We have pretty broad, adventurous palates. That said, there are things we wouldn’t put in our mouths, even if they were free. Actually, there are things we wouldn’t eat even if you paid us! An online forum had a field day with the question, “What Thing You Wouldn’t Eat Even If It Was Free?” Let’s take a look.
Those Poor Little Sheep!
One commenter kicks off the convo with this: Iceland’s þorramatur meal: Hákarl (rotten shark) and svið (boiled sheep’s head) and súrsaðir hrútspungar (sour rams’ testicles). This made our brain hurt. All at once?
Sharks Eat Us. We Eat Sharks.
A few adventurous types had tried some of these delicacies. One person had sampled the shark and said, “Tried it, was like a cat pee flavored too firm jello”. Another responded, “Lol words I’d never thought I’d see used together”. We concur.
A third was a bit more forceful: “I wish lobotomies were still legal so I could forget this comment”.
Maggots? Yup.
Cheese made the list. But not just any cheese. How about cheese with maggots? This guy helped the convo along: “It is Called Casu Martzu”. And another had a positive spin: “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature”. Nice try.
Eat Your Veggies!
One person mentioned Brussels sprouts. Apparently, there are a lot of haters out there. After a bunch of folks slammed Brussels sprouts, a few interjected that they are amazing with bacon. Well, duh! Here is some more Brussels sprouts info. According to one commenter, “Fun Fact: Brussels sprouts have been selectively bred for decades to taste less and less bitter”, to which another responded, “Fun Fact: EVERYTHING have been genetically modified for decades to make more money”.
Stinky Fish
Then this gal drops one word into the thread: “Surstromming.” We had to look it up. It’s fermented herring. A Swedish specialty.
This other guy had some experience: “If the air isn’t moving, it generates some strange sphere of scent where 10 feet away you smell nothing, but take a step closer and you’re senses are overwhelmed with the oily smell of rotten trash water, old fish, and sh*#. It’s the only smell that caused me to involuntarily recoil. Never again.”
Smells & Feels Like…
A few people said wet lettuce. Well, that seems easy to avoid. Didn’t seem like a big deal to us, but the person was quite poetic: “It’s gives the same energy as getting your socks wet”.
Baby Ducks. Really Baby Ducks.
Balut, or fetus duck eggs, got several votes, both positive and negative. A commenter said, “As a south east Asian, it’s delicious if you don’t think about what it is”.
And another responded, “I could easily get past what I’m eating. The second I feel that beak crunch between my teeth though I think I’d spontaneously die on the spot. Texture can be a killer”.’
Anything cooked by Salt Bae
“Anything cooked by Salt Bae”. We had to look this one up. According to Wikipedia, Nusret Gökçe a Turkish butcher, chef, food entertainer and restaurateur, is nicknamed Salt Bae. His technique for preparing and seasoning meat became an internet meme in January 2017.
Apparently, he is highly annoying to many. And laughing all the way to the bank.
Forced Liver & Onions
There was a long discussion about liver and onions. Many apparently were forced to eat this dish as a child and it ruined them for life. One person shared, “My mother forced me to eat it. If I didn’t eat it she put it in the fridge for the next meal etc. I saved up my allowance and bought a can opener and snuck out cans of condensed soup and ate those to keep from starving. I still can’t be around it without wanting to puke. Thanks mom”.
Spiders? No Thank You.
Black licorice, spiders, tripe and urchin got mentioned, but they didn’t offend anyone other than the posters.
Okra Made The List
Boiled okra has many detractors. A commenter says it’s “essentially a giant snot glob with seeds”.
Coconut? Well, Once You Read Why…
Coconut spurred a discussion with one person saying that dried coconut was like “like little toenail clippings”.
Tongue. Cow Tongue.
How about tongue? Have you ever had beef tongue? How’s this for enticement? One guy says it’s “The food that tastes you back”. Nailed it.
