Postgame Show: Andrew Zimmern's Nutsacks

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: Postgame Show: Andrew Zimmern's Nutsacks
Release Date: January 31, 2025

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Introduction to the Episode and Guest

In this engaging episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, hosts Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Jessica, and Chris welcome renowned food explorer and television personality Andrew Zimmern. The conversation delves into Zimmern's illustrious career, his unique memorabilia collection, and his deep involvement in the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.

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Andrew Zimmern’s Career and Storytelling in Food

Andrew Zimmern shares his journey from being a chef and restaurateur to becoming a celebrated storyteller in the realm of food television. He reflects on how his passion for food naturally evolved into a career that bridges culinary arts with cultural exploration.

Andrew Zimmern (04:32):
“I sort of fell into a television career. I was a chef and a restaurateur. I had never thought of myself as a storyteller, but that's what I was doing with my food.”

Zimmern emphasizes the significance of his show, Bizarre Foods, which has been a staple on the Travel Channel for over 12 years. He highlights how the show pioneered a new way of presenting food by exploring diverse cultures and their culinary practices, moving away from traditional cooking demonstrations to immersive cultural narratives.

Andrew Zimmern (04:43):
“It was actually innovative explorers out in the world bringing cultures that you may not be exposed to and new ideas and new ways of thinking about not just food, but about all totems of culture right into your living room.”

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Favorite Episodes and Memorable Experiences

When asked about his favorite episodes, Zimmern recounts a particularly staggering experience in Botswana that profoundly impacted his perspective on culture and culinary practices.

Andrew Zimmern (04:28):
“Botswana. Not even close. I went in there... we captured it on tape. I'm just hysterically crying. It was one of those staggering experiences of my life.”

This episode in Botswana showcased Zimmern witnessing and partaking in local rituals that challenged his preconceived notions, reinforcing his commitment to exploring and understanding global food cultures.

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Unique Memorabilia: The Nutsack Collection

A significant portion of the conversation turns humorous as Zimmern showcases his unusual memorabilia collection—animal nutsacks. This collection, which includes specimens from various wild animals, serves as a testament to his adventurous culinary endeavors.

Andrew Zimmern (07:08):
“I have the nut sacks of six or seven different animals that I've taken in the wild and whose balls I've eaten. And most people gravitate towards that first and foremost.”

Zimmern explains the cultural significance and the process of collecting these items, often involving interactions with tribal communities and elaborate preservation methods.

Andrew Zimmern (07:30):
“Sometimes they fill it with salt and they tan it for me. And one tribal people... put a little leather around it, like a little drawstring pouch.”

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South Beach Wine and Food Festival Involvement

Zimmern expresses his deep-rooted connection with the annual South Beach Wine and Food Festival (SOBEE WFF), highlighting its growth and significance in the culinary world.

Andrew Zimmern (13:25):
“I think it's the biggest in the country, and it is one of my favorites. I was there in year one. I've been a part of this forever.”

He details his various roles in the festival, from cooking dinners to hosting events, and underscores the importance of supporting culinary education through scholarship funds.

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Challenges in the Restaurant Industry and Philanthropy

The discussion shifts to the struggles faced by the restaurant industry, exacerbated by economic downturns and the COVID-19 pandemic. Zimmern underscores the critical role of scholarships in sustaining culinary talent and supporting independent restaurants, which are vital to the American economy.

Andrew Zimmern (15:00):
“Supporting scholarships for people that want to keep the culinary culture alive in America... Independent restaurants employ 11 million people.”

He highlights the contributions of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival to the Chaplain School of Hospitality and Tourism at FIU, emphasizing the festival's role in fostering new talent and preserving culinary traditions.

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Humorous Interlude: Nut Rankings

Adding a lighthearted touch, Zimmern and the hosts engage in a playful ranking of nuts, blending culinary discussion with humor.

Andrew Zimmern (17:16):
“Number one has to be what are called in the rest of the world ground nuts, but we call them here in America, peanuts...”

