OK. Here we go.
1. Alligator meat I tried it once from a Cajun restaurant and liked it. To me, its flavor is similar to frog legs, tasting like a cross between chicken and fish. Unfortunately, Cajun cuisine tends to have a lot of sodium, which is why I've only tried it once.
2. Rocky Mountain oysters I've never had them, but I would try them at least once to satisfy my curiosity.
3. Kool-Aid pickles I once worked with a young woman from Memphis who loved this food. I'm on the proverbial "fence" on this one.
4. Corn dogs & 5. American cheese Corn dogs are a Lone Star staple, especially when the State Fair of Texas opens in the fall. They're fine. I never thought American cheese was "weird".
6. Hawaiian pizza I tried it once and it was alright, but I think it depends on which pizza joint it comes from.
7. Loco Moco It looks and sounds intriguing. And you can't go wrong with any food that has a fried egg on top!
8. Tater tots, 9. Root beer float, & 10. Fried cheese curds Tater tots are fine, root beer floats are fine, too, but a little too sweet and sticky for me. Fried cheese curds are fine, as well.
11. Strawberry pretzel salad I've never heard of this one before. I dunno.
12. Rattlesnake The first time I heard about rattlesnake as a food was a couple of decades ago when I heard a story from the Terlingua Chili Cook-Off that a few of the entrants made their own versions of rattlesnake chili. Since then, I've been intrigued about trying it, but like the author of the article says, the texture of rattlesnake meat might be off-putting for some.
13. Akutaq probably not.
14. Frito pie Like corn dogs, this is a Lone Star cuisine staple. The best time to eat one is when the weather is cold (that is, when it actually does get cold here in Texas!): a layer of Fritos corn chips in a bowl, a ladle (or two!) of steaming hot meaty chili (preferably with no beans) and topped with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped onions. Man, you'll sleep well after eating one of these!
15. Chitterlings (or "chitlins") In Spanish, they're called tripas. I've had them, and they're okay (my older brother really liked them when he could eat them, especially marinating in a green tomatillo sauce), but again it depends on how they're prepared, from harvesting to cleaning to cooking. It's an amazing fact that offal that was once disposed of or considered "peasant food" have found a niche following.
16. Pumpkin pie This is "weird"? I question that.
17. Livermush & 21. Scrapple I've never had nor heard of the former but I've had the latter. I like scrapple, so I'm betting that I would like livermush, too.
18. Biscuits and gravy A Southern cuisine staple that I love! The gravy has to have sausage in it (I prefer turkey sausage) poured over buttermilk biscuits (no butter nor butter-flavored) hot from the oven. The best time to eat this is on a very cold and gray winter's morning. And be prepared to take a good nap afterward!
19. Garbage plate In reading its description it sounds like the American version of the full English breakfast or Ploughman's lunch.
20. Fried pickles Very appetizing, especially with ranch dressing and as a side for fried chicken strips with white gravy!
22. Peanut butter and jelly OK, I call BS on this. How in the world is this all-American staple "weird"?? How many of us, whether in our childhood or in the present, have never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?! C'mon.
23. Spam You'll either love it or hate it. I can't tell y'all how many times I've taken a fried Spam sandwich with mayo on white bread, potato chips, and a Thermos of Hi-C juice in my lunch box back when I was a kid going to school. Years later, I was laughing at it watching the famous Monty Python comedy sketch and, later still, fascinated by the story of its adoption and cultural integration by Hawaiians during World War II.
24. Monte Cristo sandwich I've had it. It's alright.
25. Pickle dog Hmm.
Well, I don't know about y'all, but I'm craving a bottle of Pepto-Bismol. Or maybe some Di-Gel, or if worse comes to worse, a nice blue bottle of Bromo-Seltzer.
*burp*
