Give Me Your Best Shot

As I read "Waiter, There's a Cloven Hoof on my Plate," I wondered what the most disgusting food I've ever eaten was. And even after, I'm having a hard time picking one out, and not because there are so many, but because there are so little. In my previous post, I mentioned how I love trying new things, any kind of food is fair game, as long as it is commonly accepted by other cultures and countries. So, as of now, I don't have a most disgusting food, and any foods I'm not in love with is likely due to not liking it more than other things, but I'd still eat them if they were in front of me.

For my culture, whatever that means, there are many foods that may seem strange, even though they are commonly eaten by other American's. The rural south has a number of dishes people from our "area" or "culture" might shake their head at, but in that area of America, it's perfectly acceptable. It seems, generally, that American's as a whole avoid meat products of any animal that may resemble a pet. And, in my experience, people tend to avoid foods of a certain texture, though the range and diversity is so large, it's hard to pin down what is acceptable and what is not. If you ask me, it is indeed all psychological, and anyone could eat anything if they 1) didn't know what it was, or 2) were raised in a different environment.

The psychological aspect is what keeps certain people from trying new foods or finds vegetarians believing that a sliver of meat just touching their tongue will make them sick. Not to offend, though it shouldn't if thought about, the very idea is ridiculous. There isn't anything stopping them, from a biological standpoint at least, and to insist otherwise would be, in all likelihood, wrong. There are exceptions to every rule, but the vast majority cannot escape it. Food is food and meat is meat. There are certain foods that exceed disgusting and venture into undigestible territory, but no culture eats those things anyway. Gross is a relative term, which means something different to everyone. For me, the line is far ahead, which leaves me the opportunity to try all sorts of interesting and delicious dishes. Bring on the balut.

"Weird Food & Strange Food from Around the World."Weird Food. N.p., 2008. Web. 13 Apr 2010. .