View Full Version : Weird, different, unusualthings eaten on the trails....
Different Socks
11-05-2013, 12:16
Intentionally, unintentionally or even accidentally, what are some of the things you've eaten on the trail as a snack, meal, or dessert? Bugs are not to be included unless it was a really big one!
I can honestly say I've never eaten nor would I bring on the trail:
--Pigs feet
--brains
--intestines
--tongue
--stomach
Has anyone actually eaten these things or other strange foods on a hike?
Lone Wolf
11-05-2013, 12:23
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t1Me-qm9wQ
Hot Flash
11-05-2013, 12:25
Kimchi and sushi. Not typical trail food, but I've made and eaten them on the trail.
Sarcasm the elf
11-05-2013, 12:51
I've been known to pack up to 5LBS of fresh fruit when I'm hiking out of town, mostly apples, pears and bananas. Wierd? No. Unusual? Absolutely.
Wierdest thing i've ever had on the trail was fruit flavored codliver oil. I was hiking with a buddy who brought it because he insisted it was an anti-inflamatory.
Intentionally, unintentionally or even accidentally, what are some of the things you've eaten on the trail as a snack, meal, or dessert? Bugs are not to be included unless it was a really big one!
I can honestly say I've never eaten nor would I bring on the trail:
--Pigs feet
--brains
--intestines
--tongue
--stomach
Has anyone actually eaten these things or other strange foods on a hike?
Have you never eaten sausage or a hot dog!?! Chances are you've eaten intestines (casing for sausages), and likely to have eaten tongue as a sausage or hot dog ingredient. Outside of a nice sausage, tongue tastes like bologna, stomach (tripe) isn't worth a darn IMHO, brains are tasty in scrambled eggs (but still weird), and pigs feet are supposed to be great, too, but I've never (knowingly) eaten them.
Tri-Pod Bob
11-05-2013, 13:00
I'm French Canadian on my father's side. A couple of tasty homemade head cheese (pretty much everything found in a pork head that isn't hard) sandwiches with lots of blk pepper & some mayo on homemade grain bread is a favorite of mine. 2 downsides though: #1) I'm so spoiled on my Aunt Lea's recipe for head cheese that I don't....make that won't....eat the store bought variety. I always have a ton of it waiting for me on my trips up to her place in Mason, NH. #2) It never lasts long after I get it home. I then have to wait for my next trip! I also make sure to have a few sammies in the daypack/pockets during deer season......even if I have to make a dedicated trip for it. I also like a wedge or 3 of good French meat pie.....hot or cold! Another is gray squirrel jerky. I whip up a big batch of Brunswick stew for a local game dinner every year, so I harvest a lot of 'tree rats' during the season. I make up about 2 or 3 lbs of jerky before dedicating the rest to the club feast. So, this stuff is kind of weird/different/unusual for many folks, but pretty darn tasty IMHO!! I've been a practicing survivalist since 1977, but, per your request, I won't get into which insects taste best....
Stogie88
11-05-2013, 13:04
Not sure if many consider it unusual but the only time I eat SPAM is on the trail. cook it up with some packaged chicken and a side of instant mashed taters and you have yourself a pretty good dinner.
Intentionally, unintentionally or even accidentally, what are some of the things you've eaten on the trail as a snack, meal, or dessert? Bugs are not to be included unless it was a really big one!
I can honestly say I've never eaten nor would I bring on the trail:
--Pigs feet
--brains
--intestines
--tongue
--stomach
Has anyone actually eaten these things or other strange foods on a hike?
So I assume U don't eat SPAM on the trail?:D It's a frackin joke. Although I don't eat it.
