What do you eat raw that most people don't?

[Morganna]

For the last couple of years I've gotten venison from a friend who has friends who hunt. I love venison. I'd been gradually eating it more and more rare, until lately I've found that I like to defrost the meat, cut it up into bite sized bits, and marinate it in olive oil, italian herbs, and lemon juice. Then just eat it with some salt and freshly ground pepper. I just really enjoy it that way. It sorta cooks a little in the acid from the lemon juice (the way ceviche does), but not much.

Sometimes I will eat stew beef gobbets raw when I'm cutting them up for another purpose, too.

Got me wondering, am I a total freak? Or are there other people who enjoy raw meats, not just fish?

(Please assume the standard disclaimer of consuming raw meats as being potentially dangerous to your health, there's no need to post expounding on that or chastising me for my choice when I eat raw venison)

[Bill Hunt]

Chicken necks.

Hunt

[charliesommers]

Years ago I worked in a small custom abattoir that processed animals mostly for local farmers and hunters. I once killed and skinned a cow for a group of Cambodian immigrants who, as soon as the body cavity was opened, began cutting off little pieces of liver and eating it raw. Being a rather adventuresome eater I gave it a try and discovered that it was delicious. I don't care that much for it after it has cooled but straight out of the animal while it is still warm it's delicious, has a bit of a sweet taste.

I lived in Japan for eight years prior to this so I had had plenty of practice on raw fish and I always liked my steaks very rare.

[Morganna]

That's both cool and a little squicky to me . :)

[toitoi]

I love liver raw, however, I've never had it directly from the animal.

[toitoi]

Perbacco, a Piemontese restaurant, on California Street in San Francisco serves a house-made Salsiccia Cruda Dei Bra, which is Spiced Veal & PorK Sausage served raw on grilled crostini. Or, you can have it as part of their Salumi Misti (my favorite) and can scoop it up with a fork - no crostini needed. Had it, love it, it's excellent.

[huiray]

http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s...

Oldie but goodie. Note the many descriptions of how raw food (salad, especially; but also rare steaks, bloody meats, etc) distressed the chefs. Also the discussion of the acceptability of raw food in Chinese cuisine - or not, as the case may be.

[toitoi]

Until only a few years ago, the steak tartare that was served in most restaurants in France was made with horsemeat. I ate it often never knowing that. It wasn't until I moved to Honfleur in the 70s, that the restaurant that I frequented told me, after I questioned how tasty their tartare was, that the meat came from the chevelaline a couple of doors away from my flat and the restaurant. Of course, it surprised me but it certainly was tasty.

[pdxgastro]

We should start a new thread about the possible re-legalization of Horse meat in the US. I've had it, and it's good.

[Billy33]

Raw bacon - especially the fat and rind.

[Burghfeeder]

It's deer season here in Pennsylvania, and although I'm not a hunter I've already been offered venison from friends. I will be trying raw venison very soon!

http://burghfeeding.blogspot.com/

[Rodzilla]

I've had the venison tartare at salt, as well as some very rare venison loin. I'm a fan.

[EWSflash]

Lots of things, except not meat. Seafood, yes.
Okra
pea shoots
green beans
Pillsbury dough
cookie dough
sugar snap peas
snow peas
tofu (not raw, exactly, but I don't always cook it or heat it up)
Just about any greens
corn if it's sweet corn

[subal]

I was in the local German meat market recently and tried a variation of raw bacon that was 'cured ' to be eaten raw. not as greasy as I would have imagined.

Any one else ever tried this?

[frannieface77]

Interesting how almost everything on this board is about meat. I am currently vegetarian but when I ate meat it actually did look appealing raw, I just never tried it because it's not something anyone around me ever did. And it probably wouldn't have been very safe since we didn't have specially sourced meats. However, I currently enjoy eating a few spoonfuls of raw rolled oats. I probably eat that more than I ever cook the oatmeal, actually, haha. I also enjoy frozen waffles and such, though those are usually already cooked.

