Weird Food News Stories · 8:17pm Feb 20th, 2017

Here are some weird food news stories that I thought were interesting and should pass along.

Burger King Has Released A VERY Adult Meal For Valentine's Day - With Some 'Kinky' Additions
Food and love have long been alleged bedfellows, although one is definitely a more reliable source of joy than the other.
Still, the two have a special relationship - and marketing departments the world over have cottoned on to this.
Restaurants have long cackled and rubbed their hands together in glee at the thought of Valentine's Day, but there's also been a notable surge in fast food chains and casual dining outlets also getting in on the action.
Bouquets of custard-filled doughnuts and free Subway sandwiches are just the tip of iceberg, however.
Burger King may not spring to mind as being the sexiest or most erotic of cuisines, but they also want a piece of the Valentine's action.
So much so, they are offering their over-18 customers an 'Adult Meal', complete with adult items.
And we're not talking about tax return forms or gardening equipment.
By the look of it, the items on offer are a blindfold, saucy feather duster, and one of those head massage brushes which leave people divided available only today and only after 6 pm.
If this has you all excited (the feather duster is a genuinely useful item, after all), then sadly the bad news is the Adult Meal is only available in Israel.
Which may be just as well.
We're pretty sure a Whopper is enough by itself.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/burger-king-released-very-adult-9815055

Would You Try This Valentine's Day Menu? Restaurant Where Diners 'Feast' On Dead Insect Cakes
Loved-up customers are being offered a rather unique Valentine's Day menu - cocktails and cakes served up with added dead insects.
Diners were given the option of chowing down on bug carcasses or innards, that had been mixed into their alcoholic drinks or sweet desserts.
The imported giant water bugs from Thailand part of a special Valentine's Day-themed event at the Duranbar bar in downtown Tokyo on Sunday.
The bar served up whipped cream, cakes and cocktails laden with insect bodies and innards for the event, which organizers said brought in around 90 people.
Customers said the event helped them overcome their fear of bugs.
"My impression of bugs were that they are dirty and scary."
"But this cocktail is fruity and tasty...and this bug has a really nice smell so I think there is potential for it to be food," said 20-year-old student Saki Osawa.
Among popular items served were a cranberry and water bug cocktail and caramelized worms with walnuts, which went for 800-1000 yen (£5-£7) each.
"They [insects] are crispy like the skin of walnuts and go pretty well with chocolate. I hope this will be made into a product," said 20-year-old customer Sayumi Makino, who has never eaten bugs before."
While insects can be found in some regional cuisines in Japan, they're not commonly eaten across the country.
Yuta Shinohara, the organiser of the event, is keen to promote insects as an alternative food culture in Japan.
"I love insects and I think its really fun to eat them."
"I'm quite confident of the potential of insects and of how attractive they are and eating insects are now in the spotlight from the point of view of food sustainability and also the environment."
"But first of all, we have to get people to think that [eating insects] is fun and interesting," said Shinohara.
Shinohara, who has consumed insects from an early age, has held similar events making things such as "cricket ramen".
The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has recognized insect consumption as a more environmentally-friendly source of protein globally.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/would-you-dare-try-valentines-9814116

Asda Customer Witnesses 'Vile' Squirty Cream Incident - Manager's Reaction Leaves Him Seething
People love squirty cream. The novelty factor. The fun of administering it. The fact that it goes with a vast range of delectable puddings.
Some people even like to incorporate it into, er, more adult activities, which is totally up to them.
The point is, it has a pretty solid and positive public image.
Sadly, an incident on Tuesday at the Greenhithe branch of Asda threatens to tarnish this very image.
What should have been a straightforward and uneventful shopping trip for one customer turned into something very different when they witnessed a fellow customer do something "vile."
Taking to the Dartford Gossip Facebook page, the customer's story unfolded, and they issued a stark warning.
"Caught a bloke putting a canister of cream in his mouth," began the post.
"[He] filled his mouth then promptly put lid on and put back on shelf for some other customer to buy."
The customer and witness then decided to confront the man. However, the cream-thief could not be reasoned with.
"When confronted I was then subjected to threatening, vile behavior," the customer added.
Things reportedly went from bad to worse.
"The general manager was happy for this excuse of a human being to buy his shopping and pass through checkout and walk right out of shop without being challenged," the post fumed.
It was then rounded off with a warning:
"People check what you buy is sealed as you can't guarantee where it may have been!"
All responses to the story shared in the author's disgust.
One man issued a damning indictment of the human condition, saying: "When are people going to wise up and realize, the human is the most vile, disgusting, greedy animal on the planet."
Asda have since responded, saying:
“We want all of our customers to enjoy a pleasant shopping experience at Asda and take all customer complaints seriously. Whilst this was a discussion between two customers, as soon as the matter was brought to our attention our colleagues were quick to remove the item from sale."
The moral of the story? Don't eat yellow snow and check the seal on your squirty cream before you buy it.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/asda-customer-witnesses-vile-squirty-9832932

