welcome to grossology

Welcome to Welcome to Grossology Grossology

Let’s investigate all things Let’s investigate all things gross! gross!

From the stinky and slimy to the From the stinky and slimy to the

crusty and goopy.crusty and goopy.

People eat the WEIRDEST People eat the WEIRDEST THNGS!THNGS!

What would you rather What would you rather eat?eat?

What would you rather eat What would you rather eat for lunch – for lunch –

a hot piece of pizza, a hot piece of pizza,

a bowl of bugs, a bowl of bugs,

or a fish head?or a fish head?

Tastes Like ChickenTastes Like ChickenHave you ever heard the expression Have you ever heard the expression

“tastes like chicken?”“tastes like chicken?” Frog legs & alligator Frog legs & alligator

tails taste like chickentails taste like chicken

Boiled cattail shoots Boiled cattail shoots taste like asparagustaste like asparagus

Prickly pear cactus Prickly pear cactus fruits taste like fruits taste like raspberriesraspberries

Fried wax moth Fried wax moth caterpillars taste like caterpillars taste like baconbacon

Giant spiders from New Giant spiders from New Guinea taste like Guinea taste like peanut butterpeanut butter

Fried flour beetle Fried flour beetle larvae taste like larvae taste like sunflower seedssunflower seeds

Wichetty grubs Wichetty grubs (insect larvae) (insect larvae) taste like sweet taste like sweet scrambled eggsscrambled eggs

Rat meat tastes Rat meat tastes like porklike pork

Alligator meat Alligator meat tastes like lobstertastes like lobster

Worms and SnakesWorms and Snakes

In China, earthworm soup is a In China, earthworm soup is a traditional fever medicine traditional fever medicine

Worm eaters in Australia enjoy Worm eaters in Australia enjoy long white worms dug from rotten long white worms dug from rotten logs and eaten RAWlogs and eaten RAW

Rattlesnake is lower in fat than Rattlesnake is lower in fat than most meats we eat today. It is most meats we eat today. It is a tender white meat with a a tender white meat with a mild flavor and texture similar mild flavor and texture similar to crab meat.to crab meat.

A six pound snake might only A six pound snake might only have one pound of meat on its have one pound of meat on its bodybody

One restaurant buys skinned, One restaurant buys skinned, whole snakes (minus the whole snakes (minus the heads and rattles) and cooks heads and rattles) and cooks the snakes skeleton and all. the snakes skeleton and all. Next they hand peel the meat Next they hand peel the meat from the bones and add spices from the bones and add spices and put it on a beautiful salad.and put it on a beautiful salad.

EEWWW. . . BUGS!EEWWW. . . BUGS! The Australian honey ant stores so much of a The Australian honey ant stores so much of a

sugary fluid in its body that its hind end swells sugary fluid in its body that its hind end swells to a globe big enough to eat. People bite the to a globe big enough to eat. People bite the bug’s end off to get at the sweet stuff insidebug’s end off to get at the sweet stuff inside

Termites are a gourmet food to many AfricansTermites are a gourmet food to many Africans

People eat fried grasshoppers in many parts People eat fried grasshoppers in many parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East

Pioneer Americans boiled locusts in soupPioneer Americans boiled locusts in soup

Aristotle (a Greek Philosopher) said that Aristotle (a Greek Philosopher) said that cicadas taste best with their eggs inside of cicadas taste best with their eggs inside of them!them!

What is your favoriteWhat is your favorite kind of soup? kind of soup?

How about birds nest soup?? Or, a bowl of How about birds nest soup?? Or, a bowl of hot, tasty hot, tasty garbagegarbage????

One small region o Southeast Asia provides the whole world’s supply for bird’s-nest soup. Men climb three hundred feet up vines and bamboo poles and risk their lives to harvest he nest of birds called “swiftlets.” These birds fly into huge caves to make nests with their own

spit. But the birds are becoming more rare because people steal too many of their nests.

A hundred tons of dainty little birds’ nests go into Hong Kong’s soup pots every year – more than the weight of a thousand people.

In Medieval England, one fancy soup served at royal feasts was called “garbage”. It was made with birds’ heads, feet, livers, necks, and gizzards. Soup was often called “sewe” and the server was called the “sewer”. Just think how often kings must have shouted to their servants, “Get me some garbage from the sewer and bring it to dinner!”

Anyone in the mood for Anyone in the mood for Chinese Food?Chinese Food?

Bird’s nest soup gives us just a taste of how daring China’s cooks have been over the centuries. Here are some of the wilder dishes – from ancient royal favorites like owl to the dried jellyfish still enjoyed today.

Can you guess what Can you guess what these foods are?these foods are?

