What unfamiliar dish from another culture knocked your socks off (in a good way)?

Question

Perhaps you were feeling saucy and wanted to try the new ethnic restaurant around the corner. Or a friend wanted to share an ethnic dish with you. Whatever the circumstance, you wanted to try a food that was outside your comfort zone.

You took a chance (despite your trepidations) and dove in ... and wow, was it delicious. What was the dish, who made it, and what made it so fabulous?

Answer 1

I had kangaroo tail soup and it was sure good.

Answer 2

I am the risky type. I'll try anything once.  While in the Caymans I had conch stew , you know that big shell, with that big snail (?) inside . . it was to die for.   Also my in-laws were Lebanese The first time I saw mesha walla alish (rolled grape leaves), it looked like something my dog leaves in the yard ! But again it is to die for. Now, I make it all the time .  

Answer 3

A woman at my church from the Philippines made a super rice dish i couldn't pronounce it or half of what was in it, i have been trying to get the nerve to approach her for the recipe but probably wouldn't know where to get half the ingredients.   Oh well what once was shall never be again..i'll pray for another church supper soon!

Answer 4

A woman who was from China made a rice and seaweed dish for us when we were invited to her home for dinner. The rice and chicken were rolled up in the seaweed it was OK..Down in Louisiana we ate alligator, it taste a little like chicken but the thought of what it was turned my stomach. We also ate crawl fish, it was boiled with potatoes. This was strange because we used crawl fish for bait.

Answer 5

Egg foo young.  I know it's been around forever but I'm not crazy about eggs so I never wanted to try it.  Once I did I loved it!

Answer 6

When I was in my early 20's my ex-husbands best friends Mom was always cooking and being of Mexican descent. We were over his house one day and she invited us to eat. What she had cooked was Menudo. not know at the time that it included Tripe (Cows stomach and hominy and tomatoes and who knows what else was in it)  I had some and loved it. Then I found out what was in it. But that's Ok it was delicious.  

Answer 7

I always said I hated Chinese food... then I tasted it and was hooked. Now I could eat it morning, noon and night!

Answer 8

My german girl friend use to make a dish called roladen. I love it.

Answer 9

More than a half century ago, my first taco. !!!!

Answer 10

Green rice casserole!!!  It sounds nasty but my sis makes it and it is delicious!!!

Answer 11

My best friend's Mom made something called shish tawook...  It's Middle Eastern.  It sounded and looked weird but I couldn't be rude and say no!!  lol  It was really good!  It was actually chicken, rice, mushrooms, and veggies.

Answer 12

This is more of a regional thing...fried alligator tail. Lived here for a very long time before I would try it...talk about out of my comfort zone!!

But I finally got curious after seeing so many people order and seemingly enjoy it....and after one bite, I was hooked!

I know, I know....I can almost hear the groans and "ughs"...lol!

Answer 13

Sushi blew me away when I first tried it in the Japanese section of Los Angeles about 12 to 15 years ago.  I particularly enjoy wasabi.

Answer 14

I love trying new food dishes--as long as they aren't still alive.  I kind of figure that if other folks are eating it and not getting sick, I can at least try it (and usually it tastes real good although I'd probably not eat it regularly).  My dad was adventurous with food so we, his kids, seem to all like trying new foods--my brother even likes to try cooking some of them (yum).  My mom's taste is more bland and "tried & true" (but too bad).  I can't think of any culture's food that I haven't enjoyed tremendously.  I have yet to be served lamb's head but if I ever am, I will try it (the eye balls might be a little hard to handle--might have to disguise that in something else).  At this point, I can't eat all the types of foods I'd like to because my digestive system seems to be getting far too sensitive about spices and sauces and butter/fat (sob).

Answer 15

hmmmmmmm sushi! I though it would taste bad but i really liked it.

Answer 16

If the Fish is good...Fish Tacos

Answer 17

When I was 12 and ate my first ever pizza!

My Dad was against anything that wasn't Swedish.

Answer 18

I was visiting a family in Spain and they served the cold soup gazpacho and looking at it about turned my stomach. That was in the 70's and I still crave it today.