McDonald's Invents Amazing Milkshake Straw That Means You 'Don't Have To Suck Hard'
A thick milkshake is a fine thing. But milkshakes can also be clumpy, lumpy, and difficult to suck up through a straw.
No more is the above true than with McDonald's shakes. They're thick, which is good, but troublesome.
McDonald's knows this, so tasked a specialist laboratory with inventing a straw to combat the issue in the hope of giving customers an easier ride. The tool has been likened to an Apple-style creation.
Yesterday, on Facebook Live , the company hosted a 20 minute session in which it unveiled a bizarre J-shaped straw. It has strategically placed holes on each side on the curved section, designed to aid suction.
The tubular nozzle's extra air holes optimize the flow of the milkshake, giving people a much easier sucking experience. Sucking, of course, being the primary stumbling block with milk-based products.
That's not the only reason for the new McDonald's straw. The 'Suction Tube for Reverse Axial Withdrawal' tool, or 'straw', was crafted with St. Patrick's Day in mind.
The drinking aid is said to be perfect for the restaurant's Shamrock Shake, which is flavored with both chocolate and mint. McDonald's says the straw allows the two flavors to be sucked up simultaneously.
Upsettingly, the invention is only available in the US – and only 2,000 were made. It sucks (sorry). But the science behind it is interesting. Milkshake suction is something the fast food world has to contend with, so this, we hope, might be a step forward. (We've asked McDonald's if there are further plans).
The straw was created at NK Labs in partnership with JACE. Principal engineer and managing partner Seth Newburg said: “It was a puzzling assignment but one with an ambitious goal. From a physics perspective, it's actually quite difficult to deliver a proportional amount of both chocolate and mint flavors with each sip."
"But that's exactly what we did. It's a marvel of fluid dynamics. Thanks Fibonacci sequence.”
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/mcdonalds-invents-amazing-milkshake-straw-9832077

Bakery Creates New Fusion Croissant – Leaves Everyone Utterly Repulsed
We need to dissect this hybrid croissant. Slice into it. Understand how and why it was created.
Before we do, let's together pay quick homage to the traditional French pastry: a work of breakfast genius. They're soft in the middle, crispy on the outside. So pure and brilliant.
Now that's out the way, it's time to come to terms with the fact that a bakery has decided to put sushi inside its croissants. The creation is called the 'Cali Croissant', a fusion food combining a French classic with a Japanese delicacy.
Naturally, it was created in Los Angeles – by the Mr. Holmes Bake House, as LA Mag discovered. It's the place that invented the cruffin (croissant/muffin partnership, which is altogether more workable).
For the fish croissant, the bakery put a popular sushi roll, of salmon, nori (seaweed), ginger, and wasabi inside a standard croissant. For pastry purists and sushi aficionados, it's comparable to an indictable criminal offence. We've no idea why the salmon is smoked.
It's worth noting that the Mr. Holmes Bake House has included with its dish a sachet of soy sauce – for dipping. I suppose that underpins its vague, irresponsible way it goes about cooking, given that sushi should never, ever, be dipped in soy sauce. Or so the Japanese say (not that they'd know).
The creation is probably just a stunt, something for people to talk about. It also follows the famous cronut (though that's from a different bakery), and a host of other strange inventions. You have to admire the imagination and bravery.
But do people want raw fish inside the warm, fragrant envelope of a croissant? Well, no. No they don't...
Charles Arthur commented on Twitter: "I think that’s called “fish pie” in most quarters."
John Delaney said: "Ok, these are officially the End Times."
And Nicola Barbosa wrote: "No. just no."
I'm not entirely sure what LA thinks it's doing, to be honest. But one thing it is doing is putting things in croissants. This one is arguably worse.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/bakery-creates-new-fusion-croissant-9709587

