# Culturally/Regionally common foods and drinks you've never tried **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221 "2013-12-13T04:11:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/61 "2013-12-17T19:25:24Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I love the people who say they’ve never tried a particular dish, then go on to describe it in a fair amount of detail. How the hell do you know what Brunswick stew is like if you’ve never had it? Your description betrays your ignorance. People watch the Food Network. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/62 "2013-12-17T19:31:13Z")
These threads just serve to remind me how much really good food there is out there, and how well I’ll eat after the Zombie Apocalypse™, when all the picky eaters are dead of starvation. I _usually_ will at least try something (or its analog) once before dismissing it. I, too, think the OP’s list would make a great meal. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/63 "2013-12-17T19:43:34Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I am not ever going to eat scrapple. Same. It sounds like the Pennsylvania version of haggis. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/64 "2013-12-17T20:55:50Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > Same. It sounds like the Pennsylvania version of haggis. I’m a market researcher; I was once doing focus groups in suburban Philadelphia on breakfast foods. I had two guys in one of my focus groups who were, to be kind, “hearty eaters”\*. When I asked the respondents to talk about their favorite breakfast foods, both of these guys mentioned scrapple. I’m from the Midwest – I had no idea what scrapple was, so I asked them to describe it. One of them grinned, as he said, “it’s everything from the pig but the ‘oink’!” - To be less kind: they were freakin’ huge. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/65 "2013-12-24T00:21:35Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Ooh, here’s one I’ve missed. A Jewish/Mexican bakery/restaurant in town has [Guacamole Bobe](http://www.rustikacafe.com/pdf/RustikaSpecialtiesMenu.pdf) on the menu–a mix of egg salad & guacamole… That sounds disgusting, but everything else on the menu sounds delicious. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/66 "2013-12-24T00:58:18Z")
This thread makes me want to become a full-time scrapple evangelist. As far as the types of people who eat it and what it does to your body, I can’t see how it’s much different than bacon, various kinds of sausage, corned beef hash, and whatever other breakfast meats exist. Personally, I like it on sandwiches. If you ever eat a “bacon, egg, and cheese” muffin/biscuit/bagel, for example- I would just use scrapple instead of bacon/sausage. I prefer it with a fruity bagel. Sorry to be off-topic. I can’t think of anything that really applies to the topic, except I don’t like “scrapple sandwiches” or sausage sandwiches in the form that a lot of people eat them. That is scrapple and ketchup on white bread. Gross. ---
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/67 "2013-12-24T01:06:30Z")
Sushi. Never had it, never will try it. And before you brand me a behind-the-times Philistine, I’ve eaten nearly item cited as scorned in this thread, including sweetbreads and eel. It’s just that I’m convinced that sushi will give me worms. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/68 "2013-12-24T01:35:55Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > Once was more than enough for me when it came to poi - I didn’t even finish the small amount I was given. (My wife says it looks like what you would get if you had a blender big enough to put a whole elephant in.) Am I the only person in the world who actually likes poi? It tastes like a mixture of mashed potatoes and applesauce, except that it’s lavender. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/69 "2013-12-24T01:53:40Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I grew up in Green Bay, where “chicken booyah” (a sort of chicken stew, traditionally made with a lot of the chicken parts that wouldn’t normally be eaten) is a huge tradition, particularly at church picnics. I’ve never had it – it always looked really nasty. > > I now live in Chicago, where a Lent tradition (based on abstaining from meat on Fridays) is the “pepper and egg sandwich”. Have never had it, as I’m no fan of green peppers. I’m from Chicago, and have never heard of this, but also wouldn’t eat it. Now that I am in southern Illinois, I find that people eat noodles on top of mashed potatoes, and then pour gravy over all of it. I’m afraid that seems like too much starch. I will have one or the other, but haven’t, and probably won’t, try both. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/70 "2013-12-24T02:12:50Z")
> [@Pai325](#): > > I’m from Chicago, and have never heard of this, but also wouldn’t eat it. It’s a regional Italian American thing to be eaten on Fridays during Lent. Made well it’s served on really good crusty, chewy Italian bread and very tasty. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/71 "2013-12-24T02:28:00Z")
> [@Tante\_Dillie](#): > > Sushi. Never had it, never will try it. And before you brand me a behind-the-times Philistine, I’ve eaten nearly item cited as scorned in this thread, including sweetbreads and eel. It’s just that I’m convinced that sushi will give me worms. Out of curiosity (I don’t care if you eat it or not), but are you aware that there are many kinds of sushi that don’t have any seafood in them at all (lots of vegetarian options) or contain only fully cooked ingredients such as tomago (cooked egg), inari (fried tofu filled with rice), and unagi (cooked eel)? The word sushi just refers to the vinegared rice, sashimi is specifically raw fish (without rice). So if fear of worms really is the concern, you go to a sushi restaurant, tell them you’re vegetarian and ask for a selection of items. Then enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/72 "2013-12-24T02:29:27Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Am I the only person in the world who actually likes poi? It tastes like a mixture of mashed potatoes and applesauce, except that it’s lavender. No you’re not. Though I don’t understand why. The one food from when I lived in Hawaii that I just couldn’t wrap my head around. I have no idea how it could be said to taste like a mixture of mashed potatoes and applesauce (which doesn’t sound good to begin with). To me it has essentially zero taste but the texture of a pool of Elmer’s glue after about 10 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/73 "2013-12-24T02:38:11Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > Out of curiosity (I don’t care if you eat it or not), but are you aware that there are many kinds of sushi that don’t have any seafood in them at all (lots of vegetarian options) or contain only fully cooked ingredients such as tomago (cooked egg), inari (fried tofu filled with rice), and unagi (cooked eel)? > > The word sushi just refers to the vinegared rice, sashimi is specifically raw fish (without rice). > > So if fear of worms really is the concern, you go to a sushi restaurant, tell them you’re vegetarian and ask for a selection of items. Then enjoy. Not only that but any raw sushi/sashimi fish served in the US must by law be frozen in order to kill any parasites and then thawed out for preparation and serving. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/74 "2013-12-24T02:42:05Z")
