Late Entry

consciousseekerconsciousseeker
edited April 11 in General

What are some of the ingredients/produce/food/recipe/cuisine that you got to experience much latter in life and now you cannot think of living without.

I will start..

Asparagus, Arugula - We don't get in India.
Mediterranean Food (Especially Grape leaves, Falafel) - Tasted for the first time only after moved to the states
Feta - Not common where I grew up.

Comments

  • TxTomTxTom

    The McRib™

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    I love making soups and whenever I get a chance I incorporate fennel when it works in harmony with other ingredients such as a a dry white wine in the soup—but I love fennel now as an enhancer. But I only discovered its utility in soups 5 years ago.

  • Carrie_AnneCarrie_Anne

    I’ve made it to a very late stage in life and I’ve still never tried the McRib. Should I?

  • VitaminJVitaminJ

    Brussels sprouts! Love them roasted simply with olive oil or a bit fancier with searing in the cast iron first and drizzled with things like balsamic or maple. Obsessed and didn’t try them till maybe 10 years ago.

  • TheDave90TheDave90

    It was quite a long time ago but still.

    Cheese.

  • AntiqueWpatinaAntiqueWpatina

    @VitaminJ My son made some a few years ago. Initially, I didn't think they looked too good. Tried one, and omg...delicious!!!

  • HuggycatbearHuggycatbear
    edited April 12

    Here in Vegas the variety is crazy.
    Btaised Short Rib - Thai style
    Bulgogi - marinated beef is sooo good
    Chicken Kalamakia - Greek chicken skewers
    Filipino chicken skewers (inihaw na Manok)
    Pho - Vietnamese noodle
    Pizza (still lol)
    Sea Bass

  • JubalJubal

    I’ve made it to a very late stage in life and I’ve still never tried the McRib. Should I?

    Nah, not worth the money or the irreparable harm to your taste buds. 😁

  • BearBear

    I’m lucky to have grown up and live in Chicago. There are so many different places to eat. I’ve come across some great choices and some I don’t want to try. The best part is finding new friends that know great places to try next.

  • HuggycatbearHuggycatbear

    @Bear I miss Chicago so much. I used to work south of there in a town called Bloomington/Normal. I would go up to Chicago and ride the river. The architecture is so beautiful.

    What is your favorite food you'd go back to Bear?

  • BearBear

    Growing up Italian, pasta and pizza are faves and comfort food. I’m also a sandwich person. Even when I was young, I used to take the garlic bread and put mostaccioli in it and make a pasta sandwich, lol. Probably explains why I have diabetes.
    So some of my favorite go to are sandwiches. The classic iconic Chicago Italian beef sandwich. Which I just found a New Place Wednesday. Also the gyros sandwich is great.
    Thinking about it, I found a classic south side Chicago sandwich that I wish I knew of earlier. The GymShoe. It has corned beef,roast beef, and gyros meat on a hoagie.

    Oh and I love another Chicago classic, yet I think there are only two or three places to get it nowadays. The francheezie. A jumbo hot dog sliced down the middle and wrapped in bacon. Do to its health benefits,I only probably get once a year.

  • disneysamuraidisneysamurai

    [quote]Nah, not worth the money or the irreparable harm to your taste buds. 😁[/quote]

    That’s everything from McDonalds. The CEO came out with another video of him eating chicken McNuggets and it really seemed like he’s never eaten them before.

  • BellaAineBellaAine

    For Breakfast: smoked salmon on a toasted bread with cream cheese, tomato, avocado and red onion. My go to breakfast now.
    The combo of a medium rare steak with a sunny side up egg. Someone else has to make this for me or I'll feel full by the time I'm done smelling the steak. lol Not that I've never had it individually but I didn't know till I grew up that not only can you have steak for breakfast but the taste of running egg with steak is delicious 🤤.

    I grew up with a variety of home cooked Mexican and Southern dishes. Houston has everything Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, Persian, Hawaiian Poke, ext ext.

    As an adult, my friend would take me to Buddhist festivals in the temples and once to an actual Buddhist monks home and they would make the most delicious vegetarian food. Wish I knew how to replicate it. The restaurants that offer it, don't have the same taste to it.

  • disneysamuraidisneysamurai

    Japanese breakfast. Miso soup, rice, and grilled mackerel or salmon

  • TichantoPTichantoP

    Growing up we ate vegetables that were either raw or basically boiled/steamed and as a result we didn’t really enjoy them.

