There are some foods that I will not even try.

[alkapal]

And some of them are on this list of the TOP 15 Most Unusual Korean Foods.

http://www.koreataste.org/lang/en/en/...

I know that puts me in the realm of non-uber-foodie. Oh well, I can live with that. At least I'm honest.

I know most of my tastes were determined by the type of food I had growing up, and intestines and chicken feet weren't on our table. (But, sausage was, and that casing uses the collagen layer of the intestine).

How about you? Anything you won't even try? Or will you try anything that any culture eats as food?

[AngelSanctuary]

What's so weird about most (or all) of them? Although in general because a lot of people have thought "Wtf" at food from my ethnicity I try not to think that about other people's food and I will try anything once usually.

But things I generally will never try, ketchup flavoured anything. Like I heard that they had ketchup flavoured macarons and I thought that was the most disgusting thing ever.

[joonjoon]

Ketchup flavored potato chips are awesome.

[montrealeater]

I would try almost anything, but dog/canine will never pass my lips. Anyone who would eat dog or who enjoyed the movie 'Crash' gets crossed off my Xmas list.

[arktos]

Under NO CONDITIONS will I eat a balut egg or one of those 1,000/100 Year old egg thingies. Merely thinking about them makes my flesh crawl.

And NO Swedish fermented herring (surströmming). It's just amazing what people will eat.

[arktos]

And NO sea cucumber.

[joonjoon]

Have you tried sea cucumber? It can be tough to eat when raw, but when it's braised it really just takes on the flavor of whatever it was cooked in.

[AdamD]

a little bit of sea cucumber as an additional ingredient is not bad-quite nice actually

but when you are served a whole giant sea slug 8 inches long and 4 inches in diameter its not good-no matter the cooking method.

[arktos]

I sure it's delicious, BUT LOOK AT IT! I can't eat something like that.. lol

[small h]

I'm a big fan of sea cucumber, although I've only had them cut up in casseroles, so it's quite possible that I would not like them served whole. But what is it about their appearance that disturbs you? The phallic shape? If so, there must be a ton of foods you won't eat, from hot dogs to bananas. Is it that it looks like an insect? Crabs and lobsters look an awful lot like giant bugs to me, but I have no trouble eating them, either.

I also like 1000-year-old eggs, for what it's worth.

[arktos]

'But what is it about their appearance that disturbs you? '

It sort of looks like a cross between an Orc phallus and crocodile poop. No thanks!!

[small h]

Got it. I definitely have trouble with the appearance of some foods, but (and this is really an issue for a separate thread) it's more about things looking picked over or manhandled that skeeves me. Specifically, I prefer to be first in line for the nachos.

[arktos]

I'll probably try it one of these days, now that this has peaked my interest to some extent. I'll just make an effort to remember not to look at it.

[inaplasticcup]

orc phallus + crocodile poop. LMAO.

I like that stuff raw, with cho gochoojahng. Is there anything from the sea that Koreans won't eat with a little seasoned, vinegared gochoojahng? :P

[joonjoon]

iapc, when anything from the sea is fresh enough, it's great with cho-gochujang and some soju. But if you've ever had raw sea cukes past their prime....man it's a harrowing experience.

[kpaxonite]

So your last dinner is fresh blowfish and cho-gochujang and some soju? haha

[AdamD]

Partially the appearance, I mean it is a giant sea slug-but more so the texture and flavor-both of which lose their subtlety after 25 bites.

[eclecticsynergy]

tatamagouche posted a link to this hilarious Chinese menu a few weeks ago on another thread. Some stuff there I definitely wouldn't eat!

http://www.rahoi.com/2006/03/may-i-ta...

Thanks again, tatamagouche.

[arktos]

ROFL!! Cowboy leg beautiful pole, Retchup, Japanese beand curd hoof sinew pot, JJ large intestine pot, Plaster W/coconut juie, J&J living the bowel and Fuck the salt (beautiful pole) duck chin have all been added to my long list of NO EATS.

[eclecticsynergy]

A flavor of ice cream I might be a little leery of...

[Pixie Muse]

lmao... so funny

[eclecticsynergy]

Looks like this place had a special- they take their kids' menu seriously!

[bulavinaka]

Take my kids - please! ;)

[Isolda]

Is that where they send all the kids banned from other restaurants?

[eclecticsynergy]

I won't eat nervous system tissue, and am a bit wary of digestive tissues too. Sausage casing is no problem, probably because I grew up eating it without knowing what it was.

Anything that my nose tells me I shouldn't be eating. I have learned to trust my own body on this.Am a little squeamish about some organ meats. And bugs. No primates, either!

That being said, times and tastes change- did you know lobster used to be considered undesirable, an insect of the sea? Fishermen in colonial times used to throw it away or give it away, and there's an old law in Boston that says you can't force your servants to eat it more than twice a week.

Have eaten cat (again, I didn't know it at the time...) Have a buddy who was a Marine in the Pacific and ate a lot of "variety meats" during his time in the service. He tells me dog is among the tastiest he's ever eaten. Knew a gal who was a mail-order bride from the Philippines; every couple of years when her eldest brother would visit their parents, he'd ask his mother to cook up the family dog for his homecoming feast. The kids hated losing a favorite pet, but she says the meat was absolutely delicious, partly due to the fact that the dog was fed what the family ate.

[kpaxonite]

What does cat taste like?

[eclecticsynergy]

Hard to say- it was heavily sauced & spiced. Perhaps, as the old saying goes, a bit like chicken? Had a sort of spongy texture though. Quite different in that respect.

[alkapal]

that sign is something else! LOL!

[mrscherbear]

I have tried lots of critters, including one that no one has mentioned so far: bear. Anyone else had that? I found it similar to pot roast.

For the no-nos, though, much of it I just can't get over mentally: tentacles, organs (though as a kid I did like chicken hearts), living things, heads of things, raw mollusks (I know what seawater tastes like, and I don't need to have the added rubbery texture, thanks). Balut- oh GOD no. Am I missing out? Perhaps. Not sure I care, though, unless my refusal meant a threat to my survival.

That said, I haven't met a plant that I wouldn't try, barring toxicity, durian included. Never had it, but I don't think I would refuse it. And natto-I'd give it a go.

[chefathome]

Bear = not my favourite.

[alliegator]

No dog. That's my number 1. Nothing that is endangered, is currently alive or is still warm from having just been alive. No monkey brains.
And no headcheese or any kind of spare parts loaf held together with lots of gelatin. Just really, really unappealing.
I'm ok with off meats cooked to a proper temp, exotic seafood or insects. It may not be stuff I would choose on my own, but if offered to me in someone's home, I would at least try.

