracklings: Cracklings are deep fried animal skin (pork rinds are a type of crackling). When I asked the lady next to me if the crackling in my mouth was pork, she replied, “if you want it to be.” I was later told that it was probably duck skin.
02. Boudin: I had “Boudin Blanc,” which according to Wikipedia, is “a white sausage made of pork without the blood. Pork liver and heart meat are typically included. In Cajun versions, the sausage is made from a pork rice dressing, (much like dirty rice) which is stuffed into pork casings.” Although the one I tried had sausage, I was told that “Gator Boudin” and “Crawfish Boudin” were also common.
03. Hot Pickled Quail Eggs: Pretty self explanitory. Upon first seeing the jar, I thought it was a Halloween prop — a jar full of bloody eyeballs. Nope — turns out, it was the midday snack. The “good” thing about these (if you like them) is that you will be tasting them in every burp for hours to come after eating one. I thought the vinegar taste was stronger than the pepper.
Is that all? You just barely sampled the cuisine, then, because there is a lot of really strange stuff down in Louisiana!
I could send you a sucker with a dessicated scorpion inside. Kids around here love those.
I used to make boudin for wheelers market..we used pork trimmings, lots of rice, even more water, spices and dried parsley it is an acquired taste. Very good sandwich
Rob, I’ve recently discovered pork cracklings myself, and now they are my new favorite snack. There’s a Mexican grocery store/taquerÃa in the area that sells a variety of them. My favorite are this thick kind that’s crispy, chewy, with skin, fat, and meat. It’s the most delicious thing ever.
I want to make a pilgrimage to Louisiana and New Orleans; I absolutely love any and all Cajun cuisine. As far as weird things to eat go, though, I’ve eaten whale, dog, and butterfly chrysalises.
Boudin is one of my favorites! Used to have it often when visiting TX or when relatives came to visit. Still order some off the net every now and again.
Oops JPM= Felixthegamer