This segment showcases the camaraderie and fun dynamic among the hosts and their guest, providing listeners with entertaining content alongside informative discussions.

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Conclusion and Event Promotion

The episode concludes with detailed information about the upcoming 24th Annual South Beach Wine and Food Festival, emphasizing its significance, educational impact, and the widespread community support it garners.

Andrew Zimmern (15:50):
“It's really exciting. You can just feel the energy of 70, 80,000 people who are just there for this incredible event that is now citywide.”

Listeners are encouraged to participate and support the festival, contributing to the ongoing efforts to sustain and celebrate culinary excellence.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Andrew Zimmern (04:32):
  “I sort of fell into a television career. I was a chef and a restaurateur. I had never thought of myself as a storyteller, but that's what I was doing with my food.”

• Andrew Zimmern (07:08):
  “I have the nut sacks of six or seven different animals that I've taken in the wild and whose balls I've eaten.”

• Andrew Zimmern (13:25):
  “I think it's the biggest in the country, and it is one of my favorites. I was there in year one. I've been a part of this forever.”

• Andrew Zimmern (15:00):
  “Supporting scholarships for people that want to keep the culinary culture alive in America... Independent restaurants employ 11 million people.”

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers a comprehensive look into Andrew Zimmern's multifaceted career, his unique personal interests, and his unwavering dedication to culinary education and cultural exploration. Through engaging conversations and humorous anecdotes, listeners gain insight into the passion and commitment that drive one of the most influential figures in food television today.

Transcript

[Chris]

You're listening to Giraffkings Network.

[Dan]

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[Jessica]

Chris, when I say the name Andrew Zimmern, what happens to you? Do you just immediately, Jessica, you're a foodie. Like, do you guys immediately just go crazy with your taste buds now are activated?

[Chris]

I mean, I grew up on his show. It is one of my favorite shows of all time. I am the biggest Andrew Zimmern dream job.

[Jessica]

Okay. Dream job. I imagine all these people say these things. So I'm happy to have him in with us today. I'm doing an event with him for the food and Wine Festival in Miami. Not for him, but around him. These festivities, I'm honored to be a part of them because Miami actually throws a really great party this time of year. Tickets are now on sale@sobee wff.org it's going to be February 20th through the 23rd. But Jessica, what do you want to ask if this is a person you're dying to talk to? And thank you, Andrew, for being on with us. What do you want to ask?

[Andrew]

Well, if he's cooking for you at this festival, make sure that it doesn't have gluten, dairy, carbs, bread, sugar. Besides that, you're good to go.

[Jessica]

It's very, yeah, it's very limiting my diet.

[Chris]

Andrew, we just talked. We met a few years ago in New York. My first question, are you still buddies with cousin Stiz?

[Andrew Zimmern]

I am still buddies with cousin Stiz. We're, we're social media buddies. But he, we, we slide into each other's DMs frequently. One of these days I will be in a city where he is performing and take my kids and we'll go. Should be a, should be a good time. He's, he's a, he's a great dude.

[Dan]

This guy is so cool.

[Jessica]

Dan, do you, do you have indeed a dream job? Does he have this right?

[Andrew Zimmern]

It's interesting. You know, I sort of fell into a television career. You know, I was a chef and a restaurateur. And, you know, I had never thought of myself as a storyteller, but in fact, that's what I was doing with my food. That's what I was doing whenever I was, you know, on the stump in the food world, flying my trade, you know, at events like the one in south beach that you're talking about. And then I, in the early days of food television, this is 28 years ago, started to get my. My name out there and started to do some little appearances, and then it led to national appearances that led to national regular appearances on other people's shows and then ultimately to my own work. And obviously, Bizarre Foods is a legacy show on for 12 years. We made hundreds of episodes. It won a gazillion awards. And I guess probably as famously as all of that Monday nights on Travel Channel for years was Sour Foods with me and no reservations with my friend Tony Bourdain back to back for many, many, many years. And I think for a lot of folks young and old, that was a pivotal, pivotal moment in the history of food television, where it wasn't a talking head standing behind a cutting board making you teaching how to grill a steak or make a pasta. It was actually innovative explorers out in the world bringing cultures that you may not be exposed to and new ideas and new ways of thinking about not just food, but about all totems of culture right into your living room. And that's what I've continued to do with my 14, 15 shows since then, with all of my nonprofit work, with all of the other things I do with my production company. Intuitive content is we try to keep people curious and bring ideas out into the forefront of American culture that may be buried or come from somewhere else that people may not want to hear about.

