“Be adventurous! Just make sure you understand the language while doing so.“ – Me
I’m an adventurous person and am also an adventurous eater. Last night I learned that being adventurous does not always pay off. In the US, I often order food that I’ve never had before or blindly go with the waiter’s recommendation. I’ve used this same approach here in Madrid and it has paid off with me trying some of the best dishes ever. Well not last night. I randomly picked something on the menu, Callos madrileños, and asked what it was. The waiter provided a detailed description. Unfortunately, I only understood about 1% of what he said. So we go ahead and order it. The waiter brings out this halfway decent looking dish with meat in a red tomato sauce and bread to go with it. I notice that the pieces swimming around in the dish look a little fatty, but I assume there will be some meatier pieces underneath. Well, there were not. So I scoop up a few fatty pieces of meat with the bread and take a bite. It didn’t taste that bad, but I realized that this was not something I could eat an entire bowl of. It hit us that these rubbery pieces had to be some part of the pig like the stomach, intestines, ear or hoof. I felt like a contestant on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. I know chitterlings well so I immediately eliminated intestines. I’ve seen pig’s feet before as a whole, but not as pieces. Hmm…I don’t think pig’s feet can be cut up this small so that’s out. Ear is just plain disgusting and illogical. Therefore, I select A. Stomach. Final Answer.
Unfortunately, I did not win a million dollars. Instead I was able to send the dish back with a simple, “No me gusta. Es un poco extraño” (I don’t like. It’s a little strange). The cow stomach was then replaced with an interesting tasting group of samosas. So, today’s motivational quote of the day is from yours truly. Be adventurous! Just make sure you understand the language while doing so.
Here’s a picture. Look at your own risk. http://www.fotolog.com/gastrosofia/24017922