The Most Outlandish Food Andrew Zimmern Keeps In His Fridge
We all know at least one person who's into adventurous foods. To each, their own, right? But regardless of people's quirky palates, you can probably bet that none of your friends can compete with chef, restaurateur, TV personality, food critic, and author Andrew Zimmern, who has made an actual living out of consuming intrepid meals and sharing his experiences with the world. Just some of the most interesting — for lack of a better term — things Zimmern has eaten on his award-winning Travel Channel show "Bizarre Foods" include coral worms, horse rib and rectum sausage, Hákarl (a Greenlandic shark species), and deep-fried tarantulas, according to the man himself.
Zimmern recently revealed a list of the weirdest things currently in his fridge on his blog Andrew Zimmern's Spilled Milk, including moose shanks, elk hearts and kidneys, whole anchovies, ducks, and hot dogs, which he describes as the strangest food on earth. Clearly, and perhaps surprising to no one, the guy has unique tastes. Still, there is one type of meat he stores in his freezer that many folks may find controversial.
Andrew Zimmern has squirrels in his freezer
The item Andrew Zimmern has in his home refrigerator that arguably stands out the most is two frozen squirrels. Yep, you read that right.
Apparently, squirrels are excellent sources of protein. According to The Wild Meat Company, squirrel is an ethically sourced meat with a low carbon footprint — likely due to their small size. As far as taste and texture are concerned, squirrel has a light-colored flesh when cooked, similar to rabbit, and possesses a more subtle flavor. Squirrel can be grilled, slow-roasted, or incorporated into ragu recipes. While the mere thought of chewing on Sandy Cheeks' or Rocky's cousins may raise a lot of eyebrows, it's important to understand that what some cultures find odd or unusual is totally normal in others. In fact, as Smithsonian Magazine points out, the U.S. has a long history of consuming squirrels, and recipes even appeared in earlier editions of the classic cookbook "The Joy of Cooking." Exactly how Zimmern plans to use the squirrels in his dishes remains a mystery.
The only foods Zimmern absolutely refuses to touch? Walnuts, raw cookie dough, hot oatmeal, and durian.