[Chris]

Do you have a favorite episode that you've shot of Bizarre Foods?

[Andrew Zimmern]

Yeah. Botswana. Not even close. I went in there. I am a very cynical, overly educated, east coast old man. And if you had told me that a human being could eat piles of hot charcoal four feet away from me, dig himself into the sand, disjoint his shoulders and hips to do that, and then astrally project himself miles, miles away and have another shaman go into my head and learn things about me that there is no way he could have known about, like, no way all that stuff happened in front of me. And. And. And then I went and sat outside this shaman's hut because I. I didn't want anyone to talk to him because I had to ask him when he came out how he knew what he knew about my life. And he actually went into my head. We had a shared experience and we captured it on tape. And I'm just hysterically crying. I'm. I'm clearly in another place with him. It was one of those staggering experiences of my life, but that's where I learned how to be a little greener.

[Jessica]

How excited are you right now, Jessica? Because this person is an icon. This person, the way that he cares about food and talks about food and brings food to people makes him some. He makes him a shaman, like he speaks. And there's a community of food network lovers who will grab every dollop that this man speaks and turn it into the sweetest of sugar.

[Chris]

I bet he has some crazy memorabilia in his house, too. We're trying to figure out what is the flag behind you? It's like red and white striped with.

[Andrew Zimmern]

Oh, that is. That is a Minnesota flag that was carried by a regiment to round top in at Gettysburg.

[Chris]

See what I mean?

[Andrew Zimmern]

I collect a lot of unusual memorabilia and I. And I. I actually think really well amongst a lot of clutter. So you see a lot of things behind me. This is actually my office. That's one of Paul McCartney's guitars over my other shoulder. But I happen to have a. Over on this little thing here. I have the nut sacks of six or seven different animals that I've taken in the wild and whose balls I've eaten. And most people gravitate towards that first and foremost.

[Chris]

I have that in my house, too.

[Andrew Zimmern]

Well, as does everyone. I just have more of them.

[Chris]

Which animals?

[Andrew Zimmern]

There's a. Well, the largest belongs to the 25th largest wild bison ever taken. I shot it in New Mexico about eight years ago. It's about this big. And it goes down to. I mean, relatively small, but, you know, kudu, you know, which is an African antelope, and a lot of different animals in between. I have a wildebeest nut sack over there that is about the size of a softball, and they're tanned. I actually tan them myself in a rustic way. You just pipe salt into them. And the most awkward thing in the world is once you start collecting them when you're out with tribal peoples or you have an opportunity to. To harvest an animal and eat it with a tribe. And I say, can I have the nut sack? And they look at me like I'm crazy. And I tell them I'm going to make a purse out of it. And then sometimes they fill it with salt and they tan it for me. And one tribal people. I was there For a week. They actually put a little leather around it, like a little drawstring pouch. So I could actually use it. I just don't like to take it out in public because people ask all kinds of crazy questions. What's that nutsack doing in your hands, Zimmern?

[Dan]

Well, can we see? Show us your nut sacks.

[Andrew Zimmern]

Would you like to see one?

[Dan]

I would love it.

[Andrew Zimmern]

Yeah.

[Chris]

I got. We got to get top five nut sacs.

[Andrew]

He's nothing you can't put salt on.

[Andrew Zimmern]

Let's see.

[Andrew]

Well, he's walking back.

[Dan]

He had the opportunity to prank us.

[Andrew Zimmern]

This is.

[Unknown]

This is.

[Andrew Zimmern]

This is an African antelope called a kudu.

