Well, I have a Linear Algebra midterm tomorrow, so naturally I thought I’d come online and post my list of strange things I ate for the first time while living in Japan. And none of is was in a “I dare you to eat…” kind of context. So here it is:

- Raw fish (obviously)
- Baby bamboo shoots (really good in stir fry)
- Octopus (whole/deep fried/takoyaki)
- Squid (raw/fried/on a stick)
- Sea urchin (yellow and gooey but not bad)
- Shark fin (stringy but good)
- Duck (both raw and cooked)
- Whale blubber (both solid and paste forms)
- Whale sashimi (raw)
- Horse stomach soup (a Kumamoto specialty)
- Raw egg (sukiyaki)
- Cow tongue (“What type of meat is this?” “Cow tongue.” “Really? I’ve never had that before.” “Yes you have. We had it for supper last night.”)
- Eel (oooh so good… best donburi ever)
- Leaves from a sakura tree (with sweet rice)
- Live shrimp
- Sashimi served from a fish that was still flapping
- Sheep intestine
And finally, from good old Arimori Shuntarou,
- “I think, maybe, it’s chicken.” “Maybe?” “Maybe.”

The moral of the story is don’t ask what is until after you’ve eaten it, because you never know what it’s going to be and there’s a good chance you won’t want to try it after you find out. You might just love it. (This is making me hungry…)