Sunday, August 22, 2010

Chicken Feet

Last night for the first time, I finally tried them. I don't know why, but the people here LOVE them, and up until this point I've avoided trying them. Last night though it was unavoidable.

A woman I know at the vegetable market had been wanting me to come help her nephew finish up his English summer homework before school starts next week. We were busy with Mom and Shana visiting and traveling, so I kept pushing it off. This week though we're actually home, so last night I said I'd come help him.

We met at the market, closed up their stall, and headed to their apartment - with the 11-year-old boy riding on the back of my bike (completely normal here, but a first for me). We worked on homework while my friend and the grandma made dinner. The other food was great, so I started there. I even tried to dodge trying the feet by saying I wasn't used to it...didn't know how to eat it... but then they handed me one and told me to watch how the grandma and grandpa ate them. Ya... No way out.

I got through about one talon (toe??) and couldn't make it any further. I think they gave me the biggest one. It was enormous. And really nothing but skin and tendons to gnaw on. After that I politely set it aside and continued to eat the other food. Thankfully they said nothing more about it. After dinner we worked on homework for a little more. I think I saw her 7-year-old daughter finishing the foot for me. Yum.

5 comments:

  1. Wow! This is a tantalizing story of anguish! Like a cringe-worthy movie scene--you're so happy it isn't happening to you and afterwards you're super thankful for popcorn and twizzlers.

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  2. I felt a little gaggy just reading about that!!
    My dad works at an organic poultry distributor and when I went to visit in May, I got to see the whole operation - kinda awesome, kinda gross. Anyway, they have these huge tubs filled with chicken feet on ice that get shipped to the Asian market. You're welcome :)

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  3. Oh wow, that's awesome. And terrible. I had heard we got some from Europe, but I didn't know we got them from the US too!

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  4. wow, these comments almost make it worse. giant tubs of chicken feet on ice?! barf.

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  5. You mean you don't want to gnaw on one? Just for fun?

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