[Andrew]

More hair than I thought I was.

[Chris]

Gonna say the same thing. Very nice coat of hair.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Andrew Zimmern]

This is a moose for the audio audience.

[Chris]

He's showing us testicles.

[Andrew Zimmern]

It's the size, by the way. This is almost the size. It's nutsack is the size of my head.

[Andrew]

The moose sack looks like the size of, like, a bag you bring into a stadium. Like, if it were clear.

[Andrew Zimmern]

That's right.

[Andrew]

Bring that in. That's exactly stadium.

[Andrew Zimmern]

That's exactly right. I will tell you. I will tell you that one of the funniest episodes of Bizarre Foods that we ever shot, we went. We were in Beijing, and we went to a restaurant where all they serve are dishes made with the twigs and berries of various animals around the world. And I was with a guide, and, you know, because I don't speak Chinese, and no one in that place spoke English, and, you know, my Mandarin is wonky. And we just ordered the tasting menu, and they start. And I my lips to God's ears, this is true. They start with the smallest twig and berry set of a snake, and it goes all the way up to an ox for your final course. Then it goes back down. Cause dessert is a sweet one made with azimuth and frog testicles, which are very, very small. And it tastes sort of like a rice dessert or a tapioca pudding sort of thing. But I will say that as crazy as that all sounds, and as much as even I'm giggling on the inside, when people say, well, we want to eat all parts of the anim, and we want full utilization so we're not wasting it. Is that. It is those experiences from 20 years ago, 15 years ago, that is the reason why I'm the global ambassador for food and specifically food waste for the United Nations World Food Program. Because I've seen what full utilization looks like. And I understand. I think, what's tolerable in different cultures around the world. So it informs a lot of my, even a lot of my nonprofit work and other things that I've won a lot of attention for and in some cases, you know, some hardware.

[Jessica]

Not only do I believe that to be the best television that will be made by anyone today, producing television, I believe it rivals anything ever made by television and could have only been made better if you had indeed taken Billy Gill's suggestion of pranking us. When you say, do you want to see the testicles? You go over, you bend over and then they're your testicles. That's.

[Andrew Zimmern]

That would have been.

[Jessica]

You had a chance, you had a chance to sucker our entire show there. It, it's still available to you if you want to get that as the punctuation of this.

[Andrew Zimmern]

You want to, you want to know something. You want to know something from a, from a creative standpoint. And I'm not doing any log rolling here. When my publicity people called and said, do you want to, you know, go on and, and talk to you? I was like, are you kidding me? Because they had never asked me who, who I listened to and have listened to for years and years. You've been in my home for 15 years. I think so.

[Jessica]

So that joke.

[Andrew Zimmern]

So, so more than in more than one location. So my, my, my point is a complete stranger that I don't have any respect for yet, except for the natural respect that I bring that new relationship. I might, I might drop trout, but I have too much respect for you, believe it or not.

[Jessica]

Okay, well, thank you for that because it would, I mean, Billy, tell me, if he had done that, if, if he had done that and dismounted the segment with suckering our entire show, no one would have been made happier by that than you.

[Andrew Zimmern]

Well, I mean, okay, define happy. Yeah, I'll tell you, I'll tell you one thing, though. I don't think Emmy would have been out of the question.

[Jessica]

I agree. You are an award winning content maker. I don't know what you're doing with intuitive content. I'd like to ask you. He. I will say again for the people, this is a really good event every year. South Florida doesn't really throw that many great events, but this one is consistently great. And it's the 24th annual South Beach Wine and Food Festival presented by Capital one. It is February 20th through the 23rd and tickets are now on sale, so be wff.org I should tell the people that all the proceeds from the festival will go to the Chaplain School of Hospitality and tourism at FIU and that. That has had more than $40 million raised for it. Because this is one of the biggest ones you do every year, right? And it's got to be one of your favorites.

