ellie

• Pimento cheese. Or is it pimentos & cheese? I've seen this stuff in containers in stores over the years and never had a desire to try it. But my boyfriend's mother made some over the holidays to take to parties. Oh my dear God, that shit's repulsive! So bad, that I couldn't even fake the, 'mmm, this is good.' I just flat out let her know I couldn't eat it. Thankfully she didn't take it personally.
• Sea urchin sushi. If anyone else has tried this, you can let me know if I potentially just had a bad batch or what not. It had the consistency of snot and it really tasted like a chemical. Nothing good about it at all. And I'll eat off-the-wall sushi, like baby octopus (a whole baby octopus, tentacles, head and all, on rice,) but this stuff was horrid. Ugh *shudder*
• Licorice. One of the worst candies in the world. How can anyone like this??? I have a lot of cookbooks with some tempting dishes calling for fennel or anise, which taste a lot like licorice, so I just skip them because I'm afraid the whole dish will taste like crap.

I'm sure I'll think of more soon...

Charlatan

I am trying to think of something I ate that was disgusting to me and the only thing I am coming up with is a tripe stew. I've had tripe before that was good, but this one was gross. I don't think the chef had prepared the tripe well and it still had a very funky, poo smell to it. Put me off meat for a few days.

As for Sea Urchin and Licorice... yes please!

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TheCrimsonGhost

Balut is certainly and by far the sole and solo nastiest food I have ever tried. Hands down. No need to list anything else, it's that bad. If ever offered, run the other way as fast as you can. The smell alone is enough to give you the shits for a week.

Shauk

Sauerkraut. Fuck that shit.

Willravel

The tough question is food that's prepared well but that you still don't like. I've had bad food before, but most that comes to mind was prepared poorly. Even Brussels sprouts can be truly delicious when prepared well.

The only thing I can think of is beets. Yes beets, those red root vegetables that are a bit grainy and have a distinct sweet flavor. I've had beets cooked by very talented chefs that I just couldn't get through. I've even had beets with savory flavors like pork and it didn't work. I'm just not built to enjoy beets.

ellie

You're sick!
lol
Had to Google it...
Ok, wtf???



I wouldn't touch this!
I'm with you on that. My Mother would make that with kielbasa sometimes as a kid. I'd eat the meat (really good with yellow mustard btw,) and slide that crap over.
I've heard this but won't believe it until I try it. This shit's nasty!
I've actually never had them. Need to try before I die someday.

Fotzlid

I can never figure out what is not to like about Brussels Sprouts. Love em.

Dried fish, salted fish, reheated fish.
I'll eat fish every day, but only if its freshly prepared. Except Blue fish. Thats just plain nasty.

I know its a spice but if a dish has too much ginger in it, I can't stomach the taste.

Willravel

Today's your lucky day, ellie!

First, a lot of people unknowingly don't prep the sprouts correctly. You strip away the outer leaves, and then generally half them (to make them the right size for a bite and so they cook evenly). You then blanch them in salted water for a few minutes.

My favorite way to balance the vegetable-y flavor and texture of Brussels sprouts is with something rich and fatty like bacon or pancetta.

3 cups of Brussels sprouts, halved
1.5 lbs. pancetta, chopped
5-7 chestnuts, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 lemon for zesting
salt and pepper

Blanch the Brussels sprouts for a few minutes while you chop your pancetta or bacon. Put a bit of olive oil in a pan and pan fry the pancetta until the fat softens. Drain the sprouts and add them to the pan and cook, adding salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat slightly and chop and add the chestnuts. At the end, after about 5-10 minutes of cooking, zest a bit (maybe 8 passes) of lemon, and then squeeze a bit of the juice in.

While this is traditionally a bit of a Christmas dish, you can really have it any time of year. I can't promise you'll like it, but I have a feeling you will.

Baraka_Guru

I love food. However....

Besides not being particularly fond of organ meats, there is little I can think of that I would consider disgusting. I'm sure some exotic food along the lines of live insects or raw and obscure ocean creatures would be up there as well.

There is one thing I remember well. Tuna casserole was my Kryptonite as a kid. I couldn't stand the shit. Just the smell of the tuna and cheese....and cream...and attempting to eat the asparagus. Ew. I only ate it once, and I recall being very sick. I think the congestion allowed me to eat it.

Oh, and sauerkraut is spectacular. I even eat that stuff straight out of the jar. Homemade is best. God I love that stuff. What's wrong with you people?

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ellie

Well anything with bacon is usually quite tasty lol. How does the texture come out after cooking these? The only way I've had brussels sprouts has been mushy. I'm not positive, but I think she boiled hers. And they've almost tasted chemical-y if that makes any sense. Similar to the way my Mom made her asparagus. I used to despise asparagus until I learned to steam it with a little butter and lemon juice. Now I can't get enough of asparagus! I guess all Moms don't know how to cook after all?

Baraka_Guru

If you haven't discovered it yet: take asparagus and toss it in some olive oil and sprinkle it with black pepper, and then let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Grill it for about 4 to 8 minutes (depending on the temperature of your grill), turning once. You want to grill it until it just starts to get tender. The heads will begin to char, while the stems should have grill marks and will become visibly tender.