All on trail: I think, eating a 1/2 gal of ice cream in one sitting qualifies(not me). Radishes, cucumbers, dehydrated avocado/watermelon/honeydew melon, Tuna/salmon jerky(all me). A whole watermelon(I certainly didn't carry that in, it was offered to me and I ate the whole thing, not one of those ice box sized either). Have seen others eating possum, raccoon, armadillo, squirrels(I've eaten these many times), ? Grouse( those really colorful species on the AT that you can practically walk up on and grab, I hear some say they aren't that bad while others say they are the worst tasting bird they ever ate), scorpions, snails(me, cook these babies), crawfish caught in streams( I've done this), earthworms(myself as well as others), crickets(me), snakes(quite a few hikers I've seen eat rattlesnakes, I haven't though, etc
I hear all these things taste like chicken. :D
Tri-Pod Bob
11-05-2013, 13:38
So I assume U don't eat SPAM on the trail?:D It's a frackin joke. Although I don't eat it.
All on trail: I think, eating a 1/2 gal of ice cream in one sitting qualifies(not me). Radishes, cucumbers, dehydrated avocado/watermelon/honeydew melon, Tuna/salmon jerky(all me). A whole watermelon(I certainly didn't carry that in, it was offered to me and I ate the whole thing, not one of those ice box sized either). Have seen others eating possum, raccoon, armadillo, squirrels(I've eaten these many times), ? Grouse( those really colorful species on the AT that you can practically walk up on and grab, I hear some say they aren't that bad while others say they are the worst tasting bird they ever ate), scorpions, snails(me, cook these babies), crawfish caught in streams( I've done this), earthworms(myself as well as others), crickets(me), snakes(quite a few hikers I've seen eat rattlesnakes, I haven't though, etc
I hear all these things taste like chicken. :D
I've had the opportunity to eat all of the 'wild' items on your list.....didn't care for the armadillo when I tried it in Louisiana...better to use them in a game of touch football (wear your welding gloves....dem claws is sharp) & let them go when done! Grouse is tasty...especially smoked over apple or cherry wood! Coon (beaver, too) is greasy, so spiced up on a spit over an open hardwood coal fire does the trick for me. Snails I like raw or cooked. Crawdaddies are like a bit of heaven in the wilds. Worms are better pan-fried to a crunchy doneness than saute'd. Crickets & grasshoppers are good lightly toasted in a hot pan...just get the wings & legs off 1st. They'll stick in the throat!! No fun!! I've had more than my share of rattler (various varieties) & I really enjoy it. But it does not taste like chicken! Tastes like rattler! As usual....YMMV, but in this post it means 'Your Menu May Vary'!!
Intentionally, unintentionally or even accidentally, what are some of the things you've eaten on the trail as a snack, meal, or dessert? Bugs are not to be included unless it was a really big one!
I can honestly say I've never eaten nor would I bring on the trail:
--Pigs feet
--brains
--intestines
--tongue
--stomach
Has anyone actually eaten these things or other strange foods on a hike?
Smilax tips
Basswood leaves
Dandelion greens
Nettles greens
home grown/home made collard kraut
Rolls Kanardly
11-05-2013, 14:28
Woman was eating lunch at this place I worked part time and she was eating a tongue sandwich. Only problem was she did not cut off the taste buds on the tongue and it really grossed me out. Needless to say, that stuff does not cross my lips knowingly. But I agree with DeadEye that all the stuff mention at the beginning of this thread is in processed meats and I do love hot dogs and sausage and other processed meats. Out of sight out of mind I guess. Rolls
Different Socks
11-05-2013, 14:30
So I assume U don't eat SPAM on the trail?:D It's a frackin joke. Although I don't eat it.
All on trail: I think, eating a 1/2 gal of ice cream in one sitting qualifies(not me). Radishes, cucumbers, dehydrated avocado/watermelon/honeydew melon, Tuna/salmon jerky(all me). A whole watermelon(I certainly didn't carry that in, it was offered to me and I ate the whole thing, not one of those ice box sized either). Have seen others eating possum, raccoon, armadillo, squirrels(I've eaten these many times), ? Grouse( those really colorful species on the AT that you can practically walk up on and grab, I hear some say they aren't that bad while others say they are the worst tasting bird they ever ate), scorpions, snails(me, cook these babies), crawfish caught in streams( I've done this), earthworms(myself as well as others), crickets(me), snakes(quite a few hikers I've seen eat rattlesnakes, I haven't though, etc
I hear all these things taste like chicken. :D
Nope, never have eaten spam on my long hikes......that is until my next one, b/c I've already prepped the dinners and spam is a meat in about 50 of them.
