# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/81 "2017-12-05T21:31:54Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > Okay, so soft shell crabs are not happening. For what it’s worth, they’re god damned delicious, but then again, you could batter and deep fry a boot and it would probably still taste good. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/82 "2017-12-05T21:46:20Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > 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. I used to do all sorts of weird stuff until I saw Alton Brown’s Good Eats episode on pomegranates. Cut or tear it open, then dump it in a big bowl of water and just sort of tear it apart with your fingers. The seeds sink, everything else floats. You can get all the seeds out of it in less than a minute. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/83 "2017-12-05T23:45:52Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > That’s what recipes are for, right? I think I wasn’t making myself clear. Let me try again. If you’ve never had rice, and don’t really know what consistency it should be when done right, how can any recipe you attempt come out good? If the rice is undercooked or mushy, you have no real idea. Hence your fried rice or rice pudding is going to be nasty regardless. And you really won’t know it’s because you actually made the rice wrong! I feel like I need to have eaten it, at least once, done correctly, before attempting to make a dish with it, that’s all. Hope I’ve made myself more clear now! ---
**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 5, 2017, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/84 "2017-12-05T23:48:47Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > For what it’s worth, they’re god damned delicious, but then again, you could batter and deep fry a boot and it would probably still taste good. 😉 Tell you what, we’ll sit down and I’ll have soft shell crab, and you’ll have a boot, each dish battered and deep fried nicely. And we’ll see who enjoys their meal more. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/85 "2017-12-06T18:30:07Z")
Chicken feet. I see them at the Chinese buffet but never saw anyone eating them. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/86 "2017-12-06T19:02:59Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > Chicken feet. I see them at the Chinese buffet but never saw anyone eating them. I don’t know about other cultures, but in Chinese cuisine, some dishes exist solely for their texture. Chicken feet are one of these dishes. They may dress them up with sauce and black beans, but it’s really all about the odd texture. There’s really no meat on them at all. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/87 "2017-12-06T20:16:40Z")
How about pig feet? Do you just pick up the whole thing and gnaw on it? ---
**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 6, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/88 "2017-12-06T20:27:06Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Cut or tear it open, then dump it in a big bowl of water and just sort of tear it apart with your fingers. The seeds sink, everything else floats. You can get all the seeds out of it in less than a minute. I seem to lose a lot of juice that way. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/89 "2017-12-06T21:09:14Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Ice Planet is problematic. Is that bao? Did she really make fresh bao? Quaint! Speaking of which, are you supposed to peel the little square of paper off the bottom of the bao or leave it on there? When I go to dim sum places the old chinese people I see eat it, but as far as I can tell it’s just normal paper, and I peel it off. Though that’s never kept me from ordering it. I love me some pork buns. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/90 "2017-12-07T11:51:40Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > How about pig feet? Do you just pick up the whole thing and gnaw on it? The feet are removed from the pig first. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/91 "2017-12-07T14:36:42Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The feet are removed from the pig first. Okay, THAT was funny! ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/92 "2017-12-07T15:33:41Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The feet are removed from the pig first. You owe me a new keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/93 "2017-12-07T16:32:16Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > How about pig feet? Do you just pick up the whole thing and gnaw on it? Same way as turkey necks, chicken spines, chicken feet, spareribs and pork neckbones - pick it up and nibble and pick at it. It’s messy, it is relegated to ‘peasant’ food, but making a mess is half the fun. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/94 "2017-12-07T16:42:32Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Same way as turkey necks, chicken spines, chicken feet, spareribs and pork neckbones - pick it up and nibble and pick at it. It’s messy, it is relegated to ‘peasant’ food, but making a mess is half the fun. I’d add Iguana to the list. I had it in the Caribbean (the animal was caught right there on the beach). The Iguana was hacked into pieces by cleaver, each piece had some meat that I had to work at to get it off the bone. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/95 "2017-12-08T00:32:52Z")
> [@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? > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The muscular bits. Which are mostly in the tentacles, but not quite completely. > > At least that’s been my approach. Wait, so is the octopus head just tossed out? I’m personally grossed out by octopus. I ate it years ago in a Japanese restaurant, and those suckers on their tentacles are just a major turn off, plus it was chewy. It seems the head would be softer & seems wasteful to just throw it out. But I seem to recall it has a beak, so maybe it’s too hard to eat? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/96 "2017-12-08T02:21:41Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > Wait, so is the octopus head just tossed out? I’m personally grossed out by octopus. I ate it years ago in a Japanese restaurant, and those suckers on their tentacles are just a major turn off, plus it was chewy. It seems the head would be softer & seems wasteful to just throw it out. But I seem to recall it has a beak, so maybe it’s too hard to eat? If their anatomy is similar to a squid (and I’m pretty sure it is), the only inedible parts are the beak, the eyes, and the guts. Everything else is edible. Those fried “rings” of calamari are slices of the head, and octopus can be prepared the same way. ---
**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 8, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/97 "2017-12-08T03:20:47Z")
And suckery tentacles or not, properly-prepared calamari is amazingly delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/98 "2017-12-08T06:54:10Z")
Another way to enjoy a pomegranate is to find a nice masonry wall and practice your fastball against it. Sure, you don’t get to taste any of the juice, but it’s oddly satisfying the watch them explode on impact. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/99 "2017-12-08T16:33:39Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > If their anatomy is similar to a squid (and I’m pretty sure it is), the only inedible parts are the beak, the eyes, and the guts. During recent research for a recipe I wanted to try, I learned that virtually all octopus sold commercially at retail is already cleaned prior to freezing. Oddly, multiple sources recommended floating a wine cork in the boil water while cooking octopus. I (and some of these sources) questioned whether this could make a difference but I used it and it was fine. ---
**Author:** ![pieceoftheuniverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@pieceoftheuniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pieceoftheuniverse)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540/100 "2017-12-08T18:03:20Z")
I have a very simple rule when I go to restaurants: if it’s on the plate, it should be edible. All the prep-work should be done before it gets served, or else it’s a failure. The dining experience should be about the food (and the company, if present), not the process. Corn husk on a tamale? Fail. Crab still in its shell? Fail. Head still on the fish? Fail. Meat still on the bone? Partial fail. Inedible (or even poisonous) garnish? Total fail. I recognize that my rule is (perhaps) overly simplistic, but it makes it easier for newbies who have never eaten the dish before. All they have to do is dig in and enjoy the tastes and textures. No muss, no fuss. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-you-never-tried-because-you-dont-know-how-to-eat-it/803540.md?page=6)