Have you tried any new foods recently?

You’d never tasted granny smith apples, blackberries, or raspberries before recently? How strange! I love all three of those.

I recently tried zucchini and hated it.

Good for you for trying different sorts of foods, herbs, and spices! Some of the items on your list have been either tasted or a staple in my lifetime.

Since the first of this year, my partner (lives in the UK) and I (American) spent a week each in Paris, Portugal and Istanbul. We like to try out the different local delicacies of each location we visit. Of these cities, the most memorable and enjoyable were the Paris platter of meats and cheeses (one of which was made out of brains), the Portuguese tapas which included cured hare in a way that you don’t want to know about, and Istanbul’s sahlep (a hot beverage).

Don’t get me started on the culinary delights of the British. While their food reputation may be dire, there are many that they do right. Plus, they seem to import many more fruits and vegetables than I have access to here in the US.

I tried fenugreek seeds recently and they were disgusting…and strong enough for it to be difficult to get the taste out of my mouth. I do not recommend fenugreek seeds. Yuck.

I know many people love it, but I’d never had rhubarb before this weekend. liked it and won’t avoid it again. I guess I was scared of it because as a child, I was told it was sour. Why that would put me off, I don’t know. I’ve always liked lemon. It was probably the faces of my friends who didn’t like it.

I tried brussels sprout for the first time not too long ago. It was just as nasty as I thought it would be. My entire plate or turkey and stuffing was ruined by the taste of the brussels sprout.

Manchego cheese. I didn’t like it very much. I’m not a big cheese person though.

@dxs I tried fenugreek as well. Though I was in a green smoothie and it is easy to overpower a smoothie, I am still reluctant to try it again.

Hrm I tried colrabi(sic) with a mustardy dip it was neutral but great.

Speaking of neutral their was som sort of zero calorie miracle noodle. Made out some sort of fiborous root. It was tasteless and a bit mushy. But eatable. By no means a favorite.

I retasted lentils and now they are a staple as well as garbanzo beans. I will soon try golden beets as I have yet to get used to red beets.

Oh I also tried papaya. It wasn’t fresh or properly ripened I think so I am willing to try it again. But Mangos will end up a favorite of mine.

I tried some fresh-packaged corned beef from a kosher deli last week.—It was
god-awful.—

A couple of months ago I tried a persimmon for the first time. I’d never even heard of them before. It was nice, a bit like a pear in flavour. I read up about it afterwards and I understand that they’re meant to be eaten when very ripe and soft; the one I ate was clearly under-ripe as it was crunchy, like an apple, but it was still very nice. I don’t think I would like it if it was as ripe as it’s supposed to be.

@rosehips do you mean kohlrabi? I like that. It’s basically a cabbage bred to be mostly “heart” – that firm juicy bit inside the central stem.

I tried a kind of roasted pepper yesterday, a mild one that I can put in an omelet or a salad. And I finally had kimchee about a month ago. But that’s about it, not too many foods I haven’t at least tried before.

Not that I can think of, I go out of my way to try new things(I’ve had everything mentioned in this thread at least once and LOVE some of the mentioned) One of the reasons I loved traveling is because I got to try so many new and exciting foods.

What I wouldn’t do for a soursop or a sapodilla right now….

@jonsblond brussel sprouts are one of those things that really need to be cooked right. Most people can’t do this and thus they taste pretty shitty but once you get it down….mmmmmmmmmm

Anyone ever try a durian? If you can get past the smell they taste quite good.

Yum, those are all good.

@downtide That is it. I haven’t had the opportunity to try a persimmon though I have read about them.

@uberbatman I have heard much about durian. The people who have eaten it seem proud. Like they have accomplished something. I do understand that the smell is on the next level of grossness.

I have a hard time not thinking something is off about this one because taste is 70% smell.

@uberbatman @rosehips I ate durian when I was visiting Indonesia when i was younger. It does stink to high heaven, and my mom wouldn’t let them into the house or in the car. But once cut open and a piece put on a plate to eat, it was soooo good!

@rosehips I’ve tried a persimmon before and I hate them. I am curious to try one how @downtide did because the reason it was so appalling was because I hate things that are too sweet or mushy.

@Zenvelo and @uberbatman I thought you were not able to take them out of the country they were grown in. (Indonesia, velo?) Including them being shipped. I was reading that people were trying to smuggle them but they smelled so bad you can’t get them past the border. I don’t remember the source so I don’t know if it is accurate.

@dxs Erm. So for reference you don’t like oranges?

@rosehips maybe that was the case before but I find them in China town in Philly whenever I go. You can occasionally find them at asain food marts too.

@rosehips Yes, Indonesia, I visited Jakarta twice when I was in my twenties. It was funny approaching the marketplace because the durian vendor was always way on the edge of the market, downwind. But there were always people buying because it is so delicious.

Except for the chia seeds and the Ezekial English muffins (I usually eat Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat English Muffins), all of those foods you listed have been regular staples in my diet for years.

Chia seeds are supposed to be very good for you and I’ll probably be adding them to my diet. The other new superfood is Hemp Seeds and I found them to be very delicious, almost like ground pistachios. And like soy and quinoa, they are one of the few vegetarian options that are complete proteins

Not sure if you just had the arugula in a salad, but let me tell you one thing, if you throw it onto a pizza, raw, right after the pizza comes out of the oven, you will have one tasty salad pizza. Also, you can put kale onto your pizza, but throw it on about 3 minutes before it comes out of the oven, it will crisp up really nicely, but don’t bake it any longer, or else it will burn.

