NationStates Jolt Archive


nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I'm gonna eat some...

Daistallia 2104
30-07-2007, 15:21
For those unfamiliar, this is a "popular" children's song in NAmerica.

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me,
Guess I'll go eat worms,
Long, thin, slimy ones; Short, fat, juicy ones,
Itsy, bitsy, fuzzy wuzzy worms.

Down goes the first one, down goes the second one,
Oh how they wiggle and squirm.
Up comes the first one, up comes the second one,
Oh how they wiggle and squirm.

Now if I can just find this restaurant, I can reasonably fulfill the song I learned at my momma's knee. :D

Who want's to join me?

Nourishing, perhaps; nauseating, definitely! Japanese worm burger a fast food flop
Fushigi Knuckles

"Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I think I'm gonna eat worms," goes the old children's song most would know. But Fushigi Knuckles notes that a desire to improve the health of women and young children led one Aomori Prefecture company to come up with a worm burger filled with "big fat juicy ones, long, thin slimy ones, itsy-bitsy fuzzy wuzzy worms."

Worms have long copped a bit of a raw deal among the general population, but the magazine says that some researchers label the invertebrates as the creatures making the greatest contribution to humanity.

Fish, of course, have long known the culinary benefits of worms, though to the peril of many; but in fact, during the 1970s and '80s, there were moves across Japan to try and get the slimy, slippery creatures on people's plates.

There was considerable research put into turning worms into meals fit for human consumption and development of worm dishes, with even large foodstuffs companies getting involved.

Worms do actually have considerable nutritional value, being rich in vitamins, amino acids and other substances said to be good for the health, including potassium, iron and zinc.

A company in Aomori Prefecture was the first in Japan, Fushigi Knuckles says, to try and commercialize worm food with its production and marketing of the "Worm Burger."

A 68-year-old man involved in the marketing of worm foods in Tokyo at around the same time recalls the heady days of chowing down on cestodes, nematodes and trematodes.

"You'd mince the worms, cover them in breadcrumbs and put them into a drier to create worm chips. There was worm sashimi, too. You'd wipe the dirt off with your fingers, dip the worms into garlic oil and eat them whole. They tasted great, with a light flavor and no really bad smell," the man tells Fushigi Knuckles. "Worm soup was delicious, too. You'd throw about 30 live worms into a pot, boil them slowly and end up with a broth that tasted a little like lemon. It went down well, and you could choose whether to give it a salt flavoring or soy sauce flavoring. Sprinkle it with black pepper or capsicum and it also had a wonderful taste."

Worms were also used in other dishes, such as tempura, or simply deep fried. Nearly all the sample worm foods were well-received. And that's what prompted the Aomori firm to bring up their Worm Burger.

Instead of a beef patty, the Worm Burger used ground worms, cut the onions a little, added wheat flour, a runny egg and blended in milk to make it go down easier.

The magazine notes that despite the best intentions, the Worm Burger ended up as a major flop. Marketers had been targeting women and young people, but appear to have struggled to overcome worms' image as a bizarre food. Nonetheless, Fushigi Knuckles notes, Japan is undergoing a health food kick once again and worms are worming their way into the interest of nutritiously minded Japanese who don't mind the idea of gobbling down slippery, slimy invertebrates. (By Ryann Connell)

July 30, 2007
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/news/20070729p2g00m0dm024000c.html
Maineiacs
30-07-2007, 15:39
Thanks for ruining my appetite for the next week.


On a side note, if even Japan thinks it's too gross, you know it's gross.
Lunatic Goofballs
30-07-2007, 15:41
Fudge would be happy. *wonders if anyone will recognize the reference*
Maineiacs
30-07-2007, 15:50
Fudge would be happy. *wonders if anyone will recognize the reference*

Not totally certain. I'm going to guess Judy Blume. It's been 30+ years, but I remember a character by that name.
Kahanistan
30-07-2007, 16:04
Fudge would be happy. *wonders if anyone will recognize the reference*
Only character by that name I know of is Cornelius Fudge from the Harry Potter series, but I can't for the life of me figure out what he'd have to do with worms.
Chumblywumbly
30-07-2007, 16:08
For those unfamiliar, this is a "popular" children's song in NAmerica.
I learnt a slightly different version, courtesy of the Singing Kettle:

Nobody likes me,
everybody hates me,
I think I'll go and eat worms.
Big fat skoosy ones,
wee squirly sloopy ones,
See how they wriggle and squirm.

We-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-l,
you bight off their heads,
and you sook oot the juice,
and you throw the skins away.
I don't mind if I have to eat,
worms three times a day!
Lunatic Goofballs
30-07-2007, 16:10
Not totally certain. I'm going to guess Judy Blume. It's been 30+ years, but I remember a character by that name.

Your uncertainty makes me uncertain if I want to declare you the winner. :confused:
Troglobites
30-07-2007, 16:12
I have eaten the mighty moon worm.
Lunatic Goofballs
30-07-2007, 16:19
I have eaten the mighty moon worm.

:eek:

You're not supposed to eat em!

:(
Daistallia 2104
30-07-2007, 16:20
Thanks for ruining my appetite for the next week.

You don't wanna start me down the path of the topic foodstuffs considered culturally unappetising in the US/Europe. Trust me. :D

On a side note, if even Japan thinks it's too gross, you know it's gross.

It's all in the mind/culture.

Not totally certain. I'm going to guess Judy Blume. It's been 30+ years, but I remember a character by that name.

Fudge was a Judy Blume character. But I don't remember him eating worms. ("Eat it or wear it" is what I remember of Fudge - I gave myself a bowl of milk and cereal over the head just to find out what it was like.) Then again I only read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and maybe the later books had Fudge eating worms...

Personally, aside from the above song, I associate eating worms with Billy, who ate fried worms. :)

Only character by that name I know of is Cornelius Fudge from the Harry Potter series, but I can't for the life of me figure out what he'd have to do with worms.

:::Insert "kids these days" rant here::: ;)
Daistallia 2104
30-07-2007, 16:22
I learnt a slightly different version, courtesy of the Singing Kettle:

-snip-

:) Like most folk songs, there's a bazillion versions of it.
Carops
30-07-2007, 16:25
If you only ate half the worm, the other half could survive and go on to be served up again. I think this is a money-spinning con.
Cookesland
30-07-2007, 16:53
Thanks, but I think i'll stick to gummy worms ;)
Rambhutan
30-07-2007, 16:57
I thought this was going to be another Zilam thread.
Rejistania
30-07-2007, 17:39
EEEEEEEwwwwwwwwwwwwww! TY for supporting my diet!
Agerias
30-07-2007, 18:11
I ate a bag of silkworms when I was in Thailand. It tasted like really crunchy french fries.
Johnny B Goode
30-07-2007, 19:15
For those unfamiliar, this is a "popular" children's song in NAmerica.

Well, I've never heard of it. But as Maineiacs said, if Japan thinks it's too gross, you know it's too gross.
Posi
30-07-2007, 19:18
Fudge would be happy. *wonders if anyone will recognize the reference*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfudge
Lunatic Goofballs
30-07-2007, 20:27
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfudge

Full points. :)
Posi
30-07-2007, 20:48
Full points. :)Booyah!