Well, I consider myself a foodie, I mean I like food and like to try new foods (hence my size?). Whenever I go to a new place, I will look for its cuisine first. I think that is the easiest things that I can get my hands on other than stories. Because, souvenirs are just too handful.
Even so, I still have some no-no food. Food that I can’t stand and don’t like to eat at all.
Whenever I’m asked, “what’s your least favorite food?” the first thing that comes to my mind is Mutton.
Yeap, I dislike mutton. Nope, I hate mutton to the point that it gets on my nerves. I thought I was being hyperbolic but the last experience showed me that I wasn’t. It really DID get on my nerves.
I realized recently on a trip to Yogyakarta. We were travelling from Dieng, which is a 4-hours drive to Yogyakarta. We arrived around 3 p.m. which means way past lunchtime, which means I was notably hungry, too. The guys planned to eat at this place called Tengkleng Gajah (“Tengkleng Elephant” which indicates that they serve Tengkleng in humongous portion). But the plot twist was, I didn’t know what Tengkleng was and I expected it was something beefy with lots of juices and many other carnivorous goodness in it enough to make me drool (I was hungry, remember). But – Ta Da! – they served all mutton-based food. The very example of a bad surprise, lol. Dear God, I felt so mad at that point I thought that I might do the angry teenager walkout.
But I didn’t, thankfully. I tried my best to keep calm, remembering how we had a good times, we joked around all the time and we were all having a good mood (except me). Statistically, (although I can’t provide the scientific proof) for most Indonesian, Mutton is considered as a guilty pleasure. In other words, people love it, including the group that I’m travelling with. They didn’t just love it, they were actually looking forward to it! But they didn’t know I hate muttons and they were also very helpful, so… I didn’t want to cause any drama that would stay on people’s head for a good long time.
I just don’t want to be that party-pooper, you know. The only one not having a good time and sucks the fun out of everyone. And thank God, there was a chicken dish, which took soooo long to make, but turned out really great. Food can actually turn someone’s bad mood. Maybe Snicker bar candy campaign is right ‘You’re not yourself when you’re hungry.’ Because after that I was chill again, I could joke again.
If I think about it, there are so many foods that I don’t eat. First of all, I don’t like spicy food. An Indonesia not liking spicy food is almost a crime. Not to mention disadvantage because most of our foods are spicy. And I further realize that most of world’s foods are spicy. I need to work on my spice tolerance to be a globetrotter foodie (Just kidding, I don’t travel that much :P).
Then, I don’t like Durians, Petai, Jengkol, most of guts, too much garlic, too much onions… Whoa whoa the list goes on? Didn’t see it coming. Oh my God, I am indeed lame.
I actually feel bad because I’m such a picky eater. People hate picky eaters, right? Whenever I had a chance I always try to hide that I’m a picky eater because I don’t want people to hate me for that. The least I want is to be ‘the difficult one’ and a joy killer. Maybe that’s why I don’t have many friends. Lol.
Anyway, is it that bad to be a picky eater? Is it bad to feel bad about it?
I still love food, though. Other than those I mentioned (or maybe more than that :P). I’m still fun. Maybe. Lol.
Out of Words 