Mrs. Solost wanted to try jackfruit, so when I saw a fresh jackfruit at the grocery store a year or two ago I picked it up.
The fruit was bland and mealy, very unexceptional. I think it may not have been properly ripe- either unripe or overripe, who knows.
The seeds on the other hand, we had heard that, when boiled, were tasty. And they were- like large chick peas. I did quite enjoy the boiled seeds.
Similarly, I taste the bitter flavor in cilantro, but it’s in so many things that I like, that I’ve come to appreciate it anyway (at least, in moderation).
Oh, and of the vegetables that I haven’t tried:
I don’t think I’ve ever had Jerusalem artichokes. My mom had some volunteer in her garden, but after hearing how much they were selling for, sold them all at the farmer’s market. I’m told that they’re used as a low-carb substitute for starchy roots, which means they’re probably pretty boring (like jicama, I’m guessing).
I also don’t think I’ve had kohlrabi, but if it tastes anything like the stems of the various cruciferous veggies, I would probably quite like it.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever had parsnip or swede.
I’ve never had jackfruit. As I understand it, the way they’re served as “vegetables” is unripe and slathered in BBQ or other strong sauces. Which doesn’t say much for the fruit itself, but they probably would be good that way.
I’m not sure what pak choi is.
I had Jack fruit once in a salad. I was really disappointed. Admittedly, i didn’t know what it was, and was expecting something “fruity”, which it isn’t. But i left most of it uneaten.
I assumed that was a variant name for bok choy.
Yes, like a very mild broccoli stem, but better.
They’re delicious roasted (or in a pot roast or stew). They’re like a carrot, but less carrot-y.
AKA rutabage, also good roasted.
Bok choi - you’ve probably had in Chinese restaurant dishes.
All this parsnip talk is reminding me of a dish my BiL used to make – one that he grew up with in Maine. He called it Mashed Medley, and it was potatoes, carrots, and parsnips cooked and mashed and served with butter. It was very tasty.
I’ve had roasted bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts prepared by a premier chef in the last ten years. They still tasted like bitter hate and it was a shameful waste of bacon. I don’t care how much they’ve “improved” the flavor with the new strains, they still taste nasty to me. Strangely, though I like broccoli and the other cruciferous vegetables. It’s just sprouts that I can’t stand.
No love for hagfish? Who wouldn’t want to savor this exquisite marine delicacy served with a side of slimy okra at a fancy restaurant? A slippery, slime-spewing fish that can tie itself into knots and make a bucket of water into a bucket of goo! Just imagine the mucous dripping from each bite as you enjoy this mouth-watering treat! Bon appétit! 
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I want to point out that okra is not a necessary ingredient of gumbo. It’s not used in traditional Cajun gumbo but unfortunately common in Creole style. I have a feeling some people believe it’s a tolerable ingredient because gumbo is so good that putting okra in it doesn’t make it inedible but perhaps they’ve never had proper gumbo and didn’t realize that it could be even better without okra.
I can’t help but be amused that 3 of my 4 favorite vegetables are currently in the top 10 most hated; Okra (#1), eggplant (#2) and asparagus (#8). By comparison, mushrooms (the other of my top 4) is almost well-loved, at #18.
Weird eh?
j
Interesting. I think I’ve only had it with okra, which i thought was used for thickening.
I don’t like the flavor of okra, but i don’t hate it. What i hate is the slime. So I think it’s acceptable in soup.
There’s three main types I know: filé (sassafras) thickened, okra-based, and roux-based. I prefer the okra varieties myself. The word “gumbo” may come from the Central Bantu dialect word for “okra,” but I don’t think the etymology is 100% settled.
If you’re trying to make the ridiculous argument that if only it was cooked properly I might like broccoli you are not going to win that one.
Any of the thickening styles can be used alone or intermixed. I make a roux-based gumbo and now that I’m aged my arm aches from 20 minutes of stirring the roux. I don’t understand the need to put okra in such a delicious dish. Gumbo is the premiere example of the Holy Trinity. How could the addition of okra improve it?
Pickled okra, which you can find with the pickles at the grocery store, is delicious and not slimy. A friend rolls them up in slices of cream-cheesed bread and slices them as tiny hors d’oeurvres.
I’ve also made oven-roasted okra where they weren’t slimy, but I don’t recall the specifics except they were good. Google has lots of hits.
Otherwise, they’re too slimey for me, although I like the flavor.
I don’t care for the flavor, so it doesn’t seem worth putting a lot of effort into desliming them.
Also, early in our marriage, my husband and i argued about who was the pickier eater. We both have significant limitations I don’t eat peppers, (that’s before i realized my allergy to eggplant was potentially dangerous) and he doesn’t eat seafood, or most cheeses. He went to a great deal of trouble to acquire a taste for okra to be more flexible than me. 
If i started eating okra, it would ruin his enjoyment of the vegetable.
Beets on the grill are great, especially the candy stripe kind.
Am I the only one who doesn’t care if food is slimy?
I dislike kidney beans, eggplant, and okra. Mainly because I’m not good at cooking them.
I am mad for cruciferous vegetables and green beans of any breed.
I’m not sure if it applies to all foods, but okra is one of my absolute favorites - so clearly I don’t mind my okra being slimy.
j
You know what food is slimy? All food, after you’ve chewed it.
