Here is a list of Secret Ingredients you will never see on the Iron Chef America, even though they are eaten around the world.
Horse meat
Dog or cat meat
Rat meat
Hamster or guinea pig meat
Monkey (or any other primate) meat
Baby chicks
Udders (sow, cow, sheep)
Elephant meat
Giraffe
Zebra meat
Would I eat any of these? Don't know, don't care. I've been watching Iron Chef America since it began, and I'm getting really bored with the secret ingredients. They seem a lot tamer than the original Japanese version. They've even repeated a few of the secret ingredients a couple of times just worded differently in an attempt to disguise the repeat!
I mean, eggs - C'mon! Lobster, scallops, langoustine, chocolate, crab - all repeats! They're really reaching when they have battles called "Breakfast," "Cowboy Ribeye," "Farmers Market" and "Pizza Dough". You can check the list here, List of Iron Chef America episodes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What would I like to see in a food battle on Iron Chef America? Truffles. They've done only one show on mushrooms. Truffles and truffle oil are becoming available to the masses. A local restaurant makes french fries in truffle oil, and I would love to see someone besides Emeril Lagasse make a nice champagne sauce with shaved truffles in it. Surely we could see some real creativity with truffles!
And how about pasta? There hasn't been not one battle on pasta. I've seen some pastas made in Kitchen Stadium (including chocolate) but not used as the secret ingredient.
I was thrilled to see them finally battle over avocado. The Beer battle was a cute idea too. Certainly snails, rabbit, and cranberries had my full attention. But the honey and maple syrup and sugar battles-- what next, stevia? And if we're going to do Battle Butter, why not Battle Lard? There are so many kinds of lard in this world.
Bring on Battle Quick Breads and Battle Peach or Apricot! And, if we're going to do fish again, bring on Battle Fish Sticks, so we can all make a better fish sticks at home. Ok, I'm kidding, but at least do something cool, like Battle Shark or Battle Whale!
What would you like to see as the Secret Ingredient?
I agree that most of the ingredients would be easy for a skilled chef to utilize. I love how shocked and awed the chefs appear when the secret ingredient is... EGGS! "OH NO! What will I make with eggs... hrmmzz..." Battle Shark would be so amazing during Discovery's Shark Week. How sweet would it be to just see a great white carcass lying on the table and the chefs attacking it with butcher knives getting the best meat.
i prefer the japanese version of iron chef than the american one...
hahaha. Okay... some of these are kind of offensive--I'm not offending but I'm sure some people may be just for the sake of being offended... or maybe they really are offended. Eh.
I vote for zebra. Bear Grylls ate some on Man vs Wild, why not put it on Iron Chef? lol Ooh. Whale would be pretty awesome though I'm not sure what they'd be able to make out of it. There's only so much whale soup or whale fat you can take in one night.
I think that it is easy to create a unique dish out of uncommon ingredients. It shows innovation to create something even remotely unique out of common ingredients. It would be different if they would every once and a while use an uncommon meat so long as it is legal (and Zebra meat is not legal in the United States so that rules that out).
i love that show. zebra? monkey? come on now. i think the secret ingredients are fine. the judges always like it when they make something spectacular out of a seemingly normal secret ingredient. they need to actually be able to make 5 courses out of the ingredient; and you can't do that with ridiculous ingredients they've probably never even cooked before.
but i hear ya! I love the show to and it would be great if they got some real... strange ingredients.
How about SPAM? The meat, not the electronic variety.
It's 'Iron Chef AMERICA'. Most Americans aren't going to want to watch a show about cooking baby chicks and udders. Oh, I would. Of course I would. I watch Andrew Zimmerman.
testicles. oh wait, i think that's a different show.
giraffe? lol
In my opinion, I think Iron Chef America strives to show American viewers the versatility of more ordinary ingredients rather than what kind of "exotic eats" are out there. There are plenty of other shows that highlight such ingredients. For the most part, I think the Japanese version of the show is more interesting but I wouldn't mess with the format and style of the American version.
Wow not eating cat or dog meat...I FUCKING WONDER WHY.
