Nasty Ingredients

[Carlovski]

I'm not a big fan of anything aniseedy so Pernod and it's ilk gets the nod from me. Although I'm fine with star anise and fennel seed in small amounts (Bulb fennel I'm not to fond of, but have had it in small amounts and enjoyed).

Big one for me is celery - can't stand the stuff (As I have mentioned MANY times) but some recipes just don't seem right without it.

Starngely I don't like anything with too many juniper berries, although I love Gin - maybe I just don't like it in food, but drinks are fine.

Same way I don't like vermouth, but love to cook with it.

[Adam Balic]

My favorite way to use shrimp paste is nam prik plaa tu. First time I ever smelled our cook making it from scratch I almost threw up my lunch. You think it'a bad when you buy a container. *shudder* Just think about that smell 100 times worse as it wafts through the air and seems to permeate everything. I told her there was no way in **ll I would eat that. Course then she made nam prik plaa tuu and that was really good. After that I just made sure I was never home an a day she was going to make the paste.

Edited because things don't make sense when you leave words out!

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The fermented shrimp paste is called 'Belacan' in Malay I think. I like it, but in the raw form pongs a little. Wrapping slices is foil and toasting reduces it's general stinkiness.

There are various whole fermented fish products in SE-Asia which are stinky, but good in cooking.

[christine007]

I wonder if it's hereditary, but to me and my daughter, fresh basil smells like cat litter. We can't abide it raw. Cooked in a dish, in a small quantity, yes.

[andrewB]

on the fish sauce tip, here's a recipe for one of the original fish sauces used by the Romans, garum.. I've had liquimen in Italy and its so strong it comes out of your pours the next day...

"Garum is a condiment or sauce widely used by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Take some small fish, the intestines of some larger fish, maybe some oysters, salt them, maybe add some vinegar, pepper and/or other spices. Then set this in the sun for several days. At this point it is called liquimen. As this appetizing mass of stuff would ferment and putrefy it oozed a liquid. This liquid is garum. Used as a seasoning in cooking and also as a table condiment. There are several modern versions of this: Pissalat from Nice and nuoc-mam in Vietnam are two of them."

compliments of foodreference.com Edited January 27, 2006 by andrewB (log)

[andrewB]

Last time I tried eating a tablespoon of nutmeg, I started hallucinating and seeing penguins.

It's really good in eggnog though.

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i had some bad experiences with nutmeg in my life and don't do so well with it unless its small quantity in pastries...

The first experience was when i was 8 and found a whole piece of nutmeg. I liked the smell so much that i stuck it up my nose!! Well, couldn't get it out and was too embarrased to tell anyone so it stayed there for over a day until i almost popped my ear drums trying to blow it out...

The next incident was in 9th grade on a class trip to chicago. We were doing shots of ground nutmeg followed by mountain dew to see if we would trip. Yeah, it works...

Edited January 26, 2006 by andrewB (log)

[k43]

I doubt I'm capable of converting all you anti-fish sauce people, but after reading this thread I was inspired to add to my blog an illustrated description of how fish sauce is made. You may still not like it, but at least you'll know what it is and how it's made!

Austin

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Austin - A beautiful blog posting. Many thanks.

I've been using the Healthy Boy brand of nam plaa, which is to my taste noticeably better than Squid. Is Healthy Boy genuine nam plaa thae (Grade A)? If not, could you recommend a brand?

If they're on your user list, could you also recommend good brands of nuoc cham, shrimp paste and shrimp sauce (which, as I understand it, are in rising order of pungency)?

And, for the less adventurous among us, recommended brands of the various types of soy sauce.

Thanks.

[miladyinsanity]

My favorite way to use shrimp paste is nam prik plaa tu. First time I ever smelled our cook making it from scratch I almost threw up my lunch. You think it'a bad when you buy a container. *shudder* Just think about that smell 100 times worse as it wafts through the air and seems to permeate everything. I told her there was no way in **ll I would eat that. Course then she made nam prik plaa tuu and that was really good. After that I just made sure I was never home an a day she was going to make the paste.

Edited because things don't make sense when you leave words out!

←

The fermented shrimp paste is called 'Belacan' in Malay I think. I like it, but in the raw form pongs a little. Wrapping slices is foil and toasting reduces it's general stinkiness.

There are various whole fermented fish products in SE-Asia which are stinky, but good in cooking.

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Good stuff, Belacan.

[I_call_the_duck]

I love shrimp paste, but unfortunately, my husband does not. When it's just me for dinner, I take advantage of his absence by steaming it with fresh ginger and either chicken wings or pork belly. Or stir-fried with eggplant.

...anyone want to hang out with him for a night? I'm suddenly jonesin for some shrimp paste.

[cavebutter]

In reference to original question: buttermilk. Ick!!!! In baked goods, biscuits, fried chicken, etc. it's divine. On it's own, the smell alone makes me want to stop making whatever recipe calls for it.

BTW, growing up I hated tomatoes, cilantro and dill. Now, I love them all.

[Adam Balic]

I doubt I'm capable of converting all you anti-fish sauce people, but after reading this thread I was inspired to add to my blog an illustrated description of how fish sauce is made. You may still not like it, but at least you'll know what it is and how it's made!

Austin

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In Laos there is an interesting fish sauce, made from whole fermented fish or large chunks called with rice husks called padek. The fish chucks are used in cooking, but the liquid is as well and this is known as nam padek (padek water). I have heard that the same product is made in Northern Thailand, have you seen this?

