California and deep fried Mars bars

So the team of questers - me, Dori, David (Smith)and Megan who was co-opted - were on the case in Asilomar in California and surrounding towns (Monterrey, Carmel etc). The first view was that we should find something disgusting but also healthy to give it a Californian spin.

So we tried Kombucha which not only tastes a bit weird - think of the health drink Purdies but with a somewhat exaggerated and gingery taste, and it is fermented (or gone off!) tea but it has many horrid floating bits in it which they call 'buggers' (Yes I did point out that this word has other sexual meanings in English if not American) meaning of course 'boogies' (or to you snot). So it hits the spot(!) for looks and probably taste... Deep Fried Rating of 7.5 out of 10

David talked about Smoors which I did not find convincing until the final night of the conference when over an open fire Smoors were made. It goes like this: you get several marshmallows. Put them on a skewer and toast them over an open fire. Meanwhile get a Hershey bar or some similar chocolate put it on a cracker, add the hot soggy marshmallow and apply another cracker and squeeze them together. Eat the gooey mess. It has a somewhat similar overly sweet disgusting taste to a deep fired Mars bar if it does lacks the batter... Deep fried rating 8.5 out of 10.

You may think different or may have other 'deep fried moments' to tell us about!

In search of a deep fried Mars bar

[A true story]

The quest was on. Before I knew it I had gathered around me a disparate group of Brits and Yanks all seeking the Holy Grail of a deep fried Mars bar. But this was genteel Edinburgh - not Glasgow the home of the deep fried Mars and even deep fried Pizzas.

So leaving the pub and our songs behind we set off. It was about 11.30 on a hot June evening. We passed 3 chip shops none of which could fulfil our quest. My companions were beginning to get mean and restless and doubted the veracity of my story. I even doubted whether Edinburgh could reach these culinary heights (or was it depth?) of Glasgow. But the 4th chip shop did. It even offered a variety of deep fried produce. Indeed, it seemed willing to deep fry almost anything - including Snickers!

So I ordered one and the six of us watched as the Mars bar was unwrapped and dipped into the batter and then carefully lowered into the hot fat. A few minutes later it was done. The golden coloured batter was lovely and crisp to the taste and the Mars bar was all gooey and molten. We all in turn took a bite. Some reckoned it was little hot chocolate sauce and quite pleasant. I found it a bit sickly frankly.

I wouldn't have missed our quest for the world. But I wouldn't do it again!