never again.

Last week, when I posted my three food policies and pictures of a soup I now love, I mentioned that there is one thing I will never eat again.  ejia asked what that thing was so that she would not mistakenly serve it to me if I ever sat at her table. ;)

So, here it is.  Here is the thing I will NEVER put in my mouth again:

I've actually blogged about it before, but not really in detail.  So, let me introduce to you the thing I will never eat again--ever--no matter what.  It is the 1000-year-old egg, aka the century egg.  In Chinese it called "皮蛋" (pi dan).

The first time I tried this black, partially-translucent preserved substance, I had no idea what it was.  I just saw these black slices of "jelly" on a pretty plate.  It was 1998, and I was in China at a "thank you" banquet with a bunch of principals from schools in the area.  So, being polite, I tried it.  As soon as it was in my mouth, I regretted my bravery which made me put the whole slice in mouth without trying just a bite first.

Oh my--never in my life have I ever regretted sticking something so small into my mouth before!!  It truly is the only thing (as an adult) that I has ever made me gag.  It was all I could do to smile and chew. 

Now, like most "delicacies" there are some people who just LOVE the 1000-year-old egg--which is really only 50 to 100 days old.  Here in Taiwan, it is often cut into cubes and placed in congee (or rice soup) or sliced and added to slimy sliky toufu [click links for pics]. 

But, no thank you!  Not for me!!  Believe me it is not jelly and does not taste anything  at all like cheese.

photos in this post by FotoosVanRobin, irrational cat, linyi & 10dier.

Comments

[joyce]

aww, that's too bad, i don't particularly like "pi dan" myself, but i like the pi dan suoh ro jo (the pork and 1000 yr old egg coggee, a Cantonese favorite and signature dish at Dim Sum places, this congee is a very Cantonese food).

i can see why the texture and taste can turn people off though.

i LOVE cheese and am one of few very NON-lactose-tolerant (or i guess that makes me very lactose-tolerant-yum!) persons of Asian descent that i know. Yeah, i'd also take cheese over pi dan any day. and pi dan also isn't very jello-ish either. wow, the more i think of it, the more i can see why you don't like it. Still the Pork Pi Dan Congee is sooo good.

do you like stinky tofu then? (i don't care for it myself, but i will eat it). Things i hate to put in my mouth: ginger and bitter melon.

really enjoying your food posts! =)

[Nicholas Cardot]

I can't imagine anyone disliking 100 day old rotten eggs. I mean, what's wrong with you?

[proverbs31]

Don't worry, I'm gagging just thinking about it. I'm not very brave when it comes to things like that, and I'm afraid I would do very poorly in a situation like you were in - needing to be polite and all. ;)
And, by the way, how can it even be safe to EAT that? Ick!

[eija]

EWW!
And someone actually eats that stuff?

I find myself sitting here, reading your post with a wrinkled forehead and a disbelieving expression on my face...

Gagging just because of reading this and seeing the photos!

I mean YUCK!

I once tried tofu - and to me it tasted as good as foamed plastic mattress!

Eww, again. *shivers*

[Keziah @ A Woman who Fears the Lord]

Do they just leave the egg to rot and then let you eat it??? Feeling a little queasy at the thought! Why would anyone think of eating that!?!

[Jake Silver]

Wow. That would take a lot of guts. You're Fear Factor material. Win yourself some big bucks!

[amanda]

Yall had me actually laughing out loud! I didn't quite expect this response to my post. :D Thanks for making me feel better about not enjoying this special egg. :)

@ joyce: I LOVE ginger!! Sticky tofu is ok, but would never buy it for myself.

@Keziah: it's not actually a "rotten egg"--it is perserved ;) they preserve it with salt, lime, ash, clay and so on for a few weeks or months.

Why? I have NO idea!!!!

@ Jake: not so sure about fear factor--I am not that brave!!

[amanda]

oh, and ejia, i guess this means that you don't serve this at your table?

and i guess it means you don't have to worry about what to feed me when I stop by for lunch sometime?

[Ciphero]

Oh, it's not as bad as everyone thinks it is LOL! xD Maybe you should explain in your post that it's preserved, not rotten, so they don't get grossed out.

I never eat it by itself though, I always have it in You Fan(oily rice, you probably have had that before) cause it's common in there. You'll probably have it again, if you dont pay attention! It's hard to notice anyways.

@ Eija + other comments: Uh... it's really insulting when you make it seem like something an entire culture eats is really gross and wonder why anyone would want to eat that... lol. Just FYI. Of course you guys did think that it was rotten xD So it's understandable.

[amanda p. wu]

Hi Ciphero,

Thanks for taking the time to comment. :)

Hmm . . . I always assumed it was the mushrooms that made me not like 油飯,
but maybe it was the hiding 1000 year old eggs that make me dislike it.

And, I actually did say in my post that it is preserved. And then replied
to the commenter that called it rotten with "it's not actually a "rotten
egg"--it is preserved ;) they preserve it with salt, lime, ash, clay and so
on for a few weeks or months."

Thanks for joining the conversation,
amanda