The Cuisine Andrew Zimmern Would Eat For The Rest Of His Life
Do you know anyone who can tell you what a horse rib and rectum sausage from Kazakhstan tastes like? What about sautéed giraffe beetles from Madagascar or coral worms caught off the coast of Samoa? Andrew Zimmern has tasted all these things and many more, according to his website. You might be hard-pressed to find someone who has tasted more foods. The former "Bizarre Foods" star has traveled the world sampling local delicacies many might turn up their noses at and as a result, has developed a seriously incredible palate. But trying a cuisine is one thing. Eating it for the rest of your days is another.
On Twitter, one of Zimmern's followers asked the chef, "If you had to only eat the cuisine from one country for the rest of your life, which would it be?" Zimmern didn't mess around and cut to the chase with one simple answer. In a cut-and-dry response, Zimmern said, "Chinese food," and people had something to say about it. Some jumped in with, "Agree, so much variety. Love going to restaurants and asking them to surprise me," while others wondered, "Which KIND of Chinese food? Hunan? Szechuan? Chinese-American?" Zimmern's choice makes particular sense, especially considering he has some experience operating Chinese restaurants.
Some of Andrew Zimmern's favorite Chinese dishes
If someone had asked Andrew Zimmern which Chinese dish, he'd eat for the rest of his life, he might have an answer for that, too. According to his website, a place called Shuang Cheng ranks as his favorite Chinese eatery in Minneapolis. In fact, the chef said, "If I could eat only one meal in Minneapolis, it would honestly be Shuang Cheng's steamed walleye, piled high with threads of ginger and scallion." He also highlighted the Dungeness crab and fresh lobster as favorites on the menu.
Then again, he also has a particular love for twice-cooked Szechuan pork, per Instagram. He praised a rendition of the dish that features thin slices of pork that get blanched or poached and then tossed in a sauce that partly gets its flavor from chilis of Szechuan peppercorn. Zimmern even listed the dish as one of his top five faves.
The star has also found his way to Xi'an Famous Foods in order to sample the New York City chain's iconic long noodles, per YouTube. Zimmern describes the final mix of hand-pulled noodles, meat, and vegetables as "just ridiculous." When it comes to Chinese cuisine, Zimmern has explored a ton of territory and found some foods he really likes.