Introducing Megan McCormick - Been There, Ate That. Various Locales. (Written by Megan McCormick.)

Megan & Eddie on the express train to Yumsville.

For the last few years I have done a bit of traveling for a show called Globetrekker. Talk about an eye-opening, mouthwatering experience! Through my “job” and some independent travel, I have visited almost 40 countries. Now, by saying that, I am not trying to brag, no, not me. I simply state the facts in order to help explain how I may have had the pleasure to sample such wonderful delicacies as “Fruit Bat tied with Yellow Ribbon” in Micronesia and “Cobra Heart with Rice Wine Chaser” in Vietnam. My friend Eddie has an even more adventurous palate and no one is paying him to do it! Mad respect to you, Eddie!

That said, my eyes have been opened, my palate broadened and, here, on Deep End Dining, I am going to dish it! Tune in for all the gory glory about the things I have eaten on the road. The good, the bad and sometimes, the very ugly.

Speaking of on the road:

Best Roadside Food: Camel Kebab, Somewhere in southern Oman.

If you ever find yourself in Oman and you are down south visiting the beaches and perhaps Job’s tomb, please stop by one of the roadside stalls. There is nothing quite like a camel kebab. It comes served with pita and all the customary salad and sauces. The real beauty of it is in saying camel kebab three times quickly while chewing (and chewing and chewing and chewing).

Actual Best Roadside Food: TIE! Laos and France

Laos: There is nothing like a 25 cent bowl of gorgeous noodle soup first thing in the morning. In Laos it’s called foe and it isn’t just for breakfast anymore! I enjoyed this soup at least once a day. And I do mean enjoyed. It’s basic thin rice noodles, sometimes some meat (beef, chicken or even water buffalo), and usually comes with a salad and some coriander and bean sprouts on the side. For me it’s all about the spice. I remember one particular bowl in a place near Louang Namtha in the north. The owner of the establishment serenaded us with Elvis tunes. At least I think that’s what he was singing.

France: Believe it or not one of the best meals I had in France (keep in mind I eat on a budget most of the time) was at a routier which is a French truck stop. It was a bargain. A four-course meal made from fresh local produce, meats and cheeses complete with all the wine you can drink (brilliant! Especially since they are serving people who drive for a living! Gotta love the French.) All for around eight bucks! There was one long table in the middle of the place and we hobnobbed with some of the friendliest truckers that side of the Atlantic. I’m not sure where in France this one was, somewhere between Spain and England, but I am sure there are others. Look for the café with the most abandoned lorries and you have probably found a good one.

The Ugliest Food: Well this auspicious distinction goes to none other than the famous grasscutter a.k.a. jungle rat of Ghana. Not a cute critter but, man, it is good eatin’. Shave him, boil him and serve him in a broth with some fu fu (cassava that is thick and smooth kind of like mochi in Japan) and voila! I thought about trying this with a New York City rat once, but luckily I sobered up.

(Written by Megan McCormick. Megan is also the host for television's Globe Trekker.)