Cafe Serving Coffee Blended With Totally Bizarre Ingredients – And It's Hugely Popular
Coffee, but with egg and cheese. Yes, really. It's a thing – a delightful one, apparently. However bizarre it sounds.
To construct the drink, a whole egg is whisked into steaming coffee, along with a little butter and cheese for good measure. The additions produce a creamy froth, and the coffee is said to be richer, silky smooth and more indulgent. Like a pudding.
Egg coffee is the work of Café Giang in Hanoi, Vietnam. There, it's known as cà phê trứng, and was invented in 1946 by a man called Nguyen Giang. It wasn't immediately popular, but now it very much is, adored by tourists and a staple of locals.
Café Giang workers busily blend up the egg coffee every morning. Eggs, cheese, condensed milk, sugar, powdered coffee and other 'secret' ingredients go into the mix. Nguyen's son, Tri Hoa Nguyen, who now runs the place, won't reveal the other elements of his father's "secret recipe".
The obscure pick-me-up was conjured up during the French war in Vietnam, when there was a shortage of milk. Traditionally in the country, coffee would be served with condensed milk – but in wartime, cans were sparse, so Nguyen, then a bartender at the city's Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel, whisked in an egg as a replacement.
At first, the drink tasted too eggy. Funnily enough. But Nguyen played around with the recipe, changing the consistency and experimenting with the flavor. Egg coffee became an institution of Hanoi in the 1980s.
The cafe is down a quiet street in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Egg coffee isn't the only item on the menu. You can get an espresso or a cappuccino instead if you like. But the egg. The egg is the one to have. People are crazy for it. They say it tastes of sweet vanilla custard.
Visitor Pauline Juan says of the drink: "Once upon a time I drank half a flat white and had palpitations into the night, so I was quite anxious to try Hanoi's famous ca phe trung aka egg coffee."
"I sipped it slowly, slightly surprised by its creaminess but fully expecting the sweet and the bitter melange. I braced myself for the aftershock, but it never came. I suppose we learn to build tolerances over the years, which means we should never really write off anything."
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/cafe-serving-coffee-blended-totally-9716133

Woman Slices Into Morrisons Pepper – What She Found Inside Was Truly Inspiring
It's time for more news from the world of vegetables.
But don't worry, this is an altogether more joyful tale – not one of lettuce limitation, or turnips being hurled from moving cars at unsuspecting pedestrians.
Today's vegetable in question is a little green pepper. It went into a casserole – Cindy Morris' casserole, as a matter of fact.
The 48-year-old, from Dawlish in Devon, picked up last Friday some veg from her local Morrisons (it seems the supermarket isn't completely out of stock just yet) in preparation.
And when Cindy got home and got chopping, she discovered something truly inspiring inside her vegetable.
When Cindy sliced into her veg, the mum-of-two was met with a joyful smile. It beamed back at her as if to say, "hello, I'm a green pepper , and I'm absolutely honored to be used in your casserole."
Cindy was stunned. It made her day. She told the Exeter Express and Echo: "I thought it was lovely. I had got stuff for tea and had chopped up another pepper already. When I cut the next one I saw the stalk had a face on it."
Cindy added: "I called in my son Adam and said, 'you've got to look at this'. It really brightened up my day."
Enamored by the grinning veg, the home cook posted the photo to Facebook. A Morrisons spokesperson spotted the discovery, and commented that it had "made their night," too.
Cindy said she tried to keep the smiley pepper stalk as a memento. But eventually had to throw it away. She added: "I had the stalk there for a day but it started to go off, so I chucked the happy pepper."
"It's still in my compost bin but it's gone brown now."
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/woman-slices-morrisons-pepper--9768255