[taketheunder]

This is a very captivating post.
I am glad that many still eat so many varieties of raw meat and fish.
I know that hamburger is more dangerous than say lean steak,
but I still enjoy a few bites when making patties of extra lean ground beef.
For raw beef, I just finely mince red onion, add salt and pepper and a small
squirt of lime juice.
I guess I had listened too much to the dire warnings and curtailed eating
raw meat or fish until I went on trips to Mexico. The seafood ceviche was amazing.
Squid, scallops, shrimp, lobster, tuna, and catch of the day were cold fresh and delicious.
This is making me crave some raw protein! See ya later.

[The Professor]

I enjoy raw stringbeans much more than cooked ones.

[jvanderh]

What an interesting thread! I am dying to try raw lobster now.

[Veggo]

Consider making lobster ceviche, with a short soak of lobster chunks in lime juice, maybe 30 minutes, then mix them with the customary pico de gallo and maybe some avocado. Tasty, and an interesting gelatinous texture. I have made it only with spiny lobsters in the Caribbean, but it should work equally well with Maine lobsters.

[Bluedragonessss]

I started on an all raw food diet about 4 years ago and have eaten up to 1lb of raw chicken a week on and off over the years and have never been sick a day. I started in California and have continued in TN, FL and Louisiana.
I usually get organic chicken breast and thinnly slice it then smother it in raw honey. I didn't think I could eat it at first but now have grown to crave it. I am not a fan of raw beef because of the strong flavor but my son will eat a whole steak raw with no problems.
Raw chicken is such a taboo but from experience I have found my digestive health to be much improved with the addition of the bacteria the chicken carries.
I now eat a 50/50 raw and cooked diet and if I feel bloated I eat a raw chicken breast and in the morning when I wake up my stomach is flat and I feel great. The bacteria works sort of like Rid X for septic systems it seems.

So im sure that makes me THE total freak .. :)

[Passadumkeg]

Kibbe, raw ground, spiced lamb.

[Silverjay]

See attached photo of my meal of raw pork meat, heart, liver, and small intestine. Topped with a fresh raw egg and freshly grated raw ginger.

[Veggo]

You ate that? Be honest.

[Silverjay]

Yes. That's my photo from here- http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130... .

[Veggo]

It took me a while to work through the link.
You are a sick puppy!
cheers, and a toast to you and Sam

[Silverjay]

Raw beef tongue sashimi, semi-frozen raw wild boar sashimi, and 2 types of whale sashimi.

[Veggo]

Awesome. I would like to have those pictures on my kitchen wall. I bow with respect.

[Humbucker]

Wow. That looks so good. I wish I could eat this right now.

[MVNYC]

Is that two species of whale or two parts of the same kind?

[linguafood]

I'm frankly amazed at how people here are revered for the simple act of eating raw pork. There is certainly no need to visit obscure restaurants in faraway countries.... OK, I guess you can't get the stuff in the US.

I grew up in Germany, where one of the most popular toppings for rolls is Schweinemett (= raw pork seasoned with s&p), usually with some chopped raw onion on top. I don't eat it a lot b/c I hate the pork fat getting stuck in my teeth -- a rather unsightly thing, but it's super-tasty, and nobody I know has died from it.

My mom would eat raw ground pork and beef any time she made meatballs -- after all, how do you taste whether they're well-seasoned? AFTER they're cooked? Counterproductive.

Lastly, my mom would eat the occasional piece of raw calves liver while preparing them for dinner. Not a flavor I'm fond of. I like my liver cooked, if barely past med-rare.

[kubasd23]

You could make a mini patty and cook it to test the seasoning :P but it's prob more fun to taste it w/o doing that

[Insidious Rex]

And you are still with us? Pretty impressive considering the trichinosis russian roulette you are playing. That picture looks delicious but thats grad level stuff there. My first impulse is to throw that whole bowl in a hot wok with some chilis and go to town on it for a couple minutes then dump it over rice...

