Wait, so I should always put salt in my eyes? Yeah, that sounds right. Either that, or when your contacts act up, just take them out and wear your backup glasses.
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A lot of that still sounds like itâs in your brain, not your tongue, though. I donât mean that youâre not tasting fishy flavors, but that youâve learned (or decided at an early age, which happens a lot) that âfishyâ means âbadâ, for example. I have several friends who can only eat the mildest of fish because any whiff of âfishinessâ is engrained in them to be a ârotten / off / badâ flavor. Maybe itâs my New England heritage, but Iâm totally down with fishy flavors and enjoy things that smell or taste of the sea. Somewhere along the line, my brain decided that âfishyâ didnât mean ârottenâ. Iâm not sure why, but itâs something that totally fascinates me.
A good example of this is kimchi. I love kimchi and its bold and spicy funky flavors. But thereâs no denying that the stuff kinda smells like, well, garbage. But our brains can instantly switch from âoh god, who left the lid off the trashâ to âhey, pass the kimchiâ just by recognizing if somethingâs âbad / nauseousâ or âgood / deliciousâ once you realize itâs tasty kimchi and not a bucket of trash that youâre smelling. Your brainâs telling you that the bitter flavors of greens and the squishy texture of squash are bad, but both of those can be also seen as positive things to seek out.
Goofy example from the Tim Burton âBatmanâ: Bruce Wayne tastes the soup and recoils, disgusted. âAlfred! The soupâs cold!â âŚâYes, itâs supposed to be, sir, itâs vichyssoise.â Bruce shrugs and tastes it again, and is okay with it now. When it was âcold soupâ, it was gross. When it was âsoup meant to be coldâ, the âdisgustâ part of his brain could turn off and he could enjoy it.
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At Katzâs Deli where the big O scene was filmed, they have a big sign pointing to the table they sat.
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Thereâs a place nearby that has something on their menu called âstinky tofu.â Somehow I know I am going to try this.
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I have been trying to get some stinky tofu for about a year now. The people I work with in Asia never want to participate, so Iâve yet to have any.
Iâm told it is revolting, which only makes me want it more.
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Iâve heard stinky tofu is pretty revolting, but Iâm not sure if it could be worse than hĂĄkarl, which I did have once. The reason being that hĂĄkarl is chock full of ammonia so it tastes like drinking pine sol. Not exactly a âhorrific tasteâ so much as it literally feels like eating poison.
But I guess itâs really apples and oranges. Stinky tofu completely smells rotten, and while hĂĄkarl is completely rotten, it smells and tastes like chemical warfare.
That said, Iâd rather not eat either.
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Oooh - I wonder if thatâs Natto? I had some. Not good. Not at all good. (and this from one who finds the diaper like smell of Morbier to be enchantingâŚ)
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Youâre making me hungry >:)
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Stinky tofu and natto are different things. Both stinky, both made from soy, but not the same texture AT ALL.
Stinky tofu (although it can be thinner, etc.):
Natto:
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Thank you! (should have looked that up)
Yeah, the pic of the natto gave me the shivers remembering.
Even if it is delicious, pictures of natto make my skin crawl.
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I gave natto several chances: tried the frozen packets you find at Asian markets, tried it at a sushi place, and finally tried a ânatto rollâ fresh from the fridge at a Lawson in Kyoto. It was bitter, slimy, and rotten-tasting every time. When I was trying it in Japan, an old lady walked by and said âYou American? You like that?â and pointed to it. I sort of shrugged, and she made a revolted face and walked away shaking her head.
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Natto always reminds me of an old Gahan Wilson cartoon involving a horrified white guy being served what looked like a vivisected alien fetus at an Asian restaurant by two waiters trying to contain their laughter at their prank. Canât find it now so this Kliban will have to do:
(n.b. Funny how what sounded like extravagantly fancy tablecloth cuisine in the 70s is now stuff you could probably find at any Whole Foods salad bar and wolf down on your way back to work.)
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Tried it. Definitely NOT delicious.
(Japanese friend ordered it and said âthis is likely to be one of your few chances to taste it without having to order it yourself, so if youâre game, give it a shot.â Welp, now I can say I did that.)
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Iâm fairly open minded about food, but when I ordered a natto roll at my favorite sushi restaurant, the staff asked me if I was sureâŚ
I should have taken the hint 
Iâll try almost anything once, but in the case of natto, once was enough.
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