Redditor u/zhalia-2006, asked fellow social media users: “What food was the biggest disappointment once you tried it?” Some of the responses fellow Redditors offered surprised me. Others just made me nod my head slowly in silent agreement…
… But none of the respondents to zhalia’s query mentioned MY most disappointing food experience. And I was shocked. Surely, I thought, lots of other folks (especially those of us who don’t hail from the culture(s) where this particular dish reigns as a trad favourite) would agree with me!
Am I a freak?
… Or just ‘that unique’?
Neither, I hope. But I feel I should declare my least-fave food and explain why.
A gala spread…
What happened was this… Erin and I were invited next door for a pre-Christmas booze-up with our erstwhile neighbour, Teddy (short for ‘Tadeusz’; she’s Polish).
Polish folks love their Year End Celebrations, and they go all out to make their celebrations feasts for both the eyes and the mouth.
First, there was a shot of iced Vodka. According to T, you simply have to, or it’s not a party.
Then, a huge table full of authentic, traditional Polish Yuletide specialties was unveiled… That’s were my nightmare began.
The first menu items I recognised were the bowls of steaming Pierogi (cheese-filled dumplings) and Galumbki (cabbage rolls).
A little further back, in the centre of the table, nested half a dozen varieties of pickles – including real-deal Sauerkraut and authentic Polish Pickled Vegetable Salad. I’d already tried T’s sauerkraut. ‘I’m in!’
Something fishy…
I met my ‘Waterloo’ when I came to the ‘delicacies from the water’, in the form of Smoked Carp and Pickled Herring. Little squares of Carp fillet glued to a Ryvita cracker with Sour Cream. Not bad, actually.
But the ‘Rollmops’ blindsided me.
Rollmops are described, in Wikipedia, as: “A classic Northern European appetizer: pickled herring fillets (usually skin-on) rolled into a cylinder around a filling of onions, gherkins, and spices, secured with a skewer, and kept in a tangy vinegar brine, serving as a savory, tangy snack or hors d’oeuvre often enjoyed with bread or on its own.”
Waterloo…
I was skeptical, but I reasoned, “Hey, 38 million Poles can’t be wrong!”
Curiously, a neighbouring reference in my Google search return list for ‘Rollmops’ asked: “Would YOU try these pickled herring rolls?” Well, you don’t have to, because the author of that Instagram post, Adam Richman, (and I) have both tried them for you.
And, judging by the facial contortions Richman displays in the video (see image capture, above left), I’m confident that he – if no one else in the world – agrees with me, that Rollmops are to be avoided at all costs.
My take
Now you know there IS a place where I draw the line. And it’s a fishing line.
My questions to you:
What was your most disappointing food experience?
Why was it so disappointing?
Have you ever tried Rollmops?
What was your verdict?
Muse on that…
~ Maggie J.