The Weirdest British Food Combinations – From Ketchup On Pizza To Fish In Custard
Do you dip fries in your McDonald's milkshakes? Some people do.
Personally, I prefer butter and sugar sandwiches on cheap white bread. Texturally, they're on point – the crunch of the sugar, the softness of the bread, the smooth, creamy fat binding it all in sultry melody. It was a regular pudding growing up.
Yes, we Brits are known for our bizarre food fancies. To many of us, chips and gravy is a perfectly reasonable concept. As is chips and curry sauce (which is by far the superior combination).
But we get much weirder.
Are you a bit obsessed with Marmite, for example? What are your thoughts on having cold lettuce with your beans on toast?
Here are some quite niche, but very real food combos for you to applaud or deride...
1. Fish fingers, pea puree and melted cheddar cheese, from the Warburtons toastie pop-up.
2. Steak pie, chips, and gravy.
3. Sausages and pork and beans in a baguette.
4. Peanut butter and cheese.
5. Dunking Jammie Dodgers in tea.
6. Ketchup on pizza.
7. Chip butty - Sandwich made with bread or a bread roll (usually white and buttered) and chips (French Fries), often with some sort of sauce such as tomato sauce e.g. ketchup, brown sauce or mayonnaise.
8. Marmite with anything.
9. Baked beans and salad.
10. Fish fingers in custard.
11. Fish fingers sandwich.
12. Pie in a bap, AKA pie bap - steak pie in a bap/ bun.
13. Wigan Kebab - three or more steak pies served skewered on a kebab.
14. Jelly (gelatin) and ice cream.
15. The giant Yorkshire pudding.
16. Apples and cheese.
17. Sugar and butter sarnies/ sandwiches.
18. Spontaneous mushy peas - mushy peas added to any dish.
19. Totally random mincemeat - mincemeat made from leftovers/ mincemeat casserole.
20. Baked beans and tuna.
21. Spaghetti Hoops on toast.
22. Hot cross buns and bacon.
23. Scone with clotted cream and jam.
What bizarre food combinations do you enjoy?
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/weirdest-british-food-combinations--9727856

Joggers Being Attacked By Mystery Yob Who Throws VEGETABLES At Them While Out Running
Runners in a posh town say they are being attacked by a mystery yob who is throwing VEGETABLES at them.
Joggers in Chletenham in Gloucester have been pelted with potatoes, eggs, turnips and even avocados in the drive-by attacks.
The first incident saw a runner hit with a spud flung from a passing car and a spate of vegetable-based peltings have since been reported.
One victim who was hit, James Smith, said: "I was hit by a vegetable projectile recently in Cheltenham."
"I was walking on Hewlett Road and someone from a passing car threw an avocado at my back, while also shouting something incoherent at me."
Toby Lewis said: "I was the victim of a 'drive-by spudding' when I was walking home from Cheltenham town centre."
And Mike Smith added: "I was walking with a group of friends and we were pelted with eggs from an unknown vehicle.
"Assuming it's the same people, and they've 'upgraded' to potatoes, it would be great if the police could find them and do something about it."
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/joggers-being-attacked-mystery-yob-9725045

