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Bunny rabbit heads, drunken shrimp, raw sheep heart and snake soup are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Michael Ohlsson has put in his mouth. Five years ago, this native Californian (and former vegan) packed his bags and headed to Shanghai to pursue a career in music. Between gigs, he's documented his passion to explore the unique culinary traditions of the region through his blog, Weird Meat. We spoke with him about the intrigue of "weird" food, living in Shanghai and why he'd rather avoid the cherished Chinese delicacy, hairy crab.

AndrewZimmern.com: You started Weird Meat as part of a cultural Humanities project in college. Specifically, you decided to focus on the role of food across the globe. What about that topic initally intrigued you and why— years later— do you still find it fascinating?

Michael Ohlsson: Academia seems to mostly ignore food culture, focusing on art, literature, music, etc. I found this silly. Food is the only true universal language. Whether you're uneducated, deaf or blind, and regardless of social class, you still appreciate food. I believe most introductions to foreign cultures is through food. And I think most common ground is found this way. Food is a necessity, but in every culture, there are dishes that are such an integral part of culture, of expression, of identity, they're elevated to an art form. We are what we eat.

Likewise, I was curious to explore how much of "taste" and taboo in food is due to cultural conditioning.

AZ.com: Before becoming a connoseuir of weird meats, you were a vegan. Why did you become a vegan in the first place? When and how did you dietary habits take such an abrupt change?

MO: Mass market meat production is horrible. It's horrible for the environment, the ecology, on so many levels. It's also horrible for animals, and for consumer health, even taste. The easiest and obvious way to avoid supporting this is to go vegetarian. Besides, I grew up in California -- doesn't everyone there go through a veggie phase? Considering we've got some of the world's best fruits and vegetables, and such a cornucopia of ethnic cuisines, it's probably the best place to be veggie. But I don't think it's natural or healthy to be vegetarian, and hey I've had some great fake meat, but the taste and the cravings and satisfaction from real meat -- can't be denied. Luckily there's been a positive movement trickling down and you can now find organic, free-range, hormone-free, locally produced meat. It's more expensive, but maybe we should all be paying more for our food anyway. it's worth it.

Actually the moment came on a trip to Japan. As a vegan tourist, I went to a 300-year-old tofu restaurant and all the dishes had meat in them. Most Western vegetarians associate tofu as being a veggie protein supplement. I tried to get the dishes made without meat, but this humiliated my host and bewildered the restaurant staff who'd prepared dishes that are centuries old. I left feeling like a fool.

The next morning my host took me to the big fish market in Tokyo. I realized I'd never had sushi. The epiphany came -- raw meat in the slaughterhouse, after 7 years as a vegetarian. That was one of the best meals of my life. My brain woke up, my energy, my hormones, my zest for life -- angels were singing -- and so delicious.

AZ.com: You've been living and eating in Shanghai, China for the past 5 years. What brought you there? Why have you continued to stay?

MO: I visited China a few times and realized what an exciting place it was going to be over the next decade, with all the rapid development and change and opportunity. It's been a real adventure, with all the good and bad that come with adventures. I feel at home here now, but god I miss so much about California.

AZ.com: What do you think the Chinese could learn from the American food culture? What could Americans learn from them?


MO: That's a really good question. Certainly a hot topic now is food safety, and China's got to get it together fast. Americans have been lucky, with well-developed standards and regulations on for many decades. That said, I appreciate how the Chinese are generally closer to the source -- you pick out your fish from the restaurant tank and eat it off the bone. Most Americans freak out about this, uncomfortable with even thinking about where a slab of meat comes from.

Unfortunately, most of China is eating crap food. The revolutions destroyed the food culture in many ways. I think it will be decades in the future before there's a trend for slow-foods, for seasonal appreciation, for organic, local ingredients, and for cooking techniques that allow ingredients to shine instead of being covered up by senseless sauces.

AZ.com: I get this question all the time, so it's fun to finally ask someone else: What are the five strangest things you've ever eaten?

MO: 1. The controversial fish poop, for sure, takes the cake.
2. Live drunken shrimp.
3. Rabbit heads -- those buck-toothed skulls still haunt me.
4. Rooster testicles -- I didn't know they had them, and I was shocked when I realized they're bigger than mine!
5. Deep-fried tarantulas -- I didn't think I could do it. It took some real will power.

