Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern

Admittedly, I'm a sucker for food-shows. Over the last few years there has been an influx of food- and cooking-shows in Germany. Not all were gold, though. Shows like "Man versus Food" (about a pig in human shape who shoves food down his gullet) or "King of Bacon" (obese redneck attempts to fill his arteries like a Christmas-stocking), where all just short of distasteful in the truest sense. Different with "Bizarre Foods". For one, the show has a very sympathetic host in the form of Andrew Zimmern. Sure, one could say that by the final seasons, Zimern fell a little too much in love with the camera. But he never stooped down to a level of an Anthony Bourdain oder Gordon Ramsay in the US-variations of "Kitchen Nightmares". Instead, Zimmern convinced the viewer that he was actually culinary interested (unlike Bourdain) and a real chef (again, unlike Bourdain).

To the content itself: Sure, "Khlii" (salted rot-meat in Morocco), Hakarl (rotten shark in Iceland) or maggot-infested cheese (again, rotten) from Sardinia are not to everybody's taste, and I agree with Zimmern regarding the Durian-plant, perhaps among the foulest plants ever produced by nature. Balut (half-developed duck-embryos)? I would have said categorically "no" before watching this particular "Bizarre Foods"-episode, but here's the magic of Zimmern: he's able to convey tastes, smells, textures, etc., that virtually makes the viewer a deeper impression. So, yes, since then I consider trying Balut. I must give the show credit where credit is due: It put quiet a few places and even more dishes on my personal to-do-list. Especially Spain, Venice and Greece (to name but three) seem to be filled with culinary treasures that would make every food-aficionado heart beat faster.

As to the accusations of animal abuse that PETA-cranks frequently voice (which ironically all seem to come from "First World"-countries): Not everybody lives in the land of plenty, where almost everybody can afford the luxury of not seeing how your food is produced or white-wash their conscious with vegan food (that anybody with two taste-buds would consider a culinary abomination). Not sure if I'm paraphrasing Zimmern here, but to the vegetarians who refuse to eat meat out of pure principle: you haven't saved that steak that you won't eat; you simply disrespected it. Don't like what's cooking in the kitchen? Stay out of the kitchen.

I only have two real criticisms about the show: The title itself, for one. "Bizarre", that's a very subjective description of 99 percent of the presented dishes. In Germany the show was called "Der Alles-Esser" (roughly: "The guy who gobbles everything"), which is equally unfitting. First: if you want to try 'bizarre food' (in the negative sense), go down to a certain fast-food-joint with a Scottish name or go for the 50 cent package-food at the local discounter. I have doubt that Andrew would be able to stomach that stuff. The other issue is more about monetary issues. Sure, I'd love to go for a healthy plate of Beluga-caviar in St. Petersburg or stuffed duck in Paris, but who's going to pay? In such moments it comes to mind that it becomes heyday that IMDb is starting to pay their reviewers.

As far as food-shows go, I'd give it a straight 9 from 10 and a healthy "Bon Appetit".

The idea of "Bizarre Foods" is very, very simple--so simple that you'd think that the program would have only lasted a season or two. A guy travels the globe having adventures--but mostly eating stuff that would turn many folks' stomachs--such as bugs, guts and God knows what! That's really all there is to "Bizarre Foods"--but it works. Why? Because the host, Andrew Zimern, is perfect for the job. Not only will he eat just about anything (including durian, which he hates) but he has such a great time doing it--bonding with the locals, discussing the food with an amazing reverence as well as just enjoying himself. You can't help but enjoy watching him and actually wishing you could try a few of the foods. Well worth your time--and a good show to watch even if you've missed part of it, as it consists of many small segments. A wonderful show.

If you see this for the first time, please make sure that it's not too exotic if you know what I mean.

Andrew Zimmer, former chef and food critic, travel to all four corners of the earth in serve of the weirdest (and looks disgusting) foods in the area. He travels from the United States, to Africa, to India, and even to Hawaii if he wants to just to try out these strange and sometimes tasty-looking specialties or just the average dish on the market. Some look delicious depending if you know what it is.

However if you have a weak stomach (even though it's on TV) be warned to press Mute. In places such as an Asian country it possess the strangest foods for us Westerners to be even looking at. One, for example, was a frog heart that was freshly cut out and (!!!) still beating! Once our friend Mr. Zimmerman popped that heart into his mouth with the help of chopsticks, my dad and I screamed and looked away! It's that exotic! But perhaps the best/cringing part about this show is that Andrew always describes the taste and texture of anything he eats. It could have a nutty taste, bitter, and just plain yucky and smile (or perhaps grimace if it's that gross.) This show is great for those who love the Travel Channel and are food lovers themselves. Sure, it might look disgusting to watch, but it's very entertaining to see what other countries eat that we would never even smell!

Want to watch somebody cut open the abdomen of a living creature and gut it while the animal struggles and screams for mercy? Want to hear about the practice of clubbing live animals before they are slaughtered because it "makes the meat taste better"? Would you enjoy seeing someone slice off the top of a monkey's head so they can eat its brains while he is still alive?

Welcome to the sick, psychotic world of "world-renowned gourmet/food critic" Andrew Zimmern, who hosts a revolting program on The Travel Channel called "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern." Zimmern's claim to fame is that he will apparently eat any creature that can be captured and served up for him to eat, in whole or in part, alive or dead. He cares not a bit what the creatures he ultimately consumes have suffered in order to satisfy his bloated, disgusting appetite. I don't know what possesses him to do this, except for the fact that he is obviously being paid a handsome salary by The Travel Channel to find some new and shocking way to murder a living thing and then chomp it down, all the while smacking his lips greedily.

It might surprise readers to know that this piece of trash is sponsored by Discovery, the same company that produces not ONLY The Travel Channel, but TLC, Discovery Kids/Health/Education, and, most ironically, Planet Green AND Animal Planet. The same corporation that claims to protect animals and caters to to the education of children also gives them the horrifying opportunity to witness the murder of helpless animals in the callous hands of human beings who carve out a live creature's insides as casually as if they were inanimate pieces of fruit.

Anyone who would allow or encourage their children to watch "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern" is raising a generation of serial killers. Anyone who has studied the field knows that killing animals is where most psychos begin in their killing sprees...which makes me wonder where Andrew Zimmern's palate will lead him next when he runs out of animals to torture.

The first series produce a real wow effect, I really think now that American cuisine is the best cuisine of any country in the world, I mean: including the best Japanese, the best Cambodian, the best Mexican. The series about Seattle just turned my view of the world upside down, especially that coffee machine for 20 thousand dollars. But then almost all the series became about which of the sentient beings to kill with own hands, to peel off the skin and drain the blood. There's still a lot of interesting stuff, but it's 10 minutes in each episode without killing. Although, the presenter always mentions the ethical component. So, if it's okay for you, then there will be 10 stars.