Author: Eric Grundhauser / Source: Atlas Obscura
Earlier this month, I finally faced my own personal greatest food fear and tasted some fresh durian. In the end, it didn’t make me a convert to the controversial fruit’s fan club, but it did prove to be an enlightening experience.
I didn’t like it, but I feel much more open to trying things like durian candy. Getting over my fear managed to broaden my horizons.To celebrate having conquered my fear, I invited Atlas Obscura readers to tell us about their own experiences overcoming food fears. You wrote in to share stories about everything from conquering a life-long aversion to eggs to suddenly being confronted with a seafood dish that was still alive. The results of these brave taste tests were equally varied, but every single one of your stories was relatable and entertaining.
We’ve assembled a collection of our favorite responses below. If there’s still a food out there that you can’t bring yourself to eat, perhaps these stories will inspire you to finally take a chance and try it.
Feared Food: Sushi
“It was life-changing. The flavors are amazing.”
“It was AMAZING! I’ve been making up for lost time ever since and it’s now one of my favorite meals!” — Nicole, Tampa, Florida
Feared Food: Odorigui (Ice Gobys)
“I was living in rural Japan on a JET Program and was invited by a bar owner friend to the local ‘restaurant owners group’ party to try something new. I walked in the door and everyone was downing small shot glasses of live fish (about the size of a minnow) as if it were some kind of fraternity hazing ritual.
Apparently, odori-gui (literally ‘dance eating’) is a Japanese delicacy consisting of eating still live seafood where the ‘fun’ comes from the consumed creature dancing its way from your mouth, down your esophagus, and then writhing and dying in your stomach. I was handed a glass of my own to try. My strategy was simple: let the fish die in the glass, and then drink up. I waited patiently until the fish in the glass stopped moving. And then I tried it. The moment the ice gobies hit my tongue, they instantly revived and started to struggle. I struggled as well. After a good 30 seconds of wrestling them around in my mouth, I had to spit them out.”“In my three years in rural Japan, this was the only food I ever had to spit back out. I did not like it. But, given enough beer and with enough courage, I probably would try it again.” — Andy (“Mack”) McCarthy, Houston, Texas
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