Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern

This episode takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Andrew's home town).

As Andrew discusses his distaste of SPAM, we learn that he avoids walnuts because he doesn't like them.

Andrew mentions that Chef Ben Ford is the son of actor Harrison Ford. He is in fact Ford's oldest child.

Because Andrew mentions that on of his meals is on honor of Good Friday, the audience discovers that this episode was filmed around Easter.

Also Featured:



Yellow Contractor - Chef and Restaurant Owner
Suzette Martin - Manger and Owner, Mum's Restaurant
Frances Dasousa - Chef, Sahakari Spice Farm
Esperana Vaz - Gandulim Native

Andrew makes it very clear that he never drinks tap water while traveling. He feels it is unsafe for his non-native system.

Andrew Zimmern Rule #107: Never breathe deeply through the nose in a fish market.

Andrew Zimmern Rule #75: The way more disgusting it looks, the better it will taste.

Andrew's culinary journey is focused on North Vietnam.

Whelks, mentioned in Andrew's sign-off, are large sea snails often eaten in the British Isles.

Andrew remarks that the Jewel Dako gets its fresh seafood directly from the Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, Japan. Andrew had visited the Tsukiji Market when he visited Japan.

Andrew tries durian (a fruit), but he is unable to eat it. This is the second time we've seen him attempt to eat durian. He was also unable to enjoy it in the pilot episode. Although this time, he's at least able to swallow his first bite (he spits out his second bite--the same reaction he had in the pilot).

This is the first time we see Andrew unable to eat something. He takes a bite of the stinky tofu in the House of Unique Stink and can not swallow it. He manages to swallow a bite of the second dish (raw stinky tofu with 1,000 year old eggs). He congratulates the chef (Ms. Wu) for making the only food that beats him.

The armadillo costs about 73 American dollars.

Sammy Hebert debones the chicken, duck and turkey for the turducken in a total time of 5 minutes, 47 seconds and 57 tenths.

The roasted suckling pig that Andrew tried is called "conchinillo". These piglets are usually a few days to several weeks old.

Andrew mentions that at El Bulli every diner receives 22 courses. This is by far more than most restaurants.

In the end credits, a special thanks is given to: Jim Harlan, Horizon Tours, and Kitty Morse.

Andrew uses one of his catch phrases about k'lia-- that it's "an acquired taste", rather than saying he hates it.

The duck fetuses that Andrew tried are probably 15 days old so the duck/mallard does not appear as a duck/mallard yet. It is enveloped in a white membrane and the local term for it is "balut sa puti" or literally: wrapped in white.