[joonjoon]

>And no headcheese or any kind of spare parts loaf held together with lots of gelatin. Just really, really unappealing.

But...but those are so delicious!!

[inaplasticcup]

Even better with beer... God, I haven't had that stuff in the longest!

[alliegator]

I'll just take the beer on it's own :p

[inaplasticcup]

No dog stew or fermented skate, but I've eaten the rest. And it took some doing to get that sea alien in #1 down.

I'd eat most of them again, tho. Is that wrong of me? :/

[LaPomme]

My general rule is that if I see somebody else eating and enjoying something, and if they claim it's good, I'll give it a try. If it's just somebody handing me a bowl of lamb eyeballs, daring me to eat it, no thanks. I want to see somebody else demonstrate that it is edible and tastes good.

Exceptions to this rule: insects; bodily fluids (from any animal); endangered, threatened or protected species (which should eliminate pachyderms, wolves, gorillas and other large primates as well as pandas).

[thew]

"...bodily fluids (from any animal)...."

so no milk or dairy?

[chowser]

au just, too.

[LaPomme]

D'oh! Would "excretions" include dairy as well? There has to be a delicate way of discerning between milk and ejaculate.

[thew]

if you mean no cum, say no cum

[BelovedofIsis]

LMAO, especially since I'm a lab technician and work with all sorts of bodily fluids and parts everyday!

[joonjoon]

What about blood?

[italia84]

I will honestly try anything (yes, this includes dog...I would try it, and I own four dogs as pets!), but draw the line at insects (though maybe chocolate covered ants) and anything still alive.

[mamachef]

I think I'm pretty darn adventurous, alkapal, but I'd have to draw the line at warthog rectum, dog, cat, and any insect not deepfried to the point of invisibility. I can recognize, especially in the case of the dog, that it might be absolutely delicious. But I guess I'll never know; the association factor is way to strong for me to circumvent. Howevah: bull's balls, haggis, stuffed derma, calves foot jelly, all manner of fermented pescatoria? No problema. Even bal'ut tasted all right once I got past the textual issue.

[c oliver]

Re bull's balls, it's interesting. I had a neighbor who provided me with calves testicles and I cooked and thoroughly enjoyed them. Now the Latino market where I shop sell the adult version. Boy, I tell ya, I look at 'em and think I'm not sure I can go there. And I don't know why. I've only had haggis once and it was a cheap version in a pub in Scotland and I hated it. But I do want to try a "high class" version.

[mamachef]

c, re: the haggis; it prolly helped greatly that we were wet, starving, tired and drunk as hell; but I'll stand by my admittedly tattered memory. In that place, at that time, it was perfectly right. And it soaked up some of the grain. : )

[Passadumkeg]

Anything at Olive Garden.

[mariacarmen]

( :

[Jetgirly]

I don't eat animals. To me a chicken breast is no different than a koala testicle or a bunny heart. I think I'd be open to eating just about anything else. Choice is certainly a luxury.

[MarkKS]

No animals. That's good.

[joonjoon]

That's funny Jetgirly - I do eat animals and I feel the same way about chicken breast, koala testicle and bunny heart.

[eclecticsynergy]

Quote from Jo Brand- "If we aren't supposed to eat animals, then why are they made out of meat?"

[BelovedofIsis]

For me its silly everyday stuff like Mayo- ewwwww! I hate mayo, I substitute it for greek yogurt if I am making a recipe that calls for it. I will cook things with foods I won't touch, like if I were to make a soup or stock using feet I would, I just wouldn't eat the feet.

I will try to bring myself to try anything at least once, haha. Ok I don't like heads, brains, feet, or organs....wait pate has liver in it....ok so whole organs. I have and like all sorts of strange things like squid, snails, kangaroo, alligator, ostrich, buffalo, snake, antelope, venison. There are things I have tried once but will never eat again like raw sea urchin or raw oysters.

[Noamuth]

I'll generally try just about anything. Of course, doesn't mean I'll like it. But hey, always makes a good story, if nothing else!

Kangaroo meat is amazing, easily one of the best things Australia has to offer. It's just.. Really lean, rich beef. Amazing stuff.
I'm not too big on offal, I tried brains and just found them to taste like pure fat. Liver and kindeys were quite nice though.

Dog and cat.. Probably wouldn't try in -Australia-, but when I travel, I'd try it if offered to me.

And I refuse to eat foie gras, on principal alone.

[TuteTibiImperes]

Kangaroo is delicious. It's incredibly rare that I ever see it on a menu, but when I do, I order it.

[alkapal]

tute, where have you gotten kangaroo on a menu, and how was it prepared, and then how did you like it…give us a run-down.

[TuteTibiImperes]

The first time was at an australian themed place in Newark, DE called Matilda's. I'm not sure if they still serve it or even if the place is still around, I haven't been back up there in a few years, but it was a Kangaroo loin seared medium-rare with a teriyaki glaze.

More recently I've had it while visiting a friend in Queens, NYC, though for the life of me I can't remember the name of the restaurant. They had Kangaroo kebabs with onions and potatoes all dusted with a chile-based dry rub.

[alkapal]

k-babs!

[kpaxonite]

I can buy it in most supermarkets in Montreal sliced thin for fondue.

[TheHuntress]

I love kangaroo, it's one of the joys of living in Australia. I would love to see it more widely embraced, people don't know what they're missing out on!

[Isolda]

I'll eat just about any fruit or vegetable (with a few exceptions), but there are many foods from the animal kingdom that I'm just not interested in trying. Bugs, certain innard-- the list, if there is one, is quite long. I'd call myself a vegetarian hound just to salvage my credentials, but I really do love certain meats.

[MarkKS]

I ;love raw live oysters that I've cut off the rocks and opened and eaten on the spot. A lot of sushi stuff, actually they pre-freeze and thaw it, not the same. Steak tartare, I prefer it grilled. Fresh uncooked veggies and fruits. Good!

[c oliver]

I assume when you say sushi that you're talking about sashimi. This article is old but I think it's still correct that almost all raw fish has been previously frozen.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/nyr...

Regarding grilling steak tartare, wouldn't that be a hamburger? :)

[GraydonCarter]

Yesterday a friend posted on FB a photo of her homemade sushi. The comments people made? "Ewww...", "Gross...", "Hope it wasn't raw fish", "I could never eat that", etc.

I'd be too embarrassed to post any of those ignorant-sounding comments, even if I didn't love sushi. In these days of putting up embarrassing videos on YouTube, maybe people are not afraid to be so embarrased. But really? Aren't you embarrassed that you sound kinda, not just non-uber-foodie or unsophisticated, but "unlettered"?

