Just Eat The &*%#$! Food!!!

[Dreamstalker]

Uni is sea urchin, often served at sushi restaurants. I rarely let texture bother me, I am more of a taste man. But both the taste and the slimey texture of uni grossed me out! But hey...at least I tried it, right?

Me too. Uni is about the only sushi I've tried that I do not like at all. The one food that sounds interesting but I consider too risky to even try is fugu (blowfish; the entrails are toxic and it will kill you if not prepared precisely).

Speaking of freaking people out, in high school biology class, one day while the lesson was going on, somehow myself and two classmates, Dave and Kerry, got into a conversation about sausage, with Dave and myself grossing out Kerry telling her what sausage actually is and how it is made.
...
The teacher asked her what she was talking about, she told him, expecting him to soothe her. Instead, he seemed interested, and went into a far more detailed and hilariously disgusting explanation than Dave or myself ever could have. Kerry turned several shades of green, and Dave and myself couldn't breathe from laughing. Kerry didn't speak to us for about a week.

Hee... On my first-ever trip to Ireland, my mom's friends were truly impressed that not only would I eat black pudding even after knowing what it was, I absolutely love it.

I credit my adventurous tastebuds to my dad, who traveled around the world extensively (especially to the Middle East) in the early seventies on EPA-related work.

[Spiffy McMoron]

Hee... On my first-ever trip to Ireland, my mom's friends were truly impressed that not only would I eat black pudding even after knowing what it was, I absolutely love it.

When I went to Scotland and England, none of the privately owned Bed and Breakfasts me and my family went to served black pudding for breakfast. We had all of the rest-eggs, ham/bacon (they called it bacon, we called it ham), beans, etc-but no black pudding. When we got to Edinburgh, we stayed in university dorms, which were converted to B&B's for the summer. Now, those of us who have gone to university know how good the meals are-and this place was no exception. But they served black pudding. Now, we could all choke down the cold eggs and greasy ham, but no one, out of a family of four, would dare to eat a black pudding-which looked like a 3:8 version of a hockey puck.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I severely grossed out some family members by eating, on a dare, lobster liver (I think it was the liver...either that, or the roe. All I know is it looks like what you find in the diaper of a month old breastfeeder.) What kills me is that this stuff is considered a delicacy. It's not like eating bugs or something. It tasted pretty good...like a cross between pate and caviar.

The big downfall of this food item is in the presentation. Here you have your dead lobster, sprawled out all over your plate like a eviserated roadkill, shell smashed, guts everywhere, and here's this lump of what looks for all the world like goose doo laying in the middle of all this wreckage.

No wonder there were no other takers.

[Dragon_Dreamer]

I'm a supertaster with a VERY touchy gut.

I'll eat almost anything that's not overly spicy or bitter. I usually avoid any drinks where I can taste the alcohol, as well. But even with foods that I will eat, some just end up not liking me.

Garlic oil (dried or powder is fine, but not fresh) is the only actual allergy, but I'm also lactose intolerent, and half trouble with foods like eggs, some chicken preperations, you name it. Not fun. So I'm not a picky eater by choice, I just don't want to be stuck in the bathroom for the next few hours.

[Banrion]

My food can't touch each other. Everything must be in it's own happy little pile on it's own side of the plate.

I'm not too picky, the only thing I really can't stand is MILK! Blech. Now I love, Ice cream, sour cream, cream cheese, cream in my coffee. But for the life of me, I cannot stand to drink plain milk. Have had this aversion since I was about 3 or 4.

OJ also presents a problem for me, but that's my parents fault. When I was a kid, I had Pica, which is a disorder where children eat non-food substances. Due to this, there was always a bottle of Ipecac in the house. When I ate something I wasn't suppossed to, my parents would mix the Ipecac with OJ to make me puke. To this day I cannot drink straight OJ.

[Customer Beating Robot]

The child is coodled too much. He is picky because it gets him attention. I agree with other posters that he should either eat what the school offers or just not eat.

It isn't cruel. The behavior he has now could manifest itself later in life. If he is picky to get attention, what other sort of behavior will he develop in order to get attention? What happens when the picky eating thing no longer gets him the attention he wants.

You don't want to do it harshly so that he feels that he is being picked on. But if he doesn't eat what the school provides that is his choice, no big deal. I am sure that the child likes the fact that mommy and the teachers are all so worried about him. I am sure they put him on Ritalin for a reason, more than likely he was completely out of control before the Ritalin.

The human body will demand food when it is truly hungry. The kid won't let himself starve to death. I don't think he physically can. Plus he is getting two meals at home I hope. Missing lunch won't hurt him.

[Jester]

I severely grossed out some family members by eating, on a dare, lobster liver...

I will try anything, and I mean anything, at least once. But some things people dare me to try I virtually laugh at. I remember the one time I was doing walkaround magic in my old restaurant, and this table said they would be impressed not by any magic trick, but if I would eat any of the jalapenos on their nacho plate.

Now, I grew up, more or less, three hours from Mexico. In Arizona. I try anything, and like spicy food--as long as it has flavor, though truth be told, I don't really care for those ridiculously spicy hot sauces with fun-filled names like "Colon Cleaner", etc., etc. But sliced jalapenos? On a dare? Oh, please. I used to win bar bets in college by eating horseradish-covered pepperoncinis. So of course I took up this "dare", popping a jalapeno slice or two in my mouth and munching it, looking at the folks at the table with no expression change. They were impressed. Obviously, they were from Iowa, or some other place where they find bread spicy. (No offense meant to any Iowans here, of course.)

Anyways, I have yet to meet a food I won't try, dare or not. And I have no respect for people who say something is gross if they have never tried it. (Not the same thing as someone who has never tried something because of an allergy or philosophical/religious beliefs, i.e., kosher or vegetarian.)

[LostMyMind]

I will try anything, and I mean anything, at least once.

I'm sorta the same way, except with food I already know I don't like.

My parents were shocked that I tried sushi. Didn't like it but I still tried it

[Jester]

I'm sorta the same way, except with food I already know I don't like.

My parents were shocked that I tried sushi. Didn't like it but I still tried it

Yeah, I meant I would try stuff I had not had before. Obviously stuff I don't like I avoid like the plague. Y'all can have all my olives, avocados, and grapefruits!

As for sushi, one time in another job I brought in my homemade sashimi lunch, and as I was eating it, the following conversation ensued with my GM:

GM: That's disgusting!
ME: What are you talking about? Disgusting? I see you eating McDonald's all the time!
GM: What, you have something against beef?
ME: Not at all. And once McDonald's starts using it, you let me know!

[Becks]

GM: That's disgusting!
ME: What are you talking about? Disgusting? I see you eating McDonald's all the time!
GM: What, you have something against beef?
ME: Not at all. And once McDonald's starts using it, you let me know!

Soooooooooooo, what was the response to THAT?

[Jester]

His response? None, other than laughter. He was a cool GM, just had lousy taste in food.