Maybe it's because of their climate. It's rather cold and rough. You need more energy to stay healthy. Other than in mediterranean country with plenty of warm weather.
Jellied eels are fucking rank though, my sister lives down south now and her family eat it all the time
I've never come across much in the way of jellied meat dishes over here. The nearest is jellied eels, which is a traditional London dish going back centuries but pretty well died out now. Our pork pies often have jellied gravy surrounding the meat, which disappears if you reheat them. The main traditional British meal is the Sunday roast - roast beef is the main one, but also from pork or lamb joints as alternatives. Served with fresh veg and roast potatoes - the beef comes with Yorkshire pudding, and the lamb with mint sauce.
Might be worth trying Swedish fermented fish while you are in Europe. I suspect if you aren't exposed to it from infancy, it's a once in a lifetime experience.
And freshly baked scones straight out of the oven, with butter melting on them. Not so many bakers left now that make their own so shop scones can be like eating cardboard. Some cafes make wonderful scones though but you’ve got to go in the morning when they’re still hot.
And bara brith in WalesOh and then there’s parkin
Given the number of times my mother has referenced her and my father’s trip to London, and the time she had a fresh-from-oven scone with Normandy butter, it is surely a peak experience in food for her. She’s INTP, but in the telling, sounds like an INFP being swept away by wonder.
As a result of Ne, ADHD, and social graces, I will always try what is offered me, even if I am put off.
I have had a raw Toucan egg cracked over seaweed and tiny Malaysian anchovy, and fermented cabbage, chicken, and egg with chilies. I have had a bowl of vegetables with tofu and Natto. And I do like cheese with serious microbial funk and the deepest veins of blue. I have had cricket and termite and cicada.
That said, I once went to a little restaurant on curiosity, and once I had entered, I was the only non-Asian, which I took as a good sign. I could not read the menu, but there were pictures, so I ordered a bowl of soup. While I was waiting, a bowl of soup was brought out for another patron, and all around the rim of the bowl were tiny arthropods, clasping with their tiny pincers, and I could hear the clicky snaps. As I had no reference, I thought “crayfish.” Upon receipt, the man plucked one from the bowl, dunked it in the soup, and then ate it, crewing with audible crunch. I don’t think I would do that, save extraordinary circumstances.
The other thing I will not seek out is casu marzu, the Italian grub cheese. Maggots are a no go for me, dawg.
But I would try your jellied eel, surely.
Cheers,
Ian
If I am cooking for someone, I do try to please them and honor their preferences. That said, I would never take it personally if someone refused what I had prepared. Feeding someone may be loving, but just like a relationship, consent is the minimum standard, and I’m all for authenticity.