[Andrew Zimmern]

I think it's the biggest in the country, and it is one of my favorites. And, you know, I. I was there in year one. I've been a part of this forever. The. The people who created this festival are close friends of mine. The recipients are close friends of mine. The Chaplin family. I've gotten to know fiu. I've got to know and spok. But what's really amazing is we started giving money into this scholarship fund, and we get volunteers from the school to come help us at these big events. I mean, I'm cooking a fancy pants dinner Thursday night at Lamar in Miami. I'm doing some stuff at foodiecon on Saturday. I am co hosting. I've co hosted the closing event on the beach, I think every year that they've had one. And I'm doing a demo on Sunday in the, in the grand tasting tent. And we have FIU students helping us all the time because those are our volunteers. They help make the, the festival go. And the students get a chance to work with, you know, the great chefs in the world that fly for this event. What's nuts is to be in a restaurant in Orlando or Palm beach, you know, and I'm there with my friends or my family, and the chef comes out and, you know, the food's fantastic. And, you know, I. Oh, Chef, nice to meet you. And he says, it's just an honor to meet you again. And I'm just. And I said, oh, forgive me for not remembering. And he turns on his phone and shows me a picture of him as a student at fiu, volunteering in, like, my booth or at my demo. And it happens to me at least twice a year. And the reason I bring that up is that the restaurant industry has really taken it in the shorts over the last eight, nine years. You know, with the downturn in the economy, then Covid and just. We could just keep going on and on and on. So supporting scholarships for people that want to keep the culinary culture alive in America, which is 11% of GB. Sorry, it's about 6. Independent restaurants alone are about six and a half percent of GDP. That's just independent restaurants. Just independent restaurants employ 11 million people. And independent restaurants, which is where most really good culinarians go to ply their trade. That's the heartbeat of America. It's where we celebrate our birthdays and anniversaries and go on first dates and last dates and, you know, everything in between. So vitally important work. So, you know, we talk about eat, drink, and educate, and we get a chance to do all of that. It's. It's. It's really, really fun. And for anyone who's been. Even around Miami, when it's going on, you can just feel the energy of 70, 80,000 people who are just there for this incredible event that is now citywide. Hundreds of private dinners and restaurants, the big events on the beach, lots of satellite events in different neighborhoods all over the city. So it's really exciting.

[Jessica]

What did he mean by that? The taking it in the shorts. What does that mean?

[Chris]

I mean, stop talking about testicles.

[Andrew]

Shit himself.

[Jessica]

What happened?

[Andrew Zimmern]

I keep going back. I keep going back to the well until the well runs dry. Dan, that's the who. That's the whole point. No, the restaurant industry has. Has suffered immensely from.

[Jessica]

No, I understood that part. It was the taking it in the shorts part that I didn't understand.

[Andrew Zimmern]

I keep going back to the same. To the same group of metaphors. I mean, sacks.

[Jessica]

It just. It always comes back to the testicle. So let's. Let's dismount with this. We were talking about this yesterday. The bronze, silver, and gold medalist of best nuts. Actual nuts, not testicles, or. Those are actual nuts. I gu. But between all of. Not legumes, but from all of the nut categories. The top three nuts are what? Start with the bronze medalist.

[Andrew Zimmern]

Bronze. I'm going to go with pistachio.

[Jessica]

That was my choice as well. And. Excellent. Give him his music. You got to give him his music. Because I came up with this list, and I felt like I was aggressive with my crew. They were. They. They didn't want to. They didn't want to argue.

[Andrew Zimmern]

At number two silver medal, I'm gonna give to pecans.

[Jessica]

And number one.

[Andrew Zimmern]

Number one has to be what are called in the rest of the world ground nuts, but we call them here in America, peanuts, because of their versatility, popularity, and I think texturally, what happens to them at different temperatures makes them really popular with culinarians. We can do a lot with peanuts.

[Andrew]

Pistachio was a good one.

[Jessica]

Nuts.

[Andrew]

You had it.

[Dan]

Another one.

[Jessica]

It was right there for you. Thank you, Andrew.

[Dan]

Paws up.

[Andrew Zimmern]

You guys are the best.

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