How to Eat the World: 4 Pain-Free Tips from a Picky Eater

It first hit me when I saw an octopus, still squirming, served on the large, shared dish in front of me. It was my first work dinner as an English teacher in South Korea. Just two weeks prior, I touched down in Seoul, excited to absorb everything Asia had to offer.

 

Here I was, chopsticks in hand, reluctant to “take it all in.”

 

Typically, I crave adventure. I studied business in Paris for a semester. Two years later, I moved across the country to San Francisco after graduating from college in the southeast. On occasion, I’ve been known to use a VPN to access country-specific Netflix titles.

 

And oh yeah, I left my stable finance job to go teach English in Asia. How crazy is that?

Yes, new experiences are my thing. Almost to a fault. I grow bored easily, and when life feels stagnant, I tend to freak out. But I digress.

 

While I constantly seek to explore the unknown, there is one area of my life where I prefer the comfort and safety of familiarity:

 

Food.

Yes, I’ll admit it. I’m one of those people. One of the 20-somethings who still order chicken tenders and fries from time to time. Part of the small percentage who “don’t really vibe with vegetables” and whose plates tend to lack color. The “Kids Menu” club. I know, we’re awful.

 

Safe to say I’m not a foodie.

 

But, if you’re one of us, you‘re well-acquainted with the discomfort one experiences when faced with trying strange and unfamiliar foods. That shiver in your spine, followed by the fight-or-flight adrenaline rush that leaves you scanning the room for an emergency exit.

 

Only, there is none, and you’re faced with the reality that tonight, you’re going to ingest frog eyes.

Often times, however, the best (and only) way out is through. Be it a work function or a rehearsal dinner, funky foods tend to show up at the most inopportune times, leaving you no choice but to put it down. And when you’re traveling, the last thing you want to do is deny the food prepared for you.

 

There I found myself, at a hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant, in this exact predicament.

Cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by my Korean coworkers, wearing slippers too small for my feet, I felt my skin crawl.

The only foreigner in the restaurant, I was living a picky eater’s worst nightmare. “It’s only a matter of time before they make me try the octopus,” I thought to myself.

 

Sure enough, a few minutes later, all eyes were on me as I dove headfirst into the deep end— chewy, wriggling tentacles and all.

 

Down the hatch, bon appétit.

 

“We’re not in South Carolina anymore.”

This isn’t a zero to hero story. I didn’t like how it tasted and I hated the texture. But, alas, I swallowed the tentacle, and life went on.

 

What didn’t kill me made my taste buds stronger.

Fast forward four months, and I’ve faced countless situations like this one. Plucked from my sphere of familiarity in the United States, I’ve been forced to rebuild my food pyramid in Korea, whether by choice or not.

 

Garlic bread and pasta have been replaced with kimchi and rice. Bibimbap and a dozen different soups are my new tacos. Even pizza, a known safety blanket, is littered with corn here.

 

Wild. 

 

However, the absence of customary meal options has led me to become more lenient with my diet.

 

Just last week, my coworkers took me out for lunch. When the main dish turned out to be a gaggle of sea creatures served over rice, I wasn’t even rattled.

 

Because, to be honest, that’s pretty much the norm now.

 

See, now that I’m so used to being uncomfortable, I’ve been forced to adapt. And while my meal tasted like a tidal pool, I ate all of it. As strange as it feels to admit, it wasn’t that bad.

 

Looking back, I may have even…

 

 Dare I say, enjoyed it a little bit.

Coming from someone who donated most of his lunch to the waste bucket just a few months ago, I’ve come a long way. And while I am very much still the pickiest of eaters, I’ve learned to cope.

 

More importantly, I have gained an appreciation for foods that once scared me. It’s almost like my forced compliance in an effort to be respectful has broadened my palate.

 

To be honest, most bizarre foods don’t taste terrible. At least after trying them a few times. But because many dishes are unfamiliar to us, we write them off.

 

Think about it:

 At one point, your favorite food was brand new to you. You may have even hated it.

While there are many things I’ve eaten in Korea that I don’t enjoy, I’ve learned the importance of taking the risk. Nowadays, I can’t imagine eating my lunch without kimchi. Despite the contrast of its spiciness versus my low heat tolerance, I find the fermented cabbage oddly refreshing.