[Passadumkeg]

JMJ! gimme anything but 'Merican processed crappe!

[alanbarnes]

I dunno about "unlettered," but certainly behind the times. I know plenty of adults who won't eat sushi, but not a single kid...

[Passadumkeg]

Mickey Dee's BBQ rib sandwich, KFC mashed potato bowl, PH stuffed crust pizza, a Sonic, Chicago hot dog and a Pop Tart. Gimme any Korean chow (except maybe their Camp stir fry) instead!

[HEYPAT]

Has anyone ever been in Rhode Island, ordered up 'tree New York System Hot Weiners....wit everything....to go" and then forgotten them in your car overnight?
Delicious little dogs but.....WHEW!

[GraydonCarter]

So you were bringing them home to the family? How did they ever survive the trip home?

[Passadumkeg]

What is the place in Providence "_____'s Junk Yard Dogs"? I used to stop taking my son to/from college.

[chowser]

I'm trying to wrap my head around forgetting NY System hot dogs in the car. I normally have had them finished far sooner than that.

[al b. darned]

I love those things!! I don't think I would have gotten out the door of the place with them. Those things are addicting!

[AdamD]

+1 on the geoduck
I am an adventurous eater. Lucky enough to have visited Japan and China numerous times.
I will try almost anything. I actually enjoyed the poached shirako and the horse sashimi I had in Tokyo and the frog stir frys I had in China.

But I will never try balut, fermented fish, insects, rodents or worms unless its a matter of human survival. And I will never again eat sea cucumber-unless of course a big client orders it along with moutai and I have to-sort of like paying me a lot of money to do it! ;)

[adido]

geoduck
http://creepyanimals.com/2010/05/geod...

it is like monster's egg. I can only imagine what the extrture is like and i vow to never find out.

[alanbarnes]

Geoduck is one of the best foods in the world. If you've ever eaten "giant clam" in a sushi joint, that's what you were served. Absolutely delicious.

[adido]

I'm not a big clam fan either - what is that black stuff right under the suface - eek. LOLing about the McRib and the KFC bowl etc. We all automatically jumped to the fancy stuff. In that case - I'll add slim jims.

[alanbarnes]

That's the beauty of the "giant" clam a/k/a geoduck. It's big enough that the digestive tract (the "black stuff") isn't right under the surface. Not sayin' that **you** need to try it, but it sure is tasty.

[chefathome]

Agree. Have you butchered one yourself? Sort of weird but could be worse!

[joonjoon]

I'm Korean and have eaten almost everything on that list. Actually everything other than dog.

Fermented Skate is straight up foul no matter where you grew up, but I'll still eat it if it's served to me. I LOVE the smell of Silkworm larvae but the texture and flavor makes me gag. I had live spoon worms recently and it was surprisingly tasty. Army base stew and the seafood soup are straight up delicious. Blood sausage was a favorite snack growing up - I had 3-4 days a week, any time I could get my hands on it. The raw crab is one of my favorite things ever. Dog? Wouldn't mind trying some.

I generally keep eating things I don't like until I learn to like it!

[ipsedixit]

I generally keep eating things I don't like until I learn to like it!
_______________________

That's interesting. May I ask why?

I will try just about anything and everything. But if I don't like it, after trying it, then I just sort of top eating it.

[joonjoon]

It's partly because I'm a sucker for punishment... :) but I guess also because I hate not "getting" what people are enjoying. Some of my favorite foods ever took me a long time to be able to stomach, then to enjoy. For example, I only learned to enjoy oysters 10 years ago - I used to hate the texture and flavor and it used to literally make me gag. One day at a raw bar I decided I would eat oysters until I learned to like it...and now it's one of my favorite foods ever.

But at the end of the day if someone's enjoying something, I want to be able to share in that.

[goodhealthgourmet]

joonjoon, i did the same thing with coconut - spent my entire life hating it, but grew tired of missing out on all the dishes everyone raved about that contained it...so started eating it in the hopes of retraining my palate to enjoy it, and it worked - i love it now.

i wouldn't do it with just *any* food though...i have zero desire to develop a tolerance for the ragingly sweet/sugary foods that so many people enjoy.

[joonjoon]

Coconut! Wow that's a strange one ghg...it's hard to imagine anyone hating coconuts! Isn't it wonderful when something finally 'clicks' in your head and you go from hating something to understanding/enjoying it? I love that.

[goodhealthgourmet]

it was directly related to a childhood experience of biting into a piece of carrot cake with great anticipation, only to discover that it was LOADED with chewy, gritty strings of shredded sweetened coconut. we were visiting a friend of my aunt's, and she had baked the cake herself, so being the well-mannered child that i was, i tried my darnedest to be polite and eat it. the coconut made a squeaking noise as it rubbed against my teeth, and as i chewed it turned the texture of the cake into wet sand. it took every ounce of composure and will power i had to squash my gag reflex and avoid hurling it right back up onto the plate.

for the next 30 years, the mere mention of coconut made me shudder, and any taste or aroma that remotely resembled it made me gag. i still can't imagine *ever* eating the sweetened shreds again, but anything else - including the unsweetened dried meat - is now fair game!

[alkapal]

so, GHG, ...what did you do on spring break for suntan oil? ;-).

[goodhealthgourmet]

sure, laugh now, but it was torture! do you have ANY idea how hard it is to find some that doesn't reek of artificial coconut scent? i'm a total sun worshiper so i've logged more than my fair share of beach- and poolside hours...and every so often, being surrounded by the overwhelming aroma from other people would make me so sick i had to leave. don't even get me started on anything that's supposed to taste or smell like a pina colada...let's just say there's a hygienist at my former dentist's office who came very close to wearing my breakfast when she chose to polish my teeth with pina colada-flavored paste without telling me. blurgh!!!

[alkapal]

oh, believe me -- i love coconut but got sick of smelling all the oiled-up coconut tanners! the other day, i opened a bottle of the suntan oil that's now being put out on the store shelves -- one whiff took me right back! old "hawaiian tropic" -- the "cadillac" of suntan oils! LOL

[alanbarnes]

Sometimes I haven't liked things at first, but have developed a taste for them over time. Liverwurst, chicken feet, steak tartare, escargot, hoppy beer - maybe I just needed to get past the "weird" factor to enjoy the taste, or maybe the taste itself was acquired.

There are some things I haven't acquired a taste for. I may never enjoy durian (mentioned above), spleen, or cubes of jellied pork blood. But while I'm not going to make an effort to learn to like them, I am willing to try them again. Especially if somebody who knows about the food says that the sample is a good example of what the food should taste like.

