Non-Americans' view of the U.S.

[Dkonen]

And don't forget that shellac comes from beetles... you know that pleasantly crunchy coating on candy like M&Ms....ground up beetle bits.

Seriously some people are pretty darned picky. My roomie once said that if we were reduced to non traditional foods (insects and greens and non traditional game snimal and poultry) he'd rather starve.

Somehow though, I doubt that would be the case.

There's actually a rather astonishing amount of edibles we *don't* eat. Even compared to a few centuries ago, we've really narrowed down what we consider "edible"... and mostly in favor of empty calories and artificial supplements.

Ex: most flowers in gardens or in the wild are edible, some are entirely edible (root, bulb, stem, fruit and seed), some were even used as preventative remedies and health foods decades or even centuries ago (rose hip tea).

Birds, nearly every type of bird is edible, but we keep with chicken, duck, turkey, goose and quail typically.

Squirrel is apparently quite good (For my own hypocrisy I wouldn't eat unless starving), as is porcupine.

Most trees have edible components and acorn meal used to be used by colonials to extend supplies through the winter. Ground fine enough it can even be used as a flour replacement.

Seriously, there is a ton of stuff out there that's edible that most people don't even think about, so when I hear someone going "ewwww!" I always have two thoughts 1-"you don't think some of your favorite foods are just as bad?" and 2-"and you're why there's food colouring and chemicals in everything to make it pretty." *sigh*

[dman11235]

Acron flour could never replace wheat flour.  Why?  Gluten.  But it is a delicious flour.  It's a good sub for other nut flours.  And yes, I have had acorn flour before.  But yeah, nothing can replace wheat unless it has gluten.

[bhu]

Crickets fried in olive oil and garlic are quite nutty.

[veekie]

Squirrel is apparently quite good (For my own hypocrisy I wouldn't eat unless starving), as is porcupine.

Squirrel is quite good, though the taste is a little on the strong side and it gets kinda chewy.

[bhu]

bear on the other hand is solid gristle 

[dman11235]

Herbivores are generally tastier to us anyways.

[Dkonen]

In colonial days acorn flour was used to "stretch" out flour supplies. I don't expect it would give the same quality as wheat flour, but tough biscuits can and were made using it.

I've actually had rabbit, moose, deer, boar, quail, duck, turkey, chicken, beef, pork, various types of fish and seafood, but there's still a larger list of things I would like to try-Bear and Goose for example.

Even so, I know I'm still barely scratching the surface.

(Out of all of them, I think I preferred the boar, with duck a close second. Tastes like a cross between beef and pork and has a coarse, stringy texture excellent for slow cooking.)

[bhu]

Bear tastes a bit like gamey hamburger, but beware of the cuts you get.  Some parts of the bear are solid gristle, and many bears are rife with parasites.  So brine it and make sure it's well cooked.

[Nicklance]

Got a friend going to Australia and promised to bring back some rabbit, kangaroo and crocodile jerky.

[dman11235]

Moose is the best meat I've ever had...

[Dkonen]

One of the benefits of having to buy cheap meat-you learn how to slow cook for flavor and tenderness.

I was supposed to get some moose about a month ago-but the people who were supposed to bring it by forgot it. They've probably eaten it by now. >.< The last time I had it I only had a very small cut that I cooked in a crockpot on our "wild game night" with garlic and honey sauce (it had to split between eight people, but that was the same night we had rabbit, boar, duck and quail, so small portion size worked). It was very good, but some day I'd like to get a good five to ten pound roast. I bet it'd be awesome with some pearl onions, fresh new potatoes and carrots.

Then again, I'm a pot roast fan. It's up there with turkey dinner+ loads of gravy and real butter.

Dammit, now I'm hungry. >.<

[dman11235]

I'm making a roast.  I don't konw when, but now I have to make one...