What more adventurous food will you not eat for a strange reason...

[Aetheline]

other than just "you don't like it."

For instance, I won't eat octopus. Not because it's too chewy or I don't like it, but instead I find those little creature too darned cool and amusing to eat! Anything that will sneak into an adjacent fishtank in an aquarium solely for the sake of sneaking a meal...and sneaking back before people arrive the next day(!) is just too cool in my book to eat.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

Oh, I totally agree about the octopus. It makes me wonder if the squids are more intelligent too....

 

[ZephyrHawk]

other than just "you don't like it."

For instance, I won't eat octopus. Not because it's too chewy or I don't like it, but instead I find those little creature too darned cool and amusing to eat! Anything that will sneak into an adjacent fishtank in an aquarium solely for the sake of sneaking a meal...and sneaking back before people arrive the next day(!) is just too cool in my book to eat.

DH feels this way too. However, I like me some tasty octopus.

I have a weird thing about wild game (which obviously does not apply to marine life). I don't like eating things not raised by humans for human consumption. I don't even like to eat things that are traditionally wild (buffalo, goose) but which are usually farm raised for consumption these days. I just tend to think if it could survive in the wild on its own, I should probably let it be. However, I make no compunctions about eating domesticated animals (except horse and dog, for obvious reasons).

 

[Northstar]

other than just "you don't like it."

For instance, I won't eat octopus. Not because it's too chewy or I don't like it, but instead I find those little creature too darned cool and amusing to eat! Anything that will sneak into an adjacent fishtank in an aquarium solely for the sake of sneaking a meal...and sneaking back before people arrive the next day(!) is just too cool in my book to eat.

This recent photo of an octopus capturing and eating a seagull might change your view of the octopus as cool and amusing:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/05/03/octopus-seagull-fight-eating-photos.html

I mean, they're still cool, but not cute and amusing. Like polar bears. Dang, if it can stalk a seagull and drag it to its doom, it falls under the "live by the sword, die by the sword" canon of eatable things.

Things I can't eat for weird reasons: Bear meat. I knew a guy who got trichinosis from eating poorly cooked bear meat. The thought of all those encapsulated worms lurking in his muscles for the rest of his life just weirds me out.

 

[sissy_ib]

DH feels this way too. However, I like me some tasty octopus.

I have a weird thing about wild game (which obviously does not apply to marine life). I don't like eating things not raised by humans for human consumption. I don't even like to eat things that are traditionally wild (buffalo, goose) but which are usually farm raised for consumption these days. I just tend to think if it could survive in the wild on its own, I should probably let it be. However, I make no compunctions about eating domesticated animals (except horse and dog, for obvious reasons).

You know the animals we raise for food used to live in the wild right? Cows, pigs, sheep, chickens. They would be fine on their own.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

You know the animals we raise for food used to live in the wild right? Cows, pigs, sheep, chickens. They would be fine on their own.

I disagree. I have known cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, horses and a number of other domesticated animals. I do not believe most of them would survive a week. Yes, someprobably would, we do have feral domesticated animals, but by far and large they have come to depend upon humans. I shake my head in despair for the turkeys that were once stolen by PETA activists from a historic farm I was working on. I have little doubt the good hearted folk released them into the wild, where I can assure you, the incredibly dumb animals starved to death horribly. I'll never forget chasing one of those poor beasts around a parking lot trying to get it back to the farm...it almost expired from sheer terror at being out in the "real" world.

I will make an exception for the Icelandic Sheep raised by my friends' parents. Those are some hardy sheep!

 

[Janepod]

Squirrel or possum. The rodent-y things. Though I have long been mesmerized by my Joy of Cooking's illustrations on how to prepare them.

I will eat sweetbreads, brains, any kind of game or fowl or fish - just not those animals.

 

[Aetheline]

This recent photo of an octopus capturing and eating a seagull might change your view of the octopus as cool and amusing:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/05/03/octopus-seagull-fight-eating-photos.html

I mean, they're still cool, but not cute and amusing. Like polar bears. Dang, if it can stalk a seagull and drag it to its doom, it falls under the "live by the sword, die by the sword" canon of eatable things.

Things I can't eat for weird reasons: Bear meat. I knew a guy who got trichinosis from eating poorly cooked bear meat. The thought of all those encapsulated worms lurking in his muscles for the rest of his life just weirds me out.

Okay that picture only reinforces my idea of octopi being cool and amusing. Never said they were cute though.

I forgot, I won't eat the brains of anything. Gotta save something special for when I become a zombie, I guess. Also, it seems to me bad things happen when creatures eat the brains of other creatures. Bari Bari, mad cow disease....I'll just pass until I'm a zombie.

