Daily Dirt: Make certain to cover the dead seal in oil to repel the flies and maggots

You may need a bottle of Pepto before working your way through today’s three thoughts and Vol. 246 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Just a warning, but if you’re scanning today’s Daily Dirt while eating a meal you may want to either wait to eat or wait to read this a little later.

Here’s our latest round of medal-winning (and quite disgusting) foods from around the world:

Gold medal:  In Greenland, cuddly looking little auk birds are killed by the hundreds and stuffed into a dead seal to make something called “kiviak”. The seal is then sealed up (no pun intended) to be completely airtight, covered in oil to repel flies and maggots, and then fermented for three months. The pungent, toxic smelling bird meat is said to taste a bit like very mature cheeses or licorice. Yummy.

Silver medal: The Tamilok Woodworm is a popular Filipino delicacy found in the decaying, rotten logs in swamps in the Phillipines. The wood is cracked open in order to extract the slimy creatures from inside. Similar to oysters, the woodworms have a fishy, slimy texture complimented by a very distinct stench. I would guess a pack of Ritz crackers would help with the digestion.

Bronze medal: “Shiokara” is a Japanese delicacy (the term is used loosely) of squid intestines fermented in their own viscera (guts). It’s stinky, slimy and a very acquired taste. Very, very acquired.

2. The Great Plate Debate rankings march on …

And we have a few more new entries in our 2022 top 10 listing of personal license plates eyeballed across West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri. Last week’s rankings are in parentheses:

• 1. (1.) YADI LUV: YadierMolina’s first opportunity in the Major Leagues arrived when the Cardinals’ incumbent catcher, Mike Matheny, went on the DL during the team’s pennant-winning season of 2004.
• 2. (2.) GOLD D LOX:  I’ve always wondered what exactly goes into porridge?
• 3. (-) PAT PAT 1: This is another one of those great plates that simply looks good on a vehicle.
• 4. (3.) 00 MAY 00: This reference is for veteran football fans … would this have been perfect for Jim Otto’s car?
• 5. (4.) MEANCAT: The largest “big cat” — AND meanest — is the Siberian tiger, which can weigh an astonishing 660 pounds and stretch more than 10 feet nose to tail.
• 6. (5.) QUINCY: This plate’s simplicity is its strength.
• 7. (4.) PINK: In case you were wondering, Pink (the singer) is now 42 years old.
• 8. (6.) CAL GAL: Cher and Katy Perry are arguable the most famous female singers from California.
• 9. (-) PAL GAL: Judging by some of the stickers on the vehicle, I’m pretty sure the driver was from Palmyra, Mo.
• 10. (10-tie.) OH DEER 4: I seem to run into this plate at least once a week. An omen?

Honorable mention: HOWDYDO (6.), 5 TATER, POG, G KNEE 52, 90 HERO, RENO, G MAN 87. D BUG 93.

No. 1 Rankings: YADI LUV (6 weeks), GOL D LOX (2 weeks).

3. McDonald’s is testing a new breakfast sandwich in selected markets that — if it proves popular — will likely be added to menus nationwide.

The new “Southern Style Chicken Breakfast Sandwich” is served on a flaky biscuit or English muffin, and is described as a “southern-style fried chicken fillet that’s crispy, juicy and tender”.Information from McDonald’s indicates if the test run is successful, it could be added to the permanent menu as soon as February or March 2023.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Steve wishes the new McDonald’s sandwich good luck. “But I’m never going to buy one until McDonald’s re-opens its inside dining areas,” he said. “I’ve been boycotting the Golden Arches for months, and will continue until I can once again eat a Big Mac in the comfort of a booth, as opposed to trying not  to slop it all over myself in the front seat of my car.”

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Yes, his idea of comfort is a booth at a fast food establishment.