I love gefilte fish! It is really quite bland, which is why we eat it with horseradish. I especially like the jellied broth heated and eaten with a nice slice of challah.
And pickled tongue is a delicacy, especially on dark pumpernickle with some mustard. There are no Jewish delis here, so I have actually made it several times. Quite a lot of work, especially peeling the tongue.
I was never forced to eat either of them. I loved them both as a child.
Now, I am married to a Norwegian and he won’t eat any of his own ethnic dishes. My late MIL used to make her husband’s Christmas lutefisk on a separate stove in the basement, with all the doors closed to keep the odor out of the rest of the house.
I love pickled tongue. My Mom made it often. It was much easier to peel after she pressure-cooked it. We could hardly wait for it to pickle before we talked her into cutting off slices for us. Yum!