Bizarre; It's Whats For Dinner!

From Carrie.

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I am okay with the fruit and the yerba mate....

on the alligator/crocodile, I will pass, thanks....

but it is better to eat then be eaten, if ever I come up against one....

I'll take the shoes and bag anytime, though!

I know- you eat the meat, I'll take the leftovers for my accessories!

5 bizarre good-for-you foods that you may have never heard of!
Studies show that the acai berry is one of the most nutritious foods in the world. The high-energy berry of as Amazonian palm tree, acai is harvested in the rainforests of Brazil and tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate. Hidden within its royal purple pigment is the magic that makes it nature’s perfect energy fruit. Acai is packed with antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. Although acai may not be available in your local supermarket, you can find it in some health food and gourmet stores (often in juice form). A new product featuring the unsweetened pulp is now also available.
Acai pulp contains 10 times more antioxidants than red grapes and 10 to 30 times the anthocyanins of red wine; a synergy of monounsaturated (healthy) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols to help promote cardiovascular and digestive health; and an almost perfect essential amino acid complex in conjunction with valuable trace minerals, vital to proper muscle contraction and regeneration.
For health-conscious consumers, alligator and crocodile meat can be an excellent choice. High in protein and low in calories, fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, alligator can be substituted for most recipes that call for chicken. It also is a superb source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
The most common alligator meat product sold in stores is the tail section. (Alligator meat comes from the southern United States, and most crocodile meat is imported from Australia, New Zealand and various African countries). Alligator tail meat is very similar to veal in texture, but is said to taste like chicken, rabbit, fish or frog’s legs. Some also compare the tail meat to the white portions of pork. There is also a tenderloin portion of alligator meat, located in a tubular section of the tail.
Called “a pharmacy in a fruit,” cupuacu (pronounced coo-PWAH-sooh) is a tropical rainforest tree related to cacao and is considered a healthier chocolate alternative. Cupuacu can replace cocoa in many day-to-day foods, such as chocolate milk. In the Amazon, it is frequently used in desserts, juices and sweets. It contains theacrine instead of the xanthines (caffeine, theobromine and theophylline) found in cacao.
The fruit is about the size of a cantaloupe. The pulp occupies approximately one-third and is used to make the juices and desserts. Like chocolate, the fruit has a large center seed pod filled with bean-like seeds, which the Tikuna tribe utilize for abdominal pains.
Laver bread. A classic Welsh food, laver or purple laver (also known as black butter, purple sea vegetable or sloke) is similar to Japanese nori, the dried sheets of seaweed used to wrap maki-type sushi. It’s harvested in winter at low tide, when they’re found attached to vertical surfaces such as rocks or piers. Laver is prepared in the British Isles by simmering, for as long as five hours, to form a thick gelatinous puree. It is traditionally eaten mixed with oatmeal and served with cockles or bacon.
Laver contains high proportions of protein, iron and iodine. It also contains high levels of vitamins B2, A, D and C.
Yerba mate is a South American holly that’s brewed as a tea. In such countries as Paraguay and Argentina, it’s as common as coffee is to Westerners. Health claims include stress reduction, appetite control and easing of allergy symptoms, and it’s loaded with antioxidants.A 2004 study conducted at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana found that mate’s high antioxidant content promotes cell survival better than red wine or green tea. Mate also contains caffeine; xanthine alkaloids (including a mood elevator and muscle relaxant found in chocolate); and B vitamins.

Source: MSNBC