The downside is one unenjoyable bite, while the upside is a lifetime of enjoying a delicious new food. I like those odds.

[joonjoon]

Well said ab. The potential upside to trying new foods is huge. Uni, oysters, kimchi, stinky cheese, foie gras...I wasn't a fan of any of these things the first few times I tried them.

[sedimental]

I have eaten many things that many would consider "brave to try".... a huge variety of offal when I was younger. I think I thought it was new and fun.

I don't do that anymore unless the food product is considered exceptionally good by most people. I just don't see having to be "brave" in relation to food anymore. Live critters? Semi poisonous things? Slimy animal parts? No thanks. I put my money, time and energy into delicious things these days!

[c oliver]

Ah, but that's the old trash/treasure thing. I'd rather eat (most) offal than (most) cake :)

[sedimental]

You misunderstood my post. I don't eat things just for the "brave" factor. I eat them if they are delicious. Often, those two things are not the same. Like Sannakji...no one is saying they are delicious. Men eat them for better sex and to impress others....not my cup of octopus ;)

[jester99]

Breast milk cheese. end.

[junescook]

I have had and enjoyed (in no particular order) alligator, croc, zebra, emu, liver, kidneys, sufrite in the day when it was made with lungs heart, spleen, etc. brains, tripe, jellyfish, chevon - ie horse, goat, rabbit, snails, blood and other sausages (with natural intestine casings please) , frog legs, venison, tripe and dog I'm not sure about. I will try most new things that sound interesting.

I will not eat live animals including oysters and clams though fried oysters are among my favorite things.

[mariacarmen]

I've had: liver, oysters, offal, eye tissue (unwittingly), frog legs, snails, brains, testicles, heart, kidneys, haggis, tripe, eel, squid, octopus, uni, natto, durian, blood sausage, bunny, guinea pig (cuy), gator...

would not willingly eat: insects, worms, (bugs - anything creepy/crawly) balut, anything still moving, dog, cat, endangered species, primates.

other things i'd have to judge on a case-by-case basis. Alan Barnes is right, if it reeks enough to make me gag, i probably don't want to even try. Durian proved that to me.

[alanbarnes]

Some of us are more stubborn, though. I ate durian. Once. While drinking beer (which may explain a lot).

If you think the smell is bad going down, just imagine it coming back up. If you decide to take the plunge, avoid anything carbonated for a while.

[c oliver]

I see them in the markets and just haven't been able to do it - yet. When Zimmern gagged and spit it out, that was kinda a line in the sand. But I haven't completely ruled it out. Maybe a feast of balut and durian.

[mariacarmen]

no, i'm saying i DID indeed try Durian - once, and never again! ack.

[alanbarnes]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I'm stubborn enough to try it again. Maybe what I had wasn't a good example of durian. But under no circumstances will the next sampling occur under conditions where an "encore performance" is likely.

[mariacarmen]

gotcha. and bleccch.

[Novelli]

This really sweet Khmer girl brought me a huge durian once to work. I knew what it was and what it was capable of...but did that stop me? NOPE, not this idiot! LOL

I cracked that bastard open right here at my desk. Cleared out the whole office. People were running around with their hands over their mouths, desperately trying to pry windows open that had been sealed shut for years! HAHAHAHA oops.

So, after realizing that no one else could take it (which is weird, cause they like to bring bags of guava and papaya that have tons of funky odors), I took my durian to the employee breakroom to store, and hid it up on the top shef away from everyone's stuff. Oops again! LOL

10 minutes into their lunch break, I notice everyone has this disgusted look on their faces as they're eating and they're passing their food back and forth to each other, sniffing each others plates to try and figure out what smelled so bad.

I snuck in there ninja style and retreived the durian under my arm and sprinted out to my truck to hide it once again. Yeah, I left it in my hot truck, in the sun, for about 3 hours.

You should have seen the cars rolling up their windows at the stop lights on my way home that day. LOL!

To me, the smell is strong for about a minute or 2, than I become accustomed to it. The flavor, to me, is a cross between almonds and a very over-ripe canteloupe. Delicious!

But, yes, I can be cruel at times. LOL

[alanbarnes]

The durian I tried was purchased at a farmer's market on Maui. Popped it in the trunk for a few hours while we did other shopping. My wife summed it up best, saying that the car smelled like a raw chicken had been left to rot in a vat of sewage for a week. Fortunately (for me, not the next guy) it was a rental...

[bdachow]

Hahahahahahahaa....maybe they need to start posting those signs from all over Asia that prohibits durians from hotels and most public spaces, in Hawaii as well.

Thanks for making my day!

[JungMann]

I don't know if I have a weak sense of smell, but the scent of durian really doesn't really offend me. Now its flavor of onions and custard is another story entirely.

[mariacarmen]

and gasoline. don't forget the lovely gasoline notes.

[HEYPAT]

Has anyone here ever been in Rhode Island; ordered up three "New York System Hot Weiners.....with everything" to go and then forgotten them in your car overnight?
Delicious little dogs, but WHEW!

[tangoking]

Anything with a snotty texture.

[c oliver]

Like what?

[LorenM]

I remember seeing Andrew Zimmern eating some snotty- looking sea worms that came out of some drift wood on the beach. Also I recall him drinking some aloe vera drink that was quite snotty, which he did not like. I'd be game to try them. He seemed like he liked the worms better than the drink.

[goodhealthgourmet]

the *taste* of aloe vera is so abhorrent i wouldn't even notice the texture!

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

I've had the aloe vera drinks. They're not my favourite, but they're not very objectionable. I'll take them over sweetened asparagus juice any day.

[goodhealthgourmet]

better you than me! i tried to take it for a while for health reasons, but even holding my nose it made me gag on the way down. i've heard of the canned Taiwanese asparagus drinks but never tried one - and don't plan to!

[alanbarnes]

Speaking of odd Taiwanese beverages, you should try "grass jelly drink" if you get the chance. It's actually quite tasty.

[ipsedixit]

I love fresh grass jelly. The canned stuff is just disgusting.

[goodhealthgourmet]

see, that one i would gladly try. i've read about it, and assuming it isn't too sweet - which i guess depends on the particular flavor and formulation - i imagine it is good.

[tracylee]

The aloe vera drink was in the mountainous region of Ecuador. I remember he gave that to an elderly lady passing by who was thrilled to take it for her health.

[smartie]

passion fruit has a snotty texture but they are absolutely delicious.

[uwsister]

Thank you - now I'll think of snot every time I eat passion fruit. Ha!

[Nanaverm]

You'd hate boiled okra, cooked Malabar spinach and also natto. Natto takes so long to eat, because you're always having to wind up/wipe away the strings of amino acids the soybeans have decomposed into. (but yum.)