[Silverjay]

This restaurant has been around for a while and is quite successful. It's a testament to the quality and care of the source ingredient...I didn't care for the intestine bit and the liver I could do without (raw beef liver is much better!).. But the "toro" meat and the heart were excellent.

Edit: I just now recalled a raw pork type of sausage that I have also tried in the Polish neighborhood in Brooklyn. That was so-so.

[Passadumkeg]

Freshly killed deer liver. Still warm.

[Veggo]

Be sure to remove the glass shards from the broken headlight....

[Passadumkeg]

Ho1 Ho! Ho! I'm more careful of broken molar buckshot.

[MarkKS]

Raw fish, like sashimi, it may be better to first freeze it. If you fast-hard-freeze it, using dry ice, then thaw and cut and eat it, al parasitic worm/cyst organisms are killed, it;s excellent.

[sueatmo]

I confess to eating raw hot dogs right out of the package. These are Mr. Sueatmo's private reserve dogs, and I steal them and eat them as I stand at the fridge. Don't know why. I have never dipped into his chosen ice cream. (If you are married long enough, this is what happens. You have personal food supplies in your house.) Other than the hot dogs, I don't eat most things raw that most people would eat cooked.

[acgold7]

Except all commercial hot dogs are cured, smoked and fully cooked. They're just cold, not raw.

[occula]

I've had a marvelous time reading through this thread until the word "raw" is completely weird now. :-)

I don't sneak a taste of a lot of raw things - I totally dislike raw cookie dough, even! - but I like my bacon soft and rare, and while cooking bacon I will start to taste and sample it pretty much as soon as it's warm. Bliss!!

[Passadumkeg]

Octopus, raw and alive, but gotta get So Ju-ish first.

This summer I got into a lot of "sushimied" Maine seafood. I had access to a lot of lobster, haddock and clams. I prepared them on raw top of sushi rice or made Nagori rolls. I kept thinking about the thread on how to humanely kill a lobster and giggled.

[Morganna]

I can't eat octopus any more now that I know how intelligent they are. Squicks me for some reason. Yet I have no problem with veal, or lamb, or baby peas. :)

[Rodzilla]

I've had venison tartare...I'm down

[jamieeats]

everything.

i prefer raw fish and raw vegetables, and i take my steak rare. i get stressed out if the chicken appears to be cooking even a minute beyond pink. i would so much rather eat batter than baked goods, hate when my butter melts onto my bread, and really don't like melted cheese.

[SuperCrepe]

Grass fed cattle is the way to go if you're going to have your beef raw. Cattle that are raised on corn and grains are a lot more likely to end up infested with E.Coli and Salmonella. Plus grass fed beef is more lean and has better fats. Grass fed cows probably smile a lot more too.

[soypower]

Green Beans
Zucchini
Tofu (though technically, it's already cooked)
crab

[small h]

The only time I had raw crab, it was a "drunken crab" dish at a Chinese restaurant, marinated in rice wine. I found it absolutely vile - like a low-tide flavored jello shot. And I love seafood, pretty much all seafood, raw or cooked. Did I get a lousy rendition, or is there another way to eat raw crab?

[soypower]

I should have probably clarified...Korean Seasoned raw crab...it's raw blue crab heavily marinated in soy sauce, garlic, hot pepper and sugar (?)...it's kind of like crab kimchee...not really very good until it's fermented a bit.

[small h]

Good gravy, that sounds like a fine thing. Does it have a name that I might look for on menus? Or does it just come as part of banchan? This might also be the time to distinguish between raw/raw and raw/cured/fermented/pickled/cold smoked, which is a little bit different.

[soypower]

My goodness. I haven't revisited this thread in over 2 years! If you haven't found the answer to your question, it's called Gae-Jang.

Here's a recipe: http://www.zenkimchi.com/FoodJournal/...

[small h]

Thanks! It's never too late to learn about a new food.

[soypower]

Feeling very guilty here thinking about how you could have been enjoying spicy raw crab bliss these past 2 years. And I just re-read that recipe. If you ever attempt it yourself, I recommend chopping up a fresh jalapeno and adding that in to spice it up appropriately!