AZ.com: How about five foods you've discovered in China that you can't imagine living without?

MO: 1. The lesser known cuisines of China, like Yunnan and Xinjiang food. One of my dreams is to open restaurants featuring these back home. These are great cuisines that people should know about. Completely different from most of the Chinese food we all know, it's even rare in Shanghai and Beijing.

2. Sichuan food. All over China, Sichuan food is prized. But it's very under-represented outside of China. It's bold and spicy, and the essential "hua-jiao" peppercorns were even illegal in America until last year. They have a tingling, numbing effect that makes your mouth water -- very addictive.

3. Desserts. From the "ice mountains" of Taiwan to the hearty walnut cream soups that warm the belly in winter. I like how there's restraint, they're not overly fat or sweet like most Western desserts.

... and how about 3 that I can certainly do without?

1. Fatty pork. Imagine a thick, soggy bacon, with most of the meat cut off, and only the fat remaining. Remember, it's soggy and served with a sickly sweet brown goopey gravy. Absolutely disgusting. Maybe if we were on the tundra...

2. Moon cakes. I actually thought I'd gotten to like these the first few times I had them. I think most Chinese people don't really like them either -- they're like Christmas fruit-cakes are in the West -- gifted and re-gifted to friends and family, no one actually eats them.

3. Hairy crabs. These are a prized delicacy in Shanghai. They even have laser-etching (and counterfeiters of this!) to prove the crabs come from the prime source, a lake outside Shanghai. They're expensive, and they're tiny little meatless crabs. I don't get it. What little meat there is, is nothing to get excited about -- muddy, soft, and flavorless. Give me North American crabs, thanks!

AZ.com: Five restaurants in Shanghai that are not to be missed.

MO: Charmant. This is the standard all others in town should follow. Good honest food, affordable prices, super friendly and together service, and a nice music selection. It's perfect.

Yu Xin or Pinchuan for Sichuan cuisine. A lot of people give Pinchuan flack, but I think it's a great example of how to update a cuisine with modern standards of cooking, comfort, hospitality, ingredients, and integrity.

Various mala tang and la mian joints. These are as close as I get to street food in Shanghai. Mala tang is spicy soup and you pick from up to 50 ingredients you want to add. La mian is hand-pulled noodles -- so fresh and with an elastic chewiness that you get in no other noodles.

Xiao Nao Gao Spa. They serve my favorite Shanghainese cuisine, period, but so many extra bonus points cause it's inside an enormous 6-story modern bath house that has saunas, massage, cocktail bars, variety shows, and private gaming rooms. Oh, and everyone is dressed in silly Hawaiian print pygamas.

Southern Barbarian. The owner journeyed around the world as an acclaimed, but starving artist before coming back to China and opening this Yunnan food restaurant. He's got so much sincerity and passion for his food, a very rare quality in Shanghai. Even the beer selection is the best -- with over 30 varieties of craft beers from America and Europe. Did you know there's Chinese cheese? Try it here.

AZ.com: All-time favorite street food?

MO: Oh god, I could write a book. The one that usually comes to mind first is in Thailand -- for breakfast -- BBQ chicken with mango and sticky rice and papaya salad and Thai ice tea. Thailand just wins all the awards for street food. No contest.

AZ.com: What's in your fridge?

MO: The last bottle of rose for the warm season.

Several bottles of Red Seal and Acme Ale that my friends at American Craft Beers are importing to China, god bless them, saving face for Americans who are sick of Budweiser jokes.

Left-over Korean soup, and Pizza from Da Marco, my favorite Italian restaurant in Shanghai.

An enormous jar of capers, cause that's all we could find for our puttanesca.

Cocoa beans I brought back from India. So great to taste where chocolate comes from.

Moroccan black olives -- whenever a friend goes to Europe or North Africa, I always ask for a bag of these.

Some unidentified but very sharp and delicious goat cheese a friend found at a market in Xinjiang. I'm obsessed with finding out where this comes from exactly.

Coconut milk, saffron, sake, marmite, wasabi, fish sauce I mixed with bird chilies, durian jam, kaya...

Nothing weird? I've got a stack on my desk I'll be trying soon -- dried starfish from Xiamen, snails from Indonesia, mountain ants from Yunnan, and various insects from Edible Unique.

For more information on Michael and his adventures in Shanghai, visit his blog: www.weirdmeat.com