Might it be because people have those animals as pets and in this part of the world, it's not acceptable or even LEGAL to eat those? Wow fucking duh.
I hate Iron Chef America so I really don't care. They've destroyed that show completely. I loved Iron Chef (the original Japanese version). This one just sucks. I'd lake to see them cook with anything relatively interesting and go up against Morimoto...they'd loose horribly! lol Sorry to bash it for those of you who like it.
You realize primates and elephants are endangered or close to being endangered right? They're eaten over the world, but not legally so that's one reason they'd never make an appearance. Another is because Iron Chef America is an American show and eating what we consider pets is taboo. In other countries, you have to be really rich to have a pet. And because a lot of countries don't have the land for growing cattle or pigs or chickens, they eat what's convenient and that's the other part of the list you gave.
You missed a few on the list:
1) Kangaroo meat: I heard once that Jack & the Box used it in their tacos. Probably a myth, but this meat is eaten around the world and known to be very tasty.2) Deer Meat: If you like beef but aren't too fond of the fat and grease, then Deer meat is the choice alternative. Eaten by families of hunters every year, and loved by the neighbors who get leftovers or just chance to smell the cooking of it.3) Alligator meat: For a long time, Gators have been on the endangered list, so such a meat was outlawed for regular consumption. But lately, I guess there's more to go around. A delicacy in the South (mostly Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, I believe). I find that it tastes like land-animal meat, but has the texture of fish (flakes like it, too). So even the meat of the gator is amphibious, lol. As for me, the secret ingredient in everything I make (though it's not secret when you get a whiff of it) is garlic. It's gotta have garlic. "daaahhh, most definitely." :P
@Pastor_AndyG@xanga - ive had gator meat when i went for a trip to the everglades. it was awesome. looked and tasted exactly like chicken believe it or not! =)
we need an UNI battle. or battle FOIE GRAS.
It's because the average Americans are too grossed out by exotic meats. My bf won't even eat a fish with the head still attached! I wouldn't mind, but I know someone out there is going to cry and make a big stink. Imagine the judging panal eating Mr. Fluffy.
I kinda want to see them work junk food and turn that into high cuisine. Or maybe make something that is gluten free, dairy free, etc while dealing with the secret ingredient.
I'm pretty sure some of the animals you listed can only be bought on the black market.
Haha at Battle Whale. Didn't you watch Star Trek IV? Killing the whales will lead to our destruction in 400 years.
I completely agree with the author. I think Iron Chef America is way too weak. I would love to see some more interesting ingredients and I can't believe they have never done an episode on truffles!!
@thegreenlinda@xanga - a junk food episode would be awesome!! I would love for them to have to do something with cheetos or ring dings.
Hmm..I'll have to think about an interesting secret ingredient but what if they had the chef's cook in another's style? For example Bobby Flay would cook in Morimoto's style and they could probably record clips of each chef spending time with the other to learn; i.e. learning how to properly make sushi, etc.
hippo meat! ive heard their steaks are better than filet mignon. like buttah!
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Comments (33)
I agree that most of the ingredients would be easy for a skilled chef to utilize. I love how shocked and awed the chefs appear when the secret ingredient is... EGGS! "OH NO! What will I make with eggs... hrmmzz..." Battle Shark would be so amazing during Discovery's Shark Week. How sweet would it be to just see a great white carcass lying on the table and the chefs attacking it with butcher knives getting the best meat.
i prefer the japanese version of iron chef than the american one...
hahaha. Okay... some of these are kind of offensive--I'm not offending but I'm sure some people may be just for the sake of being offended... or maybe they really are offended. Eh.
I vote for zebra. Bear Grylls ate some on Man vs Wild, why not put it on Iron Chef? lol
Ooh. Whale would be pretty awesome though I'm not sure what they'd be able to make out of it. There's only so much whale soup or whale fat you can take in one night.
I think that it is easy to create a unique dish out of uncommon ingredients. It shows innovation to create something even remotely unique out of common ingredients. It would be different if they would every once and a while use an uncommon meat so long as it is legal (and Zebra meat is not legal in the United States so that rules that out).
i love that show.
zebra? monkey? come on now. i think the secret ingredients are fine. the judges always like it when they make something spectacular out of a seemingly normal secret ingredient. they need to actually be able to make 5 courses out of the ingredient; and you can't do that with ridiculous ingredients they've probably never even cooked before.
