Ep 12. If You Can't Beat'em Eat'em
- TV-PG
- December 15, 2015
- 42 min
In season 8, episode 12 of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, titled "If You Can't Beat'em Eat'em," the culinary adventurer travels to Vietnam, where he indulges in some of the country's most unusual and exotic dishes.
Andrew begins his food exploration in Hanoi, where he meets up with a local chef who takes him to one of the city's busiest markets. Here, Andrew is introduced to a variety of new ingredients, such as snails, eels, and frogs, which are used in many traditional Vietnamese dishes.
Andrew then heads out to the countryside, where he visits a family-run farm that specializes in raising edible snails. Here, he learns about the process of breeding and preparing snails for cooking, as well as the cultural significance of the snail in Vietnamese cuisine.
Next, Andrew travels to the central region of Vietnam, where he samples some of the country's most unusual street food. Among the dishes he tries are grilled rat and roasted scorpions, both of which are popular among the locals.
Later, Andrew heads off the beaten path to visit a remote village where the local cuisine centers around bat meat. He joins a family for a traditional bat-hunting expedition, then helps to prepare and cook the bats for dinner.
Finally, Andrew travels to Saigon, where he visits a restaurant that specializes in using insects in its dishes. Here, he samples dishes such as tarantula sushi and deep-fried crickets, both of which are surprisingly delicious.
Throughout the episode, Andrew's curiosity and adventurous spirit lead him to explore some of the most unusual and unexpected foods that Vietnam has to offer. From snails to bats to insects, he shows viewers that, when it comes to food, sometimes you just have to go with the flow and try something new.