Shopper Finds £11,000 Cocaine In Nesquik Tub – And He's Taking Drastic Action
A man found £11,000 of cocaine in his Nesquik tub. There, hidden among the sugary chocolate powder, was a 250g packet of the Class A narcotic.
The customer, from Zaragoza in north-east Spain, first noticed a peculiarity with his instant milkshake product when he got home. He saw that the lid of the large tub had already been slightly opened.
The shopper in question hasn't been named, for obvious reasons. We imagine there's an angry drug dealer somewhere in Spain who's now realised his Nesquik mule has been discovered.
After finding the package, the man called the police, who confirmed the substance as cocaine. In Spain, it's worth an estimated 13,000 euros, according the newspaper.
Spain's National Police unit has opened an investigation. Apparently, the Nesquik, made by Nestle, left the factory intact, so it's believed that the milkshake was tampered with at the supermarket.
Unfortunately, CCTV footage hasn't allowed police to find any suspects. None were pointing to the Nesquik aisle.
The man is on his own path. Amid the fuss it caused in local media, the he's looking to sue the supermarket where he inadvertently purchased the drugs due to the 'moral damage' he's been caused, as well as concerns drug traffickers might target him. The story went viral in Spain, and he was desperate to remain anonymous.
Lawyer Francisco Javier Acín told newspaper El Mundo on Tuesday that his client has suffered a "lack of empathy" over the situation.
Spain is closely tied to Latin America, where cocaine is produced. It makes the country a good point of entry for Europe, and cocaine is often discovered in odd places. Packets have been found inside pineapples, stuffed into crates of bananas, and this week a large quantity turned up in a box of frozen chickens.
Last month, two tons of cocaine was found stashed inside packs of asparagus in Peru. Around £61,000 of cash was also present in the haul.
Police arrested a Serbian man and four Peruvians suspected of running a smuggling operation from a gourmet food business.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/shopper-finds-11000-cocaine-nesquik-9791315

Mars Bars, Kit Kats and Dairy Milks Are About To Get Even Smaller - By Up To 20 Percent
It's widely acknowledged that the universe is meant to be constantly expanding.
The laws of the universe, however, won't apply to our favorite chocolate bars and sweet treats.
There has been concern for some time among confectionery lovers about the diminishing dimensions of their favorite snacks - and they're set to get even smaller.
In a bid by the Government to combat child obesity, some of the biggest chocolate manufactures are said to be reducing their products by 20 percent - almost a quarter.
Big names such as Mars, Nestlé and Mondelez - (the American company which owns Cadbury) could all be altering their products to avoid being highlighted in a new report by Public Health England (PHE), according to the Sunday Times.
Several other firms are under pressure to dramatically reduce the amount of sugar in their products.
While high-sugar items such as fizzy drinks, breakfast cereal and yogurt can be reformulated with artificial sweeteners, it's potentially bad news for chocolate makers and lovers alike, with the former claiming sweeteners will alter the taste of the chocolate.
What it means for the price of the products effected remains to be seen.
Manufacturers have met with PHE to start discussion about proposed cuts, but there's no word on whether prices will be slashed accordingly.
Nestle said: “While re-sizing is an effective way to reduce sugar, calories and fat from confectionery, it is certainly not the only choice."
“Recipe reformulation, ingredient substitution and the use of new technologies are all possibilities and with the right investment behind them, could deliver significant reductions."
“Nestlé is in the process of looking at all options and we are keeping in close contact with PHE while they establish their sugar reduction program."
Mondelez said: “We have been an active partner in the consultation on the Childhood Obesity Plan and the sugar reduction targets and look forward to seeing the output of this in March."
"As a result of what is published we will consider all the options available to us as we look to continuing to play our role in tackling public health issues such as obesity."
"Importantly, we have already been very active in this space including offering more portion control products, bringing all our single portion chocolate bars under 250 k cal, and launching sugar-free offerings such as Halls and Trebor Mighties.”
A spokesman for PHE said: “We are working with the industry to remove the amount of sugar in products.”
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mars-bars-kit-kats-dairy-9760867

Viewers Left Bemused As Woman Dances With M&Ms Box On Her Head During Channel 4 News Report
This is the bizarre moment a woman danced with a box of M&Ms on her head while holding a sign that read 'black candy matters' during a live Channel 4 news report.
The woman performed the strange dance for the cameras as Gary Gibbon, speaking from Philadelphia, discussed Theresa May's visit to the US.
In the clip, the woman shimmies back and forth while balancing the box of chocolates on her head while waving the sign around.
Meanwhile, the reporter attempts to ignore her, while talking about Theresa May's upcoming meeting with Donald Trump - the first world leader to meet with the new president.
Amazingly, he manages to finish his report, despite the odd distraction, but the woman's presence didn't go unnoticed by viewers.
Within moments, the woman and her box of M&Ms was trending on Twitter, and the clip going viral on other social media channels.
One viewer tweeted: "They're going back to Philadelphia for #c4news later. I hope the M&Ms box hat woman becomes a thing as I want to be her friend."
Hayley Barlow, Head of Communications for Channel 4 News added: "For those asking, I've no idea why Philly protester with box of M&Ms on her head made impromptu appearance during Gary Gibbons #c4news live."
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/viewers-left-bemused-woman-dances-9702860