    But as an adult I’ve unlocked the simple wonder of roasted veggies and it’s dramatically improved my life. Brussel sprouts are probably my favorite right now but I love them all. 🥦🥗🥕

  • BrandiBrandi

    Chimichurri 🤤 after being a picky eater my whole life… this year my 2026 goal was to make something I’ve never tried before or previously haven’t liked at least once a month.
    For January I made a Gordon Ramsay recipe; chili lettuce wraps with a chimichurri sauce. Oh my lawd have mercy. Incredible. I make it so often now and it’s so versatile, I put it on everything 🤤
    It has multiple Ingredients I swore I didn’t like; soy sauce, fish sauce, cilantro, chilis. But all blended together?!? Magic.

    I have since used it to make roasted potatoes covered in chimichurri. I’ve put it in quesadillas, on veggies/pork chops, dipped rotisserie chicken in it. 🎶 a whole neeeeew world 🎶 😏

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972
    edited April 12

    Kim-Chi
    The first time I ever saw it I thought it looked and smelled disgusting. Then I tried it and found out I absolutely love it!

    I also found out about 10 years ago in Sweden that I love reindeer heart stew. Some coworkers ordered it for me without telling me what it was, thinking I would freak out when I learned what it was. Didn’t phase me a bit but it was delicious.

  • lottalove123lottalove123

    Mchumanmeat nooo

  • Close2you78Close2you78

    I would have to say Menudo, which is odd because both my parents are from Mexico, you'd think I would love Mexican food. I never liked spicy food growing up and couldn't stand seeing my parents put chilli powder on everything. Even the candy is spicy lol
    Menudo is by far my favorite dish, just thinking about it makes me so happy 😊

    @VitaminJ Yes! Same with Brussels sprouts, super delicious!

  • cuddlefaerycuddlefaery

    I've always been a picky eater, and for several years as a kid I'd basically only eat PB&J, chicken, Mac n cheese, and applesauce 😅 I couldn't stomach most veggies as I hate bitterness, but I learned to start loving salads in my mid 20s, and now enjoy even brussel sprouts, kale, and asparagus if prepared right. I finally tried sushi in my early 30s (fish AND veggies? The horror!), and discovered it's a fantastic way for me to enjoy 2 food groups I normally can't stomach.

    More I have a list of foods I desperately wish I could develop a taste for, as it'd make life a lot easier and open up a lot more options for me. With all of these, I can't even pick them out of dishes as the whole dish will taste of them and ruin it 🤦🏻‍♀️

    • Bell peppers, chillies, jalepeños, and their ilk
    • raw tomatoes
    • melons, including watermelon
    • anything spicier than mild
    • pickles & olives
    • hops, dill, cilantro, curry leaves, mustard
    • coffee
  • PeopleLikeUsPeopleLikeUs
    edited April 13

    Jackfruit and durian. I never had either during the first half of my life. Then Vietnamese immigrants became established here in Orange County, CA, and started importing all sorts of exotic fruits and vegetables into Little Saigon, which has really livened things up. I also don’t eat animal products and don’t miss them in the least.

  • trysdettrysdet

    Pomegranate. You eat the arils(seeds) not the outside part

  • ElrondishElrondish

    Bulgogi in a dolsot 🤤

    A friend insisted we go to a Korean place she knew about when we went to nyc. It was so good. Later I would also learn of putting gochuchong hot sauce in it 🤤 🍲

  • lunasoptalunasopta

    Pho Dac Biet! One of my later discoveries, but I love it! Cooking with Lao Gan Ma spicy chili crisp, black mushroom soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce, too! Once I tried those in dishes, I will forever have them in my house. Black garlic is next on my list. I also make my own kombucha.

    Living in the Dallas / Fort Worth area, I get to try a pretty wide variety of food. New places pop up all the time, too.

  • AchterbahnAchterbahn

    Random side note: For all of the people in this thread that list brussel sprouts as something they used to hate and now enjoy, brussel sprouts are different than they were a couple decades ago, and are less bitter, mostly due to selective breeding:
    https://www.bhg.com/news/brussels-sprouts-less-bitter/

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    As far as Brussels sprouts…I do not condone eating Belgian children.

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