Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 6, 1994                   TAG: 9402060029
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: KAREN BARNES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BEDFORD                                LENGTH: Short

PASS THE HOT SAUCE, AND GULP

"Avoid the boiled ones. Try the fried."

OK. That way I can't really see what's under the batter. It's probably better that way. Sprinkle them with vinegar or hot sauce, heap some coleslaw on them or dip them in ketchup.

"Ketchup is for weenies," one enthusiastic chitlin eater said.

"Do you like raw oysters?"

No, but the boiled chitlins had the same gray color as raw oysters and the same amorphous shape.

"Wash it down with a beer."

No problem, since that's all that was served.

"Did you come prepared?" asked a man as he pulled two antacid tablets from his pocket.

I could see I was not adequately prepared. This was a man who said he likes chitlins more and more each time he eats them. I had no medicine to relieve gastrointestinal strain and no previous eating experience.

"You must have eaten before you got here, because you sure aren't eating very much."

I wasn't sure I was going to like them. But I had to admit they were better than I expected. People always say unusual food tastes like chicken. Not chitlins. They don't exactly taste like pork, either. They fall into an indescribable taste experience.

Thank goodness for hot sauce.