Bizarre Foods

I can certainly appreciate a particularly compelling new turn of phrase, which is why I found it particularly amusing when someone got the bright idea to describe movies like Saw and Hostel as ‘torture-porn.’ Those two simple words really drive home the idea that said movies are going to be real gore-fests. So, as an unapologetic ‘borrower,’ I’m much into describing the television show Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern as ‘disgusting food-porn.’

The show is just starting it’s second season on the Travel Channel, but I confess to having not discovered it until very recently. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it, the premise is very simple. Andrew Zimmern is a bald, fat guy who gets to travel around the world in a quest to find, and eat, what I would describe as the most disgusting foods on the planet. There’s literally not much that he won’t eat – brains, spiders, eyeballs, whatever – and, I’ll admit, watching him do it is absolutely fascinating.

The first show I happened to catch had him in Ecuador eating guinea pigs – all of the guinea pig too, not just the tame, fleshy little parts. I have to admit that, not unlike the reactions to movies like Hostel and Saw, it’s kind of tough to watch at first, but as you get used to it you desensitize pretty quickly. I’m still one of the most squeamish eaters on the planet, but at least nowadays I can watch someone else enjoy a disgusting snack (maybe not in person, though, that may still cross a line).

Besides the food, there’s a good portion of the show dedicated to culture, which helps pull the show along. On top of that, the host, Andrew Zimmern, is a fascinating individual and the perfect host for a show like this. He’s engaging and he does a really good job of describing everything he’s experiencing and eating. His reactions are very genuine, and not at all over the top like you might expect, given the subject matter. If you haven’t had a chance to check the show out, definitely do so, you won’t be sorry you did (or maybe you will, who knows…).