Ep 9. Northern California

In season 9 of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, episode 9 titled "Northern California," the adventurous host explores the culinary delights of the region. Northern California is known for its diverse landscape, ranging from the Pacific coastline to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Andrew sets out to discover how this diverse terrain has affected the local cuisine.

Starting off in Sacramento, Andrew samples a traditional English breakfast at an eatery that dates back to the 1800s. He then travels to the town of Elk Grove, where he visits a farm that produces the highly sought-after Beluga caviar. Andrew learns about the intricate process of cultivating and harvesting this delicacy and gets to sample some straight from the source.

Next, Andrew travels to San Francisco, where he learns about the city's rich history of sourdough bread-making. He visits one of the city's oldest sourdough bakeries and watches as they make the dough from scratch before baking it in their iconic brick oven. He then tries his hand at making his own sourdough bread, with varying degrees of success.

In Sonoma County, Andrew meets up with a woman who has dedicated her life to producing organic and biodynamic wines. He learns about the differences between organic and biodynamic viticulture and gets a taste of some of the delicious wines being produced.

Andrew also explores the local seafood scene, which is dominated by Dungeness crabs, oysters, and salmon. He visits a family-run oyster farm on Tomales Bay and learns about the farming process before shucking and tasting some of the freshly harvested oysters. He then travels up north to the town of Bodega Bay to try his hand at fishing for Dungeness crabs. He heads out on a crab boat and learns the correct technique for catching these prized crustaceans.

The episode also features Andrew visiting a small farm in Marin County where they produce goat cheese. He meets the goats, learns about the cheesemaking process, and samples the delicious end result. Andrew also visits a restaurant in San Francisco that specializes in offal dishes – those made from the less commonly eaten parts of animals, such as the liver, heart, and tongue.

Throughout the episode, Andrew explores the unique flavor profiles of Northern California and meets the passionate food producers who are dedicated to preserving the region's culinary traditions. From sourdough bread to Beluga caviar and goat cheese, Andrew discovers the amazing variety of foods that can be found in this region and gains a new appreciation for the people who work tirelessly to create these products.