[MVNYC]

small h---I have gotten it both as an appetizer and as banchan in NY's Koreatown

[Silverjay]

Zabbelee makes a som tum with in-shell preserved raw crab as a topping.

[small h]

I am due for a re-visit to Zabb Elee, so thanks for this info.

[small h]

Do you recall where? My usual haunt is BCD Tofu, and I do see a Spicy Raw Crab listed on the menu.

[MVNYC]

I had it off the menu at BCD Tofu and it was randomly served to me at lunch at Won Jo as banchan. I had Won Jo's version first then sought it out after that. I love the texture

[AngelSanctuary]

I do that all the time, I love things raw.

[BaltoPhilFood]

I guess most out of the ordinary is Kibbeh nayyeh. Wouldn't have it any other way. The flavor and texture are so so delicious.
Eggs in dressing, cake batter, cookie dough
Raw Milk and raw milk cheeses if those count
Sashimi, Carpaccio (beef and lamb) all so good!
Don't know if I could bring myself to try raw chicken, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

[Passadumkeg]

Eggs.

[c oliver]

I've eaten coddled eggs in Caesar salad and probably other things that I can't remember - first cup of coffee time here. But are you saying you "belly up" to a bowl of raw eggs? Please elaborate. Hope you're enjoying some sun and heat and not getting slammed by the CA storm that's raging.

[Passadumkeg]

A raw egg in my beer; breakfast of champions.
Got rained/sleet/snowed on in the Mojave at Hole in the Wall, yesterday, sun & red rock today.

[schmoopy]

Biscuit dough straight out of the can (that you pop with the edge of the spoon). Especially good are the layered biscuits with "butter" flavoring! And of course, cookie dough!

[Morganna]

I never use the spoon for those, I get too much pleasure out of whamming them on the edge of my cutting board. ;D

[NellyNel]

"Biscuit dough straight out of the can"
Yup - me too schmoopy - I forgot about that!!

Gosh I like allot of raw stuff!

and FYI - I do know hot dogs aren't "raw"...

[mumlikeyum]

bread dough, cake batter

[coastie]

I had raw lobster recently and was awed by its wonderful flavor and texture. Clean fresh almost bubbly, pops in your mouth with a sweet light lobster flavor mixed ocean.

[emerilcantcook]

Quinces. Thinly sliced, crunchy and tannic. When they are good, the tannins are balanced with the warmth and sweetness of the fruit and the thin slicing makes the gritty texture pleasant. Every American/Canadian I mentioned this looked at me as if I am a freak and told me "no you don't eat quinces raw". Well, but this is somewhat a common practice in Middle East, where I am originally from. In Turkey, they sometimes sprinkle ground coffee beans on the quince slices as a light apres-dinner snack or an accompaniment to raki, the anise flavored drink.

My partner likes to get a bite of almost everything I prepare, before it is cooked. Meat, eggplant, potatoes, pasta?!!?

Raw meat? I can do everything... but chicken. Chicken carpaccio is a little scary..

[bopuc]

Had chicken sashimi in Tokyo once. The quality of the meat is obviously *really* important. What I had was not watery and mushy and gross but a really nice and firm piece of (probably) breast. Tasty, but not something I crave. ;)

[moh]

I adore raw meats and fish. I think the use of raw proteins is quite prevalent in many different cultures, as evidenced by this list, which I am sure is hardly comprehensive.:

1. Beef carpaccio - Italy
2. Steak tartare - France
3. Sushi/sashimi, Beef tataki - Japan
4. Kitfo - Ethiopian
5. Kibbe neyeh - Various Middle Eastern cuisines
6. Various raw fish and seafood products such as crab in kochuchang, raw seasoned skate, raw seasoned spleen - Korea
7. "Country food" - How people refer to the traditional Inuit diet, including raw seal, walrus, caribou, whale, fish, ptarmigan, etc.