11

22

33

44 55

66

7788


11

Anyone in the mood for Anyone in the mood for Chinese Food?Chinese Food?11

Baked Baked OwlOwl


22


22

Bear Paw Bear Paw cooked in a cooked in a gob of claygob of clay


33


33

camel camel hump hump stewstew


44


44 Dried Dried jelly jelly fishfish


55


55

Thousand year Thousand year

old eggs – old eggs –

(Actually they are (Actually they are several months to several months to several years old)several years old)


66


Barbecued Barbecued elephant elephant

trunktrunk66


333333

77


333333

Breast of Breast of PantherPanther

77


88


ChickenChicken

Red Red (boiled chicken (boiled chicken

blood soup)blood soup)

88

Popular American foods Popular American foods in 1776in 1776

Soup with marigold petalsSoup with marigold petals Pigs feetPigs feet Squirrel PieSquirrel Pie Opossum stewOpossum stew Dandelion saladDandelion salad Pickle passenger pigeonsPickle passenger pigeons Raspberry Leaf teaRaspberry Leaf tea

Eat Connecticut’s state bird??Eat Connecticut’s state bird??

In colonial times and during the civil In colonial times and during the civil war, both the colonists and the Native war, both the colonists and the Native Americans enjoyed eating a plump Americans enjoyed eating a plump robin for breakfast. Or they enjoyed robin for breakfast. Or they enjoyed fried robins on toast for a meal. fried robins on toast for a meal.

Today, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of Today, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 protects all wild birds except 1918 protects all wild birds except game birds like ducks and geese game birds like ducks and geese

Don’t be afraid of beesDon’t be afraid of bees

Honey (worldwide)Honey (worldwide)Fuzzy bees suck sweet flower Fuzzy bees suck sweet flower juice to bring back to their hive. juice to bring back to their hive. There, the bees pass this nectar There, the bees pass this nectar around with their tongues until it around with their tongues until it starts to thicken. Bees’ bodies starts to thicken. Bees’ bodies squirt a chemical into the nectar to squirt a chemical into the nectar to help change it to honey. After help change it to honey. After puking it into the honeycomb, the puking it into the honeycomb, the bees fan it with their wings until it’s bees fan it with their wings until it’s just the right thickness. just the right thickness.

You’re so Cheesy!You’re so Cheesy!

Cheese is made when special Cheese is made when special bacteria and chemicals act on bacteria and chemicals act on milk. Bacteria make your feet milk. Bacteria make your feet stink and give cheese its odor. stink and give cheese its odor. Some of the bacteria in cheese Some of the bacteria in cheese are the same as the ones that live are the same as the ones that live in your body to help digest foodin your body to help digest food

Cheese makers use an enzyme Cheese makers use an enzyme from animals’ stomach linings to from animals’ stomach linings to curdle milk. They drain off the curdle milk. They drain off the liquid, leaving behind curd, the liquid, leaving behind curd, the first stage in a cheese’s life. As first stage in a cheese’s life. As the bacteria grow and spread, the bacteria grow and spread, they give different kinds of they give different kinds of cheese their special flavorcheese their special flavor

Do bats like cheese?Do bats like cheese?

Gorgonzola cheese is made Gorgonzola cheese is made from cow's milk. The veins, from cow's milk. The veins, blue/green/gray, are blue/green/gray, are Penicillin Penicillin GlaucumGlaucum, (similar to the , (similar to the medicine you take if you get medicine you take if you get strep throat or an ear infection) strep throat or an ear infection) a spore native to Gorgonzola, a spore native to Gorgonzola, Italy, that would attach to the Italy, that would attach to the ripening cheese curds and ripening cheese curds and hang from nets in hang from nets in local caves. local caves. Today, the cheese is made in a Today, the cheese is made in a factory.factory.

Cheese TriviaCheese Trivia

Question: Question:

How many bacteria How many bacteria live in one bite of live in one bite of

cheese?cheese?

Cheese TriviaCheese Trivia

Answer: Answer:

One mouthful can hold over One mouthful can hold over a a trilliontrillion bacteria – almost bacteria – almost

two hundred times the total two hundred times the total number of people in the number of people in the

world!world!

More More cheesy cheesy triviatrivia

In 1841, the Urauguayan navy In 1841, the Urauguayan navy ran out of cannonballs during ran out of cannonballs during their battle with the Argentinian their battle with the Argentinian navy. They used Dutch edam navy. They used Dutch edam cheeses instead!!cheeses instead!!

Cheese can be made fro the Cheese can be made fro the milk of many types of animals milk of many types of animals such as cows, goats, sheep, such as cows, goats, sheep, buffalo, camels, mares and buffalo, camels, mares and even reindeer.even reindeer.

Do you know that Do you know that you eat fungus you eat fungus

all the time?all the time?And you probably And you probably

love it!love it!

