Tasty Sea Life?

[shellshock]

Today is my last day in Chile... i dont want to go home!

During the past three weeks i have eaten a ton of great seafood.
The other day I tried a few things for the first time. Congrio, and Erisos. The congrio was really tasty. When i found out it was called CONGER EEL in english it kinda creeped me out and I went and googled a picture. It creeped me out even more. Its like a fish with no scales. The meat is really really good though! I´m glad i looked at the picture after i ate it or i would have had second thoughts... Anyone else tried it?

I tried the erisos (sea urchin) cause my mom loves them. I guess these are an acquired taste because they taste really strong. They have a lot of iodine in them or something. It was an interesting taste and texture though, with lots of lemon and cilantro and chopped fresh onion.

The food here is something I always miss when i´m home. Unfortunately i have to go back to bland USA food now...

 

[Quirk]

Originally Posted by shellshock

Today is my last day in Chile... i dont want to go home! During the past three weeks i have eaten a ton of great seafood. The other day I tried a few things for the first time. Congrio, and Erisos. The congrio was really tasty. When i found out it was called CONGER EEL in english it kinda creeped me out and I went and googled a picture. It creeped me out even more. Its like a fish with no scales. The meat is really really good though! I´m glad i looked at the picture after i ate it or i would have had second thoughts... Anyone else tried it? I tried the erisos (sea urchin) cause my mom loves them. I guess these are an acquired taste because they taste really strong. They have a lot of iodine in them or something. It was an interesting taste and texture though, with lots of lemon and cilantro and chopped fresh onion. The food here is something I always miss when i´m home. Unfortunately i have to go back to bland USA food now...

You eat American food when you're in the US?

 

[shellshock]

Originally Posted by Quirk

You eat American food when you're in the US?

i eat everything.
it´s just that the bread is better here, the fruit tastes better, the cafe´s and pastries, the seafood.... its just not the same!

 

[savage]

you gotta go to a farmers market or some organic place. Otherwise your not eating realy food - probably all GMO and ****. I'd eat it, but I wouldn't take it off the hook

 

[skalogre]

Conger and moray eels are complete bastards so look at it as taking revenge for all the divers harassed by them

But yes, they are scary matricopulators, do not get close to them in the wild, especially if you are fishing, they will not hesitate to go after you to steal your catch. Farmer's markets are good places to get good food though, as long as you know what the farmer's methods are (ie natural means squat in reality, organic may or may not mean it is good) I missed the opportunity to eat a conger my dad caught many years ago, I was young and the head scared the living crap out of me... I have tried eating urchins, did not find them appealing. Probably because my friends and I primarily ate the guts, lol. We just decided it was time we tried them (raw as they are often eaten) so we collected a number of them but it was thoroughly off-putting. I doubt I would try uni myself especially as I am not a fan of sushi.

 

[Quirk]

Originally Posted by skalogre

But yes, they are scary matricopulators

Your coinage? Or have I been living in a cave? Hadn't heard that one before...

 

[skalogre]

Originally Posted by Quirk

Your coinage? Or have I been living in a cave? Hadn't heard that one before...

Hey, I don't know. Just sounds better than the original term that Samuel L Jackson ruined with Snakes on a Plane (hides from Slim's potential wrath)

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by skalogre

Conger and moray eels are complete bastards so look at it as taking revenge for all the divers harassed by them

Have you been harassed by them? They never come out of their caves during the day and I play around with them at night. I've heard of a diver or two being bitten by one but usually because they were in a place they weren't supposed to be or doing things they shouldn't have been doing.

Shell, didn't know you were Chilean. I have a few Chilean friends and a couple just got back from a trip down to the south. They had to keep bragging about all the food, mate, etc. Bastards.

I still think the best empanadas I've had are Chilean, not Argentine. If you're ever in LA, there's a place on Santa Monica called El Rincon Chileno that has a great bakery for said empanadas and even mini-market.

 

[skalogre]

I don't dive, Wodini

. But my dad had a particular bad experience with a moray many years ago. While nightfishing (no tank, snorkel) he speared an octopus and apparently the eel decided that the the octopus was its property. He made it to the surface but he ended up having to throw in to the water his new spear gun because the eel coiled itself up the cabling to get to him and the cephalopod in question

Fishermen in Cyprus in general are very wary of them as they aren't known to back down from a fight...

 

[norcaltransplant]

Ouch, I wouldnt want to be bitten by one of those SOBs.

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by skalogre

I don't dive, Wodini

. But my dad had a particular bad experience with a moray many years ago. While nightfishing (no tank, snorkel) he speared an octopus and apparently the eel decided that the the octopus was its property. He made it to the surface but he ended up having to throw in to the water his new spear gun because the eel coiled itself up the cabling to get to him and the cephalopod in question

Fishermen in Cyprus in general are very wary of them as they aren't known to back down from a fight...
I heard a story of a diver on a WWII wreck being bitten and dragged by a 12 ft eel. But then that's one story out of how many shark stories I've heard... I'd think an eel coming after you would be the least of your worries if you're hunting things in the sea. At night. Without a tank.

 

[fatty]

sea snails and abalone is yummy.

 

[shellshock]

Originally Posted by whodini

Shell, didn't know you were Chilean. I have a few Chilean friends and a couple just got back from a trip down to the south. They had to keep bragging about all the food, mate, etc. Bastards.

I still think the best empanadas I've had are Chilean, not Argentine. If you're ever in LA, there's a place on Santa Monica called El Rincon Chileno that has a great bakery for said empanadas and even mini-market.


It's been a really long time since i've been there. I'll definitely have to schedule a trip.

Of course while i was in chile i had home made empanadas, pastel de choclo, humitas, and lots of ensalada chilena.

I think i had fresh juice like every day. They blend it up with a little water and sugar so its still pulpy and tastes really good.

Fruits i should have tried to smuggle in my suitcase: lucuma, chirimoya, melon pepino. /sighhh

 

[skalogre]

Originally Posted by norcaltransplant

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/3192/85441458gf9.jpg Ouch, I wouldnt want to be bitten by one of those SOBs.
I'd say. This is the species we have back home (taken from some diving site)...

Shellshock, any interesting photos to share from your trip, like foods for instance?

 

[shellshock]

Originally Posted by skalogre

Shellshock, any interesting photos to share from your trip, like foods for instance?

sometimes people look at me weird when i take pictures of my plates of food but i love it, cause i love food, so i did in fact snap a few. i'm really jet lagged and out of it but i'll get around to uploading some pictures soon.