# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/41 "2017-12-05T01:40:15Z")
I saw a YouTube [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GexnUyuc4ps&t=19s) yesterday where they had some people who have never peeled an avocado trying to do it. ---
**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 5, 2017, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/42 "2017-12-05T02:12:23Z")
> [@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’. Had the wrong John in my post. I meant **John Mace**. It’s a comment about his comment about “guacamole.” ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/43 "2017-12-05T02:15:59Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Quinoa > > I get that it’s like rice, lots of ways to make it, can’t go wrong. But never having eaten it I’m entirely unsure I’ll be able to tell if I’ve even prepared it properly to begin with. That’s what recipes are for, right? ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/44 "2017-12-05T02:22:39Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > The ortolan. I wish I hadn’t googled this. **Just Asking Questions** , are you suggesting you’d eat this bird if you knew how? Because apparently you put the entire bird in your mouth and eat it bones and all. Icky AND savage. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/45 "2017-12-05T02:25:12Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Pomegranates. The juicy red seeds. Eat them whole? Chew the berries and spit out the seeds? I have never gotten a clear answer. I like the taste, I like the juice, and I would like to buy one now and then, but…? > > And whole crabs, I guess if you go to a crab pickin’, they will give you implements to open the little legs = but there is nothing inside the body of the crab, correct? There are different approached to pomegranates. There is no right way, but I prefer mine: I cut out the pithy core (where it bloomed) with the point of a sharp paring knife, slit the skin longitudinally in four to six places, and pry the entire fruit carefully into segments. If you are good at this you don’t break any seeds. Then I comb handfuls of seeds off with my fingers, and crush them with my tongue against the roof of my mouth. Then I swallow them. Seeds and pulp and all. However, when I was a child, we had a large tree; we ate them about a dozen seeds at a time and rolled them around in our mouths until all the fruit was gone leaving the whitish seeds, and then spat those out. Our mother did not allow us to eat pomegranates indoors. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/46 "2017-12-05T02:37:03Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I saw a YouTube [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GexnUyuc4ps&t=19s) yesterday where they had some people who have never peeled an avocado trying to do it. You peel them? I cut them into chunks in the half skin and scoop them out with a spoon. Peeling is really messy with some varieties, like Bacons. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/47 "2017-12-05T02:39:22Z")
Restaurants don’t give instructions so that the rest of us can laugh at you for eating the food wrong. I always cook shrimp with the tails on. Eat the meat and suck the last of it out of the remaining shell. Best part. Soft shell crabs are one of God’s gifts, and you don’t need to fry them. Ask the fishmonger to clean them for you, take them home, brush with garlic butter (or garlic olive oil) and toss on a hot grill for a few minutes on a side. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/48 "2017-12-05T02:42:45Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > You peel them? I cut them into chunks in the half skin and scoop them out with a spoon. Peeling is really messy with some varieties, like Bacons. I hear that a lot of people have hurt themselves badly with sharp knives and avocados, including Meryl Streep. Use a butter knife to halve, then slice the meat down the middle and scoop and scrape out. The butter knife also works for popping out the pit. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/49 "2017-12-05T03:01:16Z")
> [@flaming\_yawn](#): > > There are so many food I have never tried because I don’t know how to eat it or if parts are edible. Soft shell blue crabs are one, I see them on a buffet at the chinese food place and they are deep fried but the shell is still on, eat the whole thing or certain parts? (same with a salt crusted shrimp shell is still on) Mexican tamale or any thing wrapped in corn husk I know now you dont eat the corn husk but for years I stayed away from trying them. > Thanks to a nice waitress we discovered 'HotPot" and you treat it like a soup not a fondue. We are such noobs > (once watched some people eat steamer clams without taking the part off the neck before eating… ick… I did interrupt and tell them to peel that part off, they wondered why they were so chewy) The first time we ordered and were served soft shell crabs in Maryland we asked the waitress if they were dissing us because we were obviously from the midwest. They turned out to be delicious. ---