Chef Busts Some Amazing Dance Moves As He Makes Dish With Just One Really Long Noodle
This chef is really enjoying his work and cannot help but dancing his way through his shift.
When he hears the beat he instantly starts to wiggle, before really busting some moves that wouldn't be out of place on the dance floor.
But as well as strutting his stuff, he also manages to produce a Chinese specialty dish called One Noodle.
As can be seen in the footage, he makes just one noodle, get longer and longer, for the impressive dish.
According to the Daily Mail the footage was filmed at the Huang's One Noodle restaurant in Huanglongxi, a historic town in south west China.
The traditional dish, which costs 15 Yuan (about £1.75) is served at birthdays and is said to bring good luck and long life to those who eat it.
In the video a woman, who works in the shop can be heard telling a customers: "There is only one noodle in a bowl."
The footage was shared on the Chinese social media site Weibo as well as on YouTube.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/chef-busts-amazing-dance-moves-9699391

Marmite Cocktails Are Here And You'll Either Love Them Or Hate Them
It's considered to be an 'acquired taste', and no one sits on the fence about Marmite .
But there is good news for the 'lovers' out there which may brighten up your January (even if they've opted to go booze-free for it).
Sounds confusing? We'll explain.
The divisive spread has made its way onto a secret and limited edition breakfast menu at participating Bill's Restaurants - who have teamed up with Marmite - around the UK until 31 January.
The menu will consist of the Marmite Rarebit, the Marmite Mary cocktail and even a Virgin version for those trying out 'dry January'.
All customers who order from the secret menu will also be one of the very first to get their hands on an 8 g ‘Mini-Mite’ pot.
You just need to say the words "spread the love" to your waiter to unlock the secret menu.
This is an alcoholic breakfast cocktail made with Chivas Regal 12 year-old, tomato juice, cream, lemon and a special Marmite reduction, served with a stick of celery and slice of lemon.
Very different to a regular Bloody Mary, this drink packs a hefty punch and the Bristol Cream may catch you off guard.
It's definitely one to nurse. Make sure you line your stomach also!
There is also a virgin version of the drink. It is pretty much the same as the regular one, just minus the booze. It was surprisingly refreshing and zingy.
And other dishes that contain the famous spread within them such as Rarebit Marmite. It is a really tasty mix of Marmite, crème fraiche, egg, English mustard and mature cheddar served on a toasted bloomer with two poached eggs and fresh parsley.
To access the secret menu before 31 January visit Bill’s restaurants in Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Glasgow, Bristol, Birmingham and all sites in London.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/forget-dry-january-marmite-cocktails-9698893

Want A Perfectly Crispy Bacon Butty Every Time? This Amazing Toaster Will Do The Hard Work For You
If you want crispy bacon every time you fancy a breakfast butty without any of the hassle then look no further.
Because this incredible invention guarantees perfect bacon every time you cook - and even better, it's healthier for you too.
The Bacon Express, sold by Nostalgia Electrics will cook up to six strips of thick cut bacon in minutes.
A dial on the side of the machine lets the user choose how to have the bacon cooked, meaning you simply turn it up higher if you prefer really crispy rashers.
Each strip is placed on a 'vertical cooking tray' which drains away grease, meaning your breakfast snack isn't cooking in its own fat.
Excess grease drips into a pull out tray below, which is easily removed and cleaned.
The description on the website also says the device has "cool touch handles make it easy to open the doors and view the cooking process.
"When done cooking, the non-stick cooking plate and insulated door liners remove for easy cleanup."
We can't deny it sounds like a time saver, especially if you're already running late for work in a morning when the urge for bacon takes you.
Currently, it is difficult to purchase the unique invention straight from the website, although reports suggest the toaster is being priced at $40 or £32 when it does finally become available in a mainstream sale.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/want-perfectly-crispy-bacon-butty-9698291