@CrAdLe2daGrAve@xanga - Ditto.
Lol dog and cat meat.
but i hear ya! I love the show to and it would be great if they got some real... strange ingredients.
How about SPAM? The meat, not the electronic variety.
It's 'Iron Chef AMERICA'. Most Americans aren't going to want to watch a show about cooking baby chicks and udders. Oh, I would. Of course I would. I watch Andrew Zimmerman.
testicles. oh wait, i think that's a different show.
giraffe? lol
In my opinion, I think Iron Chef America strives to show American viewers the versatility of more ordinary ingredients rather than what kind of "exotic eats" are out there. There are plenty of other shows that highlight such ingredients. For the most part, I think the Japanese version of the show is more interesting but I wouldn't mess with the format and style of the American version.
Wow not eating cat or dog meat...I FUCKING WONDER WHY.
Might it be because people have those animals as pets and in this part of the world, it's not acceptable or even LEGAL to eat those? Wow fucking duh.
I hate Iron Chef America so I really don't care. They've destroyed that show completely. I loved Iron Chef (the original Japanese version). This one just sucks. I'd lake to see them cook with anything relatively interesting and go up against Morimoto...they'd loose horribly! lol Sorry to bash it for those of you who like it.
You realize primates and elephants are endangered or close to being endangered right? They're eaten over the world, but not legally so that's one reason they'd never make an appearance. Another is because Iron Chef America is an American show and eating what we consider pets is taboo. In other countries, you have to be really rich to have a pet. And because a lot of countries don't have the land for growing cattle or pigs or chickens, they eat what's convenient and that's the other part of the list you gave.
You missed a few on the list:
1) Kangaroo meat: I heard once that Jack & the Box used it in their tacos. Probably a myth, but this meat is eaten around the world and known to be very tasty.2) Deer Meat: If you like beef but aren't too fond of the fat and grease, then Deer meat is the choice alternative. Eaten by families of hunters every year, and loved by the neighbors who get leftovers or just chance to smell the cooking of it.3) Alligator meat: For a long time, Gators have been on the endangered list, so such a meat was outlawed for regular consumption. But lately, I guess there's more to go around. A delicacy in the South (mostly Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, I believe). I find that it tastes like land-animal meat, but has the texture of fish (flakes like it, too). So even the meat of the gator is amphibious, lol.As for me, the secret ingredient in everything I make (though it's not secret when you get a whiff of it) is garlic. It's gotta have garlic. "daaahhh, most definitely." :P
@Pastor_AndyG@xanga - ive had gator meat when i went for a trip to the everglades. it was awesome. looked and tasted exactly like chicken believe it or not! =)
we need an UNI battle. or battle FOIE GRAS.
It's because the average Americans are too grossed out by exotic meats. My bf won't even eat a fish with the head still attached! I wouldn't mind, but I know someone out there is going to cry and make a big stink. Imagine the judging panal eating Mr. Fluffy.
I kinda want to see them work junk food and turn that into high cuisine. Or maybe make something that is gluten free, dairy free, etc while dealing with the secret ingredient.
I'm pretty sure some of the animals you listed can only be bought on the black market.
Haha at Battle Whale. Didn't you watch Star Trek IV? Killing the whales will lead to our destruction in 400 years.
I completely agree with the author. I think Iron Chef America is way too weak. I would love to see some more interesting ingredients and I can't believe they have never done an episode on truffles!!
@thegreenlinda@xanga - a junk food episode would be awesome!! I would love for them to have to do something with cheetos or ring dings.
Hmm..I'll have to think about an interesting secret ingredient but what if they had the chef's cook in another's style? For example Bobby Flay would cook in Morimoto's style and they could probably record clips of each chef spending time with the other to learn; i.e. learning how to properly make sushi, etc.
hippo meat! ive heard their steaks are better than filet mignon. like buttah!