EXPLORING NATURE: TASTES LIKE CHICKEN

I am not usually a timid, finicky eater; I do not shy away from spicy dishes and will devour menudo and raw oysters with gusto.

But on two birding trips I have encountered foods I just could not partake of.

The first was on a trip to Iceland about ten years ago. I had thoroughly enjoyed this land of geysers, wild ponies and northern lights. But at one stop the restaurant offered smoked puffins and whale steaks. The whale served was the minke, one of the most abundant in Iceland’s waters.

I was assured the whale tasted like “beefy tuna” and the puffin was described only as “salty.” At least, no one said, “They taste a lot like chicken” which is a universal description of many foods.

I tried the whale and while I would rather have regular tuna, it was at least edible. But there was no way I could try the puffin. Those little birds are way too cute to chow down on.

Another food offering I took a pass on was offered on a trip to Peru. I had enjoyed visiting the awe-inspiring ruins at Machu Picchu, marveling how anyone could construct those massive stacked-stone buildings at such a high altitude.

Our tour bus stopped at a roadside vendor and the primary offering was roasted guinea pig, the little carcasses on a spit over a smoldering fire.

I passed on the little pigs, but several in our group gave them a try, and – you’ll never guess – they said it tasted “a lot like chicken.”