I swear it: this is like candy.

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Willravel

The texture is halfway between firm and soft. Brussels sprouts have a taste that's a bit earthy and a bit acidic, and it balances well with citrus and a fat. While you can just sauté them in a bit of oil with salt and pepper, the flavor is better complimented with the meaty bacon fat and the nutty chestnut oils. I'm not a fan of straight boiled Brussels sprouts, but I can eat them because I've learned to appreciate the taste by having them in a dish I love. The same thing happened with me and bell peppers by having them in a Denver omelet. Now I eat bell peppers raw like I host a cooking show.

snowy

Brussels sprouts are best roasted after being tossed with a bit of salt and pepper, and then dusted with some parmesan cheese or aged gouda after coming out of the oven. They're also excellent panroasted or steamed (they should still be firm, NOT mushy), again tossed with parm or aged gouda. A little lemon juice squirted over the Brussels sprouts also makes them tastier, as will mentioned.

Mm, brussels sprouts.

There are not many foods I dislike. I can't think of any right off the top of my head. I like food.

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ellie

If I weren't snowed in right now, I'd probably hop in the car and pick up some asparagus for a lil late night snack. This sounds delicious. And I really love asparagus since I started steaming it.

As far as the notes go for brussels sprouts, I like the parm / gouda idea. Yet the bacon sounds fantastic too. Yay for options!

And snowy - come on now... there's got to be something lol!

Charlatan

I've have just discovered how much I love Brussels Sprouts.

Peel the outer leaves.
Blanch in salted water.
Cut them in half.
Sautee them cut side down in some butter and olive oil until they are caramelized.
Flip and cook the other side.
Season with some salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with some finely chopped lemon zest and some fresh lemon juice.

The key is to not over cook them at the blanching stage.


I would have to admit that Balut gives me pause. I have promised myself that I will try everything that is put in front of me and to date I have eaten everything, including insects, offal, etc. On the day that Balut lands on my plate, I am going to have some difficulty. Fetal duck embryo just sounds nasty (and that's before you look at it).

I just had some beets with Swedish hash the other day and it offered the perfect counter point to the savoury hash...

---------- Post added at 05:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:52 PM ----------

While I don't consider this disgusting... some of you might:

Kuay Chap
A Teochew dish of flat, broad rice sheets in a soup made with dark soy sauce, served with pig offal, braised duck meat, various kinds of beancurd, preserved salted vegetables, and braised hard-boiled eggs.


Fish Head Curry The head of an ikan merah (literally "Red fish") – which is red snapper, is stewed in curry with vegetables. Usually served with either rice or bread. It's sooooo good.

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jewels

I had enjoyed it until I found out what it was. I'll eat anything but the idea overwhelmed me with nausea. Yet I love grilled Argentinian style sweetbreads. Go figure.

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Charlatan

Oh man... I love sweetbreads. So tasty!

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ellie

Red snapper is my favorite fish ever. I'm originally from Miami, Fla and I was essentially raised on that fish. Soooo good. So that dish actually looks great to me.

Charlatan, since you seem so knowledgeable, I have a question maybe you can answer...
You know the dark green slime in lobster? I don't know what it is. One person told me it's actually feces and it's considered a delicacy. However, this person was my brother and he's completely and utterly full of shit 98% of the time. Do you know what this goo is? lol

---------- Post added at 05:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:35 AM ----------

I overlooked this -
I'm the same way with dill. I made what would have been a delicious shrimp dish in a white wine sauce, but I ruined it with too much damn dill. Damn the dill!!!

Grasshopper Green

For me, a food has to have more than a bad taste to be truly disgusting. Black licorice? Yuck, but I could eat it if I had to. Same with most foods I don't enjoy the taste of.
To me, it's about taste AND texture, which is why I find mussels (of all varieties) so highly offensive. Not only do they taste like shit, they are visually unappealing and have the consistency of eating phlegm. One of the only exceptions I can think of is Marmite. I didn't have a problem with the texture, the taste was just absolutely horrid. Blech.

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dlish

i know ill get crucified for saying this as an aussie..

but i hate vegemite.

the.absolute.worst.food.evar!

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LordEden

When you boil a whole lobster all of it's internal organs get boiled together inside the shell. It's called "tomalley" and it's safe to eat despite the color.

Make sure you take out the poop shoot located inside the valley of the tail. Don't want to be eating that.

*****

My chef made me eat every organ meat we came across in the kitchen to "break" me of my preconceived notions of organ meat flavors.

"Eat the heart. No, eat it. Look, I'll eat half of it. It's fucking good. Eat it or I'll make everyone call you a bitch on the line tonight."

It was hard to get over that, but in the end it was worth it.

That being said.... my mother's microwaveable meatloaf is probably the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten. Fucking gross.

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Starkizzer

I am with Will, I hate beets. Beautiful color caused by the betalains can not seduce me to eat those awful things.

I also dislike turnips.