Bread is made with flour and yeast. Yeast is a fungus and the fungi are so small that 4,000 could Bread is made with flour and yeast. Yeast is a fungus and the fungi are so small that 4,000 could stand in a single file on your thumb! They are much too tiny to see, but they are what makes bread stand in a single file on your thumb! They are much too tiny to see, but they are what makes bread dough rise. For the dough to rise, it has to get a fungus infection. As the yeast grows, it gives off dough rise. For the dough to rise, it has to get a fungus infection. As the yeast grows, it gives off gases that puff the loaf up.gases that puff the loaf up.

Mushrooms are also a fungus. The rarest and most expensive mushrooms on earth cost about $640 Mushrooms are also a fungus. The rarest and most expensive mushrooms on earth cost about $640 a pound. These are rare, wild fungi – called truffles – that grow underground. (This makes them very a pound. These are rare, wild fungi – called truffles – that grow underground. (This makes them very hard to find!) Some animals can smell them while they are still buried. Truffle hunters use dogs and hard to find!) Some animals can smell them while they are still buried. Truffle hunters use dogs and PIGS PIGS to sniff out these warty looking globes for us to eat.to sniff out these warty looking globes for us to eat.

AlwaysAlways check with an adult before eating mushrooms. Some may grow in your backyard, but that check with an adult before eating mushrooms. Some may grow in your backyard, but that doesn’t mean that they are safe for you to eat. The mushrooms that you buy in the grocery store are doesn’t mean that they are safe for you to eat. The mushrooms that you buy in the grocery store are edible and delicious.edible and delicious.

Make sure you don’t eat other fungus such as the type that grows on dead animals in the forest or Make sure you don’t eat other fungus such as the type that grows on dead animals in the forest or between your toes. Fungus known as athlete’s foot can make your feet stink and itchy. So now you between your toes. Fungus known as athlete’s foot can make your feet stink and itchy. So now you know, not all fungus is edible!!!know, not all fungus is edible!!!

So what happens after we eat So what happens after we eat all of this Gross all of this Gross

(or not so gross) food(or not so gross) food?? Digestion starts with your teeth as they bite off Digestion starts with your teeth as they bite off

chunks of food, and break it into bits. As you chunks of food, and break it into bits. As you chew, the food mixes and moistens in your mouth chew, the food mixes and moistens in your mouth from saliva. from saliva.

As you swallow, your muscular tongue pushes As you swallow, your muscular tongue pushes the food to the back of your mouth and you the food to the back of your mouth and you swallow the lump of food (called a bolus)swallow the lump of food (called a bolus)

Your esophagus is the pipe that squeezes the Your esophagus is the pipe that squeezes the bolus into your stomach. bolus into your stomach.

In the stomach, the food mixes with lots of In the stomach, the food mixes with lots of digestive juices that help break down the food digestive juices that help break down the food and it also gets churned and squeezed through to and it also gets churned and squeezed through to the small intestine.the small intestine.

The small intestine isn’t very small The small intestine isn’t very small at all – it is about 23 feet long (the at all – it is about 23 feet long (the length of an SUV)length of an SUV)

Both the large intestine and small Both the large intestine and small intestine are lined with slimy mucus intestine are lined with slimy mucus that protect their walls.that protect their walls.

The small intestines work with The small intestines work with other organs in your body like the other organs in your body like the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. Once the small intestine has done Once the small intestine has done its job and removed most of the its job and removed most of the food’s nutrients, the food moves food’s nutrients, the food moves onto the large intestine also called onto the large intestine also called the colon.the colon.

Once the food gets to the large Once the food gets to the large intestine, your body takes any last intestine, your body takes any last nutrients before it creates the nutrients before it creates the waste and shapes it into stool.waste and shapes it into stool.

The End???The End???

Stay tuned next time for:Stay tuned next time for:

The Scoop The Scoop

on Poop!on Poop!

ReferencesReferences

Its disgusting and we ate it by James Solheim Its disgusting and we ate it by James Solheim You Burp – The most interesting book you’ll ever read about eating by You Burp – The most interesting book you’ll ever read about eating by

Diane SwansonDiane Swanson

Other interesting books:Other interesting books:

Cows sweat through their noses by Barbara SeulingCows sweat through their noses by Barbara Seuling Don’t touch that – The book of gross, poisonous, and downright icky Don’t touch that – The book of gross, poisonous, and downright icky

plants and critters by Jeff Day plants and critters by Jeff Day Poop – A natural history of the unmentionable by Nicola DaviesPoop – A natural history of the unmentionable by Nicola Davies Gee Whiz – It’s all about pee by Susan E GoodmanGee Whiz – It’s all about pee by Susan E Goodman The truth about poop by Susan E GoodmanThe truth about poop by Susan E Goodman Tracks, Scats, and Signs by Leslie DendyTracks, Scats, and Signs by Leslie Dendy Exploratopia by Pat MurphyExploratopia by Pat Murphy

welcome to grossology

Documents

chinese food

birds nest soup

birdsnest soup

birds heads

earthworm soup

fancy soup

pound of meat

gourmet food