The key with raw foods is to make sure you start with quality ingredients that have been stored properly. This will decrease chances of food-borne illness. I would definitely be careful about making steak tartare with ground meat bought at a supermarket (A big- no-no). But I agree with many of the posters here, these foods are very yummy, and I feel it is worth the risk to occasionally indulge.

[foodiesnorth]

We love raw food (including our four kids)...We often eat caribou and musk ox carpaccio and tartare (heck, my daughter just served her grade 5 class the dish as part of a presentation). We love raw oysters, jelly fish and scallops and white fish carpaccio (made by a local chef who flavoured it with bee pollen - yum). Like most parts of life, we take precautions to reduce risk. Just as I would never cross the street without looking both ways, I would never make tartar from ground beef. I grind it myself (beef, caribou or musk ox). I would never eat raw walrus (although I have some in my freezer!) because it has a high incidence of trichinosis. We eat caeser salad dressing made with raw eggs.

I shy away from raw chicken...I think for good reason. Raw pork...I don't know, that is a mental barrier I think. Other country foods best eaten raw (some mentioned above): seal, muktaq (fat), most fish.

There is nothing inherently dangerous about raw food any more than cooked food sitting in your fridge. I think too many of us are products of the 1950's (grown up then or growing up with that generation) where meat was cooked until it was long dead. Happily for me and my kids I grew up in the arctic where raw was good. Took my good British mom a bit of getting used to, but she did. Eating, and life, come with risk......how many recalls do we read about a week...all from highly regulated, supposedly clean food plants or chains. At least with raw food we tend to at least think about the quality of the food before we eat it. Can't say the same for other supposedly safe food. Damn, now aIl I crave is a carpaccio and here I am near the Arctic Ocean on business and do you think I could get a raw meal! Of course not! It is all burgers and fries around here now!

[moh]

Foodiesnorth, I am heading up Hudson's Bay way myself soon. You are right, it is very hard to get country food up north these days. I know I'll be able to get some of Qalingo's fabulous smoked char (at least, I hope!) and I always head to the co-op hoping I'll find some real country food, but it is rare (no pun intended). Thanks for the info about the walrus. I must admit, I am a little chicken about eating country food raw, as I don't have the expertise the Inuit have about what is safe to eat. But if offered, I will always try! And be very grateful, as I know how much people value their country food.

[foodiesnorth]

You can get great caribou at Kivalliq Foods in Rankin Inlet and musk ox at Kitikmeot Foods in Cambridge Bay. Any of this meat is good as is anything from local hunters (although the latter cannot be sold and if gifted must carry an export permit to bring out of Nunavut). Jim at Iqaluit Foods makes amazing smoked char if you are in that community (and he too will ship if not).

The walrus is fine (like pork I suppose), if cooked. Of course cooking destroys some of the nutritional value. One important point about some raw northern meat is that is does carry some vitamin C. Cooking the meat destroys the vitamin C.

In Edmonton our Slow Food group convinced a local butcher to bring down Kitikmeot Foods and Kivaliq Foods products. Both will ship..but it ain't cheap!

[FrauMetzger]

Gehacktes is the German take on raw ground beef. Super lean, fresh ground, piled on good rye bread, and sprinkled with onion, salt, and pepper. For me, it's one of the all-time greatest bar snacks!

[linguafood]

See my reply about Mett further downthread.

[FrauMetzger]

Though I don't usually eat unseasoned ground pork, I always taste some of the raw sausage meat before I stuff it. Really good stuff! And considering I'm making about 150 lbs every week, I'm fortunate to have plenty of opportunity.

[linguafood]

I was wondering if your name was any indication of your profession!

I wouldn't eat unseasoned pork either -- be it raw, ground or cooked '-)

[FrauMetzger]

Lingua, you are spot on about my profession! So you can see that I have a lot of tasty raw treats around all the time. And since I did all the prep and handling, I can be pretty confident in the safety of my snacks.

[Lizard]

Although snacking on raw meat whilst preparing it for cooked dishes such as stew might be a rarity, I wonder about the suggestion that 'most people' don't eat raw meat.