Different Socks
11-05-2013, 15:35
Have you never eaten sausage or a hot dog!?! Chances are you've eaten intestines (casing for sausages), and likely to have eaten tongue as a sausage or hot dog ingredient. Outside of a nice sausage, tongue tastes like bologna, stomach (tripe) isn't worth a darn IMHO, brains are tasty in scrambled eggs (but still weird), and pigs feet are supposed to be great, too, but I've never (knowingly) eaten them.
Always gotta be replies like this from people that are sticklers about how you phrase a question or post.
Believe it or not, no I haven't eaten sausage or hot dogs "on the trail", but yes I have at home. The question was asked if any one has eaten "intestines", not a hotdog or sausage.
Tri-Pod Bob
11-05-2013, 16:25
I've tried chitlins (pig intestines) more than once & cooked a cpl different ways. I'll eat pretty much anything, and I do mean anything, that's edible, but they will NEVER, EVER cross this palate again!!
Different Socks
11-05-2013, 17:09
I've tried chitlins (pig intestines) more than once & cooked a cpl different ways. I'll eat pretty much anything, and I do mean anything, that's edible, but they will NEVER, EVER cross this palate again!!
I am willing to try anything at least once also, just not sure how appetizing it would be on the trail.
max patch
11-05-2013, 17:34
I hike with Taro several hundred miles on my thru and he shared his dried squid and octopus with me.
da fungo
11-05-2013, 17:57
I've eaten scorpion, grilled over charcoal. I can't say that it tasted like chicken, because this was in China, after a hike on an undeveloped section of the Great Wall, and the seasonings were strong enough to cover the basic taste.I've also eaten mustard garlic, an invasive plant that is common on the AT.
Wise Old Owl
11-05-2013, 18:04
Woman was eating lunch at this place I worked part time and she was eating a tongue sandwich. Only problem was she did not cut off the taste buds on the tongue and it really grossed me out. Needless to say, that stuff does not cross my lips knowingly. But I agree with DeadEye that all the stuff mention at the beginning of this thread is in processed meats and I do love hot dogs and sausage and other processed meats. Out of sight out of mind I guess. Rolls
the French and Vietnamese eat this quite a bit... my mom went to French Culinary School in Paris after the war so we had it on our table from time to time... I loved it.
Oxtail Soup on the AT trail from scratch... once. - Today its very hard to get. - pricey too...
Pop tarts, just once.
eeewww :eek:
Wise Old Owl
11-05-2013, 22:03
Pop tarts! OMG - were they willing?
oh you meant this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ro0FW9Qt-4&feature=player_detailpage#t=18
Yea don't eat them...bit nasty
I had been watching a lot of Bear Gryll's, Survivorman, Andrew Zimmern TV..........have to admit that I dug into a log for a while looking for a juicy grub worm to eat.
Gave up after about 10 minutes and hiked down the trail with mixed feelings.
My great-grandmother was "off-the-boat" from near Naples.
She was alive until I was 8 or 9 yrs old. We'd visit her at least once a month. Nothing pleased her more than seeing three great-grandsons with her late husband's last name.
In any case, I remember going over her house and remember eating handmade ravioli, fried zucchini flowers and "weird" tasting (to my my young palette) strong tasting olives and cheese. And, of course trippa.
My memory is 30 yrs old or more at this point, but I remember the chewy and rubbery texture mixed in with tomatoes, garlic, onions and fresh herbs.
I just about gagged. :O
Of course now, they charge molti denari in fancy-shmancy restaurants for something that my great-grandmother made because HER parents would not want to waste precious protein.
