re: My first experience with balut

My dad was like Andrew Zimmern - he would try anything. But if he knew some people eat it, he'd try it even if it didn't look good.

He cooked eels from the crab trap, Lake Pontchartrain clams (gross because of the dredging in the lake at the time), raw crawfish and shrimp - all kinds of things he came across.

Pier One used to have an imported food section. As kids we'd give him gifts of chocolate-covered ants, chocolate-covered baby bees, kangaroo tail soup, fried crickets (in a can), snails and anything else they sold.