In Belgium, for example, a traditional dish is 'Filet Americain' chopped raw beef spiced up and usually served with fries. There is also 'toast cannibale'-- chopped raw beef on toast. These are so common on menus that I'd be hard pressed to claim that 'most people' do not eat raw beef. (And like many people in Belgium, I adore this dish.)

So you might be a freak Morganna, but not for liking raw meat. Around the world, there are people who enjoy it prepared in a number of ways.

[Morganna]

Yeah, you're right. "Most people" is an awfully American centrist comment now that I think about it. :) "Most people" don't even live in the US. :) Thanks for pointing that out, Lizard. :) I hate it when I'm unintentionally American centrist like that. :)

[Lizard]

Well, if it's any comfort, I'll still accept you're a freak, but more importantly, I completely acknowledge your good taste! :)

[Firegoat]

Peas
Milk
Ice Cubes

[Morganna]

Heh. Raw ice cubes are called "water". ;D That's how I tell my husband I've just filled the trays and put them in the freezer. I call out "RAW ICE!" So he knows to open the freezer door gently. :)

[pikawicca]

potatoes

[taos]

i eat raw eggs
uncooked green beans
"raw" (unpasteurized) milk
sometimes also ground coffee

[OCAnn]

Ditto on the raw eggs.

[neverlate]

Does anyone know, is beef jerky raw?

[The Professor]

Technically beef jerky is not cooked, but it is cured then dried. Just as salami and prosciutto ham are not cooked...but neither are the really raw.

[jillp]

Beets, grated and made into a salad.

And I was just at a little cocktail get-together this evening where the hostess made some carpaccio and I know of only one person who did not partake, so obviously uncooked beef isn't scary to a lot of people.

[gafferx]

Love grated beets ... It's so Euro
Just kidding
There is something special about beets and Swiss chard (same family)

Grated beets with some olive oil, sea salt, and good vinegar (I only buy vinegar at WF)
Put in one clove garlic too

[Boccone Dolce]

Besides cookie dough?
Umm..... let's see.....raw........ cake batter? Sometimes a strand of spaghetti (shhh don't tell anyone)

[NellyNel]

Oh - this may not be considered "raw" but I like frozen ravioli and frozen french fries

[MangiaSophiaMangia]

Me too! My grandparents owned a delicatessen when I was a kid and I loved to steal the uncooked raviolis-still do. Actually any dumpling will do. Never been a frozen french fry fiend though.

[KaimukiMan]

I've been eating raw ground beef virtually my whole life. Grandma and Mom were always particular about being sure it was fresh ground (minimized chance of contamination, and I have never been sick). Raw ground beef on rye with a little bit of butter and salt... yummm!

[Saddleoflamb]

Thank god you mentioned fresh ground.....I would never suggest to any one to take a package of ground beef from a Supermarket and consume it raw....particularly in house package (from re ground tube/or in house grinds).....as opposed to the factory cryo/gas packed beef.......the raw , seasoned stew beef nosh......stir fry.....primal trimmings, are a secret pleasure......probably amongst many cooks....raw oysters,clams....smoked bacon?....definitely NO poultry.....way to funky.......sashimi/sushi......carpaccio......I could eat a NY strip or a Fillet raw , thinly sliced any time ///mustard sauce,or soy sauce, shriracha, worcestshire....

[NellyNel]

Oh and raw hot dogs!

[monku]

Hot dogs aren't raw, they've been smoked. Kind of like eating bologna.

[kattyeyes]

Oh, HA HA! I just said the same thing above. Didn't see your comment till afterwards. Agree 100 percent.

[Gio]

I've probably at least tasted most vegetables raw and regularly eat corn, string beans, asparagus that way, but there a many veggies which really should be blanched at the very least. I love raw fish and have had carpaccio but no longer....

[Morganna]

Why carpaccio no longer? :) Just wondering. :)

[Gio]

When DH had a triple bypass his cardiologist told him not to eat red meat.... so I kept him company. We switched to the other red meat but I won't eat that raw although I do not cook it to death....I promise.

