"ostrich" news and stories

Though the words "African food" might conjure spongy, expanding-in-the-tummy Ethiopian bread or the heavy bobotie that resembles a creamier version of moussaka, it's not all like that.

Indeed, gaze upon the malva above: Similar to a milky tres leches cake-- sweet, with a puddle of creme anglaise -- the traditional South African dessert made at Brooklyn, New York's Madiba is every bit as delectable as it looks. It's a fine way to raise a fork to South Africa's Freedom Day -- their 15th anniversary of democratic voting.

Other eateries featuring the country's cuisine include Los Angeles' sporty mini-chain Springbok and Atlanta's sexy-looking 10 Degrees South, where diners indulge in what one reviewer declared "perfectly spiced ostrich." So although that bird -- perfectly-spiced or otherwise -- may not be what you're craving this spring, who could resist a slice of this cake? Not us.

On Wednesday 1,500 cooks in Iran unveiled an attempt to smash Italy's Guinness Record for the world's largest ostrich sandwich. The event took place in Tehran's Mellet Park. At 4,920 feet, the humongous hero, which contained 1,543 pounds each of ostrich and chicken meat, easily beats the Italian record of 4,521 feet, set last May.

There's only one problem though. The sandwich was devoured in minutes by a hungry crowd before Guinness officials had a chance to measure it. The organizers are hoping that Guinness will accept video footage to authenticate the record.

It's a shame that something which took two days to prepare was gobbled up in mere minutes. The hero contained a mixture of ostrich and chicken meat with mustard and spices. The gigantic sandwich made from gigantic flightless birds was the brainchild of Tehran's city council along and a group of ostrich farmers. Ostrich meat is renowned for its flavor and is high in protein and low in cholesterol. Iran is the world's third-largest ostrich breeder behind South Africa and China.

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