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Western Foods not liked by Japanese

Sensuikan San

The Geezer
Rest in Peace
9 Feb 2005
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I am quite interested in this one ...

I know that there is a lively thread on Japanese foods not liked by others - but what of the reverse ?

I know of several foods in the West, for instance that are not appreciated in the East - indeed, even many Westerners do not share a liking for everything we eat !

Personally I am fond of "offal" - liver, tripe, chitterlings etc, etc. I believe in Japan, 'tripe' is called 'garakuta' (窶堋ェ窶堙ァ窶堋ュ窶堋ス). I have prepared it "Japanese style" - it was gorgeous !

Given that so many dishes from Japan (and other countries too ... ) are so daunting to Western tastes - I would love to know what constitutes ... revulsion ... ?

(By the way - the most awful food I've ever tried has to be Scandinavian "Roll-Mop Herring" - and I have Viking ancestry ... !) :giggle:
 
rollmop what now?

I had to look that stuff up.
62-1.jpg

Well I wouldn't eat that either.. Must be norweigan.

seems they don't like liqourice for the most part from what I've been able to tell.
I love me a good stick of liqourice.
 
Sansuikan San said:
I believe in Japan, 'tripe' is called 'garakuta' (窶堋ェ窶堙ァ窶堋ュ窶堋ス).
No, "garakuta" means junk or rubbish. If you mean honeycomb tripe, it's called "hachinosu." Innards are cooked in barbecues, but none of them are called "garakuta.'

I haven't eaten anything Western that I couldn't eat. But I haven't been to Europe yet, so I haven't seen everything... 😌

Rollmop looks okay to me, if it's only salted.... Does it have a special taste?

Twisted Mac said:
seems they don't like liqourice for the most part from what I've been able to tell.
I love me a good stick of liqourice.
I can't take licorice as candy--nor do my kids. But licorice is taken as a medicinal herb. It's called "kanzou" in Japanese.
 
This might seem odd....

But I've never met any Japanese person that likes Root Beer.
(And I've been living here for awhile....)

:?
 
Rollmops:
Probably German, a piece of raw herring (gutted, without bones) rolled, pickled, usually with augurk or onion.

Tastes quite alright, although I wouldn't eat it too often (I prefer Bismarck-herring, anyway). People in Germany sometimes eat it when they have a hangover.


As for the topic of the thread:
I think, many East Asians (esp. men) dislike certain European sweets.
 
bossel said:
Rollmops:
Probably German, a piece of raw herring (gutted, without bones) rolled, pickled, usually with augurk or onion.

Tastes quite alright, although I wouldn't eat it too often (I prefer Bismarck-herring, anyway). People in Germany sometimes eat it when they have a hangover.


As for the topic of the thread:
I think, many East Asians (esp. men) dislike certain European sweets.
Sounds all right to me!! Bismarck herring?? I'm curious...:?

What other sweets other than licorice is there that you think the Japanese don't like??

Curiouser and curiouser... 😎
 
A bit off topic: our camp hires a few dozen Australians- they don't seem to like American chocolate, most Mexican foods, peanut butter, and bread-- but I tried Vegimite---blaaaaaaaah...makes me shudder. I also have heard that most people from europe and japan don't like american beer. When my cousin from Japan was here, he said our beef tasted funny except the hamburgers. Didn't seem to like standard American breakfast fare (eggs, toast, pancakes...)
 
sabro said:
A bit off topic: our camp hires a few dozen Australians- they don't seem to like American chocolate, most Mexican foods, peanut butter, and bread-- but I tried Vegimite---blaaaaaaaah...makes me shudder. I also have heard that most people from europe and japan don't like american beer. When my cousin from Japan was here, he said our beef tasted funny except the hamburgers. Didn't seem to like standard American breakfast fare (eggs, toast, pancakes...)
I can eat most everything that I've seen in North America. But a lot of Japanese don't like the taste of food in the US, probably because the taste is heavy and/or the servings are too large.

My husband has also traveled in many countries but says he's never liked any beer but Kirin Lager (of decades ago) and currently Asahi Super Dry and Sapporo Black (maybe Yebisu, too). He thinks he can drink Bud only in hot weather (i.e., in Hawaii or any of the Pacific islands 😊 ) (Note: He hasn't tasted many European beers yet.)

I've heard about Vegimite...but am willing to try. (Chotto-kowai!)

Maybe I'm not a typical Japanese because I am more accustomed to foreign cuisines. I'd like to listen to the opinions of Nagashima-san, Pox-san and others!! I think Nagashima-san has traveled all over Europe... 😌
 
mad pierrot said:
But I've never met any Japanese person that likes Root Beer.
True. I can't drink Root Beer, and I can't chew Winter Fresh gum; they remind me of a cold compress old people use for muscle pain, sold in Japan under the name "Salonpas."
Same as epigene, I don't care for licorice either.

There are a few things in the US that I don't like; bacon is too fatty, don't like lambs. On the other hand, I didn't like tomato sause on pasta whan I was in Japan, and that changed.
 
Well... Root beer tastes like &%#@$ <-- find a provocative word that fits there.
And so does peanut butter. Just about the only people that'll eat that are Americans.

I've got a friend that loves both of those things.. but.. come on...
1) he is with America the way I am with Japan
2) He likes Vanilla coke... vanilla
 
I hate root beer too...AND Vanilla Coke. That stuff is awful! :sick: Tastes like medicine or something. I also hate Dr. Pepper/Mr. Pibb type stuff.

The Japanese I know don't like a lot of cheese. Especially strong smelling cheese(which I find hard to understand, since they all love nattou). Also, really sweet desserts, such as bakery style cakes with buttercream icing. They usually don't like anything really sweet and rich. It makes my husband sick to eat sweets. He will only eat a tiny amount and he must have coffee with whatever it is to counteract the sweetness.
 