 

[ladypage]

I disagree. I have known cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, horses and a number of other domesticated animals. I do not believe most of them would survive a week. Yes, someprobably would, we do have feral domesticated animals, but by far and large they have come to depend upon humans. I shake my head in despair for the turkeys that were once stolen by PETA activists from a historic farm I was working on. I have little doubt the good hearted folk released them into the wild, where I can assure you, the incredibly dumb animals starved to death horribly. I'll never forget chasing one of those poor beasts around a parking lot trying to get it back to the farm...it almost expired from sheer terror at being out in the "real" world.

I will make an exception for the Icelandic Sheep raised by my friends' parents. Those are some hardy sheep!

Actually, I can assure you turkey's can survive, as well as horses. we have wild ones around here. And the pigs that we eat today were carefully breed to become exactly how they are, but there are a lot of wild pigs out there.

Not really saying I disagree about the eating "wild" animals. I used to be the same way, but we moved to a hunting town when I was 7 or so. Anytime we went over to a neighbors for BBQ, 90% of the time it was something they had shot themselves.

 

[Feckless]

I feel like at least wild game lived their lives the way they were supposed to, and had a "sporting chance" against the hunter. But I admit to being a completely hypocritical meat eater. I like it as long what I'm eating is ambiguous. Not fond of cutting meat off a pig on a spit, or eating something that's looking back at me like a whole fish. I'm aware that makes me a complete hypocrite! Can't help it.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Jellied pigs feet. Studnyets. From the Ukranian side of the family. Can't do it.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I'm with you on octopus. I feel bad eating any animal that is that smart and resourceful.

Also, I like the taste of duck, but I just can't eat it. They're just so cute and waddly.

 

[EMom]

I disagree. I have known cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, horses and a number of other domesticated animals. I do not believe most of them would survive a week. Yes, someprobably would, we do have feral domesticated animals, but by far and large they have come to depend upon humans. I shake my head in despair for the turkeys that were once stolen by PETA activists from a historic farm I was working on. I have little doubt the good hearted folk released them into the wild, where I can assure you, the incredibly dumb animals starved to death horribly. I'll never forget chasing one of those poor beasts around a parking lot trying to get it back to the farm...it almost expired from sheer terror at being out in the "real" world.

I will make an exception for the Icelandic Sheep raised by my friends' parents. Those are some hardy sheep!

I believe pigs actually fare pretty well "on the loose."

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Actually, I can assure you turkey's can survive, as well as horses. we have wild ones around here. And the pigs that we eat today were carefully breed to become exactly how they are, but there are a lot of wild pigs out there.

Oh yes, we have wild turkeys too, although the only feral horses I've ever seen were out west. But those are "wild" turkeys, who were born that way. The point is that I respect their wildness and ability to survive. I know for a fact the genetically engineered turkeys I've chased around farms are not the same sort of animal. That's sort of my whole schtick. Wild pigs and turkeys and buffalo and the like deserve their chance to dodge the hunter's bullet. And if they don't, well, I'm not gonna partake. But those animals we "created" are a different matter. For instance, the turkeys with breasts so large (cause you know, everyone likes the white meat) that the males can't effectively service the females, and would thus be incapable of propagating without artificial insemination...yeah, those I have no problem eating.

 

[si-am]

Foie gras. In fact, I won't even eat in restaurants that serve it.

 

[DeaverTex]

Escargot. I don't care what language you use, they're still snails and they still leave slime trails up the side of the fish tank. Snails are just slugs that aren't homeless yet. I've never eaten one, and unless someone is holding a gun on me I'm gonna maintain my escargot virgin status.

I won't eat octopus or squid either, because of how it looks before it's cooked. I just can't wrap my head around something that could wrap itself around my head given the chance.

Blood sausage or blood pudding. 'nuff said about that, thank you very much.

 

[Wendy31]

I can't eat baby animals - veal or lamb.

They're babies, & I can't but help think of their mamas...

 

[EMom]

Escargot. I don't care what language you use, they're still snails and they still leave slime trails up the side of the fish tank. Snails are just slugs that aren't homeless yet. I've never eaten one, and unless someone is holding a gun on me I'm gonna maintain my escargot virgin status.

I won't eat octopus or squid either, because of how it looks before it's cooked. I just can't wrap my head around something that could wrap itself around my head given the chance.

Blood sausage or blood pudding. 'nuff said about that, thank you very much.

I am guilty of eating all of these.....and haggis.

 

[Aetheline]

I like haggis. And escargot...well more specifically the garlic butter sauce they were swimming in was delicious. Have no idea what the snails tasted like though, but I'd eat them again.

Not yet had the opportunity to try blood sausage or blood pudding. I would at least take a bite.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Anything that still has tentacles attached. I used to travel to Mexico (and not the touristy part) on business a lot & when we'd get any kind of "variety" tray in from a local food place, there was always stuff in there with tentacles. Even the Mexicans who ordered the food would reach past that bin Did try pickled pork rind. Not sure what the appeal was supposed to be though