# New/Exotic Foods You Thought Would Be Bad, And Were Awful **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756 "2006-03-24T18:44:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/1 "2006-03-24T18:44:15Z")
I love me some sushi…but I _hated_ the sea urchin maki I tried a couple of years ago. It tasted searingly toxic, and not in a good way. On a different note, I’m a big fan of salads, and always thought hearts of palm looked appetizing. Yuck. Just a big ol’ mouthful of blandness, with a displeasing texture to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/2 "2006-03-24T18:46:36Z")
The braised kidneys didn’t sound good. They weren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/3 "2006-03-24T19:50:55Z")
I recently had Ethiopian food. Cue obvious jokes. It wasn’t _bad_ it was just pretty bland and uninteresting. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/4 "2006-03-24T20:06:34Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I recently had Ethiopian food. Cue obvious jokes. It wasn’t _bad_ it was just pretty bland and uninteresting. Interesting - there are a couple of Ethiopian dishes I find bland (gomen - kind of bland spinach, or the cabbage/carrot/cauliflower medley I get at a lot of places) but the majority of Ethiopian dishes are VERY spicy and delicious (since it is spiced with berbere which includes chili oil). Maybe order something else next time? [http://www.thequeensheba.com/menu3.htm](http://www.thequeensheba.com/menu3.htm) (link to my favorite Ethiopian restaurant near Dallas, TX) YATAKLETE ALITCHA - boring SILSSI - divine! I definitely think Ethiopian food is interesting - it comes communal style on a big, bread (injera) covered plate and you eat it with your fingers! I just don’t want anybody else to be scared away from a really fun dining experience. I love Ethiopian food! ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/5 "2006-03-24T20:08:15Z")
I like the actual _food_ when I have Ethiopian food, but I find the bread way too spongy for my tastes. Have I just had some bad injera experiences? ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/6 "2006-03-24T22:02:42Z")
Bittermelon. Bitter-freaking-melon. It is **IMPOSSIBLE** to make this palatable. Worse, any sauce used in a pathetic attempt at such instantly takes on the same tongue-numbing bitterness, as does any other foodstuff said sauce touches. I swear, I once had half an entree utterly ruined by bittermelon. To me, nothing better illustrats the challenges in feeding over 1.1 billion people than that they’ll actually eat something like this. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/7 "2006-03-24T22:24:34Z")
I adore bitter-melon/gourd (i.e. _karela_). It’s classic Marathi food, and I expect classic in other areas of South India as well. I think you really have to be raised eating it to like it, I’ve never seen people convert to it easily. I’ve eaten it in two ways-first rubbed all over in haldi (turmeric), mirchi (cayenne, I think), salt and a little olive oil. Then dipped in rice flour and pan-fried. We usually serve this along with rice and daal. The other way was chopped into little bits and made into a dry vegetable sautee, known generally as “bhaji” or “sabji.” I know that in other parts of India, like Andhra, they make a bhaji where it’s stuffed with a masala mix, much the same way my mother makes those stuffed baby Indian eggplants. If you want a hideous bitter melon story-my father is at risk for type 2 diabetes (no, he’s not obese, he’s 5’7" and weights 123 lbs., it’s entirely genetic) and the common home remedy for reducing blood sugar is to JUICE bitter-melon and then mix the noxious brew with salt and mirchi and drink. My father started on this concoction when his blood sugar levels rose to the “high” end of normal and he claims that they’ve dropped completely back down to normal since then. I pointed out that it might be the damn 30 minutes of walking he panickily got into doing when he started the slide towards Type II but he insists it’s the Power of Bittermelon. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/8 "2006-03-24T22:34:55Z")
What’s that milky-white salty beverage served in middle-eastern restaurants? Last time I was in on one, I asked what it was, decided it sounded pretty bad but tried it anyway. I didn’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/9 "2006-03-24T22:35:06Z")
Sea Cucumber. Do not under any circumstances eat this. The best way I can think of to describe it is stale salty jello with lots of dog fur mixed in. I was so traumatized by the texture alone, I can barely remember how it actually tasted. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/10 "2006-03-24T22:38:59Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > What’s that milky-white salty beverage served in middle-eastern restaurants?..I didn’t like it. Oh, the perplexing ‘spit or swallow’ dilemma. ---
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/11 "2006-03-24T23:15:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **scr4** > What’s that milky-white salty beverage served in middle-eastern restaurants?..I didn’t like it. Har! I ordered that-it arrived in a fancy glass with a silver holder/handle thing, all dewy on the outside. It looked totally refreshing. I took a big gulp and…WTF?! Is this ranch dressing?! (gag) (gag) (gag) ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/12 "2006-03-24T23:31:42Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I recently had Ethiopian food. Cue obvious jokes. It wasn’t _bad_ it was just pretty bland and uninteresting. What Ethiopian place are you eating at? My favorite place is _very_ well spiced and the food has all sorts of wonderful and intense flavors you won’t find anywhere else. Even the bread alone should taste wonderfully sour. They make a cold veggie dish that has a beautiful horseradish taste to it…exquisite! I gotta second salty milk drinks. Blech!!! ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/13 "2006-03-24T23:32:04Z")
