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Unfortunate food, fortunately forgotten

DavidVillaJr

One of the Regulars
Messages
264
Location
Manteca, California
So, here's some "food" for thought.

My wife's family is 100 percent Portuguese - almost all from "The Islands" (the Azores).

We were invited to her aunt's house for a birthday party or similar gathering. Her aunt had made OCTOPUS.

Being the "try anything once" guy that I am - I tried it.

Much to my detriment.

It tasted the way a pet shop smells. I don't know how that's possible, but it did.

Fast forward a couple of years, the Portuguese band is on a trip to the Azores, and we are being treated in one island town to a sit-down restaurant meal - which included OCTOPUS.

With some (okay, EXTREME) trepidation - I tried it again.

And it was EXCELLENT!! It did not taste the way a pet shop smells, it was interesting and very, very palatable.

Perhaps some of these issues we are having with food are based on VERY, VERY poor first impressions, however,

I will not, to this day, eat liver - my mother burned it once. once.

I'm forever done with liver.

dv
 

martinsantos

Practically Family
Messages
595
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
Como vai?

Octopus is a really strange food. The aspect, specially. Sometimes you must close your eyes to try some food... What i did with octopus - and loved it.

And it is something very difficult to conveniently prepare, indeed!

(by the way, never experimented protuguese's way to cook octopus. In home, always the way my family used to cook in Italy, where it was an everyday food).
 

DavidVillaJr

One of the Regulars
Messages
264
Location
Manteca, California
I suspect the way it was prepared had a lot to do with the flavor.

Plus, I'm sure the freshness of the octopus would be a key to good flavor - the fresher (as in the Azores) the better. Not like landlocked Manteca, CA 60+ miles from the sea.

dv
 

brspiritus

One of the Regulars
Messages
146
Location
Jacksonville, Fl.
I was looking at the scrapple in the market today but couldn't conscience the $5 they wanted for it. I think what turned me off the most about these dishes was the proliferation of green peas. I despise peas and won't eat them plain... pease pudding on the other hand is quite nice. I won't do liver but every so often a get a taste for some head cheese.

Oh and if you want really weird food goto the Philippines... or google "Balut".
 

I Adore Film Noir

A-List Customer
Messages
480
Location
U.S.A.
So, here's some "food" for thought.

My wife's family is 100 percent Portuguese - almost all from "The Islands" (the Azores).

We were invited to her aunt's house for a birthday party or similar gathering. Her aunt had made OCTOPUS.

Being the "try anything once" guy that I am - I tried it.

Much to my detriment.

It tasted the way a pet shop smells. I don't know how that's possible, but it did.

Fast forward a couple of years, the Portuguese band is on a trip to the Azores, and we are being treated in one island town to a sit-down restaurant meal - which included OCTOPUS.

With some (okay, EXTREME) trepidation - I tried it again.

And it was EXCELLENT!! It did not taste the way a pet shop smells, it was interesting and very, very palatable.

Perhaps some of these issues we are having with food are based on VERY, VERY poor first impressions, however,

I will not, to this day, eat liver - my mother burned it once. once.

I'm forever done with liver.

dv

Octopus. On my first trip to Sicily relatives had this dish among many on the table. I knew as soon as I saw the "suckers" what it was and avoided it:

news-octopus_salad_1.jpg
 

Drappa

One Too Many
Messages
1,141
Location
Hampshire, UK
Since I was very little I have somewhat detested warm cow's milk, because my father hates it with a passion. Just after WWII my grandmother made him eat milk soup frequently, which is basically warm milk with bread or doughy balls. I always thought it sounded utterly disgusting and am glad I never had to eat it. He also had to eat cabbage soup, and I hear people now use it as a weightloss tool :D
My grandparents also made sugar sandwiches when I was little. They spread butter thickly onto black bread and topped it all with white caster sugar. Although not bad, I can't see myself ever eating it again for the pure unhealthiness of it.
 
Messages
10,883
Location
Portage, Wis.
Geez, I read through this and people think I'm crazy for eating Braunschweiger lol My grandpa often talks about the lard sandwiches he had to eat during the depression and how they were even worse after being in the heat of a Milwaukee summer all afternoon...
 

Drappa

One Too Many
Messages
1,141
Location
Hampshire, UK
Some people where I'm from still eat lard sandwiches, with salt and bits of pork in it. It's considered a very traditional delicacy, but makes me glad to be veggie!
 

rue

Messages
13,319
Location
California native living in Arizona.
I was looking at the scrapple in the market today but couldn't conscience the $5 they wanted for it. I think what turned me off the most about these dishes was the proliferation of green peas. I despise peas and won't eat them plain... pease pudding on the other hand is quite nice. I won't do liver but every so often a get a taste for some head cheese.

Oh and if you want really weird food goto the Philippines... or google "Balut".

I know it must sound crazy, but I had never had a taste of peas in my life until I was in my 20s. My mother despised them and I thought because of that, they had to be awful. When she was little, every time she was served peas, she would put them in her napkin and would throw it behind the washer. No one was the wiser until it came time to move. To put it lightly, her mother was not happy.

Oh and when I did finally get around to eating peas, I really liked them [huh]

Geez, I read through this and people think I'm crazy for eating Braunschweiger lol My grandpa often talks about the lard sandwiches he had to eat during the depression and how they were even worse after being in the heat of a Milwaukee summer all afternoon...

I love Braunschweiger :D
 

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