I ask this because I am allergic to most kinds of fish and nuts. But I’ll pretty much try anything foodwise. Squid? Love it. Raw oysters? Lay 'em on me. Turtle? Sure. Once I’ve ascertained that it isn’t something I’m allergic to, and it isn’t trying to crawl off the plate, I’ll eat it. Or try it, anyway. Didn’t really like the alligator tail, it was too greasy, but that might just have been the way it was cooked (breaded and deep fried).
I haven’t gotten around to rattlesnake and escargot yet, but if anyone has some and offers me a plate, hey, I’m game.
I’ve always attributed the fact that I will happily eat foods that many, if not most, other people I know regard as having a strong “eeewww” factor to the fact that there are so many common foods that I cannot enjoy. That lovely white flakey fish flesh that I see my mother enjoying when we go to certain restaurants could potentially kill me. Ditto for the German chocolate cake, or the brownies with walnuts.
I’m just wondering if there is any statistical correlation between havign food allergies and being willing to eat “weird foods”.
Yes, food allergies can kill, which is why I scrupiously avoid such common foods as tomotoes and green peas.
However, if I ate a “normal” diet, my food restrictions would leave me with very little variety.
So yes, I try new and exotic foods, searching for interesting things to eat that won’t kill me, or even “just” make me seriously ill. I regularly consume foods most Americans would find odd. If I didn’t, my food life would be really, really boring and monotonous.
I think if you’re allergic to just one food item you may not be inclined to eat exotic, but if you have multiple allergies, or an allergy to something very common and hard to avoid, you might wind up walking (or at least eating) on the “wild side”
I think you missed my point, unless your idea of “adventursome eater” is someone with a known fish allergy ordering up a plateful of mahi-mahi tacos.
On the other hand, if you’re out with friends having Cajun food, well, you might have to pass on the blackened redfish, but, hey, those crawfish look mighty tasty. In other words, you compensate for not being able to eat common foods by venturing a bit farther afield.