Andrew Zimmern Says A Taste Of This Seafood Is Like Eating Buttery Lettuce

Chef Andrew Zimmern is no stranger to chowing down on extraordinary foods in far-off places. On his TV series "Bizarre Foods," which debuted almost 20 years ago, the presenter satisfied his culinary curiosity while also bringing the culture, customs, and stories of local people to the masses. Comparing the character of unusual dishes to familiar tastes was one of Zimmern's classic moves to help viewers (and readers of his website) get a better idea of their flavor. A great example is the way he compared sea cucumbers to buttery lettuce.

Just like sweetbread and prairie oysters, sea cucumbers are one of those bizarre foods that aren't what they sound like. These unusual creatures live on the sea floor and bear a strange resemblance to regular cucumbers — they're cylindrical, can reach lengths of up to 20 centimeters, have a leathery skin, and (in some cases) have a greenish-gray color.

"The waters off of Sitka, Alaska are ripe with exotic sea creatures like octopus, sea cucumbers and abalone," said Zimmern in an article on his website titled "10 most bizarre foods I've ever eaten". "Sea cucumber, when cooked correctly, is extraordinary. All it needs is a few minutes in a wok, with a little soy sauce seasoning. The squishy creatures taste like lettuce-y sea vegetables with a bit of crunch, but a mostly yielding buttery texture."

There are many varieties of sea cucumbers; some have smooth skin and spots on the surface, while others are covered in spikes (they are part of the echinoderm family, which also includes starfish and sea urchins). However, their insides are hollow and filled with water, so they need to be prepared in a specific way. "The trick is splitting them open, scraping the innards out, and then using a spatula to peel the 'meat' off the rock-hard exoskeleton," according to Zimmern. Sea cucumber has an almost gelatinous texture, but some varieties can be springy and crunchy, which is why Zimmern compares it to lettuce. In countries like China, the marine animal is sold in dried and frozen form — it's boiled first before it's tossed into stir-fries. It can also be added to braised dishes, sauteed with veggies and aromatics, or steamed. As sea cucumber has a neutral taste, it soaks up the flavors of the foods with which it's prepared, much like tofu.

Despite sampling all manner of quirky ingredients like sea cucumbers and coral worms, there are three far more common ingredients Andrew Zimmern won't eat: Walnuts, raw cookie dough, and oatmeal. He doesn't like the texture of raw cookie dough and prefers to turn his oats into chewy cookies.