Since you are trying out some new things these days, I want to show you one of my favorite go-to salads, that has a bunch of things in it that you may have never tasted before, but all of these things are super-yummy, especially in this salad. And it’s easy to make. Raw Kale Salad with Root Vegetables if you don’t want to fuss with baking the pecans, just get some of Trader Joe’s Sweet Spicy Pecans The root veggies that I liked the best in this salad were Rutabagas and Golden Beets (because they don’t leave a bight red, bloody looking juice all over your hands and counter and sink like the red ones do) and Turnips

My other favorite salad is Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing and Veggies and Tofu I prefer to use broccoli rather than asparagus. Here’s a little tip, though, immediately after you’ve cooked and drained the Soba Noodles and a tiny bit of the sesame oil to the bowl of noodles, otherwise they’ll stick together and form a clump.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume you’ve never had some of the following items, but you might want to consider giving some of them a try. They’ll open up a whole new world of culinary delights for you:

Balsamic Vinegar Of course this is delicious simply paired with extra virgin olive oil for a nice salad dressing, but you might want to drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar onto a grapefruit or an avocado for a gourmet treat.

Fresh Basil from which you could make a simple Caprese Salad or a Pesto or Fresh Spring Rolls

Shiitake Mushrooms These are the top of the heap as far as I’m concerned. They have a flavor and texture that is similar to meat so that lends itself well, when you are craving meat. I use them, along with some other mushrooms (any kind will do) in this Chinese Hot and Sour Soup. When I make this, I add 6 Tablespoons of vinegar, instead of 2 and it makes all the difference. I start with this Mushroom Broth

Portobello Mushrooms These are the great big ones, that are about the size of the size of your hand. These also have a very meaty flavor and texture. One of the best ways to eat these is made into a Burger on the BBQ grill.

You’ve probably had garlic before, but have you ever tried Roasted Heads of Garlic. This is so yummy, when you squeeze the roasted cloves onto a piece of crusty bread.

Avocado Of course the most common use for avocados is Guacamole but smoothies are all the rage these days, so you might like to try an Avocado Smoothie

Garbanzo Beans also known as chickpeas. They’re very high in fiber and protein and have kind of a buttery flavor. My favorite way to use them is in Hummus of course you’ll have to invest in a tub of Tahini. Another great way to enjoy garbanzo beans is to Roast Them or turn them into an Indian curry called Channa Masala

Feta Cheese which has a salty creamy flavor. It’s most excellent in a Greek Salad, but for that you will of course need some Kalamata Olives. They’re briny and slightly bitter, nothing like regular black ripe olives, but if you develop a taste for them, you’ll be in for a real treat.

And last, but not least Tofu Tofu is super versatile as it has almost no flavor and picks up the flavors of whatever you put on it. Plus you can use it as a hardy meat alternative in lots of recipes. Tofu, by itself, isn’t much fun because it is so bland, but if you cook it up like this Tofu with Broccoli in Garlic Sauce you might just fall in love with it. If you’d like something a little different, maybe you’d enjoy Spicy Baked Tofu but you’ll have to get yourself some Fresh Ginger Root. If you want to try some tofu that is a little bit more like meat, try one of the baked marinated kinds like Trader Joe’s Organic Tofu

Anyway, have fun and carry on : )

@Kardamom I love avocado smoothies. They are so creamy and tasty!

I will definitely try the golden beet recipe since I was planning on trying it anyway. That should keep me busy for a while.

Btw: Have you looked into pea protein powder? I was thinking about trying it for when I get a sweet tooth and want more fruit in my smoothies but still want the protein.

Chia seeds are great. Tasteless and crunchy. If you sprout them they are the perfect green freshness. In smoothies I presoak them so I can better judge the consistency I want.

Side note I started adding garbunzo beans to my salads. I do second your recommendation.

@zenvelo That must have been a wonderful experience. Fresh air markets are fun on their own. Add in a different culture and items to the mix.. very fantastic.

@uberbatman That is great news. Now I am more likely to try them. I will keep an eye out next time I head stateside.

@rosehips If you eat them soon enough, oranges are tart and crisp. But I prefer sourer fruits.

@dxs Then you should give Kumquats a try sometime. Mini bite sized sour oranges

I ate jalapeno poppers for the first time in December. I can not get enough of them! Since I don’t like hot stuff, and generally avoid bacon, everyone, including, me was really surprised. However, my husband is really careful to get the seeds out (the seeds are what make the pepper hot) and the combination of the crunchy bacon with the other flavors is just addicting.

We introduced my husband’s daughter’s boyfriend to stuffed port mushrooms. We put in cream cheese, green peppers, green onions, a slice of cherry tomato and top them off with Italian cheeses. He didn’t like mushrooms before that.

@Dutchess_III I like to take long hots(you have to be careful some are fine and mild but others are ridiculously hot) and stuff them with cream cheese and shrimp and then wrap the whole thing in bacon and put it in the oven till the bacon is crunchy. Holy fuckin yummy.

What’s a long hot? The FOOD @uberbatman! The food.

@uberbatman I’ll buy one the next time I go shopping.

@Dutchess_III These are long hots . They’re uhhh long and hot lol. Because of their shape they make really good stuffing peppers.

They jalapenos?

No, totally different pepper, much larger and thinner than jalapenos. IMO Long Hots generally aren’t as hot as jalapenos but every now and then you’ll get one that can give a habanero a run for its money.

We’ll check them out! Thanks!