# Worst tasting stuff ever **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 21, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167 "2002-06-21T00:21:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Speleophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Speleophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speleophile)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/1 "2002-06-21T00:21:26Z")
Didn’t want to hijack the absinthe rant down in the Pit, so I thought I’d throw this out here. I read elucidator’s description of how foul his absinthe tea was, and it brought back memories of the worst stuff I’ve ever ingested. I’m not going to insist it’s worse than the absinthe tea, but I’m willing to bet if elucidator tried this stuff, he’d at least have to think for a minute: quinine Way back in '89, I went on a caving expedition in southern Costa Rica. Because malaria exists down there, we were all advised to take quinine. I went to the doctor and got a prescription for the generic stuff, the dosage of which was one tablet per week for three weeks prior to departure, while in country, and for ten weeks after that. Don’t ever get the generic stuff. Pay extra for a brand name that is COATED. After my first tablet, all the remaining ones went like this: I’d pour myself a 12 ounce glass of Pepsi, THROW THE TABLET DOWN MY THROAT and chug the Pepsi. OK, so Pepsi may be a little wimpy, but I’m addicted to the stuff. But the taste of the quinine was horrible beyond belief. Pure essense of distilled bitterness. I’ve read that the human tongue can detect quinine in lower concentrations than any other natural substance. I can believe it. Towards the end of the post travel period, the tablets began to chip. The next to last week, when I tossed in the tablet, it shattered and the dust and grit went all over my mouth. I thought my tongue was going to turn black and fall out . Arrrgggggghhhhh. That stuff was really, really vile. ---
**Author:** ![Speleophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Speleophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speleophile)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/2 "2002-06-21T00:23:51Z")
Forgot to add… So what’s YOUR vote for the worst tasting stuff ever? ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/3 "2002-06-21T01:42:51Z")
**Caviar** I can say without a doubt that the most foul tasting stuff on the face of this or any other earth I may have visited - is caviar I have proof. My proof is that I have OCD. One of the things I do is clean my plate… so clean, in fact, that I can pretty much put it back in the cupboard after I’m finished with it. There is only one instance in my entire life that I can remember leaving anything at all on my plate and that was when I was eating caviar. I’ve put down some downright vile things in my life, Squid for instance. At least I’m told it was squid - if you ask me, it was nothing more than an elastic band. I tried putting it all on a serving spoon and wolfing it down (went over well at this restaurant but I figure if i’m gonna shell out 300 for a meal, I can use bad table manners if I darn well please). That didn’t work at all, back it went onto the plate. I was given some egg with it and i tried mixing it with that…no luck. I was left with a pile of black and yellow goo on my plate. I am willing to bet that there are too people looking down at us laughing because they only even tried Caviar on a dare (the same two that dared each other to eat shellfish). Anyhow, yah, Caviar sucks ---
**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/4 "2002-06-21T01:57:12Z")
Hmm. I like caviar. But bad tasting? Try “Conch ceviche”, which is basically a huge, black, raw, gelatinous thing that’s been squirted with some lime juice and a few cut up onions and tomatoes. Imagine a cold bowl of coagulated stomach bile and you begin to get the essence of what I was dealing with. I love squid ceviche, sushi, all that other strange, raw fishy stuff, but the conch was absolutely an abomination. (did I eat it? yes. did I regret doing so? yes. dumb, dumb, dumb.) ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/5 "2002-06-21T02:09:30Z")
When I was in the process of passing one of my three kidney stones, I was scheduled for an IVP, which is basically an x-ray of your kidneys. To prepare for this, among other things, I was supposed to drink, over the course of a day at regular intervals, a foul liquid called 'Go-Litely," in order to help “cleanse my system.” It was a total of about a gallon. I didn’t get past the first dose. I would rather drink urine. What do you know, they managed to do the IVP just fine without it, and shortly thereafter I delivered a bouncing baby kidney stone. God I hope I don’t have to do that ever again. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/6 "2002-06-21T02:29:59Z")
Well, I like cavier, conch ceviche and all that stuff. Actually, I can’t say I like conch - I’m indifferent to it. It has no taste. The worst thing I’ve had lately is a concoction made by a sushi chef after we bought him a beer. For those who aren’t familiar with sushi bars, it’s somewhat of a tradition to buy the chefs a drink if you feel like it. We did, and in gratitude, the chef made us a special… treat, I guess you’d call it. I like sushi. I even like some of the strange types of sushi. But this was by far, the most difficult thing I’ve ever eaten. It was a slice of raw squid, wrapped around a few bean sprouts and some codfish roe. On the side was some diced raw octopus prepared in a way that made it resemble nothing more closely than snot. Mr. Athena took the first squit/roe thingy, and ate it. How was it? I ask. “OK” he says. So I grab one, put it in my mouth. It was incredibly incredibly fishy - the roe was so overwhelmingly fish flavored that I started gagging. Normally, my response to gagging is to just swallow it quick. But I couldn’t do that, because the bite was too big. I had to chew some before I could swallow. Ever try chewing raw squid? It doesn’t chew easy. I had to chew, and chew, and chew…all the time gagging. Mr. Athena thought I was going to vomit. I finally get the thing down, and take a big gulp of beer. “You LIKED that?” I say. He says “Well, not really. I just didn’t want you to think it was bad.” Even then, I thought that he must not have had the same reaction to it as I had. Until, that is, I offered him the last piece. He took it and hid it under a piece of garnish left over from another dish. The octopus stuff wasn’t as bad taste-wise, but the snot thing made it inedible. I think the chef was playing a joke on us. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/7 "2002-06-21T02:43:41Z")
