I’m in Portland, Oregon where my friends and I was driving to Saturday Market, when they started to talk about ordering elephant ears. “Elephant Ears that sounds gross,” I said. “Hmm, but it is sooo delicious,” they said. “We put jelly, peanut butter or chocolate syrup on ours. You can put anything you want on it and it taste very good,” they added. “Whatever, I don’t believe you. No one in their right mind will order an elephant’s ear and eat it. You guys are just pulling my leg right now,” I said. Everyone started to laugh.

We arrived to Saturday Market, and there were a variety of food booths everywhere. The featured item on the menu was….what?…..I can’t believe my eyes…..ELEPHANT EARS! Oh my goodness, I can’t believe you people really eat this stuff,” I said. “You have to try one. You can’t come all the way to Oregon and not sample the elephant ears,” said my friends. At that moment, everyone waited on the line and then placed their order. I looked at them as though they were crazy, when the cook handed it to them and they took a bite. I thought the world was coming to an end. I honestly couldn’t believe that elephant ears were a rare delicacy.

“Well, are you going to try one?” asked my friends. “Umm, no I don’t think so,” I replied. “Oh come on, try it,” they urged. I exhaled a deep breath, looked around and then finally said, “Okay.” They handed it to me. It was big, brown, and hot. It smelled good…but was my sense of smell deceiving me? I thought to myself. After a holding it for five minutes, I hesitantly took my first bite. With my face made up I said, “Here I don’t want anymore.” Everyone laughed again, and said, “It is not really an elephant’s ear. It is a pastry, made with delicious bread sprinkled with sugar and the dough is shaped to look like an elephant’s ear. That is why it has that name.”

I laughed so hard, then took another bite….My friends were right, It was delicious.

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