[Morganna]

Ooohh! I see. :) Yeah, dumb ole health issues, always getting in the way of good food! ;D

[bitsubeats]

When I was little, my mother used to feed small pieces of raw marinated bulgogi or kalbi to my little sister and I.

Now that I'm older I still sneak a bite every now and then. Funny how I would prefer to eat it raw then cooked, because I am not a huge fan of kalbi or bulgogi....too sweet! I call it americanized korean food even though its not (:

I also have to have my steaks completely raw in the middle, not rare...RAW. I still haven't mastered charring the outside while leaving the inside completely uncooked. Yes I use cast iron and for some reason it doesn't seem to work well. Maybe I would have better luck using a gas stove or restaurant grade stove?

I also like raw egg yolks mixed in hot rice (although they will eventually get cooked by the heat) and natto.

[GodfatherofLunch]

I think you can achieve what you are looking for by starting with very cold steak and blazing hot pre-heated cast iron. Sear a minute or two on each side and that should do it.

[gafferx]

I had some venison ribs in the freezer
Took them out to defrost
Once they were defrosted I don't know what possessed me but I cut some meat off and dipped it in soy sauce and ate it. Did it a few more times. It was delicious and easily chewable. Not tough at all

[FrauMetzger]

My in-laws had led me to believe that I was the only one who ate venison ribs! Perhaps they just don't care for them, but I am the grateful recipient of the ribs of the five deer they harvested this season. And of course, I always sneak some slivers raw when I'm preparing them, but then I do that with almost every piece of meat I cook.
Just don't let anyone around here know how good they are, or I could find my supply diminished!

[babette feasts]

Yak.

I wouldn't think to snack on raw meat as I was cooking it, but carpaccio or tartare in a restaurant is somehow different.

As a child I liked to snack on raw spaghetti.

[kattyeyes]

I love carpaccio and tartare...both beef and tuna!

[small h]

Corn on the cob.

[gafferx]

Raw corn is good and how about raw green beans?
I saw a friend yesterday who has a garden with mizuna growing
I ripped off some top growth and ate ...delicious
So mild for a cruciferae

[neverlate]

Raw mizuna, tatsoi, kale, mustard(baby leaves), bok choy -- are all tasty in salads and sandwiches. I also like raw green beans, corn, okra, eggplant, peas, beets, kholrabi, turnips. I used to like steak tartare but haven't eaten it in recent years. I like raw fish, gravlax, and seviche. So many ways to enjoy food!

[gafferx]

There is a big curve and you are way ahead of me on it
Did you know that okra is first cousin to cotton?
I haven't eaten it raw but have eaten it minimally cooked
Raw eggplant... never tried it but will next time

Matter of fact I have some baby eggplants here and will bite one --- for research purposes of course

[neverlate]

Soak the sliced eggplant in salt water first, and it'll taste good. One more vegetable I like raw is celery root, grated, remoulade.

[jamieeats]

raw eggplant is good! just top it off with a bit of salt, and it's a very similar texture to raw zucchini or summer squash

[piccola]

Out of the bunch you just listed, the only veg I don't like raw is eggplant. Raw parsnips, shredded or thinly sliced, is pretty tasty, too.

[spellweaver16]

I'm with you! It's a miracle that any of the green beans or turnips made it into the house from the garden when I was a kid. I loved both raw.

[Bat Guano]

In Amsterdam one time I ordered a sausage sampler plate, and it included some meat that didn't seem to be cooked. Asked the waitress about it, and she said, Oh yes, it's a raw sausage, as if it were a common dish. It was fresh raw beef with some seasonings, and it was pretty tasty. I guess a number of types of cured sausages are never actually cooked before they are eaten, when you get right down to it.

[NellyNel]

Hi there! I am a fellow freak!

I loved raw ground beef - I always have!
As far back as I can remember - I was always sneeking bits of raw ground beef - sprinkling it with salt and popping in my mouth! Yummmm!!

Possibly even better is raw beef meatballs!

