A Personal Journey to Imbibe Offal, One Organ at a Time

If I were to locate the exact point in time when I became serious about food, it would have to be upon reading Anthony Bourdain’s essay in The New Yorker, “Don’t Eat Before Reading This” and his later book, Kitchen Confidential. In fact, the larger-than-life yet relatable late chef, writer, and travel documentarian had taught me more than just when to order fish at a restaurant in New York and to never, under any circumstances, order a steak well done—“they pay for the privilege of eating our garbage.” Bourdain, notorious for being a voracious and fearless eater, and who advocated for people to step out of their comfort zones and try new, exotic things—even to the extreme of unwashed warthog anus—was an enthusiast when it came to eating offal.