Tofu [hijack] **Speleophile** next time you have to take a nasty uncoated pill, coat it with vaseline. I know it sounds worse, but it really works. And never swallow an uncoated pill with anything carbonated. The fizz makes it start disolving imediately. The best thing is very cold water.[/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Merrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@Merrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merrin)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/8 "2002-06-21T02:50:14Z")
Spinich…nuff said. URGGGRGGRH!!! ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/9 "2002-06-21T02:53:15Z")
After years of seeing sea-urchins (those round spiky things) in markets, I thought it was about time I tried one. Asked advice about cooking from the fishmonger where I bought it, took it home, did the recommended thing (I can’t remember what it was now), opened it, and reeled in horror at the smell and appearance of what I was about to put down my throat. Needless to say, I didn’t, and there’s not too many things in this world that I will refuse to swallow. Next on the list would have to be castor oil. Retch. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/10 "2002-06-21T02:58:49Z")
I like vanilla Coke. Which is not the same as “Vanilla” Coke - I’m taking about taking some Coke and pouring some vanilla syrup in it, not the stuff they but into it. Unfortunately, to make this opinion I had to actually swig some of the stuff. The local store was giving away 2-liter bottles of it, so I’ve got one in my fridge. So I tried to make it better by putting a little real vanilla in it. Not the best combination. At the same time, my brother was cleaning out the fridge and found a chunk of bleu cheese that we figure has been around since New Year’s. Gooooooooooooooooooooood stuff. Turns out that accidently dropping a block of six-month-old bleu cheese into “Vanilla” Coke with vanilla in it is one of the vilest concoctions I’ve ever accidentally created, even in the underground lab I use for that express purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Speleophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Speleophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speleophile)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/11 "2002-06-21T03:38:10Z")
Hillbilly Queen: Not a bad idea. Vaseline can’t be anywhere near as bad as quinine. Athena: I love sushi too. In fact, I’ll eat, with enthusiasm, almost anything that comes out of the ocean. Almost anything. But there is this sushi call Uni. It’s made out of sea urchin. Don’t ask me which parts. But it tastes like soap, and the texture is indescribable, far on the bad side of snot. Pass on the uni. (But it’s nowhere near as bad as quinine) ---
**Author:** ![Osbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Osbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osbie)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/12 "2002-06-21T04:25:32Z")
Lima beans. Not only is the taste horrific, but the texture is absolutely disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/13 "2002-06-21T04:41:38Z")
That’s funny, Octavia; lima beans are probably one of my favorite foods. But then I like bland, mealy things. Really. There was a Tavist syrup my pediatrician gave me several times when I was a kid that made me throw up every time I tasted it. I think it was supposed to be almond flavored, but it was the vilest stuff imaginable. I don’t really remember what it tasted like, just that it was awful. Oddly enough, I love almond flavored things as an adult. ---
**Author:** ![mkmiller99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@mkmiller99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkmiller99)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/14 "2002-06-21T05:02:14Z")
I remember this from being a kid in the 70s and going to the dentist. The assitant would fill 2 plastic mouth pieces with this vile “cherry” flavored flouride gel, then place them over your top and bottom teeth for 2-3 minutes of hell. I couldn’t wait to get these things out of my mouth…and would avoid swallowing as much as possible over the duration. My face is contorted as I type about it! ---
**Author:** ![dead0man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@dead0man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dead0man)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/15 "2002-06-21T05:29:41Z")
RO BA TUS IN Actually any liquid medicine is nasty. Except Pepto, which is a staple of my diet. My mom used to make me take Robatussin(?) as a kid everytime I’d cough. Having a nurse for a mom meant NO sympathy when I got sick. She used to say, “I got 10 kids on my floor sicker than you” and my dad would chime in,“no matter how bad you got it, somebody has it worse”. Yeah yeah. I’m sick, feel sorry for me. Now, as an adult, I refuse to take cough medicine. If it dont come in a pill form, I dont need it. dead0man ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/16 "2002-06-21T07:03:54Z")
Poi. When I tried it at a luau in Maui, I almost threw up all over the salt pork. ---
**Author:** ![Kegg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Kegg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kegg)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/17 "2002-06-21T07:33:59Z")
this may not get me points from anyone here but I HATE CHOCOLAT. ug ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/18 "2002-06-21T08:00:31Z")
The nastiest thing I ever tasted was a Brazil nut that had gone bad - it was truly dreadful and the taste lingered for hours. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/19 "2002-06-21T08:15:23Z")
Liver. And I’ll second Castor Oil. ---
**Author:** ![blinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@blinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinx)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167/20 "2002-06-21T08:23:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mkmiller99 \* > \*\*I remember this from being a kid in the 70s and going to the dentist. The assitant would fill 2 plastic mouth pieces with this vile “cherry” flavored flouride gel, then place them over your top and bottom teeth for 2-3 minutes of hell. \*\* AHH! also my most horrible memory of bad tasting stuff - my mother used to work at the dentist where I had my teeth corrected - I remember her trying to convince me that it was just like cherry chewing gum and myself trying not to choke on the spit I refused to swallow 🙂 That stuff is evil! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-tasting-stuff-ever/115167.md?page=2)