Durian Melon
Durian melon has a reputation. There are places where the fruit is banned for its incredible stink. Anthony Bourdain once famously said, “Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother.” And a commenter said, “Friends tell me its like fragrant ice cream to them. Unfortunately I experience it as the smell of road tar balls with the taste of a soiled diaper”.
Coleslaw?
A reader says, “Coleslaw is normally free and I don’t eat it”. On a related note, another reader says, “Mayonnaise, it’s the product of the devil”.
You might agree after you see all of the crazy things people do with mayonnaise.
Did Someone Say Peeps?
We try not to be judgmental, but if you haven’t even tried a food, then why add to the convo? A commenter said, “Peeps. I don’t know why but even just thinking about them makes me feel a little ill. I’ve never eaten one, to my knowledge. They just look vile”.
Now, This Is Just Mean.
And why just be mean? One guy says, “Whatever my gf made”. Awe! This makes us sad.
Blood…
This girl had an interesting assortment: “Blood. Alcohol. Peppermint. Bananas. Fake food such as impossible “meat”. (First two are religious convictions, second two are things that still make me nauseous after one pregnancy or another, last is because it’s far too processed for me to trust it.) Those are absolutes. Other things might be “ugh, but I’ll choke it down if I have to. Edit: also balut – someone else listed it and I realized I had forgotten about that”.
A balut is a fertilized bird egg (usually a duck) which is incubated for a period of 14 to 21 days, depending on the local culture, and then steamed. So yeah… ugh.
What Do Kim Kardashian, Monkeys & Corn Dogs Have In Common?
McDonalds, Arby’s, Chick-fil-A, Kim Kardashian (sorry Kim!), monkey, Cheetos, cod sperm, Tim Hortons, applesauce, American food, flan, Spam, eggplant, baked beans, vegan meat/egg substitutes, lab-produced meats, corn dogs, and live insects were also listed as things people would not eat even if it was free.
This Little Piggy
And this reader said, “Pork and Pepsi”. We aren’t sure if they meant combined.
And Last But Not Least…
And last but not least….“Soylent green”. You do know what that is right? The movie came out in 1973, so we don’t think this is a spoiler. The movie is a dystopian thriller set in 2022. The population has exploded, and food is scarce. Have to come up with a way to feed the masses. As Charlton Heston’s character cried, in one of the most stunning last lines of a movie, “Soylent Green is people!”
Where do you draw the line in the sand?
This article was inspired by this thread on Reddit.
21 Things People Too Often Underestimate: What’s On Your List?
In our everyday lives, there are countless things that we often underestimate, sometimes to our own detriment. In this article, we explore 22 underestimated elements listed by Redditors to the question: What Are Some Things People Too Often Underestimate?
With answers ranging from the power of nature and emotional intelligence to the difference between a million and a billion. Let’s dive in!
And tell us in the comments what else should be on this list! Read: 21 Things People Too Often Underestimate: What’s On Your List?
14 Of The Craziest Hacks People Use Mayonnaise For – Even In The Bedroom!
After you click through this slide show you will never look at a jar of mayo the same way again. Trust us. Click to read:14 Of The Craziest Hacks People Use Mayonnaise For – Even In The Bedroom!
18 of the World’s Deadliest Foods: How Many Are You Eating?
Whether you eat to live, or live to eat, let’s make sure you live to see another day! These are some of the world’s deadliest foods. They can bring on extreme symptoms, ranging from paralysis to seizures, choking and even death, so don’t go tucking these into your lunchbox. Click for 18 of the World’s Deadliest Foods: How Many Are You Eating?
10 Of The Worst Tasting Drinks People Pretend To Like
Hold onto your taste buds, because we’re about to embark on a flavor-filled adventure through the realm of beverages! Sure, we all need water to survive, but let’s be real – drinks are so much more than just basic hydration. Recently, the question of which beverages people secretly think taste awful sparked a fiery debate. Boozy elixirs, non-alcoholic refreshments, and everything in between were thrown into the mix. Brace yourself as we unveil the truth behind the drinks we pretend to love. Get ready for a wild ride of taste revelations! Read 10 Of The Worst Tasting Drinks People Pretend To Like