[alkapal]

who just boils okra?

[alitria]

My grandmother. Seriously.

[mpjmph]

I stew okra with diced tomatoes - delicious, but definitely slimy.

[JungMann]

You're missing out on some great Korean eats there! By my count I've had at least 10 of those items and I can't tell you what a pleasure soondae is when dipped in course salt and chili. Admittedly I did grow up regularly eating chicken gizzards, lamb brains and bone marrow, but even if I were to be picky, I can't imagine what is so unusual about budae jjigae unless you've never seen a can of spam on your local grocery shelf.

My feeling is if people eat something there must be something redeeming about it and I'm happy to take a few bites in the name of finding out what that something is.

[goodhealthgourmet]

My feeling is if people eat something there must be something redeeming about it
~~~~~~~~~~~
sometimes that "something redeeming" is mere survival.

[JungMann]

No doubt. And if after a few bites, that's the impression I get, I'll happily survive on something more to my liking.

[soypower]

I have to agree. Some of my favorite dishes are on that list! Haemultang? What true food lover would say no to spicy seafood stew? Because it's too fresh for you? Acorn jelly? Yummy! Gaejang? You don't know what delicious is until you gnaw on a raw blue crab leg and suck up it's gelatinous meat stuffs. As far as the fermented skate goes, I'm not sure if it refers to the seasoned raw skate that I looove. There's a lot of good grub one can miss out on by having a closed mind.

[alkapal]

more for you, then.

[JungMann]

Acorn jelly is so mild and so inoffensive, it's admittedly hard for me to understand the disgust. The skate, however, I can understand. I am not the biggest fan; but maybe I was supposed to eat it with rice rather than on its own.

[uwsister]

Re: fermented skate,
I've never seen it served with rice. My mother's restaurant (pretty upscale one in Seoul) served it with kimchi and pig knuckles.

[joonjoon]

Skate is traditionally served with some sort of pork product - think of it like how oyster is paired with pork in bossam. You're supposed to take a piece of skate, pork, and sliced radish kimchi have it the same way as bossam. Rice is always optional.

JungMann, the rice would cut down on the nastyness but there' no hiding the fact that you're eating a piece of urine soaked rotten fish.

[mleighn]

i've been hearing too much recently of cheese and ice cream made from human breast milk. i would never try that. and i hope to god the donors were thoroughly screened for diseases....

[nofunlatte]

This is exactly what I thought of when I read the title of this thread.

[LorenM]

If it was good for me when I was a baby, I am sure it's probably good for me now. This just doesn't seem really gross to me at all. I like boobs, I like milk, I like people what's the problem? I am sure it is not as bad for me as the beer, bourbon and other crap (yummy, yummy crap) I put into my body sometimes.

[mariacarmen]

i have to agree with this, all of it.

[chowser]

I think it's probably one of the healthiest things you can probably drink but I'm still squeamish about it. I couldn't even lick a drop of mine when it leaked.

[mpjmph]

Yeah, I don't get the grossed out reaction to human milk when we so willingly and happily consume milk from other animals.

[marimorimo]

Uh-huh. I've wondered about that too. The idea of it was a bit weird at first but considering that proponents of breastfeeding argue (rightly I would say) that "Cow's milk is for calfves, not human babies!" human milk (if harvested properly and humanely) seems to be the more logical choice.

[eclecticsynergy]

Breast milk has ten times the glutamate content of cow's milk. Nature's perfect baby food- extra tasty.

[huaqiao]

But if you don't try Korean fermented skate, how will you ever know what it feels like to have your mouth taste of Windex for the rest of the day? :D

[EWSflash]

I had stingray from Puerto Penasco Mexico that they shouldn't have sold us. Not deliberately fermented but by gosh the ammonia was there. Good stingray is one of my favorite things- fermented not so much.

[fara]

i think anything on that list except for the live worms. that looked a little unappetizing.

[GraydonCarter]

I was just thinking about this topic when I so often read a post by a CH who claims to love so many many foods... and then throws in a "but I've never tried xxx" with something fairly common, like oysters, liver, or hot dogs.

[LorenM]

I would try any food that is safe, legal and that people eat somewhere on a regular basis as food. If the "idea" of some foods deterred me from eating them, I probably would have missed out on a great number of things I enjoy today.

[c oliver]

I agree with you and yet I can't bring myself to try durian. Sam and I talked about meeting in the Philippines, drinking a WHOLE LOT and then he would introduce me to it. A lost chance.

[joonjoon]

Just do it! Few things are as polarizing as durian...most of my friends nearly threw up from it. One friend absolutely loves the stuff, I can go either way...gets better every time I try it though.

[flavrmeistr]

Here is a short list of things I won't try:

Tobacco ice cream

Mayonnaise and Kleenex sandwiches

Cat turds in puff pastry

Taco Bell products advertised "beef-ish" or "beef-like"

There are probably others.

[c oliver]

Ding ding ding! We have a winner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bulavinaka]

Keep an open mind about variations on those Kleenex sandwiches. My daughter's a pro at crafting all sorts of _______ & Kleenex sandwiches while eating her three squares. The best I've seen so far is chocolate cake & Kleenex - would that be more like a crepe?

[GraydonCarter]

I'm having spam spam spam spam spam spam spam Kleenex spam spam spam and spam!

[eclecticsynergy]

Sure, we've all heard of crepe paper...

[EWSflash]

In total agreement, especially about the cat turds

[cleobeach]

Organ meat of any kind just holds no appeal to me. I have eaten various parts in the past and didn't like any of it enough to try it again.

Nothing alive and moving.

I have had rattle snake and alligator, once was enough for me. The alligator tasted like the water it came from, not pleasant.

I don't know about horse. If I was at someone's house and it was offered to me, I think I would try it but I wouldn't seek it out.

Definately no dog or cat. Unless I was truly starving, I just couldn't do it.

Nothing bone-y. I saw an Andrew Zimmer show once (I think it was him) where they were eating fully developed but unhatched duck eggs. Why? I can't imagine anything good about the crunching of bones and feathers and bills in my mouth.

Posts like this are so interesting. Just yesterday I was talking about a salad topped with grilled baby octopus. I never pass up squid or frog legs and I love escargot!

[monavano]

^
That's balut, the fertilized egg that matures for 16? days.
Bats. I've seen that on NR or BF. Even Zimmerman could barely choke it down. Sparrows not gonna happen either.

[alkapal]

i've had alligator and maybe even rattlesnake, though i'm not so sure about that one! my dad almost got bitten by a big rattler in the everglades on a hunting trip, and i thank the LORD that he wasn't bitten -- because we were in the middle of nowhere.

