The dish arrived. It smelt 'funny'. James took a mouthful. Hmmm. Poking a fork laden with a glob he suggested I tried some. I did, but knew something wasn't right. A strong aroma and taste of manure mixed with cow shed mixed with animal faeces!!!!!
James tried a few more mouthfuls then proceeded to dissect the remaining lump. Chunks of what appeared to be rubbery aorta like pieces rolled into a tube were apparent. He left the remaining portion.
We returned to our apartment. James disappeared. I found him a few hours later lying on the bed awake. He said it was 'the sausage'. I encouraged him to save himself a night of intense nausea and rid himself of 'the evil sausage'. There was no way round it. Off he went and proceeded to vomit up his French cuisine. 5 minutes later, looking much better with a spring in his step he was cured.
Our research the following morning uncovered a horrifying truth. He had eaten a French Andouilette, a French delicacy adored by those who aren't repelled by ingesting pig's poo. It is made with the lower intestine of a pig which gives it it's unique fecal odor. Nice. Here are some pictures...
Ew. I think I can feel a bit of sick in the back of my mouth...
ReplyDeleteAn acquired taste, no doubt. Reminds me of my first visit to France many years ago. My friend and I decided that we would try some 'real' French food, so we went to a little bistro, and ordered the cheapest thing on the menu (the bulk of our budget having been pre-allocated to beverages, rather than food). The dish was called Tete de Veau, and is accurately described here (the 'Chez Jenny' version): http://lukehoney.typepad.com/the_greasy_spoon/2008/04/tete-de-veau.html. This was in 1982, and I can still picture it vividly.
ReplyDeleteThe word 'tete' should have rang warning bells, but for some reason, neither of us could recall what it meant in English. Ours also came with some small, hard, boiled potatoes. We ate the potatoes.
James looks very Gallic in his flat cap. I hope he's also speaking english with a French accent.