This morning we had a birthday potluck for a couple coworkers. One of the people celebrating her birthday is a coworker from Russia. She told us that she went out to eat for her actual birthday (last week) and had a delicious meal. When we asked her what it was, she warned us that it might gross us out. When we convinced her we could handle it, she revealed that it was pig pâté. A little too much explanation was then given about the boiling of the pig head to make the pâté, and, well, I'll stop there (you're welcome).
At that point, another co-worker, an American, told a story about how she once asked a friend of hers who was visiting America, what the grossest American food is. Her friend's answer? Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! I was shocked! What's more simple and yummy than a pb&j sandwich with a cold glass of milk!?
Another co-worker from Brazil agreed with my co-worker's foreign friend, describing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as gross, and more specifically, "too slimy." At that point another co-worker, also from Russia, said that she used to think pb&j sandwiches were weird when she moved to the States, but has acquired a taste for them now (something most Americans do at age three).
Up to this point, the only food/drink I've consistently heard my non-American friends complain about is root beer, which they often describe as tasting like medicine (delicious, bubbly, thirst quenching medicine...) But pb&j?! I never knew.
Years ago I served as a missionary for my church. I was assigned to serve in Houston, speaking Spanish. For the most part, the people I served with were Mexican. Mexican people are so kind and generous and many of the people we worked with would often invite us over for delicious home cooked meals. I love Mexican food and you won't hear me complaining about any of it, except this: menudo.
And no, I'm not talking about this Menudo:
I'm talking about this menudo:
also known as tripe, or stomach. I can't eat stomach!! That's just confusing to my stomach!! It's a mental thing I know, but I don't care how delicious people say it is, menudo is not going in my belly. No belly in my belly, that's my motto.
Other than that, I love Mexican food. I guess all cultures have at least one food that just seems inedible to people not used to it. What's yours??
