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Prof Searches World for Uncommon Foods
May 15, 2007
What do you call a food scientist whose travels in search of bizarre eatables have seen him hunting down civet droppings in Ethiopia and collecting argan nuts excreted by goats in Morocco? Or exploring caves in Southeast Asia and getting a first-hand look at how smugglers transport high-priced nests for use in bird’s nest soup?
University of Guelph food scientist Massimo Marcone, the professor who made these journeys, has an idea: “I’m Mr. Magoo. I was out of my element. I’m a university researcher who all of a sudden finds himself in the middle of the jungle.”
Safely out of the jungle, Marcone has written about his travels and bizarre foods in a volume called In Bad Taste?: The Adventures and Science Behind Food Delicacies, recently released by Key Porter Books. Part travelogue and part science, the book details the author’s journeys to various countries in search of unusual foods.
