Would you try unknown foreign foods if you knew what the ingredients were, or would you still be afraid?

Question

If you have taken the risk, how did it turn out?

Answer 1

some of my great memories are times of trying "foreign" food. stuff i had no clue about. eye appeal and smell being of utmost importance. and how it was presented, the order. some wonderful times were had when no one anywhere near spoke english, so i'm still unsure today what it was i ate, but it was good. some of the worst food i've ever experienced came from downtown usa.

i won't try just anything though, remember, eye appeal and smell. and i don't care what the ingredients might be. i would never try, for instance, huitlacoche (black corn mushroom).

ADD for this post i had to go back a ways for the following link. this series is all about the present subject. Steve, the blogger did eat some huitlacoche, but despite his praise of this delicacy, i think i'll still pass. http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/cat_steve_dont_eat_it.php

Answer 2

Living in Europe, there are a great many opportunities to try "bizarre" foods, also, language barriers result in getting something to eat you did not realize you ordered LOL. I am a firm believer in trying new things, if you don't care for it, you don't have to finish it. Be adventurous and try something new.

Have eaten squid, octopus, snails, oxtail, eels and probably several things I can't name or don't recall. Nothing was "nasty." I agree with the earlier poster, I have had some absolutely vile meals here in the US that should have been pleasant.

I did draw the line at the pick your own part of the sheep's head as an appitizer. . . . the furry little critter still had it's eyes.

Answer 3

I'd rather know if the food is prepared freshly in a clean environment. Thats usually the reason why I don't explore other food options.

Other then that it can't hurt to try, you can always spit it out. Order a sample platter and your almost guaranteed to like something.

Of course if i knew the ingredient was horse, dog, whale, shark, giraffe, etc, I wouldnt go near it.

Answer 4

I live in the Northeast of Thailand and there are some foods here which are quite different to what you get in the West. There are many types of insects and beetles which we eat. Western food is not so easy to get hold of here unless you cook it yourself. I have tried most of the things on offer and there was only one insect I disliked because it was smelly. Most of the fried insects taste like the crackling on pork. No, you are not likely to get any of these delicacies in your local Thai restaurant.
Maria, you really should try horse. I had it quite regularly in the Netherlands and it is a lovely juicy meat not unlike beef. Shark which I ate in Morocco is also good.

Answer 5

I have tried many foreign foods but I will ask about its contents first as I know what I don't want to eat.

Answer 6

Oh many times I have tried foreign food, generally you dont like it, your mouth is accoustomed to your regular diet, that is the reason, even MANNA cannot be liked at first time, but when your TASTE buds become used to variety you start to experiment.

http://www.mouthshut.com/review/7_Up-116333-1.html

Answer 7

I have done it, and I will do it again. Sometimes it was more than disgusting, but normally it was rather good. You can always leave it on the plate and get rice or potatoes if you don't like it.

Answer 8

I might be afraid, but then again the FDA isn't really doing a bang up job here are they?

Answer 9

if i knew what was in it and i liked it yes but if it had something like Escargot which is nasty snails then no

Answer 10

I fear no food.