Andrew Zimmern is a serious culinary traveler. Some might say Xtreme. He’s eaten flying ants in Uganda, porcupine in South Africa, armadillo in Bolivia, raw camel kidneys in Ethiopia, scorpion in China, Hunan-style rooster balls in Los Angeles — and that’s just for starters.

The co-creator and host of Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern” and more recently, “Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre World,” takes his sometimes gagging, often drooling fans on global adventures as he tracks down, tastes and records traditional and disappearing foods.

Given the “B” theme of his shows, it’s no surprise that he is best known for his more exotic finds. But there’s a delicious method and serious side to his seeming madness and speaking to the self-proclaimed cultural anthropologist, it’s easy to notch up reasons to eat outside the box.

So, why have “culinary” on your travel menu? And how do you begin, if you’re a newby?

To answer these questions and for your reading, travel and eating pleasure, we give you our Zimmern–inspired Top 10 Far-from-Bizarre List.

1. “Food is a primary avenue to discovering what is most authentic about cultures everywhere,” says Zimmern. “I can learn much more about a people, a place, its history and traditions in a jungle market in Thailand than at the antiquities museum in Bangkok.”
2. “I remember being with a group at a hotel in China and they were trying to get the address of the Hard Rock Cafe. That to me is the number one stupid factor for tourists. You’re on an once-in-a-lifetime trip. Why would you waste a night in Beijing having a crappy hamburger when you can get a good one back home?” The learning? Wherever you are, eat local.
3. “One man’s weird is another man’s wonderful,” says Zimmern. “The raw meat dishes of Ethiopia, for example, may seem strange to someone (not used to them), but it’s what they eat every day. The unique and strange in one culture is daily fare in another. Think about it. We’re all products of our culture.”
4. “You’re not going to see the true spirit of Japan if you go to Tokyo and shop all day in the Ginza, same as you’re not going to see the spirit of South Africa if you go to Cape Town and hang out at the waterfront, where they have fabulous Italian restaurants.” But, he says, travel north a couple of hours to one of the small villages, or go to Soweto (near Johannesburg) and wander around talking to the people. “That way, you’ll learn a whole lot.”
5. Most food prejudices are learned, so they can be unlearned, says Zimmern. “I would remind people that 90 percent of prejudice is contempt prior to investigation. So, if you go to a country and you don’t have a good time, that’s one thing. But most people pooh pooh something before trying it.”
6. You don’t have to go overseas to start your culinary travel journey. Just go to your local Asian market. Not only will you learn something about the culture and traditions, you’ll also most likely get to purchase a lot of things at half the price.
7. “If people eat from across a broader buffet, it’s good for the planet,” says Zimmern. Think of overfishing (caused by over-demand). Think of foods that have become extinct (under-demand). Think of traditions that are dying out. By becoming aware, we can reverse trends.
8. Zimmern grew up in New York City (and now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota). His father gave him is culinary palate, took him traveling and encouraged him to experiment. But, he says, most people don’t learn from their parents. “You have to create your own syllabus and curriculum.” So? “If you were going to Mexico, I’d say don’t go to Cancun, go to Oaxaca. And I’d say don’t stay in a resort.”
9. “If, just once a week, you eat something you’ve have never tried before, by the end of the year, you will have had 52 new food experiences,” says Zimmern. “Half of these will stick with you.”
10. And finally, don’t be overambitious. Just start where you are. “Pick a category you like,” he advises. “Say you love chicken, I’d say try some other birds. Grouse, pheasant or duck, for example. Or, you like grilled salmon? Start trying other fish. Expand your diet in areas you already like. I don’t tell a vegetarian to go and drink raw cow blood with the Masai in Kenya. You do that, you’ve lost them.”

Let us know what you think and what unusual foods you’ve tried. If you’re a culinary traveler, what advice can you share?

To check out the next episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, visit www.travelchannel.com.