Unusual foods/hard to get raw foods

[TylerDurden]

Here's a Daily Telegraph article about seagull eggs which are very difficult to buy:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/5065716/Top-restaurants-face-shortage-of-seagull-eggs.html


 I remember 1 shop selling them near my brother's office in the City of London, and the raw gull eggs cost something like 3-5 pounds each, so I  didn't bother. But if this is such a rare delicacy, and now soon to be banned outright due to scarcity, I may well have a go and buy 1 or 2 of them during the gull-egg-season from April to May 15th.

What really rare foods do others on this forum have access to that few if any  outside their particular region/country have access to?

[goodsamaritan]

This morning my kids and I walked up to an Aratilis tree.
We had our long stick to be able to get some fruit.
These berry like fruits are never sold in the fruit market.



They must be good for something.
Delicious.

http://www.stuartxchange.com/Aratiles.html

[goodsamaritan]

Grass hoppers / Locusts.
Only available in the provinces.
People have to eat them when they do attack.
Because they will have eaten all the farm crops.
My father in law used to eat them.

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SALAGUBANG / a type of beetle

Not commercial food, provincial people eat them when in season.
My father in law, our cook.



The Salagubang comes out when the rainy season starts on May or on June.

When cooking salagubang, it is best to choose those which just passed the larval stage because they are still soft. Removed their wings before cooking.

SAUTE SALAGUBANG

INGREDIENTS:
Salagubang
oil
vinegar
pepper
salt or soy sauce

Sauté salagubang into a small amount of oil then blend with salt or soy sauce and pepper. When it is already half cooked, add a small amount of vinegar. stir until it becomes dry and toast. You can also fry salagubang when you want it to be brittle.

http://foodster-j113.blogspot.com/2007/08/abal-abal-or-salagubang-recipe.html

[Satya]

Grass hoppers / Locusts.
Only available in the provinces.
People have to eat them when they do attack.
Because they will have eaten all the farm crops.
My father in law used to eat them.

----------------

SALAGUBANG / a type of beetle

Not commercial food, provincial people eat them when in season.
My father in law, our cook.

What a cool post, GS!  I have often wondered why people fret so much over locusts eating crops when the locusts themselves are more nutritious than the planted foods!  I have not tried these insect foods yet, but my chickens eat them in spring. 

So perhaps you can ask what these things taste like, if there is a comparable item that describes it.  Please do if you get the chance.

[goodsamaritan]

My cook says they taste vaguely like shrimp... but the grasshoppers and salagubang have their own taste.  And my cook really really likes salagubang and says we should order from the provinces this May when they are in season.