I am exactly the same way as your husband, Kirei.
The only sweet food I eat are fruits. People look disappointed when I tell them that I don't like sweet food because they think most women do.

My family kept telling me that someone who liked to drink alcohol doesn't like sweet food just because of my father; I wouldn't eat cookies with beer, but I still think my family is full of s**t.
 
epigene said:
Sounds all right to me!! Bismarck herring?? I'm curious...:?

What other sweets other than licorice is there that you think the Japanese don't like??
Bismarck herring is pretty similar to Rollmops, but not rolled around an augurk. The taste is slightly different, but not too much. I prefer Bismarck herring because I eat it on bread & that's simply a bit easier than with a rolled fish.

Regarding sweets, I think, it's mainly the very sweet stuff: eg. some kinds of chocolate (not the dark/bitter sorts) & chocolate bars.

I also noticed what Kirei said about stinky cheese. Doesn't seem to have many friends among East Asians. My Chinese friends are rather disgusted that I eat something like this, although many of them like milder cheese like Gouda. A difference between Chinese & Japanese seems to exist in the taste for cakes. All my Chinese friends love buttercream cake & layer cake.
 

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And so does peanut butter. Just about the only people that'll eat that are Americans.

:p Maybe so...

Root beer is an aquired taste, me thinks. But Peanut Butter? Man, everbody should love a good jar of Skippy!

😊

(I lived off peanut butter when I used to go camping as a kid.)
 
Hachinosu(Honeycombed Tripe) - so that's what it's called !

And this is one of the reason's I joined this forum
! My dictionaries are inadequate ! Thank you Epigene !

So nice to find out that one of my favorite foods is also accepted over there ! (Even if my own wife makes me cook it when I'm alone .... ! )

Incidentally, I can drink beer from any country, and I also happen to love Vegimite (Good on yer, mates !) - actually, it's just like British Marmite - with a different name. I was weaned onto it as a child .....

And I also notice an apparent aversion to many Western sweet foods by Japanese. I am slightly surprised. In Vancouver, I have several Chinese friends and acquaintances ..... they absolutely gorge themselves with sweets, chocolates,candies, cakes and anything with sugar in it !
 
Bismarck herring: Thank you for the pic, bossel!! It looks good to me!ツ I look forward to eating all those when we travel to Europe (as soon as the kids finish their education 😌 )

Strong-smelling cheese: Yes, many people don't like them, including my relations and my huband's. But, we both don't mind the smell.

However, there is something we couldn't take: Goat milk and cheese! IMPOSSIBLE!!

Escargot: Nagashima-san, you can eat it if you can eat "sazae-no-tsuboyaki."
 
Epigene ...

If you go to Europe, by all means, try the cheeses !

And two of the best - in my opinion - are Stilton (English) and Roquefort (French) - both quite similiar, but very good.( I am English, but perhaps the Roquefort is slightly superior.)

Roquefort , by the way is .... a goat cheese - don't let it frighten you ! It's wonderful stuff ! Just close your eyes and have a glass of Bordeaux at the ready ....!
 
Sensuikan San said:
Epigene ...

If you go to Europe, by all means, try the cheeses !

And two of the best - in my opinion - are Stilton (English) and Roquefort (French) - both quite similiar, but very good.( I am English, but perhaps the Roquefort is slightly superior.)

Roquefort , by the way is .... a goat cheese - don't let it frighten you ! It's wonderful stuff ! Just close your eyes and have a glass of Bordeaux at the ready ....!
Thank you for the suggestion!!

I think I've tried Roquefort in Japan...:? I just took it to be a kind of blue cheese like Gorgonzolla... Is it goat cheese???
Wow, that means I can eat goat cheese. I wonder what type of goat cheese I couldn't eat... I don't remember the name... That was many years ago in Canada...

There are quite a few "cheese boutiques" in Japan, set up like cheese shops in France (at least that's what I've been told). We can get many kinds of European cheese...but at a very steep price... :mad:

Peanut butter: I think many Japanese have acquired a liking for that. Many women I know use Skippy to make peanut sauce for Chinese and Southeast Asian style dishes.
 
Peanut butter goes well with Thai foods, and in spicy dishes- but I can't think of a Japanese dish with it. Did not know about the root beer thing.

When I drove businessmen from Japan around for my uncle's company here in LA, I was surprised at how hard they partied- how much straight hard liquor (I hate the taste) some of them would drink. With rare exception, they wanted some kind of steak dinner, some kind of fried chicken and hot dogs, and usually at some point we went to Little Tokyo for Japanese cuisine. I don't recall any complaints about anything. They tended to mess around for about a week and do all the touristy things like Hollywood, Disneyland, and Dodger games and then settle business on the last day at the golf course. (Is this normal?)

My caucasian american friends don't seem to like nori.

What about good old Western or Texas Style Chili?
What about a big messy pastrami sandwhich?
 
im scottish and i nearly rethought my future together with my japanese g/f when she showed her dissatisfaction for haggis, and blood pudding, i pointed out to her she eats food with seaweed in it lol.


the thing is im now addicted to japanese cup noodles, especially seafood ones, i cant touch a western cupped or potted noodle because they taste like watered down cardboard now =/.
 
I've had rollmops in England, and very tasty too.
I wonder what they would make of Marmite ( I know polish don't like it), and Guiness (Best drink in the world)

 
I looove rye bread! I use pumpernickel for my sandwiches all the time. Umm, it's very good with smoked turkey.

An American friend of mine who liked Japanese food used peanut butter to make a sauce for 'Inari-zushi', mixed with sesame oil, vinegar, and ground ginger, and it was one of the best combinations I could think of.
 
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