# food you never tried because you don't know how to eat it **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2017, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540 "2017-12-04T13:45:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/21 "2017-12-04T19:12:35Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I’m never sure what to do with the outside parts after I peel my m&ms… I don’t know what to do with the insides of bananas and oranges. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/22 "2017-12-04T19:14:52Z")
The ortolan. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/23 "2017-12-04T20:22:30Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > I finally learned how to peel a mango, now I love them. True story… I decided to just eat a mango one day without peeling or slicing. Perfectly fine with no ill effects. Now I only peel and slice because otherwise people look at you like you are crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/24 "2017-12-04T20:29:35Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Inside the body is the best part. And the worst part (aka, “guacamole”). Crab claws, like lobster claws are considered the lesser meat. The other legs are, I think, somewhere in between, but with those huge Alaska crabs, the legs might be the best part. For lobsters, the primo stuff is the tail. I thought that was “tamale” ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/25 "2017-12-04T20:33:38Z")
Not that I don’t know how to eat it but rather how to ask for it. There’s a few Polish groceries near my place with one I go to semiregularly, especially during these colder months. There’s a prepared foods and meat counter with many tempting items. However, they announce the Now Serving numbers 100% in Polish and I’m too shy to ask for help. I didn’t expect to see ribs in this thread. Eat the meat, discard the bones. > [@kanicbird](#): > > Bought soft shell crab has to be prepared by removing part, some stores will offer this service, then it can be fried and eaten. Yep, cut off the face and sweep out the gills. They can be fried or sauted. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/26 "2017-12-04T21:26:45Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > The ortolan. You eat the whole thing, head and all. But, since it’s illegal, you need to be a former [French President](https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5223077) to get it served to you. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/27 "2017-12-04T21:30:06Z")
Decades ago I was on a business trip to Japan, and I was by myself in a restaurant, and none of the servers spoke any English. There were some intricate carved vegetables on my table, and I was unsure if they were supposed to be eaten, or if they were just decoration. I eventually decided to try some, and they were delicious - pickled and flavorful. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/28 "2017-12-04T22:20:49Z")
Ice Planet is problematic. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/29 "2017-12-04T22:28:31Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > True story… I decided to just eat a mango one day without peeling or slicing. Perfectly fine with no ill effects. Now I only peel and slice because otherwise people look at you like you are crazy. You were lucky. Others might not be so. Mango skin contains urishol, the same irritant as poison oak/ivy. [Mango Skin Allergy Mimics Poison Ivy | The People's Pharmacy](https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/01/30/mango-skin-allergy-mimics-poison-ivy/) ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/30 "2017-12-04T22:55:04Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Not that I don’t know how to eat it but rather how to ask for it. There’s a few Polish groceries near my place with one I go to semiregularly, especially during these colder months. There’s a prepared foods and meat counter with many tempting items. However, they announce the Now Serving numbers 100% in Polish and I’m too shy to ask for help. > > I didn’t expect to see ribs in this thread. Eat the meat, discard the bones. > > Yep, cut off the face and sweep out the gills. They can be fried or sauted. You forgot to say to remove their naughty bits too. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/31 "2017-12-04T22:56:18Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Why not eat the tails? If it’s fried shrimps, the tails are perfectly good to eat. A Vietnamese restaurant served shrimp-onna-stick that had the tails and heads on, but the shell removed from the meat part of the tails. I’d eat the heads first (much, for some reason, to the disgust of my coworker), then the tails (fins), and then the meat. You could and I have, but took it more as a handle, but yes you can. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/32 "2017-12-04T23:01:55Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Getting the seeds out is the tough part. easiest way is to cut them in half, cup the half, open side down, and bash the top with a rolling pin. The seeds will all fall out (eventually). I always found that method ruptured too many seeds, making a stained mess and cutting down on the delicious delicious juiciness. I find it soothing to cut a circle around the crown, removing it. Then make an X incision across the excised crown, each leg about 2 cm long. Then pull the pomegranate in half, then into quarters, and sit, relax, and pop the seeds out into a cup. Then binge on a cupful of pomegranate seeds. Or toss some into my plain yogurt. Or both. Costco is selling them a dozen to the box, and the Mrs. and I have been binging. Yummmmm! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/33 "2017-12-04T23:11:49Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > I thought that was “tamale” Spelled “tomalley.” I don’t know if that’s what **Johnny** is talking about, but tomalley is considered a delicacy by many shellfish connoisseurs. (I’m okay with it, but prefer it when used as an ingredient.) But there are some health concerns with it related to heavy metals, as they can accumulate there. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/34 "2017-12-04T23:16:16Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I don’t know if that’s what **Johnny** is talking about… No, I was talking about shrimp/prawns skewered lengthwise on a bamboo stick and grilled. I’ve never heard the insides of a prawn’s head being called ‘tomalley’. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/35 "2017-12-04T23:20:24Z")
I went to a Greek festival and they had whole fried octopus. I wanted to try it so I looked around to see how and which parts other people were eating and didn’t see anybody. I guess I could have asked the lady selling them but didn’t think to. What do you eat? Just the legs? The whole thing? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/36 "2017-12-04T23:21:59Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I went to a Greek festival and they had whole fried octopus. I wanted to try it so I looked around to see how and which parts other people were eating and didn’t see anybody. I guess I could have asked the lady selling them but didn’t think to. What do you eat? Just the legs? The whole thing? The muscular bits. Which are mostly in the tentacles, but not quite completely. At least that’s been my approach. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/37 "2017-12-04T23:23:10Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > No, I was talking about shrimp/prawns skewered lengthwise on a bamboo stick and grilled. I’ve never heard the insides of a prawn’s head being called ‘tomalley’. Tomalley is the green goop inside a steamed lobster. The liver, I think. Some people eat it. ---
**Author:** ![flaming\_yawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cab0a1/32.png) [@flaming\_yawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flaming_yawn)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/38 "2017-12-04T23:44:04Z")
The first time ever at a sushi bar we felt very noobish when we were smearing the wasabi on the rolls and then dunking in the soy sauce. People next to us gave us a look then explained to flavor the soy with the wasabi and then dunk. They were super nice so I didnt take offence then they proceeded to share their sushi with us as they had more adventurous stuff …those big orange fish egg things ( I passed Mr Yawn tried and liked). I really do wish restaurants would add more of an explanation to some dishes ethnic and not. Then I would not have to ask people at my table if the chinese dish I was getting was slimy noodles or not. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/39 "2017-12-04T23:51:41Z")
> [@flaming\_yawn](#): > > Thanks to a nice waitress we discovered 'HotPot" and you treat it like a soup not a fondue. If you’re talking about Chinese hot pot, most people I know do not drink the soup. You’re usually given a ladle that allows the soup to drain out for fishing the solid bits out of the soup. E.g. [https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/sunwealth-hot-pot-ladle/6000134101356](https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/sunwealth-hot-pot-ladle/6000134101356) ---
**Author:** ![flaming\_yawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cab0a1/32.png) [@flaming\_yawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flaming_yawn)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/40 "2017-12-05T00:07:54Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > If you’re talking about Chinese hot pot, most people I know do not drink the soup. You’re usually given a ladle that allows the soup to drain out for fishing the solid bits out of the soup. > E.g. [https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/sunwealth-hot-pot-ladle/6000134101356](https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/sunwealth-hot-pot-ladle/6000134101356) thats what I thought until she said " you’re not going to eat the broth?" and basically she said that is the best part …going to go again this weekend so I will scope it out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540.md?page=3)