 

What if I had said “ann-ee-yo” on day one and refused to try it? I’d be stuck without my newly-dubbed favorite side dish. It’s all about eliminating the concept of a “strange, foreign food” in pursuit of a more welcoming diet.

 

I’ve found that by employing the four strategies below, you will bring a number of daunting new dishes into your sphere of familiarity.

 

Once it’s there, anything can happen.

Frog eyes may even become your new favorite appetizer.

Try Everything on Your Plate

 

If you follow this one rule, I promise that you will be well on your way to becoming a more accepting eater.

 

Take one bite of everything on your plate, no matter what. 

 

Even if there is something you don’t want touching your other food, let alone meeting your mouth — take a bite. Not only is it polite, but it also accomplishes one important thing.

 

That food item becomes familiar.

You’ve ripped the band-aid off. That’s all we’re looking to do here.

 

If you hate it, no problem. At least you tried it. Small steps, right?

 

Plus, who knows? Maybe it’ll be love at first bite. Regardless, it’s all about eradicating the idea of a “new, scary food” over time. Once that happens, you’ll be surprised at what you start to crave. For me, it was kimchi. What’s it gonna be for you?

 

One rule: One bite.

Your taste buds will thank you in the long run.

Sauce It Up

 

Whether it’s tabasco, teriyaki, ranch, or Chick-fil-a sauce, apply wherever possible. Use whatever is handy and appropriate. When following rule number one, it is critical that you utilize everything at your disposal to finish that first bite at a minimum.

 

It’s no secret that you won’t like everything, so sauces can help to mask and improve a food’s taste. Spicy condiments work especially well, depending on how much heat they’re packing.

 

For me, soy sauce was the MVP, allowing me to eat anything with gills and/or fins.

 

What will yours be?

 

Sauces are the Robin to your Batman. Do not sleep on them.

After all, it’s hard to dislike anything coated in honey mustard. Dip like crazy.

Chase It Down

Red Wine. An IPA. Ice-cold Dr. Pepper.

 

These beverages are all great options for washing down whatever you’re trying. Bonus points to anything alcoholic that can give you a little more courage at the dinner table.

 

Although water is the most readily available option, it’s not a game-changer. If you take a bite of something you simply can’t stand, good ole H2O will do little to eliminate that painful aftertaste.

 

While I hesitate to call them “palate cleansers,” fruity or flavorful beverages help to reduce the price you pay for a bad bite.

 

If you’re the superhero in this story, drinks are your cape. They offer little in terms of functionality but everything when it comes to mentality.

With a glass of wine in your right hand, you’re invincible.

Take that bite. Rinse. Repeat.

Cook It Yourself

 

If your goal is to make strange foods more approachable for you, what better way is there than to cook it? When you create things from scratch, you witness the entire process first-hand.

 

Once you prepare it yourself, there is nothing left to fear.

Therefore, in cooking foods you don’t like, you kill two birds with one stone.

 

First, you make them more familiar, and that’s half the battle.

 

Second, you can prepare the dish to your liking. That way, there’s a far greater chance you’ll enjoy what you’ve just made. Mess around with spices, techniques, and flavors — get creative! Cook it ’til you love it, and you’ll find yourself enjoying it when prepared by others, too.

 

But fair warning:

 

You’re the only one to blame if it’s gross.

Keep the ketchup and cabernet handy.

 

While I originally began exploring new foods as a sign of respect to both my colleagues and to Korean culture, I’ve grown to crave the adventure behind it.

 

Trying a new food is one of the most under-appreciated thrills in life. How often do you get to do something you’ve literally never experienced?

 

Rarely.

 

Yet, we have the opportunity to do that every single day with food.

I say this not as someone who enjoys dabbling in every nook and cranny of the sustenance spectrum. No — I’m still pretty picky with the foods I like.

 

However, I’ve learned to love the experience that comes along with trying new things. That means relishing in both the pure shock of enjoying mussels and the glaring disappointment I felt when octopus tasted exactly how I feared it would.

 

Regardless of the outcome, the process of branching out is straight-up fun. I believe that everyone should be able to experience the rush that comes with it. Even the pickiest among us. So, remember:

 

1. Try Everything on Your Plate
2. Sauce It Up
3. Chase It Down
4. Cook It Yourself

 

Give yourself a chance. Take the risk. And most importantly, take that bite.