[flavrmeistr]

Gator (aka "pond lizard") is common local fare in Florida. It used to be sort of a clandestine thing among the locals, but now every fish place has it on the menu. Iguana is even better and there aren't really any restrictions on taking them since they're a nuisance species. Iguana are vegetarians that eat mostly blossoms. The tail meat is mild, snowy white and delicious.

[onceadaylily]

I had gator tail when I was living down south. I remember liking it, especially the texture.

[flavrmeistr]

It's pretty good when it's fresh and handled right. Gator spoils quickly and gets rank. After all, they mostly eat dead stuff. The deader, the better.

[cleobeach]

hmmmm.....I doubt the stuff I had was fresh or handled right. It was deep fried chunks, labelled "gator balls" on the menu, at a touristy place on the Gulf Coast of FL. I remember it tasting like the smell of a still, dank river on a hot day.

Maybe I will move it to the "if the time and place is right again" column.

[monavano]

Bugs of any kind.
Brains
Horse, monkey etc

[Novelli]

I would eat everything on that list...and probably enjoy it too!
To me, it's mind over matter, and accepting the fact that many have done so before me, so...why not?

[piccola]

Meh. I'm vegetarian, which rules out all the critters. So far, I haven't found any non-meat product too gross to try (but I guess it could happen). :)

[EWSflash]

Natto?

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

Mmmm, nato.

Chou dofu (stinky tofu) is a fermented tofu product in Taiwan that smells like an open sewer. Literally, I've had visitors ask about the sewer problem in the night market.

It tastes better than it smells, though, and you've got to admire any food that can handle crushed raw garlic as a condiment.

[woodleyparkhound]

durian?

[uwsister]

Yeah, most items on the list sound a lot scarier than they really are. I've had 10 out of 15 and I'm not especially adventurous when it comes to Korean food.

My Korean mother did serve fermented skate (#9 on the list) to my Caucasian husband when he went to Korea for the first time (it was at her restaurant - I'm not sure if it's something Koreans make at home.) I was waiting for his reaction as it's something I've never been able to smell, let alone eat because it stinks so much. Of course my husband had to eat it out of politeness and almost passed out because of the overwhelming ammonia funk. It was served with a piece of pig knuckle, so he couldn't force himself to swallow it either. He still won't forgive me for not warning him about that one.

BTW those worms on top of the list - forget about it. Somebody would have to pay a lot of money for me to eat those.

[joonjoon]

uwsister - I had some gaebul for the first time recently and it was surprisingly delicious. It's got a clean, sweet flavor and a chewy, almost crunchy texture. Great with some chogochujang and soju.

Gutting and cleaning them is a gnarly process though.

[uwsister]

Hmm, now that you put it that way - maybe I'll try it if offered to me sometime. Are they served exactly like you see in that picture or are they served chopped or fried or otherwise disguised in some ways? I'd never even heard of it, let alone seen it, and I thought I knew a bit about Korean food.

[joonjoon]

Well i've never had it at a restaurant but I recently bought some (live) at a Korean market so I brought it home and tried some. I wish I could find the pictures I took of it - but let me try to explain - it's basically a worm - in the front there is a face with teeth, and on the other end is the butthole. When you cut into it, it will immediately start bleeding profusely everywhere, and all of its innards will start seeping out of the cut you made. You basically need to cut it down the middle and get all of the guts out of it, and then you're just left with the outer flesh. The flesh is actually quite tasty - if you didn't see its original form I could easily see a high end sushi place serving it for high prices, it's got a really delicate and sweet, mild flavor.

[mariacarmen]

TMI

[thew]

how is describing the prep of a food TMI on a food site?

[mariacarmen]

i was only kidding. it just grossed me out, but of course it's fine. i guess i forgot to add the obligatory happy face.

[uwsister]

Woah - I wish I were as brave as you. I'm not especially squeamish, but I honestly don't see myself preparing them myself!

[alkapal]

yummy -- a worm with a face and teeth!

[TheHuntress]

Well I definitely can't do live food and I have a mental block on dog meat. The idea of my puppy's going into a pot is just too horrifying for me. But that being said my horse-loving friend is horrified by the idea that people eat horse, which I wouldn't say no too. Very much a mental thing. I don't have an issue with chicken feet, organ meats or insects if they're coated in caramel. Human definitely poses an issue for me, but then I can't honestly say I've ever starved, so who knows what one would do to survive if the need arised.

[TuteTibiImperes]

Alka - You should try the chicken livers and gizzards dinner at the farmer's market restaurant off of Edison if you are still in SWFL, absolutely delicious.

A lot of the stuff on that list looks pretty tasty to me. Intestines, or chitterlings, need to be super clean, but when they are they are tasty.

Not on the list, but someone mentioned it above: I've had Kangaroo, and it's delicious. Lean, sweet, red meat, a lot like buffalo, but with more flavor and more tender IMO. I'd gladly have Kangaroo again anytime it was served to me.

I've never had chicken feet, but I would give them a try. I like picked pigs feet. I don't tend to like poultry with small bones, so that might turn me away from the chicken feet a bit, but I'd give them a go. Of everything on the list the penis worms and the corpse soup would probably be the toughest for me.

As far as my own personal limitations - I won't eat primates, dogs, spiders, spoiled/fermented/partially fertilized eggs, or any excretory/digestive system organs that haven't been thoroughly cleaned. I might not like everything else, but I'll at least give it a try first.

[alkapal]

hey tute, i haven't been to that farmer's market restaurant in a coon's age. our family was friends with the nycheks, who used to sell their produce there.

as to gizzards, no sirree. i HAD to try them when i was growing up, because my mom made me try everything at least once. chicken livers i use in various ways.... mr. alka likes fegatini marsala with linguine and we like chicken liver paté.

[c oliver]

Growing up in Atlanta, Mother would get whole chickens to cut up and then grill. She would freeze the gizzards and livers (don't remember hearts), for the next time she fried chicken and add them to the batch. She and Daddy divided the livers and I ate the gizzards. I don't remember my brother eating either. I still love gizzards and now also hearts.

[mrbigshotno.1]

I wouldn't touch half that stuff Zimmern puts in his mouth, the other half I'd probably like. Absoulutly won't eat anything that's still moving. Love innards, tendon, derma, really like sweetbreads and tripe especially tripas de leche. Unless I was starving to death, I wouldn't eat songbirds or bats. No long pig unless I was absoulutly, positively starving.

