Unique, Strange, and Weird Foods in the United States

Are your taste buds in the mood for something different? Try some of these unique foods found in different parts of the United States.

Alligator meat is low in fat and calories, yet high in protein. It can be cooked a number of ways, including fried, sauteed, and grilled. No longer in danger of becoming extinct, alligator meat can be easily found in restaurants in Florida, Louisiana and other southern states. Alligator Grill, Sea Shack and Kenny B's in Hilton Head, South Carolina serve alligator. You can also find alligator served at the French Market Cafe in in New Orleans, Mardi Gras in Queens, New York, and as far away as the Alligator Soul Restaurant in Everett, Washington.

Fried Green Tomatoes: Our family ate these growing up, a chance to taste some of our garden tomatoes before they ripened! A very distinct sour flavor when the unripened green tomato is fried. Mainly a southern dish, look for it in restaurants in the Southern states. The popular Loveless Café in Nashville, makes a Fried Green Tomato BLT sandwich, a perfect opportunity for try a different type of the classic bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Moderate priced meals, between $10-30.

Frog Legs: Compared to the taste of chicken, frog legs are usually fried. One of many strange foods our family ate growing up. This is a hard to find in restaurants, but quite common at the Frog Leg Inn Restaurant in Erie, Michigan and at the Boiled Frog in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where you can get them fried, Cajun style, or with garlic and butter. You can also find frog legs in many southern states.

Pickled pig's feet: Tender and quick to fall off the bone, pickled pigs feet are prepared by boiling and then pickling in a vinegar and spice mixture. Found in specialty sections of groceries or on line. Common in the southern and midwest, definitely a unique American food.

Fried pickles: Popular at county fairs; you can find them everyday at the Fried Pickle Restaurant in Roanoke, Virginia for $3.99.

Tongue: Often pickled and sold in jars, beef or pig's tongue is also boiled. The rough tongue surface is cut off after cooking. Tongue tastes similar to heart meat, very tender. Another strange food our dad, an ex-Army cook, had us sample as kids.

Crawfish. Also called crawdad, these look like small lobsters and are found heavily in the bayou of Louisiana. A taste similar to lobster, 90% of the crawfish sold in the world comes from Louisiana. Crawfish are often cooked in large amounts for social get togethers referred to as crawdad boils. Crawfish can be found in many restaurants in Texas, Louisiana and other Gulf states. This strange dish can also be found on the west coast at Jake's Famous Crawfish restaurant in Portland, Oregon or Crawfood Seafood Restaurant in San Jose, California.

Boudin is type of well known Cajun food in high demand in southern Louisiana.(pronounced boo-dan). Boudin is a type of sausage in many different varieties, often a mixture of rice and other meats: pork, port heart and liver, alligator, beef, crawfish or other seafood. A very strange food, boudin is easily frozen and sold all over the country and in restaurants in southern Louisiana and eastern Texas.

Gumbo - Another Cajun, Louisiana specialty. Gumbo is a thick, stew-like soup, commonly thickened with Okra. Typically very spicy, gumbo can be made with seafood, chicken, or anything else thrown in the pot. A classic Cajun dish worth trying at least once. Commonly found at many restaurants in Louisiana, Texas and southern states.

Swiss chard: Looks like spinach or collard greens, Swiss chard has a somewhat bitter taste, a bitter tasting spinach. Another vegetable we grew in our home garden, it is another strange food many people have never heard of. We enjoyed the unique taste of fried Swiss chard patties. Not sure where you can get this strange food, other than growing it yourself!

Sources:

www.wikipedia.org
Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Tastes, Chef Paul Prudhomme
Southern Country Cooking from The Loveless Cafe, Jane and Michael Stern