Edited January 28, 2006 by Adam Balic (log)

[helenjp]

smoked black cardamom/cardamon...this is something I have a bit of difficulty in deciding how much to use without overpowering the final dish (though it seems to be the smokiness that is the problem)

[C. sapidus]

Hmm, I love fish sauce, cilantro, dill, etc., but I'm not crazy about raw beef. I had kitfo once (Ethiopian steak tartare). It was pretty tasty, but every few bites I would remember that I was eating raw meat. Urg.

My favorite vindaloo recipe uses mustard oil, which has an unpleasant, penetrating, stink-up-your-house aroma. You heat up the oil to remove this “fragrance”. Unfortunately, the stench transfers itself to your house, where it remains like an unevictable house guest. I need to figure out a way to de-gas the mustard oil on the grill.

[melonpan]

Big one for me is celery - can't stand the stuff (As I have mentioned MANY times) but some recipes just don't seem right without it.

YES!

i HATE celery with a passion. dont understand how people can eat that stufff raw wtih ranch dressing. yuck. NASTY.

BUT, theres something really good that it adds to soups, stews and anything that calls for mirepoix. ive tried without the celery and foods just taste soooo much better with it.

*shrug*

dont understand how something so vile can taste so good cooked.

[Mottmott]

Big one for me is celery - can't stand the stuff (As I have mentioned MANY times) but some recipes just don't seem right without it.

YES!

i HATE celery with a passion. dont understand how people can eat that stufff raw wtih ranch dressing. yuck. NASTY.

BUT, theres something really good that it adds to soups, stews and anything that calls for mirepoix. ive tried without the celery and foods just taste soooo much better with it.

*shrug*

dont understand how something so vile can taste so good cooked.

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Totally. I love a simple bread stuffing made with just sauteed onions, celery, lots of butter and some egg. But eat a stalk? Add it raw to salads. Yuck.

But, oddly, experiment with using the pale soft inner leaves raw. You may like them in salads or as a herbal touch in other dishes.

[reachej]

In my book, Asafoetida tops the nasty pile. It's used in Indian cooking (very sparingly) but don't try smelling it...it's like the sewer.

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Very true, nothing else is even close. A sewer is WAY better. Incredible that this is food, but it does make a (good) difference.

[melonpan]

i have been challenged.

la times: http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo...ll=la-home-food

and mottmott, thank you for the suggestion, i will try this!

("But, oddly, experiment with using the pale soft inner leaves raw. You may like them in salads or as a herbal touch in other dishes.")

[scubadoo97]

Shrimp paste comes immediately to mind.  It smells like fish sauce times twelve.  My wife won't let me keep the stuff in the house, and I can't blame her.  I love what it does to curry pastes, marinades, and so on.

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I was going to post that fish sauce was the nastiest but I just got a bottle of shrimp paste and by far that is the nastiest thing I have ever bought. I am not sure I can bring myself to add it to any soups or marinades. I am doing a Thai dinner tonight and picked this up out of curiosity at my local Asian market.

Any hints on how to use this?

[jfrater]

Hi all, this is my first post!

I haven't tried it myself, but I have heard that Sea Urchin (commonly called Kina in my home country of New Zealand) is repugnant to smell but regarded as a delicacy.

The worst thing I have eaten is Bird Spittle Soup (made with melted birds spit and almond milk). I had it at a very fancy restaurant in Hong Kong and it was (sorry for the grossness) like eating snot in almond flavoured water.

Things I don't like but use if needs be: Coriander (cilantro to the American's I think?), Carraway seeds (revolting), and dill.

I will eat pretty much anything put in front of me (I ate half of the bird spit).

Blood is lovely - black pudding is a favourite breakfast food of mine. I think the French use cock blood to thicken coq au vin (traditionally - I presume this would be when they had a cock as opposed to a hen, which I think is what the original recipe was intended for).

[gfweb]

9 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

It wasn't in the house. And I'm not a fan. But I do usually use it in this dish.

Cilantro. Leaves taste like soap  and flowering parts like stinkbug

[rotuts]

never tasted stinkbug.

 

too challenging for me.

 

fortunately I don't have the Soap gene.

[TdeV]

3 minutes ago, rotuts said:

 

fortunately I don't have the Soap gene

 

Me neither. Very fortunately.

[gfweb]

5 hours ago, rotuts said:

never tasted stinkbug.

 

too challenging for me.

 

fortunately I don't have the Soap gene.

 

LOL

 

I should say tastes like stinkbugs smell.

 

The aversion has moderated over the years. Cilantro is only a little obnoxious now.

 

 

 

Manager's note: this post and the following six have been moved from the Dinner 2019 topic to keep that discussion focused on dinner.

[Anna N]

13 minutes ago, gfweb said:

The aversion has moderated over the years. Cilantro is only a little obnoxious now.

 I am finding the same. Keep eating a little bit and it becomes less and less obnoxious.

[rotuts]

since we have two soaps here :

 

if cilantro is cooked , i.e. the flavor is in , say , a broth 

 

is that soapy to you?

 

I think AltonBrown in one of the newer GE made some sort of point about

 

C being cooked effects those w the soapy gene less soapily

[gfweb]

1 minute ago, rotuts said:

since we have two soaps here :

 

if cilantro is cooked , i.e. the flavor is in , say , a broth 

 

is that soapy to you?

 

I think AltonBrown in one of the newer GE made some sort of point about

 

C being cooked effects those w the soapy gene less soapily

 

It is as AB says.

Did he have a dancing cilantro plant?