What’s your Food Threshhold?

by julie on September 1, 2009

Everybody has something they won’t eat. Everyone has food they’re uncomfortable with. For some folks, it’s animal products (I have several good v*an friends). For some folks, it’s anything that isn’t “normal”; normal defined by good old American meat and potatoes. There are those that are adventurous (I had a boyfriend, once, who ate monkey brains) and those who are dabblers (“I’ll try anything once!”). Where do you fall?

Don’t know?

Dana McCauley came up with a Food Threshhold Chart (found through Kate at the Accidental Hedonist, who talks about these levels being like badges of honor in Dungeons and Dragons.  Interesting read.)  Though there’s some debate in the comments on ethics (for example, I have a particular vegan friend who loves meat, but will not eat it because of ethical issues) vs. tastes (I, for example, would be kind of squicked out eating a cockroach), I think it’s interesting.  We Westerners have a fairly narrow view of cuisine, and often turn our noses up unfamiliar cuisine.  “Unfamiliar” can often be regional, even in the United States.  A certain Boyfriend has eaten opossum, which can be common in parts of the rural South.  Here, we try not to hit them with our cars.  In Canada, poutaine (cheese curds, gravy and fries) are common; in the US, not as much.  You get the idea.

So what’s your food threshhold?

There are several foods I won’t eat, for various reasons.  I don’t like raw or undercooked green peppers, due to a battle in college between me, alcohol, and pizza.  The alcohol and pizza won.  I don’t like raw, underripe or out-of-season tomatoes (but you should see how I’ve been gobbling up ripe, heirloom, summertime tomatoes).   I certainly do not eliminate entire food groups, or even categories of food.   I’ll pretty much try anything, which I guess would give me a level of 20.  I might get a little squicked out by bird’s nest soup (do you know what it’s made of?) or 1000 year duck eggs, but I would definitely try them if I had the opportunity.  I think, on a day to day basis, I’d be somewhere around a 14.

In the comments, tell me where you rank– and why!  We’ll see if we can come up with an average wine me, dine me reader threshhold.

  • http://www.katesrandommusings.com Kate

    WOW! I’ve done game, rabbit. I ate a cicaida once on a dare, and would likely try a chocolate covered bug sometime. The way Andrew Zimmern/Anthony Bourdain dive in to some of their bat shit crazy dishes is admirable and even envious to a degree. I might do a bear heart or a monkey brain (does it look like an amouse bouche? I could do almost anything little and pretty) depending on the circumstances. I’d say I might be a 15/16 – it doesn’t matter so much what the dish *is*, to me, it matters more what it looks like. I also am a sucker for dares. See also: tongue ring, raw beef and afore mentioned cicaida.
    .-= Kate´s last blog ..Kyrie Eleison =-.

  • http://cincyeats.com Meg

    I don’t know if I get the rating system. I would eat shark fin soup before I ate cat or dog. I have also eaten insects, but I don’t know if I could do horse. According to the chart and what I have eaten I have a threshold of 14
    .-= Meg´s last blog ..the pig is on =-.

    • http://winemedinemecincinnati.com julie

      Agreed. Maybe it should be food categories instead of specific dishes? Hmm. Good thing Dana’s reading the comments.

  • http://danamccauley.wordpress.com Dana McCauley

    Thanks for the link – it’s great to read the comments made by you and your readers!
    .-= Dana McCauley´s last blog ..Topline Trends Tuesday: Kids & Food =-.

  • http://tiarasaves.blogspot.com Marla

    In my lifetime, I’ve eaten tongue and liver – I turned down a chance to try rabbit. But for 15+ years I’ve been a 4, I guess. Before I went lacto-ovo vegetarian I was a relatively adventurous eater (but I can’t see myself ever going higher than a 13/14).
    .-= Marla´s last blog ..CVS – An idea for my other card for the week of 8/30/09 =-.

    • http://winemedinemecincinnati.com julie

      Rabbit is excellent. Cute, but excellent.

  • http://christinaslifeoftravel.com Christina Baita

    According the chart, I would have to say that I am a 9. However, I have been to other countries where I like to order from a menu where I can barely read it and just go for it. I also think it’s fun to tell them to just bring me whatever they like. If it’s discusting, I just won’t finish. I am totally and utterly discusted when I go to the store and see things like a pigs feet. Please do tell what am I supposed to do with it’s feet?

    Also, I love calamari and yet when I recently was in Florence, Italy, at what felt was like a super walmart, I saw an entire squid and was not impressed or enticed at all. I suppose that I would not make a good chef after all but I will always live to eat! Just as long as the beginning product is not too cute (like Bambi).
    .-= Christina Baita´s last blog ..Book Review: A Child’s Journey Out of Autism =-.