But, I will say some of the most disgusting foods I have ever eaten were made for me when I was little by my grandma. She tried to feed us liver and onions, smells awesome, tastes awful. I mean come on, its a filter! The other thing was boiled spinach. I used to think I hated spinach then I realized I just hated how she made it, boiled till it was slimy and then she threw mayo on it. Oh god, WHY?!

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kramus

I go out for dim sum w my Lady and her family from time to time. Never heard of it till I met her. She thought I was joking because according to her, not knowing dim sum is par with not knowing what a hamburger is. I've eaten some pretty off-my-radar stuff doing dim sum. The ultimate for me was accepting servings of cold congealed cow blood from her mom. I actually ate 3 pieces before deciding I'd carried the flag far enough - passed on the rest. I have always refused those jellied chickens feet. They are too freaky to look at, much less watch anyone gnaw on. Yech. There are different Chinese fish delicacies that have a decayed flavour that is offensive to my Western palate. Ditto for fermented tofu curds in fish sauce.

Personal demons include spinach (my old man sat on my chest and force fed it to me while the family laughed and laughed. Makes an impression on a kid, that kind of shit). I don't care for turnip, yams, cooked cauliflower, another vote for no brussel sprouts or beets. I dislike chicken wings because they are bird arms and just look wrong to me. That said, I can't really eat too much chicken/turkey skin either - I don't care how you've cooked and crisped and basted and spiced it. Crunchy bird skin is slightly less disgusting than the slimy stuff you peel off of a drumstick in order to eat it.

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jaxslvrsn1

Worst thing I ever ate: a Salisbury Steak from elementary school XP

Weirdest thing i ever ate: Chapulines (Mexican crickets) They're not that bad, if you're an adventurous eater like myself =]

Next thing I want to try is some fresh Durian

Slims

Stinky Tofu, consisting of normal tofu that is then 'fermented' (allowed to rot, as it is not Yeast doing the fermenting but rather an assemblage of various bacteria and fungi) for at least 6 months, often in a brine containing fermented milk, shrimp and cabbage:



"From a distance, it is said that rotting garbage is as close as one can come to describing the smell of stinky tofu. Some also say “baby poo” and “hellacious” come a bit closer." Gregor's Vipassana Voyage


This is by far the worst thing I have ever eaten. Ever. And I have eaten some horrible things by most peoples standards.

The smell will hit you from a hundred meters away...and the experience only gets better when you bite down and get to experience the sticky, gelatinous texture with the characteristic bean-curd style crust and pockets of oil that 'burst' into your mouth as you force your jaws closed while trying with all your might to suppress your gag reflex.

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ellie

Pretty nasty stuff.

Friend from UK came to visit and offered me a piece of gum. I accepted and while I bit in expecting peppermint freshness, I get a mouthful of what was like Vicks Vaporub. It was horrid. Menthol gum.

Projectguru

I agree With Sauerkraut! It is just disgusting looking, tasting and has a horrible texture! I'll just have the beer on St. Patty's Day!

snowy

I've never heard of eating sauerkraut on St. Patrick's. Cabbage, yes. Sauerkraut, no.

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Lindy

Some of the foods mentioned are just disgusting and stomach churning to me. Others (licorice, saurkraut, beets, brussels sprouts, asparagus, chicken skin...) are things that I really like! The first time I was served a plate that had a fisheye looking at me was somewhat off-putting, but now I thing nothing of it in Thai or Indian places. I usually like fish, including raw, like seviche and sushi, and seafood in general.
Things I really hate (of "normal" American foods) are raw oysters, marshmallows, and applesauce. It's a texture or mouth feel thing.

Lindy

I'm surprised no one mentioned lutefisk. Among us Scandanavians more hate it than have ever tasted it.

Fremen

The only things mentioned in this thread that I wouldn't try is balut, tripe, stinky tofu, jellied chicken feet, and maybe sweetbreads.

I can't stand fennel seeds. If a recipe has fennel seeds in it, I try to avoid it.
If they would only grind up the seeds, I could probably stomach it, but if I bite into the seed, it just ruins it for me.

Also, I don't like mussels or oysters either.

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lunxpress

I’m another advocate for Sauerkraut. When I was in elementary school, the whole lunch table would pass their portions to me. Um. Love that bitter shit. So good. Love cabbage, in any form; Red, cooked, german, cold, hot, drown me in it.

Brussles sprout are adorable, too!

I have eaten Hasenpfeffer; sounded disgusting, but tasted okay. I could not get beyond the idea of frolicking easter bunnies to really enjoy it, though.

Not a fan of goat cheese. Reminds me of a smelly barnyard. I really like everything else, except tongue, liver and venison.

Eating soft shell crabs can be likened to eating a plate of toenails.

badwill

I looooooove red licorice (the black sucks).


Anyway I absolutely hate Lobster. It tasted and had the texture of a rubber fishing lure lol. I also hate baklava and cantaloupe. I've never liked cantaloupe but one time my grandma had some in the back of her Van in the son and when I got in the van it was the worst thing I've ever smelled.