Ask George: Are there any foods that you just won’t eat? —Josh G., St. Louis
Possessing what I’d call an “adventuresome Western palate,” my list is probably shorter than most, but there are a few things—no matter how many times I try them—for which I just can’t develop a taste.
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
Calves liver does nothing for me (with or without onions), yet I crave any kind of pâté and fried chicken livers, especially Rick Lewis’ version at Grace Meat + Three.
I’m fine with organ meats in general (especially sweetbreads), with a few exceptions, such as tripe. No matter how it’s presented—fried, Creole-style, or in soups like menudo—I just can’t buy into the texture. Same goes for brain sandwiches, which are still a house specialty at Schottzie’s Bar & Grill. And cockscomb (see photo at right). I shy away from gelatinous body parts in general—especially those that have no flavor.
Speaking of gelatinous, I have absolutely no aversion to fried SPAM—and you won’t either, once you’ve tasted the SPAM Fried Rice at Yellowbelly.
I’m usually fine with face, but not eyes. I’ve never understood the appeal of either pig ears or trotters. (Should you want to give ‘em a go, celebrity chef Robert Irvine created a recipe using both.)
Then there are snoots. Years ago, I was fortunate enough to accompany Andrew Zimmern when he tasted crispy-fried pig snoots at the erstwhile Smoki O’s. In this article, I wrote, “Zimmern, slowly rotating a snoot in mid-air, seeking to find the proper adjective in a language where too few suitable pork snoot adjectives exist, settled on ‘beyond good’ and then hit paydirt: ‘crispy nose bacon.’” Later, on Instagram, he proclaimed the snoots at Smoki O’s “one of the 10 best BBQ dishes in the USA.”
I have no overwhelming desire to try the stinky durian fruit, stinkier kiviak (fermented sea birds), or stinkiest hákari (fermented rotten shark meat), which some say is the single most unpleasant thing to eat on the entire planet. (The late Anthony Bourdain was among them, and Gordon Ramsay reportedly vomited after eating it.)
I’ll generally shy away from anything that’s decayed and/or rotten. At the top of that list (and maybe of my entire list) is casu marzu, better known as “maggot cheese,” which is so repulsive, it’s been banned in Sardinia, its alleged birthplace. If the maggots don’t turn you off, the fact that they jump from the rotting cheese most likely will.
Haggis (traditionally a stuffed and cooked sheep’s stomach) is actually quite tasty. (The Scottish Arms used to offer it—including the approachable haggis fritters—but no longer does.)
While I crave some fermented items—such as, uh, grapes, or kimchi (and the outstanding kimchi fried rice at Corner 17)—I don’t think I’d fare well with traditional Nordic specialties such as the aforementioned hákari or the notorious surströmming (fermented herring). There’s a reason it’s only eaten outside. And while I crave tamari and fish sauce (both fermented Asian condiments), I may take pause if offered natto (sticky, gooey, slimy, and stinky fermented whole soybeans).
I’m game for crickets, giant roaches, and beetles if they’re fried up crispy (and I can’t wait to see if any local chefs tinker with the upcoming cicada onslaught). I would absolutely try kopi luwak, the most expensive coffee in the world for a reason (just look this one up), and I suppose I’d attempt balut (boiled, embryonic duck eggs)—but only on a liquored-up dare.
Well, that was fun… OK, who’s ready for lunch?
Follow George on X, Instagram, his Arch Eats podcast, or send him an “Ask George” email at [email protected]. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe, sign up for the newsletters, or follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