Gruesome New Night Out At Dinner And Dissection As Real Human Body Is Dismembered In Front Of You
It's a new show with real heart...and lungs, brains and intestines.
If you’ve had enough of dinner dances, maybe a morbid new night out is for you - dinner and dissection.
But not if you’re at all squeamish, as watching a human body dismembered in front of you risks that dinner making a second appearance.
Welcome to Anatomy Lab Live, the brainchild of teacher Sam Piri, who was inspired to create this evening’s infotainment after watching the delight of schoolchildren studying biology as they got to grips with pig penises and tried to burst pigs’ stomachs.
The event begins with a good dinner of salmon, served with roast potatoes, green beans and roasted butternut squash and carrots, followed by apple pie and custard or Eton mess - washed down with wine or lager.
The only clue of what is to come is an unsettling table center piece, made up of medical waste sacks, syringes, and petri dishes.
After the food has been cleared away, a curtain is drawn back to reveal an operating theater, complete with a body lying on a trolley, feet poking out from under a white sheet.
Dressed in full scrubs, pathologist Sam peels back the blanket and reaches carefully into the gaping chest.
There is a gasp from the audience as he pulls out the heart and lungs, holding them high for everyone to see, before setting them down on a stainless-steel table.
Former forensic science student Kellie Bown at the next table to me, is clearly enjoying herself. “It’s like the most macabre dinner party ever,” she says.
Thankfully all is not quite as it seems - the ‘body’ on the operating table is plastic, the insides pig organs, chosen because they are almost identical to humans’.
The operating theater is a decommissioned pathology laboratory from a Sheffield hospital, rebuilt inside the banqueting room at the Village Hotel in Solihull, just outside Birmingham,
This is only the opening night in Birmingham, but the show is proving very popular with tickets for Cardiff, Manchester, Newcastle and Blackpool performances already sold out.
Sam dissects the brain, heart and lungs for the audience to see how they work.
He explains the left lung is smaller than the right to make space for the heart and demonstrates by feeding a plastic tube into the lungs, then putting the other end to his pursed lips and blowing them up like a balloon.
He even brings the organs round to each table so we can get a closer look.
“If things start getting a bit too much for people, they are free to walk out, get some fresh air and compose themselves, then come back in,” he says.
The brains look like blotches of blancmange spilt on the tabletop and smell like the bin in a butcher’s shop. Suddenly I’m glad we weren’t served pork for dinner.
I take a deep breath and lean in for a closer look but Kellie keeps her distance, covering her mouth and nose as her face turns the same shade of pale pinks as the pig brains.
“I wasn’t expecting to get so close,” she admits. “I don’t mind looking at them, it’s the smell I can’t stand. I don’t eat meat!”
Not everyone is so squeamish. During the mid-show interval 100 diners don rubber gloves to poke and prod the organs, even picking them up to pose for photographs.
Eve Hubbleday is here to indulge her fascination with anatomy and rummages around inside the body as if she was digging through the discount bin at the Next sale.
The 32 year-old, from Birmingham, says: “I’ve always been interested in the human body, but this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this. The chance to get hands on was too good to miss.”
Her fiancé Tom Ruthven, 30, is president of Coventry University Occupational Therapy Society and is one of many students in the audience.
“This is a great chance to see the inner workings of the human body after learning all the theory during our lectures,” he says”. “It’s is a lot more interactive than the stuff we do in the classroom.”
Fellow society member Beth Waudby, 20, adds: “And a lot more fun. I’m really enjoying it.”
The second half starts with Sam pulling out the stomach and intestines, which resemble a deep sea monster and smell equally foul.
Sam points to the gallbladder, the luminous bile inside glowing green. “It looks like a dinosaur egg, that’s the only way I can describe it,” he says.
Then comes the pancreas which “feels a bit like a bunch of grapes”.
The intestines and other organs are bought from slaughter houses that kill 3,500 pigs each day to meet demand for pork, sausages and bacon.
Sam’s company Vivit Apparatus – which is Latin for Living Machine – has a special licence from the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) to put on these shows.
His team also use the organs and hand-drawn diagrams to explain how diseases like meningitis and strokes effect the body.
Sam says: “With the NHS in crisis under unprecedented pressure, we want to educate people so they understand and can take ownership for their own health.”
They even amputate a leg using an enormous pork thigh between the plastic torso and knee.
Medical student Alice Gwyn-Jones, 23, spends several minutes cutting through the flesh and bone with a giant hacksaw before Sam delicate carves it to show the audience the bone and artery.
Alice says: “If this was a live patient, you would need to clamp the artery first to stop blood spurting everywhere.”
At the end of the evening the discarded organs are tipped into the heavy duty yellow sacks labelled, ‘Clinical waste for incineration only’, to dispose of them safely.
Sam’s dad Kevin, the company’s chief operating officer, says: “That’s the worst part of the job, the smell is unbelievable. In summer it’s so bad we have to tape the bin lid shut.”
With that I make my way home, taking time to digest everything I have learned before deciding I’ll probably pass on those sausages I was intending to have for breakfast tomorrow.
There are still a few tickets left for Anatomy Lab Live in London, Leeds, Plymouth, Exeter, and Cornwall at www.anatomylablive.co.uk.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/gruesome-new-night-out-dinner-9857383

