Animal Sightings

Animals have been a surprisingly large part of our experience. Perhaps it is Jeannie’s love for the creature kingdom that has steered us to observing, discussing, and contemplating the native fauna of each country we’ve visited. There were the seal pups of the Kaikoura Peninsula in New Zealand, the koalas and their joeys at the Sydney Zoo, the sticky-toed geckos (and trumpet fish) of Bali, the reticulated python exhibit in Kuala Lumpur, and the pinnacle of all animal experiences, the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai, Thailand. All of these creature encounters have been fascinating, and we have enjoyed watching their behaviors immensely. But none of these live-in-the-flesh animal sightings have been quite as intriguing as the ones on the a la carte dinner menu.

In our travels through Australasia we have learned that no being is safe. Crocodile steaks anyone? How about a nibble of Kangaroo Jerky? Have two. Ostrich is common. And no menu is complete without a little snake. Moving on to the seafood offerings of the evening: octopus, eel, shark, barracuda (tooth-snarled head included, of course!) In the mood for pork? Rest assured, knuckle soup is always in demand. Beef fillets and chicken breasts are just boring. Why eat that when you can munch on the intestine, bladder, esophagus, or knee cartilage? I’ve heard the spicy cow brain is delightful. If cow is too mainstream for your taste there is always donkey. But don’t plan on eating the rib meat—hoof is the way to go.

We’ve spent most of our time digesting the more palatable of the native offerings, although I haven’t dismissed much. I’m not inclined to denying the recommendations of our restaurant hosts. I’ve paid the price more than once (I’ll conclude the details there), but every sampling has been worth the risk, with the exception of maybe one. In a local back-alley Malaysian restaurant in Thailand, we enjoyed a spicy beef satay. It was delicate and rich all at once, and unarguably delicious. As we dined, a large and greasy rat sauntered arrogantly alongside the patio tables. “My, what a meaty rat,” we joked, turning back to our beefy skewers. Only a day later, when walking through a hidden grocery market, did we see a skinless rodent, petrified in the prone position, prepped and fried, two buck front teeth still intact. Special price—only 100 baht. My satay was 200.

I’ve read that the cuisine of mainland China favors the four-legged furry friends of America. I’m accepting of all cultural differences, but that might be one practice I’ll be forced to turn a blind eye against. Fido for dinner is enough to make me green about the gills. If it registers that high on my queasy scale, I think it might be enough to make Jeannie’s head explode. Her head is just too pretty for such an incident. I’ve kept an eye open for all things wild and exotic on this journey, but I really hope that’s something we don’t see.