Of course, now-a-days I go to the local Vietnamese owned pho place and happily slurp up the noodles with beef, chicken and tripe.And love it. Helps that it is inexpensive, too. :) Great-grandma would not know pho, but I think she would appreciate it.
Sarcasm the elf
11-05-2013, 22:25
Pop tarts, just once.
Holy acid-reflux batman!
Some of these comments remind me of the Soup do Jour scene in Dumb and Dumber. Carrey has no idea of what he's about to be served but says "oohh that sounds good." http://klipd.com/watch/dumb-and-dumber/what-is-the-soup-du-jour-scene
geomaniac
11-05-2013, 23:14
Smilax tips
Basswood leaves
Dandelion greens
Nettles greens
home grown/home made collard kraut
I'm glad to see that I am not the only one to nibble on the vegetation as I hike. I like the smilax tips scrambled with eggs..dandelion flowers are pretty good that way too.
Sarcasm the elf
11-05-2013, 23:29
I once traded my flask of whisky for some Unicorn meat, though it wasn't that good.
atmilkman
11-05-2013, 23:42
I once traded my flask of whisky for some Unicorn meat, though it wasn't that good.
You sure you didn't drink a flask of whiskey and ate spam mistaking it for unicorn.
Another Kevin
11-05-2013, 23:44
Ramps.
Mayapples.
Minestra di ortiche.
Rattlesnake. Yes, I know it's unlawful. It was in the pan when I got there, honest!
Dolmades (wild grape leaves, wild mint, minute rice, dried onion, lemon powder, EVOO, herbs)
Blackberry cobbler.
Peanut-butter-and-gorp burrito.
Ash cakes.
Hill Ape
11-05-2013, 23:44
my granny used to make me eat scrambled eggs and pigs brains when i was little, its really better than you'd think. i carry eggs when i hike in a six pack, they seem to keep fine and cook up quick. no brains on trail though
atmilkman
11-05-2013, 23:47
my granny used to make me eat scrambled eggs and pigs brains when i was little, its really better than you'd think.
My Aunt did the same for me on a biscuit.
Sarcasm the elf
11-05-2013, 23:53
Ramps.
Mayapples.
Minestra di ortiche.
Rattlesnake. Yes, I know it's unlawful. It was in the pan when I got there, honest!
Dolmades (wild grape leaves, wild mint, minute rice, dried onion, lemon powder, EVOO, herbs)
Blackberry cobbler.
Peanut-butter-and-gorp burrito.
Ash cakes.
Peanutbutter and GORP on a burrito is one of my staple hiking foods.
Tri-Pod Bob
11-05-2013, 23:59
Ramps.
Mayapples.
Minestra di ortiche.
Rattlesnake. Yes, I know it's unlawful. It was in the pan when I got there, honest!
Dolmades (wild grape leaves, wild mint, minute rice, dried onion, lemon powder, EVOO, herbs)
Blackberry cobbler.
Peanut-butter-and-gorp burrito.
Ash cakes.
Ash cakes!!! Man, does that bring back some good memories!!! Hickory nut flour, beechnut flour, acorn flour....any flour will do really. I try to stay away from the white processed now, tho. These will be on my next venture's menu. Thanks for the blast from the past, AK! Another is a nice sourdough bread, twisted around & cooked on a stick!
Mountain Mike
11-06-2013, 03:52
I hike with Taro several hundred miles on my thru and he shared his dried squid and octopus with me. I hiked with him on the PCT & he din'y share any!24734
squeezebox
11-06-2013, 04:11
I've eaten all that stuff, does not taste very good. takes a long time to cook. regular pork chicken and beef are often cheaper. So why would you want to eat that stuff. Sure once or twice so you know what it's like , but it's just nasty food. Do NOT eat brains , mad cow disease issue.
Maui Rhino
11-06-2013, 05:59
Lutefisk and Lefse. For those of you who don't know any Norweigans, Lutefisk is cod preserved in lye. Boil it, check for bones, roll it up in the lefse with some butter, and you have a great meal!
