I’ve been thinking of going for ages and now I have. It was an interesting experience; in a good sort of way. I was up for quite a lot of things but I drew the line at live grasshoppers. I did try, in order of wildness factor:

• Deep Fried Grasshopper - Crunchy but not much taste to it. Definitely not bitter like I expected.
• Live Huhu Grub - Despite what everyone says, it doesn’t taste like peanut butter. The texture is more watery compared to peanut butter, and it has a familiar pleasant-ish taste that I couldn’t quite describe.
• Wasp Larvae Ice Cream - By far the worst thing I had. The gritty texture is horrible. I couldn’t have done it without the ice cream.
• Barbequed Huhu Grub - If you can handle a wriggling huhu grub, try a live one cause it’s heaps better.
• Worms for Wimps (worm in V energy drink) - Couldn’t taste it as it is so tiny.
• Chocolate Worm Truffle - Tastes just like truffle. Wouldn’t have known there were worms in there.
• Tasty Titties (cow’s udder) – It was seasoned and BBQ’d. Tastes okay but is basically just a lump of fat. Similar to pork fat.
• Mountain Oyster (bull’s testicles) - I never had oyster but the taste reminded me of mussels.
• Pig Brain - Couldn’t pick out the taste of the pig brain from the pate.
• Punga - Not sure how to describe this one but it was good-ish.
• Kava - Not as bitter as I was led to believe but it could have been toned down.
• Kowlua and Milk (coffee liqueur with fresh unpasturised cow’s milk) - I could only taste the Kahlua.
• Crocodile - White meat that tastes just like chicken. Honestly.
• Kangaroo - Red meat with similar taste to beef. Perhaps a bit tougher.
• Shark - Once battered and fried, not much different than your average fish from a fish and chips shop.
• Bison - Tastes like beef but tougher. It might just be how it was prepared though.
• Honey Comb - Pure honey. Need I say more? It’s a bit hard to get the comb down once the honey is gone.

Now that I’ve listed them, it looks like a lot. We did share the food. Expect to spend at least NZD 50 per person. More if you want to get boozed up too. That is excluding the entry ticket which costs NZD 30.

If you’re thinking of going next year, check out the official website of the Wildfoods Festival at www.wildfoods.co.nz. Be sure to sort out your accomodation early.