**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 5, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/50 "2017-12-05T03:10:34Z")
> [@flaming\_yawn](#): > > 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. Huh. I mean, maybe not all the soup, but usually that’s how you finish a hot pot, isn’t it? I mean, why would you leave all that delicious broth that’s been building up behind? ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/51 "2017-12-05T03:22:03Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > The ortolan. The little blue not-an-elephant creatures from Return of the Jedi? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/52 "2017-12-05T03:52:54Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Huh. I mean, maybe not all the soup, but usually that’s how you finish a hot pot, isn’t it? I mean, why would you leave all that delicious broth that’s been building up behind? Yes, typically, you would order some noodles to cook in the final broth with the last scraps of whatever is left, maybe add a soft boiled egg or two as well. That’s for the mild broth. The spicy broth typically has too much oil to be able to access the soup. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/53 "2017-12-05T04:07:48Z")
> [@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 actually prefer the claws of a lobster, for their tenderness & flavor. Out of curiosity I did a search and it seems there are many partisans on both sides of the claws vs. tail question. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/54 "2017-12-05T04:26:37Z")
> [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](#): > > I actually prefer the claws of a lobster, for their tenderness & flavor. Out of curiosity I did a search and it seems there are many partisans on both sides of the claws vs. tail question. Of course tastes are going to vary, but generally the tail is more valued than the claws. [For lobster surf and turf](https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0SO81iyHyZadlEAIKFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0N2kyNzAyBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjQwNzlfMQRzZWMDcGl2cw--?p=surf+and+turf+with+lobster&fr2=piv-web&fr=ymyy-t-999), you’re almost certainly getting a tail, not pair of claws. Or you’re getting the whole lobster. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/55 "2017-12-05T04:36:18Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Of course tastes are going to vary, but generally the tail is more valued than the claws. [For lobster surf and turf](https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0SO81iyHyZadlEAIKFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0N2kyNzAyBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjQwNzlfMQRzZWMDcGl2cw--?p=surf+and+turf+with+lobster&fr2=piv-web&fr=ymyy-t-999), you’re almost certainly getting a tail, not pair of claws. Or you’re getting the whole lobster. They are valued more, but that doesn’t mean they taste better, note the former trend of white meat chicken was more expensive and higher valued then dark meat which tasted much better. (buffalo wings through this off, but the trend is still there. The tail is easier meat in general and I can see how it would be valued, but the claw is also very good, with it’s own unique flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/56 "2017-12-05T04:45:12Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > This thread could prove quite educational. > > You eat them whole - the seeds are tiny. Delicious in middle eastern/moroccan cuisine - sprinkled on salads, tagines and so on. > > 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). No, no, no! No bashing of the pomegranate! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/57 "2017-12-05T05:59:24Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > You peel them? I cut them into chunks in the half skin and scoop them out with a spoon. Peeling is really messy with some varieties, like Bacons. I was using peel in the sense of separating the peel from the inner fruit. I couldn’t think of a better word for it. It seemed silly to write about opening an avocado. The technique I usually use is to slice the peel with a spoon and then work my way around the fruit lengthwise. When I’m done I separate the avocado into two halves and scoop out the pit with the spoon. And then, having a spoon right in my hand, I eat the avocado. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/58 "2017-12-05T06:06:48Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > They are valued more, but that doesn’t mean they taste better, note the former trend of white meat chicken was more expensive and higher valued then dark meat which tasted much better. (buffalo wings through this off, but the trend is still there. > > The tail is easier meat in general and I can see how it would be valued, but the claw is also very good, with it’s own unique flavor. Another factor is that some species of lobsters (like [rock lobsters](http://rules.fish.wa.gov.au/species/image/37?thumbnailSize=large) or [spiny lobsters](http://www.seafoodwatch.org/-/m/sfw/images/recommendations/fish/lobster/spiny-lobster.png?mw=500&mh=300&bc=ffffff)) have insignificant claws. So you eat the tail because there is no claw meat. ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/59 "2017-12-05T08:33:51Z")
Edamame. First time a friend ordered a plate for the table, I bit right into the pod, which was terrible and tough. Once I figured out that you just pop (well, sort of slide) the seeds (beans?) into your mouth, I was hooked. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/60 "2017-12-05T08:54:38Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Yes, typically, you would order some noodles to cook in the final broth with the last scraps of whatever is left, maybe add a soft boiled egg or two as well. That’s for the mild broth. The spicy broth typically has too much oil to be able to access the soup. In my only experience eating at a Taiwanese hot pot restaurant, the broth was definitely intended to be consumed. The pot was brought to the table with all the ingredients already in it and set on top of a gas burner. There wasn’t any kind of ladle or strainer offered - just a Chinese spoon and chopsticks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540.md?page=4)