h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What foods are there which are encouraged to rot, decompose, 'age' or otherwise turn manky before being eaten? For instance I already have blue cheese, hung meat and Icelandic putrefied shark on the list, but more are required.
Also... would folk be so fond of such delicacies if they weren't euphemistic?

That fish sauce stuff - Nam Pla? - isnt it made from rotten fish?

100 year old eggs?

Yoghurt.

Sour cream/ milk.

Doesnt fruit have to be over-ripe to make wine from?

I have discarded the eggs as they are preserved in ash rather than rotted (and disappointingly are only 100 days old. Lies! besides I can't get hold of any...)
Sour cream is good though. Especially when termed 'creme fraiche'.
Nam pla and Cambodian prahoc are described as 'fermented' fish paste. It still counts though although I have not yet found how they are made.
I don't know about the wine, though I suspect the fruit would not be rotten; however they use the waste products of fermentation for making Marmite. Nnnnnggg.

mmmmm.....Marmite...


Er, are you having some kind of wierd party

Not a commen one anymore, but cormarent should be buried for three or so days before being prepared. Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

Aha! cormorant... or shag?

No parties. Unfortunately. I have to draw these things and present them in such a way that would make an interesting feature for a magazine.

Tempeh (rotten soybeans)

http://www.tempeh.info/

Or do you mean only foods that are rotted without adding organisms to help the process?


NZ Maori eat kaanga wai or rotten corn. When Europeans first arrived here bringing grains, Maori had no means of grinding it, so they developped this way of making it digestible.

http://www.hub-uk.com/tallyrecip01/recipe0037.htm



Most traditinal cultures have fermented foods as it makes certain substances more digestible, removes unwanted toxins, or enhances the availability of nutrients.

Thankyou; the soybeans are getting several mentions, I already have natto on the list (which look far more unappetising than tempeh).
The corn is also useful. It is interesting that the rotting, or fermenting, improves the food in more substantial ways than altering the flavour.

Bombay Duck - now sadly banned in Europe (A fish dish, naturally...)

Pheasant...it should be hung untill its "ripe"

Tibetan tea uses rancid butter.

Bombay Duck isn't banned any longer. A business was set up in India to package the fish in an EU approved fashion, therefore allowing it to be imported into the UK once more

Worcestershire Sauce, it's fermented anchovies you know.

Not that I could ever eat it in my condition but I stand correct Grey -

Fish sauce (not paste) is salted anchovies, left in barrels in the sun (perhaps with water, not sure) until they're fermented. Hence the incredibly salty, fishyness of it.

My : Vinegar, kimchee (fermented cabbage), Ume plum paste, Miso.

Would Lutefisk qualify?

Is lutefisk fermeted, tho'?

More decomposed than fermented.

sourdough bread

Then Lutefisk would qualify, because it meets one of the initial qualifications in Mandragora's first post.