My husband always tries to stop me - he thinks it is horrific!!
Oh and I love raw potatoes too!!

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Hello fellow freak ...glad to see I am not the only one who loves raw potatoes!
And yes, I also love "raw" hot dogs!

[NellyNel]

..and we both have husbands who think we are nuts!
:)

[lynnlato]

I assume by your quotation marks that you know most hot dogs are fully-cooked(and/or cured or smoked). Many years ago I used to babysit a little girl who enjoyed snacking on cold hot dogs.

[kattyeyes]

I think of cold hot dogs as bologna in roll form, anyway. ;)

[Whosyerkitty]

Me too! It's been 40 + years and I'm not dead yet.
If I'm cutting potatoes, I nab some.
Green beans, too.

[logburner]

I used to make cannibal sandwiches which drove my wife nuts. Get a good beef patty a bun a thick slice of raw onion salt and pepper and there you have it. Of course I always ate it out of her sight. Made for less stress.

[vorpal]

Frankly, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

I went to an Ethiopian restaurant about a year ago and ordered a beef dish (can't recall the name). The waitress - who was Ethiopian - asked how I'd like my beef done. I asked her how she would want it done if it was her eating the dish, and she responded, "Raw." I told her to serve it up raw, and while she raised an eyebrow and asked me if I was sure, I went for it. It was spectacular, too: I bet a lot of the texture, which really made the dish memorable, would have suffered had I had it cooked even slightly.

What kind of bacteria can you get from raw meat? Salmonella? E. coli? Neither one, I would imagine, is likely to be fatal unless you're old / young / immunocompromised, so if you're curious, live a little. We're not talking botulism here. I'm still amazed that people have paranoia about salmonella from eating raw eggs. No way am I not going to have over light fried eggs, mayonnaise, uncooked cookie dough, etc, or use that hideous pasteurized stuff.

[brendastarlet]

When I lived in Japan, I had chicken sashimi on a couple of occasions. It wasn't my favorite dish, but it was edible.

I eat raw asparagus, and that's about as adventuresome as I get.

[gafferx]

I ate some organic chicken raw
It was disgusting to me at least
Fish and red meat lend themselves to being sashimi and tartare
But chicken just doesn't seem right
Raw shrimp was also weird to me
Raw mussels taste bitter

But I like raw fish and do it many times at home
The home essentials are fresh prepared mustard, soy sauce and sliced fresh ginger. I don't waste my time with expensive fake green food coloring wasabi and pickled ginger

[lynnlato]

Raw chicken scares the bejesus outta me - ugh! Kudos to you for trying it though. Glad u didn't get salmonella. Here's a thread on this very topic:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/411241

[OCAnn]

When I lived in Japan, I had raw horse meat in Kyushu (their regional specialty). It was okay to my untrained palate.

[nomnomnoms]

I've had "black and blue" chicken with fresh wasabi soy. The texture is almost like toro, but leaner.

Other raw things that my relatives in Japan have fed me:
Horse
Venison
Beef liver
Eggs

[Insidious Rex]

The Ethiopian dish you mention is called Kitfo and is most certainly one of my favorite foods of all time. Its the combination of chilis and spices they mix the meat with that makes it work. Im sure you could come up with a variant of this with venison as well. Id be eager to try... Just be careful about over eating too much raw meat. Ive made this mistake more than once and the human digestive system wasnt designed to process large amounts of raw flesh. Believe me... ;) But it was worth it!

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

I love raw beef and venison! My husband refuses to cook my steaks becasue it is 30 seconds per side and done!

I will have to try the venison that way, sounds yummy
Oh have had moose roast done "blue" and it is wonderful!

Thank you Morganna, I am not the only freak out there!

Another thing I love raw is potatoes, dipped in a bit of salt and pepper....my husband thinks I am crazy!

[lynnlato]

My husband used to work on a potato farm as a kid and they would eat raw potatoes occassionally w/ s&p. When he first told me that many years ago, I thought he was nuts. Now, however, it doesn't sound horrible. :)