Eat the tartar steak! The best thing in the world.
Posted on 01/29/2012 3:21:03 PM PST by nickcarraway
Disgust is one of our most basic emotions—the only one that we have to learn—and nothing triggers it more reliably than the strange food of others
Disgust is one of our most basic emotions—the only one that we have to learn—and nothing triggers it more reliably than the strange food of others
In the last several years there has been an explosion of research on disgust. Disgust is one of the six basic emotions—along with joy, surprise, anger, sadness and fear—but it is the only one that has to be learned, which suggests something about its complexity.
Most children get their first lessons in disgust around the time that they are potty trained. After that, the triggers of disgust are quickly acquired from the responses and rules of parents, peers and, most importantly, the wider culture. One of the best places to look for the vast differences in what is or is not considered disgusting in different parts of the globe is food, especially distinctive foods, like every culture's favorite fermented dish.
Take cheese, considered by Westerners to be anything from a comfort food to a luxurious delicacy. A good taleggio, Gorgonzola or Brie might be described as sweaty or slimy. Cheese also has its fair share of aromatic obstacles and, depending on the circumstances, may be confused with vomit, stinky feet or a garbage spill. Many Asians regard all cheese, from processed American slices to Stilton, as utterly disgusting—the equivalent of cow excrement.
Given that cheese can be described as the rotted bodily fluid of an ungulate, that's not far off. But controlled rot tastes good in this case—at least to us (or most of us). The key is to manage the decomposition in such a way as to get that desired flavor and to ensure that we don't get
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
And where does escargot fall on that list?
I’m with the Asians on the cheese thing. Never liked it, and melted? You’d have to put a gun to my head to get me to eat that nasty stuff!
Wrong. I've eaten many a strange creature but none have emoted such disgust as having the Kenyan tribe squatting in MY house.
Yes, many times. Doesn’t taste like heaven, though—more like a sulphurous, onion-tinged cream cheese...
I went to China in late ‘76 on a 6 month business trip. At the first banquet in my honor, we were served sea slug. My God, that was the WORST thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. There was a good reason the other Westerners at the plant called it “Firestone” — it had the same tread marks on top and the same texture and toughness.
Surstromming anyone?
LOve ‘em
If I’m in Australia, I’ll give it a try.
“along with joy, surprise, anger, sadness and fear—but it is the only one that has to be learned”
B.S. I have a 15 month old - fear is something that must be learned....
and their rationale on “disgust” haha - not even close, it comes much earlier, in the food stage... losers have no idea..
I'm a pretty adventurous eater myself but sauerkraut and horse radish are two things I simply cannot eat without gagging. That natto looks like something I could give a try.
Disgusting edibles were invented so that boys can gross girls out at school!
I can not get past the smell of Durian so, when in Chiang Mai, my wife is kind enough to eat it on the back porch. Most of my in laws over 30 can not tolerate any kind of cheese but the younger ones like pizza. Besides durian, I like most all foods and fruits except ant eggs (smell again). The deep fried frog skins are great, for instance. I pass on the “horse piss” eggs. Chiang Mai sausage is great but I won’t ask how it’s made. ;-)
“Curious if anyone has tasted a Durian fruit. Supposedly tastes like Heaven but smells like Hell.”
I like it if it’s not too over ripe. Very rich and creamy taste. Sort of smelly, though.
I’m not wild about the smell of gapi, the fermented shrimp paste. My wife seems to love it. She won’t eat the “pla dak”, the rotten salty fish stuff that is is prevalent in the northeast of Thailand. My son loves sun-dried squid for some reason.
Yes, it is here in the local markets, usually next to the dragon fruit... :-)
I have had it. As I recall I was pleased by the taste but don’t exactly remember.
I just saw some yesterday at the Dennis nearby. I’ll try it again and give a more detailed report.
It -—IS-— one of the scariest-looking fruits I have ever seen!
OTOH, operating a digital camera without the distinct advantage of an opposable thumb and then posting that pic on the internet is pretty impressive.
I once read that Scottish cuisine was created for the English, who they hated, and people who lost bets.
To this day, I'm convinced that the Japanese developed sushi as a practical joke on us for winning the war!
Mark
Sounds a little like gefilte fish, except it's not fried... It is somehow "jellied." Served with chopped, pickled horseradish! Yum!!!!
Mark
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