In my Marine Corps days, on a training hike in the Phillipines, I traded some MRE's for monkey on a stick...That was really tasty too.
fredmugs
11-06-2013, 08:40
Dehydrated lentils.
Another Kevin
11-06-2013, 09:31
Dehydrated lentils.
One of the regular things in my pack. (Note to self: Dehydrate some more, running low...) Dal bhaat tarkari is great on the trail on a cold evening. Hey, it's what fuels the Sherpas!
I love dehydrated lentils. That, and dehydrated black beans, makes some wonderful backpacking food.
re: Why would you want to eat that?
Intestines and other "scraps" are all the vogue now but back in the day , they WERE less expensive. Trippa, menudo, chitlins,etc.are all ways to use every scrap of an animal when meat protein is rare and damn expensive. They are tougher cuts, but that is why they were cooked "low and slow". Also a great way to do other chores throughout the day and have dinner ready when it is time. :)
What was poor person's food became comfort food to their children and grandchildren. And then became gourmet food in fancy restaurants.
Don't get me started on how a local place charges $40 for a (very small) dish of macaroni and beans!!!! :)
Rolls Kanardly
11-06-2013, 12:16
One of the regular things in my pack. (Note to self: Dehydrate some more, running low...) Dal bhaat tarkari is great on the trail on a cold evening. Hey, it's what fuels the Sherpas!
Looks great, will have to try some. Found a recipe on the web, do not think I have ever used so many spices in one dish. Rolls
No cook ramen. Soak in water for 5 minutes and eat cold. Not too great but filling and exquisitely inexpensive. Wash it down with Nido for cheap protein. Potato sticks for cheap fat.
Hill Ape
11-06-2013, 13:30
i have a friend from peru, he raises guinea pigs, eats them on stick, down there you can get them as street food
turtle fast
11-06-2013, 16:30
Anyone hand out ghost chilies yet?
AkaMirage
12-30-2013, 12:47
Ramps.
Mayapples.
Minestra di ortiche.
Rattlesnake. Yes, I know it's unlawful. It was in the pan when I got there, honest!
Dolmades (wild grape leaves, wild mint, minute rice, dried onion, lemon powder, EVOO, herbs)
Blackberry cobbler.
Peanut-butter-and-gorp burrito.
Ash cakes.
Peanut butter and GORP burritos are one of my brother's staples... except he adds summer sausage and cheese. ick!
squeezebox
01-01-2014, 12:11
All the stuff you mentioned takes hours of simmering, not possible on the trail, do not eat brains! remember mad cow disease. And none of it tastes good.
I'ld rather eat Ramen.
Matthew82
01-23-2014, 14:42
A ne'er-do-well family member of mine has convinced me I might want to look into jailhouse cooking for future trail ideas. It's pretty amazing what he can make with some Ramon, cheese curls, mustard packets, mayonnaise, tuna... (I dunno, there's a bunch of odd stuff that seemed disgusting but tasted pretty good when he made me a bet recently that i'd actually enjoy the meal.) Reason I mention it is because I don't think any of the items they purchase from the jail store are perishable.
Rattlesnake at Hawk Mtn, PA.
It's not kosher behavior now, but back in the 1970's we killed rattlesnakes if we saw them on the trail. So my friend and I wanted to see how they tasted. After dispatching it with walking sticks, we put it in a bag and packed it to the next shelter, where there happened to be numerous Boy Scouts staying the night. As a prank we told them that we were going to be cooking some wonderful rattlesnake meat, and that we might share. This got their curiosity going and we skinned the snake and roasted it on a stick above the fire. We took a few bites and exclaimed that it was wonderful! The boys came around and wanted to eat it too. So they had a bunch of rattlesnake for dinner. We kept encouraging them to have a little more...
My friend a I laughed about that for years, because it tasted horrible. OK, so I was only 17 (I ask your forgiveness). But it's a true AT story from June, 1974.