[c oliver]

What is "long pig"?

[roxlet]

Human. AKA long pork.

[c oliver]

Oh my :(

[alkapal]

speaking of "long pig," it was fascinating to see a follow-up documentary about the "alive" folks. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206544/

i guess to be honest, one can say one would NEVER do something until one is faced with the looming ethical dilemma.

[arktos]

No BALUT EGG!!

No chitterlings

No brains

No bugs

No Scandanavian fermented herring

No natto.. yuck!!

No 'mountain oysters'

No 'pickled snake head'

No offal

No Vegemite

No cows eyes.. Ay carumba!!

[ediblover]

"The heck is vegemite?" Not the first I've heard of it, but I'm always reminded of a certain TV sitcom episode when I hear it.

Anyway, after checking it out... I don't get it. What's so bad about the thing? I'd eat everything you've listed, but can still see how all the things listed can be a turn-off, except for vegemite. I mean, it's yeast stuff and we already eat plenty of that, especially in delicious sourdough.

[bulavinaka]

Vegemite with peanut butter and/or butter on toast is scrumptious...

[smartie]

Vegemite is mild, try Marmite for something a little different!

[arktos]

I think you're right, Marmite was the one I was thinking of; looks like something that belongs in a transmission box.

[EWSflash]

+1, except for vegemite and gizzards

Add to the taaboo list-
cheese with maggots in it
dog
cat
pet rodent, including guinea pig
horses
insects
Primates, most of all

[jiminy]

Funny thing I noticed that they sell horse meat at m,y local grocery store...I'm thinking of trying it but have never cooked it

[ipsedixit]

That list in the article is actually pretty tame. I'd try or have tried just about everything on that list.

Here are two things I would not try (at least 2 that immediately come to mind).
- Sperm from any species of animal
- Human flesh

[alanbarnes]

I seem to recall that coral sperm is a seasonal delicacy in Polynesia. Not sure I'd go out of my way to seek it out, but it doesn't seem **that** weird.

Humans and other primates are off-limits in my book.

[bulavinaka]

I think that's the palolo worm which is harvested on certain full-moon evenings. Never knowingly tried it - it's prized throughout much of the South Pacific...

[chowser]

Wondering how that first one is even harvested, or maybe I don't want to know. Well, from one species I do but not others.

[ipsedixit]

That's what bothers me the most I think. How do they get it (that "one" species being the exception).

[alanbarnes]

http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/...

[ipsedixit]

That falls into the category of "too much information" ...

[chowser]

It's an awful lot of work for an appetizer.

[alanbarnes]

Hence the prohibitive price - the stuff can wholesale for $200/ml or more.

[junescook]

A friend of ours sells that for a living. He is what the Irish call "the bull in the collar and tie." He goes from dairy farm to dairy farm with his photo catalogue of bulls and his refrigerator case of semen selections -- not to mention his long rubber gloves. He travels around southern NE and perhaps NY state.

You can't do that with horses -- or alpacas by the way.

[krysia]

AI is quite common in horse breeding. Only the thoroughbred registry disallows it. And Anthony Bourdain praised the herring sperm in Hokkaido. We had that around when I was growing up but my tastes were typically childish then.

[jiminy]

Uni is awsome

[alanbarnes]

Today's New York Times reminded me of this thread; it mentioned an Icelandic businessman who's harvesting and selling codfish sperm. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/magazine/icelands-big-economic-thaw.html?pagewanted=5&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha210

It's apparently quite the delicacy, and popular in the US, Japan, and Korea. I'm guessing the US demand is from people preparing it in the Japanese style, since most of the results from a Google search have the Japanese name - "shirako." Here are some cooking tips: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/11/th...

[redfish62]

The left testicle of an armadillo.

[c oliver]

Goes without saying.

[ipsedixit]

But the right one is fair game, of course.

[c oliver]

Much better "mouth feel."

[mariacarmen]

AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[jiminy]

What about the right?

[HillJ]

meat gelatin...can't...do...it.

[c oliver]

What is meat gelatin? Like head cheese?

[HillJ]

Right. I like meat, I like gelatin...I don't care for gel-like meat. My only (so far) no thank you.

[GraydonCarter]

Didn't Julia devote an entire chapter to aspic?

[HillJ]

Hi GC. Head cheese see above.

[GraydonCarter]

"Even if you have no particular flair for decoration, you will be surprised at what wonders you can perform with enough aspic, a bit of time, cracked ice, and a few simple tricks of the trade. Gelée de viande (Wine-flavored Meat Jelly)"

[alanbarnes]

Somehow that article seems a little sensational. "Boiled intestine sausage" sounds scary, but how is that different than the ever-popular "natural casing"? "Live seafood soup" is disturbing, but how is cooking a live crab in a pot of simmering water at your table really any different than cooking a live crab in a pot of simmering water back in the kitchen?

Still and all, there are some things that don't strike me as worth the effort. Why would anyone eat something that smells "so strong that some people recommend breathing in through your mouth and out through your nose to reduce your exposure to the odor" (hongeo) or causes the "neighbors call the police fearing that [you're] keeping a corpse" in the house (cheonggukjang)? I'll pass.

Seriously, though, chicken feet are good stuff. A good first place to try some out might be a dim sum place, accompanied by friends who'll finish them if you don't want to. (Or, if they're like me, elbow you out of the way to get at 'em.)

[c oliver]

I wasted a lot of decades blindly not eating chicken feet. I'm making up for that.

Wasn't it fried pig intestine we had the first time we ate at Golden Dragon? The cold, sliced pig ear was tasty enough but the intestine was really good.

[Gio]

Of that list, Alkapal, I'll not eat any of them, ever. But I Have had and do often (just last night, for example) eat chicken gizzards. I've had chicken hearts and liver, tripe, sweetbreads, snails, frog legs and liked it all. But I'll not eat durian any time soon...and primates goes without saying.

[c oliver]

Sam drew the line at primates which I hadn't considered until then. Seems that's my line also.

[janeh]

I especially miss Sam's voice on threads like this...

[goodhealthgourmet]

+1 :(

[thursday]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but what happened to Sam???

[goodhealthgourmet]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/701461

[thursday]

Thanks for the link... =( I'm heartbroken!

[thew]

i stated in a similar thread that i don;t eat anything that can pass the red spot test of self awareness. however i added the caveat that if a pig ever passes that test i will ignore my own rule

[c oliver]

I kinda/sorta remembered what you wrote but could never phrase it that well.

[mariacarmen]

i have to agree. poor pigs, too delicious for their own good.