> [@Ghanima](#): > > Sea Cucumber. Do not under any circumstances eat this. The best way I can think of to describe it is stale salty jello with lots of dog fur mixed in. I was so traumatized by the texture alone, I can barely remember how it actually tasted. I found it quite reasonable, not great by any means but hardly disgusting. Jellyfish is similarly not nearly as bad as it might seem. Tripe though does live up to its name. pointless, unappertising, and bad for you (high colesterol). ---
**Author:** ![jawdirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@jawdirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jawdirk)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/14 "2006-03-24T23:53:19Z")
Two words: “Fish paste.” It was the fishiest substance I had ever tasted, and it stuck to your tongue (and everything else) more readily than peanut butter. Served with perfectly good vegetables that should under no circumstances be dipped into it. I think it was a Malaysian restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/15 "2006-03-25T00:08:02Z")
Is the salty drink the same as the salty indian lassi which is generally buttermilk + black sulphur salt? If so, I find that stuff delectable. In fact, it’s usually what I have for breakfast. One food I recently read **even sven** referencing (with great distaste) in her India blog was pani puri. Positively ambrosial street/junk food. I can’t believe you hated it **sven** :). I think sometimes you just really have to be raised eating certain things. I recoil at things like mac 'n cheese, almost all casseroles and any organ meat but I have no problem eating slice after slice of of bitter gourd. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/16 "2006-03-25T02:55:35Z")
**scr4:** > [@](#): > > What’s that milky-white salty beverage served in middle-eastern restaurants? Last time I was in on one, I asked what it was, decided it sounded pretty bad but tried it anyway. I didn’t like it. Oh! You reminded me of another one. When I was living in New York a few summers ago, my friends and I tried a little Tibetan place on, mm, 29th and 3rd. The food was great. The Tibetan butter tea? Not so great. Bleargh. Tasted like a salty, buttery milkshake. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/17 "2006-03-25T03:02:01Z")
> [@anu-la1979](#): > > Is the salty drink the same as the salty indian lassi which is generally buttermilk + black sulphur salt? If so, I find that stuff delectable. In fact, it’s usually what I have for breakfast. I’ve been intrigued by salty lassi on menus, but I’ve always stuck with mango lassi in the past. Now I’ll definitely give the salty lassi a shot! ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/18 "2006-03-25T03:31:19Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > I found it quite reasonable, not great by any means but hardly disgusting. Jellyfish is similarly not nearly as bad as it might seem. > Tripe though does live up to its name. pointless, unappertising, and bad for you (high colesterol). Yes. I came into this thread to post about tripe. Imagine a very pale GoodYear™ tire turned into a net with little holes in it. Compared to tripe, raw eggplant is tasty and nice and tender. Ever had a bad restaurant steak where a section of the meat was all interspersed with gristle? And if you were leery of spitting it out into your napkin and tried to chew it to a swallowable tenderness, remember how the meat scraps and meat taste would disappear and leave only the rubbery gristle? Tripe is where you start off at that point. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/19 "2006-03-25T15:26:16Z")
I went to an African restaurant with a friend who’d just returned from two weeks in Ghana. She ordered this common dish - I can’t remember the name of it, but it was very doughy and pale. It comes in the huge blob that you tear chunks off and dip them in the accompanying sauce. It is not visually appealing, and my taste buds weren’t happy with the taste and texture either. Very bland and it looked a lot like the fat that rises to the top of your gravy container after Thanksgiving dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756/20 "2006-03-25T15:34:41Z")
The name of the dish is FuFu, if anyone’s interested. > **[Fufu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fufu)** > > Fufu (or fufuo, foofoo, foufou) is a dough-like food made from fresh or fermented cassava, found in West African as well as Caribbean cuisines. In addition to Ghana, it is also found in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Cote D'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Angola and Gabon. It is often made in the traditional Ghanaian, Cote D'ivoire, Liberia and Cuban method of separately mixing and pounding equal portio... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-exotic-foods-you-thought-would-be-bad-and-were-awful/349756.md?page=2)