True, but I wasn’t trying to deal with the fear, just point out that the fear didn’t cover the entire category. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/75 "2013-12-24T04:53:41Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > It’s a regional Italian American thing to be eaten on Fridays during Lent. Made well it’s served on really good crusty, chewy Italian bread and very tasty. I’m not Italian, so no wonder. We often had pancakes or French toast on Lenten Fridays. I like the bread, and I like eggs, and I can take peppers. I don’t know if I want them all together. I would certainly eat them separately. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/76 "2013-12-24T21:05:11Z")
> [@Tante\_Dillie](#): > > Sushi. Never had it, never will try it. And before you brand me a behind-the-times Philistine, I’ve eaten nearly item cited as scorned in this thread, including sweetbreads and eel. It’s just that I’m convinced that sushi will give me worms. Then get unagi, it’s cooked. As are many rolls; many restaurants have a “cooked rolls” section. Even Homer Simpson discovered he likes sushi. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/77 "2013-12-25T12:53:09Z")
I’ve never really been a fan of liquorice, but around where I live this was a major industry and has the Pomfret cake named for it. It does have quite a long history I still don’t partake though > **[Pontefract cake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontefract_cake)** > > Pontefract cakes (also known as Pomfret cakes and Pomfrey cakes) are a type of small, roughly circular black sweet measuring approximately .75 in (19 mm) wide and 0.16 in (4 mm) thick, made of liquorice, originally manufactured in the Yorkshire town of Pontefract, England. > The original name for these small tablets of liquorice is a "Pomfret" cake, after the old Norman name for Pontefract. However, that name has fallen into disuse and they are now almost invariably labelled "Pontefract cakes".... [https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pomfret+cakes&hl=en&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4GGHP\_en-GBGB566GB566&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=hdO6UqXqN-6M7AbE9YCgCg&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=922](https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pomfret+cakes&hl=en&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4GGHP_en-GBGB566GB566&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=hdO6UqXqN-6M7AbE9YCgCg&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=922) If you want to try them, knock yourself out [http://www.oldestsweetshop.co.uk/bestsellers-1/pontefract-cakes](http://www.oldestsweetshop.co.uk/bestsellers-1/pontefract-cakes) Rhubarb, has even been awarded protected Food Name which is effectively a regionalised copyright - makes a jolly nice pudding of one sort or another, but I really don’t recommend the Rhubarb wine, unless you have issues with the bowels clogging up. > **[Rhubarb Triangle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb_Triangle)** > > The Rhubarb Triangle is a 9-square-mile (23 km2) area of West Yorkshire, England between Wakefield, Morley, and Rothwell famous for producing early forced rhubarb. It includes Kirkhamgate, East Ardsley, Stanley, Lofthouse and Carlton. The Rhubarb Triangle was originally much bigger, covering an area between Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield. From the 1900s to 1930s, the rhubarb industry expanded and at its peak covered an area of about 30 square miles (78 km2). > Rhubarb is native to Siberia and t... I’ve tried Black pudding a few times, its not for me. > **[Black pudding: rediscovering our taste for blood](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/10288688/Black-pudding-rediscovering-our-taste-for-blood.html)** > > It’s cheap, it’s delicious and it fits the nose-to-tail trend: black pudding keeps popping up on menus in all sorts of guises, from ravioli to ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2024, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/78 "2024-09-22T05:38:03Z")
Waking this up, because I was going to start a similar thread, and the board suggested this one. I was interested in a topic that shows a bit more curiosity, though. Almost every post above is “I’d never eat _dish_ because it sounds disgusting.” Discussion in some political thread, I think, reminded me I’ve never had boiled peanuts. I’d like to try them, it’s just never come up. I was also reminded I’ve lived in Colorado for 30+ years, and I’ve never had Rocky Mountain oysters. I’m not too interested in trying those, but I would if given the opportunity. Thing is, I can’t remember the last time I’ve been somewhere that’s had them on the menu. Maybe they eat them on the Western slope, or in Montana? So what have you never tried maybe a bit less from disgust and a bit more from lack of opportunity? ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2024, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/79 "2024-09-22T23:03:50Z")
it’s sill common in Indiana and Missouri–Zimmern tried it ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2024, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221/80 "2024-09-22T23:11:22Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I’ve never had a Picon Punch I guess? I made [Kalimotxo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalimotxo) once with wine that was on its way out, not as bad as you’d think. A friend of mine ordered a Kalimotxo at The Cosmo in Las Vegas when we were there for a concert about 10 years ago. She was admittedly a little buzzed as she tried to explain what it was to the bartender. He charged her $30 for that drink. When it showed up in Food & Wine recipes recently, I had a good laugh over that memory. I’m not the biggest fan of it, would rather do wine and Fresca or something lighter than coke but it’s drinkable. Picon Punches, on the other hand, are terrible… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/culturally-regionally-common-foods-and-drinks-youve-never-tried/676221.md?page=5)