[EWSflash]

LOL

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

Fertilized chicken eggs. Endangered species. Things that are still alive when you eat them. There are also things I won't eat for basic food safety reasons, night market sushi and uncooked blood being two that spring immediately to mind.

However, I do end up on the more adventurous side of things as far as what I do eat and what I have tried. I like organ meats (tripe, liver, gizzards, hearts), chicken and pig feet, snails, frog, blood sausage in various forms, stinky tofu,natto, biological warfare class cheese, and durian.

I have hadn't had brains (other than eating whole fish), but I've eaten most other parts of animals, including testicles, tendons, and cartilage. I'll eat most types of seafood including squid and octopus (I made squid tonight, actually), and have very fond memories of getting an entire plate of fresh uni in the fish market in Santiago.

I haven't eaten insects on purpose (but trust me, cockroaches don't taste very good), but am not adverse to trying them, given the opportunity.

[alkapal]

a cockroach by accident? did you wretch? i remember eating in a malyasian food court finding that one of my "noodles" was alive. i lost my appetite. fortunately, i didn't "lose my lunch."

and i've had mountain oysters when i was much younger than today. ;-).

squid and octopus is good in my book -- but not alive. sometimes i've heard that people die when they choke on the living octopus.

[ediblover]

My golden rule: If it's served to me, I'll eat it. Outside of that, I'd rather not eat any animals that helped us in wars and stuff.

By the way, sundae is awesome. Usually served alongside liver and a salt/spice blend, it's my favorite Korean dish.

[ursy_ten]

Looking at that list - eek!
I think I draw the line at sexual organs, insects and worms.
I'm not sure I'd try haggis or tripe either. Or frogs legs... but I did try snails, years ago - they weren't too bad!

[alkapal]

i've had frog legs & escargot. the reason to eat escargot is the sauce ;-).

in fact, we don't even need the snails for this!
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1 teaspoon shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
***SNAILS***
24 large snails
dry vermouth
1/2 teaspoon of the butter mixture (above)
French bread

[ursy_ten]

1/2 cup butter? Oh my stars!

[alkapal]

but that is for 24 large snails. i'd substitute 24 large mushrooms and be as happy as a clam.

1/2 cup of butter? EASY! dip that crusty baguette in the sauce, munch and go into foodie-bliss. (or if you have a cholesterol issue, perhaps true bliss when you float above the gurney after your heart attack).

[ursy_ten]

It does sound really really good. I am a sucker for butter, I must admit!

[BelovedofIsis]

You can substitute for Olive Oil, if you want. There are also recipes for a red wine sauce or a tomato sauce for snails as well.

[ursy_ten]

Would definitely be less guilt inducing, wouldn't it?

[BelovedofIsis]

Yes and just as tasty! Although I gave up feeling guilty about eating good food years ago. So butter and garlic snails? Bring it on!

[alkapal]

goodness alive people, the only reason to eat snails is for the garlic butter! ;-)

[c oliver]

It seems too many people have too much guilt. You and I make up for them, don't we?

[alkapal]

i think we can make a stab at it

[ursy_ten]

Heh. Well, I keep having to buy new clothes due to expansion!

[JungMann]

Actually, when my mother cooked snails, they were braised in coconut milk and ginger. The real treat, though, was pulling the snails out of their shells with toothpicks or tiny cocktail forks: great fun for a five-year old boy.

[c oliver]

I haven't fixed snails in ages but I always put TWO in each shell :)

[ursy_ten]

Ooh! That sounds intriguing, I'm going to have to see if I can google that up!

[MarkKS]

If you take them from your garden, I think you're supposed to fast them to clear their intestines, or feed them lettuce. I've never prepared them but went to a party where home-collected snails were served. Yummie. They didn't serve them in their shells

[bulavinaka]

I've seen people harvesting them from local fields as well. It's rare in LA to see people openly harvest anything wild from the local fields as there aren't many open areas left. I have to wonder how the snails taste (not a fan of any snails I've tried) as I'd imagine they'd pick up the flavors of the local flora.

[BelovedofIsis]

They do pick up the flavors of the local flora, but if you have a particularly tasty area go for the wild ones. However snail farmers will control the snails diet and that will reflect on the the end products tastes.

[Isolda]

Yep, that's exactly what my teenage daughter said. She went on a school trip to France a couple of weeks ago and ordered escargot at lunch (the only meal where they got to choose--the food on an EF Tours trip is otherwise total crap). She liked the texture of the snails, but thought the main point of escargot was eating tons of butter, garlic and bread together.

I agree.

[alkapal]

isolda, you're precocious daughter is waaaay ahead of the game. ;-).

[chefathome]

I don't love haggis but it's really not that bad (having had it several times in Scotland). Just think of it as strongly-flavoured sausage! :-) Tripe isn't horrid, either, if cooked properly. Frogs' legs really do sort of taste like chicken!

[deepgreenC]

I was tricked into eating the scrotum sack of blowfish (fugu) in Japan. Never again.

[alkapal]

i'm just trying to picture the scrotal sac of a blowfish. """Blowfish testicles can be eaten like grapes - although it's something of an acquired taste, the flavor is reminiscent of salty milk. Delicious.""" http://www.gadling.com/2007/08/23/big...

but the sac? i'm curious as to how you were tricked…..

[deepgreenC]

Milky-white gelatinous sacks sprinkled with nori shows up at our table.

girlfriend: eat that.
me: what is it?
girlfriend: Just eat it! (rolls eyes, implying cowardice)
me: OK. (gulp) Now what did I just eat?
girlfriend: um, so, women have ovaries, right?
me: yeahhhh.....
girlfriend: what do you call what men have?

True story.

[alkapal]

gonads. yep...good old gonads. is she still your girlfriend? LOL!

(in your first post, i thought you meant the sac alone, not with the gonads).

[deepgreenC]

No, she's not my girlfriend anymore. She is my WIFE! I guess I love the abuse!

[alkapal]

haha! well, you did the honorable thing. she humiliated you and you married her.

[joonjoon]

I love your girlfriend/wife.

[kpaxonite]

Nothing like a wife that makes you eat scrotum

[deepgreenC]

Actually I just married her for an elaborate plot. If you think REVENGE is a dish best served cold, wait till you try fugu gonads served cold.

[AdamD]

Ahhh fugu shirako
I dont think its the testicles. Its the sperm sac. Yup you swallowed. :)

I have had it a few times-its actually quite nice!

[smartie]

I probably have a long list
dog, cat, horses, insects, reptiles, shellfish, pigs, snails and other molluscs, bivalves, roadkill, possum, kangaroos and other marsupials, birds other than poultry. Nor worms, octopus and squid- I guess anything that doesn't count as a 'kosher' animal.
I wouldn't want brains, testicles or kidneys, eyes either! Or live food!