Speaking of foods, what won't you try?

[Ronstar]

I won't eat olives - green or black.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fedup It's French for brain, I think.

It's the thymus and pancreas organs.

Sweetbreads is French? Probably old English - at least the brede = roasted meat part.

[braumeister]

I'm pretty tolerant. The most unusual thing I've ever eaten was deep fried scorpions in a town in China.

OTOH, I won't eat any citrus fruit. Go figure.

[marko]

Spent a lot of time in Asia and Japan.

Had too many times where when taken out for an expensive meal and told "We'll tell you later" when I asked what what I was eating.

Anyone ever heard of the "monkey in a box and a hammer"? That's where I drew the line. Utterly bizarre, cruel and revolting.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko Anyone ever heard of the "monkey in a box and a hammer"? That's where I drew the line. Utterly bizarre, cruel and revolting.

+1
Hard to believe people would ever even consider such a thing.

[bclover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready I will not eat anything that contains: Mayonaisse Sour Cream Cream Cheese Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing Ketchup Mustard Almost any white liquid substance And I have no interest in eating any exotic animal meats. I eat some chicken, occasional beef, and fish. Otherwise, I'll pass.

Lol Ready my late husband was like this. Use to drive me batty. No summer salads (potatoe, macaroni, crab). We live in Philly, I use to scream "how do you eat a philly cheesesteak without kerchup!!"

I'm trying to be more adventurous but have no desire to try kangeroo or alligator

[bw5972]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready I will not eat anything that contains: Mayonaisse Sour Cream Cream Cheese Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing Ketchup Mustard Almost any white liquid substance And I have no interest in eating any exotic animal meats. I eat some chicken, occasional beef, and fish. Otherwise, I'll pass.

I'm right there with you on the white liquid list but ketchup and mustard are fine for me.

[jollystomper]

I avoid spicy foods or any type of spicy/hot sauce.

[Fedup]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 It's the thymus and pancreas organs. Sweetbreads is French? Probably old English - at least the brede = roasted meat part.

I saw it once at a cooking show with Jacque Pepin and I thought it looks like brain and I also thought only the French eat would them.

[Fedup]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko Spent a lot of time in Asia and Japan. Had too many times where when taken out for an expensive meal and told "We'll tell you later" when I asked what what I was eating. Anyone ever heard of the "monkey in a box and a hammer"? That's where I drew the line. Utterly bizarre, cruel and revolting.

I think the Chinese eat them like that too. I admit before my brother took me to a Japanese restaurant for the first time, I never ate anything raw, even oysters. I was super nervous with raw fish and only ordered cooked sushi. It took me many years before I can eat raw sushi properly, and only with a healthy dose of wasabi.

[Scuba]

I am not that adventurous of an eater. Love most common US foods - fish, shellfish, squid, octopus, sushi, chicken, beef, lamb, pork. Will not eat any "organ" meat - no kidneys, liver, gizzards, brain, sweetbreads, tripe, tongue, etc. Also no scorpions, insects, snakes. Have tried foie gras and did not like it at all - very fatty. Tried liver and didn't like the flavor or texture. Have tried alligator (tough) and frog legs (ok, taste like chicken so I'll stick to chicken). Have tried cactus and didn't like the flavor. At a sushi bar, I stick with raw fish. I don't love seaweed and raw shellfish including raw oysters are too slimy for me.

As far as more common foods, the only two things that come to mind that I don't like are avocados and mayonnaise. I will eat mayo as an ingredient but not on a sandwich or as a dip unless it is seasoned and mixed with other ingredients.

[Ready]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bclover Lol Ready my late husband was like this. Use to drive me batty. No summer salads (potatoe, macaroni, crab). We live in Philly, I use to scream "how do you eat a philly cheesesteak without kerchup!!" I'm trying to be more adventurous but have no desire to try kangeroo or alligator

Quote:

Originally Posted by bw5972 I'm right there with you on the white liquid list but ketchup and mustard are fine for me.

Nice to know I'm not the only one! And yes, I won't eat potato salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, coleslaw, or anything else that has a white cream mixed into it.

And while I can't stand the smell or taste of ketchup, I like barbecue sauce. Go figure.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister +1 Hard to believe people would ever even consider such a thing.

I agree. I knew about the monkey thing, but this year is the first I had heard of "dog week" in China. It's not a celebration of dogs (except as food.) Truly repulsive considering the inhumane treatment of the animals. YMMV

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goonie I'll try anything once, because I learned a long time ago that you can never know for sure whether or not you'll like something, unless you actually try it.

+1

Not many regrets for things I've eaten, but if I see something on a menu I've never had I'll try it. Never heard of that monkey dish but it sounds cruel, which is unfortunate, and has no place on a menu.

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koolau I agree. I knew about the monkey thing, but this year is the first I had heard of "dog week" in China. It's not a celebration of dogs (except as food.) Truly repulsive considering the inhumane treatment of the animals. YMMV

Yeah that was one of the "we'll tell you later " dishes...

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB +1 Not many regrets for things I've eaten, but if I see something on a menu I've never had I'll try it. Never heard of that monkey dish but it sounds cruel, which is unfortunate, and has no place on a menu.

It's more than cruel. It's barbaric by our terms. The one time I walked away from the table.

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko It's more than cruel. It's barbaric by our terms. The one time I walked away from the table.

But it's a different culture and we can't judge according to our viewpoint

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko But it's a different culture and we can't judge according to our viewpoint

Cannibals are in complete agreement with you.

[euro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade Recently Bourdain featured a show about Porto, Portugal. They showed them skinning an eel and slaughtering a pig. In both cases, they saved the blood to cook with the meat or organs. They showed an extended sequence of a tripe dish being made. I have no interest in even trying any of these things. Some of the reaction is visceral, some of it is notional. A lot of cuisines use ingredients and techniques that may offend some modern palates. Even those of us who have not made conscientious decisions to become vegetarians or vegans may be repulsed at some of the ways livestock is harvested For instance, I've not tried foie gras. Not avoiding it but not seeking it out either. I won't demonstrate against it like some people have but I get the objection to how it's produced. So what kind of foods have you encountered or considered, either at home or in travels overseas, which made you at least think twice about trying or elicited strong disgust? Or something in between?

Foie Gras is the only food (by that I mean a demonstrably edible material, i.e. not shoe soles, hats, etc ) that I have never tried and will never eat. Pretty much everything else I can think of, I would consider giving a shot.

Edit: OK, after reading most of the thread, I would include dog, money or similar sources as no-go as well, of course. We don't really need to discuss cannibalism...

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fedup I saw it once at a cooking show with Jacque Pepin and I thought it looks like brain and I also thought only the French eat would them.

I think it's eaten in much of Europe including England, and popular in Latin America.

It wasn't until our generation, and our parent's generation as adults, that people only ate the muscle part of animals. Before that the majority lived in rural America, raised at least part of their own livestock or bought from neighbors, and organ meats were part of the regular diet. Other cultures have not lost this tradition even though they buy their meat from the grocery store like we do.