TIMETravel
Watford Gap in Northamptonshire was the UK’s first motorway services and opened when the M1 did in November 1959. The first owner was Blue Boar, a local petrol station firm, and the services were colloquially known as Blue Boar for years. But perhaps Watford Gap’s greatest claim to fame was as a late night meeting place for bands driving to and from gigs in the 1960s. Motorists stopping for a reviving cuppa might have found themselves sat by Pink Floyd, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones.
One of the greatest pleasures of going on a holiday abroad can be trying the local food. But sometimes you bite off more than you can chew when you order off a menu more in hope than expectation and end up with a plate of mystery morsels.
In the spirit of culinary curiosity, we asked the staff at Mirror HQ (a pretty well-travelled bunch) for their foreign food memories.
To get the meatball rolling, I’ll contribute rattlesnake and bison testicles in Texas, jellyfish in Hong Kong and and whole baby frogs in Thailand. The rattlesnake wasn’t too bad…
Showbiz Reporter JJ Nattrass: raw fish eggs in a sort of mini 99p wafer cone in Seville. Truly awful.
Political Editor Ben Glaze: cod’s head in Iceland. It was foul.
Features Editor Nick Webster: raw chicken in Japan. Much better cooked.
Executive Editor Michael Greenwood: Sichuan hot pot in China. Billed as a “thousand pieces of stomach”.
Production Editor Peter Rickman: fugu (a potentially poisonous fish) in Japan. Mostly tasteless rubbery fish with the added frisson of wondering if he would survive.
Feature Writer Rachael Bletchly: roast guinea pig in Lima, Peru – delicious; boiled duck head in Vietnam – vile and you’re meant to slurp the eyes out.
Reporter Antonia Paget: grilled puffin in Iceland – lovely! Served with blueberries and yoghurt.
Assistant News Editor Stephen Jones: Kung Ten in Thailand – translates as “dancing shrimp” but it’s better described as live shrimp. You wrap them in a ball of sticky rice and try to swallow them before they can flip on to the back of your throat, making you gag. Weird but tasty.
Beauty Editor Lynne Hyland: rotten shark in Iceland. Can’t find the words to describe the taste but the smell was quite enough.
Feature Writer Rosie Hopegood: leg of garlic-fried tarantula in Cambodia – crispy, not too bad.
News Editor Andrew Snell: whale blubber (odd texture, salty), dried fish (like a fish crisp, weird) and sheep’s head (still trying not to think about it) in Iceland.
And last but not least: Deputy Travel Editor Marjorie Yue: yak burgers in Tibet – really nice. A shaggy lunch story! Giant Pineapple Inflatable Cooler £22.99, prezzybox.com
Perfect for a summer pool party, the floating fruit holds up to five drinks and an ice compartment to keep your tipples chilled while you have a dip.