Many of us have tried ‘delicacies’ that may be considered non-traditional — from caviar (fish eggs) and patté (chicken liver) to cuisses de grenouilles (frogs legs). In the name of 'fusion' and 'experiments', some take things a level up by mixing polar opposite food items and making bizarre combos out of them. From ice-creams made out of fish and mac and cheese waffles to pasta dosa and chocolate maggie back home, there is no dearth of bizarre foods that you hear of these days. But this Spanish influencer with 2 million followers on Instagram and Twitch tried out something that left netizens stunned across the globe.
Paula Gonu raised many eyebrows during a Club 113 podcast when she said she included her own knee cartilage in a spaghetti bolognaise she cooked for herself and her partner.
The 30-year-old required a knee surgery after an injury. She recalled sharing a “good vibe” with the surgeon who asked her if she wants to keep the meniscus — the soft cartilage found on the side of your knees
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After she agreed, the surgeon placed it in alcohol instead of formaldehyde in a sealed container to preserve it.
“A week later, while joking around with my partner,” Gonu said “it (the cartilage) was a part of me and I want to put it back in my body.”
When the podcast hosts asked her how it tasted, the influencer appeared to change the topic.
The Twitch personality, however, went on to compare her non-traditional dish to Tom Cruise's proposed plan to eat his baby's placenta. In 2006, the Hollywood star had said he would tuck in straight after then partner Katie Holmes gave birth as he thought it would be “very nutritious”.
Many fans expressed disgust at the notion of eating one's own body parts. One user Twitter user said, "What in the fresh hell is this?" while another commented, "Why did I decide to watch this over dinner?"
Gonu is not the first to have consumed a part of her own body. The act is known as autosarcophagy.
Autosarcophagy, also known as self-cannibalism or autocannibalism, is the act of consuming one's own or another's body tissues, usually for the purpose of sustenance or as a form of ritualistic practice. In a study done by Australian and New Journal of Psychiatry and other journals, it has been described as dangerous behavior, as it can lead to serious health problems such as infections, organ damage, and nutrient deficiencies. Randi Libbon, professor of psychiatry at University of Colorado, said the behavior may be associated with mental health issues such as self-harm, psychosis or an alternative to substance abuse.