Report LyraAlluse · 1,380 views · #True #News #Information #Facts #Data #Report #Story #Current #Events #Weird #Odd #Bizarre #Unusual #Food #Vegetables #Fruit #Grains #Dairy #Proteins #Sugars

Comments ( 18 )

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Watercolor the Pegasus

Watercolor the Pegasus #1 · Feb 20th, 2017 · 1 · ·

Reaction to one: ...why...just...just why?

Reaction to two: Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope...

Reaction to three: ...dude...no.

Reaction to four: JUST USE THE STUPID SPOON!!! OR A FRY EVEN!

Reaction to five: WHAT THE HECK LA!?!?

Reaction to six: Um...if that's your thing, sure, but...um...I'll pass.

Reaction to seven: Dawww

Reaction to eight: I love butter and sugar sandwiches! Chips and gravy sounds amazing. Chips and curry sauce, sure! Fish fingers sandwich sounds wonderful. Gelatin and ice cream, of course! Spaghetti hoops on toast, why not? Hot cross buns and bacon, I really want to try that. Scones with clotted cream and jam, yum!

Reaction to nine: ...wut?

Reaction to ten: Oh my goodness gracious why...

Reaction to eleven: Eh. I don't eat candy that much anyways, so I don't really mind. And if it combats obesity, I'm all for it.

LyraAlluse

LyraAlluse #2 · Feb 20th, 2017 · · ·

4430134 That news article about the random person throwing vegetables at people had me rolling. I was just like...why??

Also, I added a few more random ones that I found.

And thank you for taking the time to read them. I hope that you found them to be interesting. :)

Watercolor the Pegasus

Watercolor the Pegasus #3 · Feb 20th, 2017 · 1 · ·

4430166
I ask the same question.

Oh yay! And you're welcome. Of course they were interesting.

Reaction to twelve: ...um...okay then...

Reaction to thirteen: I don't even know what on Earth Marmite is, soooo...

Reaction to fourteen: Huh...nice one there.

Reaction to fifteen: OH GOODNESS GRACIOUS NOOOOOOOOOOO-*jumps out the window*

LyraAlluse

LyraAlluse #4 · Feb 20th, 2017 · · ·

4430189 Marmite is a weird spread made from yeast and some other ingredients that many people in the UK eat on toast and add to other food dishes. It's one of those foods that you either love or hate.

As for the last story, I completely agree with you. You couldn't pay me enough money to watch people dissect a body while I am trying to eat dinner. That's a giant nope from me.

Watercolor the Pegasus

Watercolor the Pegasus #5 · Feb 20th, 2017 · 1 · ·

4430193
Oh...iiiiiinteresting...

Exactly. And that is why I will never work in the medical field.

LyraAlluse

LyraAlluse #6 · Feb 20th, 2017 · · ·

4430194 I couldn't be in the medical field for that reason either. I hate needles (I can't even look at a needle or be around them without feeling faint), and I hate the site of blood or any kind of injury/ infection in general. Come to think of it I wouldn't make a good dentist either. :P

Watercolor the Pegasus