  • E.

    Coming from people who ate stuffed sheep stomachs and the like, I would put myself in the “try almost anything once.” And I will try, except cat & dog (I wouldn’t be able to get pets out of my head). Hypocritical maybe. And no bugs. Otherwise, I really only have a problem if something’s overly mushy or rubbery, but I’ll try it first. I only trust a few with things like tripe for that reason. On the other hand, I’d like to think that I’d try brains, but who knows what I’d do if actually confronted with them.

  • http://californiatraveler.blogspot.com/ Suz

    Okay, I fall somewhere on the scale at a 6 or under. However, that is quite misleading as there are many things that fall within those categories that I just wouldn’t eat. I am a fairly picky eater and things have to look good–as well as sound good–for me to eat (description and or name.) When I was little I wouldn’t eat Welsh Rarebit (thought it was rabbit) nor would I eat corn fritters (sounded like critters). I will say that I have gotten more adventurous on some things as I’ve gotten older and am more willing to try various ethnic cuisines. While I do eat the occasional fish, I mainly stick to a vegetarian diet…but not all vegetables are created equal and there are some I just won’t eat (okra).
    .-= Suz´s last blog ..Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa Fall Special =-.

  • http://www.twitter.com/kitschqueen Susan

    Well growing up in a family with men who are avid hunters and actually cook and eat the meat, I’ve had game and rabbit. Though now I’m a pescetarian.

    I tried snails a few months ago at a tapas restaurant and really liked them. I’ve also had alligator at a Cajun place in St. Louis. But we cooked clams this weekend and the experience kind of grossed me out. I love to eat them in restaurants but I couldn’t stand having them alive in my house, then boiling them and seeing some of the guts.

    I’d say I’m somewhere in the middle. I guess.

  • http://kellyhudson.blogspot.com Kelly

    I think I’m around a 14 on this scale (with a hop over veal). I’d try rabbit, but I’ve been trained to think of horse meat as dog food. Insects are probably out unless they’re ground up.
    .-= Kelly´s last blog ..I can be anything =-.

  • http://nearlythebionicwoman.com Christina Baita

    Forgot about the gators and snails! Yum yum. Nothing like a good escargo in a garlic butter sauce with basil and wine reduction. or good ole gator tail in Florida. Gotta love those snappers.
    .-= Christina Baita´s last blog ..The Real Cost of Cheap Food =-.

  • http://doomisnigh.blogspot.com Robert

    Wow, I was right up 19 since I have had shark fin soup in china, along with the 1000 year old egg (god awful), Pigeon on a stick (Chewy), In mexico I had deep fried worm taco (boring).
    Strangley can not eat peaches,apriot or cooked fruit.

  • Mac

    OK, not exagerating at all. I am a 20. Anything below that which I have not eaten (shark fin soup) is simply because I haven’t had the opportunity. I have not had Bear Heart or Monkey Brains, but I think Deer Heart and Squirrel Brains still qualify. Where I grew up in Appalachia, if you could catch it, you ate it. The best “odd” thing I have ever had? Easy, fried loin of Puma (Mountain Lion) in Colorado. I’m sure cat would be close. The worst, also easy. Durian, the so called King of Fruits.

    • http://twitter.com/kitschqueen Susan

      Ah yes Durian. I had what was essentially a Durian popsicle several months ago. I was excited to try it. It was worse than I thought it would be but not the worst I’ve ever eaten. Smelled too much like onions for my taste.

  • http://getinmahbelly.blogspot.com/ liz

    i am in the will try anything once category. pretty much all my eating boundaries were destroyed at the nose to tail dinner. actually i think eating insects is a lot nastier than bear heart or shark fin or whatever. i ate grasshoppers once in mexico but that was only after a lot of tequila.
    .-= liz´s last blog ..orchids at palm court =-.

  • Terry Lee

    Having been to China many, many times, I have had the opportunity to try a lot of things that would be a little “unusual” here in the U.S. When asked what we would want for dinner in Guangzhou our reply would be no dog, no cat, no rat, no snake. Everything else was under consideration. I do have to say that I don’t like organ meats (except sweetbreads) and blood cake. It is too “minerally” for me. I also have a problem with a lot of the gelatinous stuff that they really enjoy in China. Except jellyfish. Pickled, spicy jellyfish is really good. Chicken feet are bad. Duck penis is okay. Cow knees are too hard to eat. The “crystal meet” we had in Hong Kong remains a mystery today. Also the grey, crispy meat product which I was told was “like duck except bigger”.

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