"Bizarre Foods" with Alexandra

One of my favorite Travel Channel TV shows is "Bizarre Foods" with Andrew Zimmern.  He travels the world eating the most unusual and oftentimes grotesque foods a tourist can find.  A man after my own heart, he's a true believer that "sharing food is the best way to experience other cultures." Seoul, South Korea is nothing new to Mr. Zimmern; you can watch his full Korean episode here.

While I'm no Andrew Zimmern, I'm pretty adventurous in trying new foods.  Korea by far has boasted the most insane cuisine I've ever encountered.  Honestly, I think my fear of disrespecting the host or kitchen chef far outweighs my desire to actually taste many of the crazy things I've eaten.  After seeing the "Bizarre Foods" episode, I have a lot left to experience.  

In the meantime, I've taken a fair share of pictures of the things I've tried, and some things I politely refused.  Rather than include my own narrative of each photo, my intent of this post is to spark comments from its readers in the hopes of helping me with a future project involving memes to come soon.  Browse at your leisure (or your own risk if you have a weak stomach) my most unique food finds in Korea.  If something strikes you in a comical, curious, or creepy way, I'd love to read your comments below!  

Candied squid sold as a snack in convenience stores.

Would you believe me if I told you these were ice cream cones?

A pig feet buffet.

The traditional snack of boiled silkworm larva: "bondaegi."

Seasoned anchovies given to me as a gift by my head teacher.  

It doesn't look like food, but it's there, if you scrape and dig it out with a sharp tool. 

This is what cute little sea urchins look like on the inside.  

Freshly caught and cooked sardines: you're supposed to eat the things in their entirety.  

The head chef said, "This plate of 'sea worms' needs a complementary green leaf."  Fail.

Coming to you live from the ocean floor: dinner. 

Shopping at a local fish market: "I'll take that one...?"

This is what window shopping in a fish market looks like. 

Fried shrimp playing peek-a-boo. 

This dish is actually called, "Granddaddy squid."

Growing up in Indiana, I saw fields of corn.  Living in Korea now, I see fields of drying fish. 

Job Description: True Korean "Ajumma"

General Description

A true Korean ajumma goes beyond the literal translation of "aunt" and delves further into the stereotype of creating a third Korean gender: man, woman, ajumma.  She, the candidate, will possess a broad knowledge of traditional Korean recipes and mothering, as well as grandmothering and possibly great-grandmothering depending on experience.  If successful, candidates will contribute greatly to the ajumma cliche providing irritable customer service while somehow maintaining the public's respect. 

Required Skills 

• Must be constantly in a rush and willing to shove innocent bystanders out of the way.
• Must have the ability to sit on the floor (preferably in the way of pedestrians) for hours on end.
• Must be able to eat twice the amount of food of an average person.
• Must maintain a perfect scowl and surly demeanor alone, but adopt a pleasant attitude in the presence of other ajummas. 
• Must always cut strangers in line, no matter how busy everyone seems. 
• Must be comfortable using public restrooms without locking, or even closing, the stall door.
• Must occasionally smile and offer open subway seats to foreigners.  

Desired Attributes

While not officially required, the following are strongly encouraged:

• Short permed hair
• Abundance of floral shirts
• Therapeutic shoes 
• Inability to be bothered by the little things (or anything, really)

Experience

At least 65 years of human existence   

Work Status

Full time

Travel

This position requires extensive travel using the Seoul Metropolitan subway and bus systems.

An ajumma enjoys lunch while a soldier opens fire.
Photo source: KoreAm Blog.