Snails and liver and beets, oh my!
Last week, the group went to our final filming to eat a full Cypriot meze. I knew what to expect going in, since we’ve been learning about the meze for the past 5 weeks. Dr. Legg had also warned us that at this particular tavern they serve liver and snails with their multi-course meal. I love food and believe in trying everything at least once, and since I’ve had escargot before and enjoyed it immensely, I wasn’t worried.
They brought out a salad first, accompanied by tzatziki and tahini sauce, and some shredded carrots that were absolutely delicious. We also got olives, bread, and this Russian potato salad that was almost better than the carrots. The roasted potatoes themselves would have been better if they were hot, but they were served lukewarm. The starters also included some mushrooms that were a little chewy. The beets they served us weren’t a favorite of the table, but I snapped a picture for The Office reference.
Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
By the time we got the meats, I was almost full and the next several courses were very carefully paced. There was souvlaki, little pork kebabs, and sheftalia, which essentially is mincemeat wrapped in intestine, but tastes like meatballs. We were also given a rare meze treat of kleftiko, which is lamb and potatoes roasted for hours and hours (and what one of our video segments covers). Klefitko was definitely my favorite—it was literally falling apart on the plate it was so tender. We also got some really great couscous and a spinach dish that I would have enjoyed if I liked spinach. Then they brought out the snails and liver.
Here we go...
Despite my face in this picture, I thoroughly enjoyed the snails. They weren’t as good as escargot (what’s better than garlic and butter?), but I ate at least 4 and enjoyed them all. The liver was an entirely different story. I think the consensus of the group would be that liver is a delicacy we can’t appreciate, and will probably never attempt to again. I had a cold so my taste buds were a little bland, but the texture alone was enough to have me choking down a gag. If you’ve never had liver, you should try it, but expect it to crumble apart in your mouth that is reminiscent of hard packed sand. As I was eating it there was no pretending that this was just a piece of meat—it was beyond clear that I was eating an organ, and that mental hurdle made my tiny piece that much harder to swallow.
Though it was disgusting, I’m glad to say I tried it. I’ve even more pleased to say I made it through an entire Cypriot meze with only a few disappointments (the dessert was rather bland.) The meze is something you can’t find in America, or indeed in many places around the world. The meze culture wouldn’t even survive in America, where we are so focused on speeding through life that sitting down to a 20-course meal would never even cross our minds. It’s an experience I won’t have again for awhile, but I know my appetite for it won’t diminish.