Fierce Food: The Intrepid Diner's Guide to the Unusual, Exotic and Downright Bizarre

Fierce food turns eating into a form of an extreme sport," Weil declares, "in which we face our misgivings and dare to plunge into the unknown." In her exhaustive guide to anything and everything edible for those who dare to eat it, London journalist Weil covers it all and then some, from armadillo ("flavorsome as pork") to yuba (bean curd skin). Her descriptions are thorough, including taste, texture, preparation and history of each item: she even includes icons to note important points about each item, for example an icon of a bomb means "eating may cause pain/death" while a sad face indicates "revolting." In addition to the obviously disgusting (various bugs, live monkey brain, etc.), Weil introduces items that may not pop up on even the seasoned traveler's agenda, like foo-foo (a lump of starch in soup) or hakari (putrefied shark meat). There are times when Weil attempts to take up space with descriptions of more pedestrian fare such as coconut, but makes up for these lapses into the mundane when she describes with excruciating detail the experience of biting into a sheep's eyeball. Even if one might not plan on eating a big plate of muttonbird, this book is entertaining enough for the most jaded foodie to enjoy. (Oct.)