I really enjoy experimenting with new foods, especially if I hear that they have a positive effect on our health. This week, I tried Chinese Okra for the first time. Upon removing the ends and tough ribs that I felt on the hard exterior, I sliced it into 1cm pieces and revealed its somewhat slimy, white interior. It almost resembled a cucumber on steroids. Its taste was dull, as I had guessed by its smell that it would have a somewhat “grassy" taste to it. Slightly bitter and and an odd texture of soft/slimy/hard, I wasn’t a fan of it raw. However, when I put it into the frying pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper, its taste magnified and the rough skin turned softer and slightly crispy while the inside melted in my mouth. Its grass-like taste was much less and it tasted more like a zucchini, somewhat crunchy and mild tasting, a perfect ingredient for scrambles and gumbo.
This evaluation taught me that I need to really focus my palate by paying closer attention to what I put in my mouth. It was interesting to feel the texture of the foreign vegetable and use all of my senses to try and identify what it tasted like. From now on, I am going to make a conscious effort to try a new food every week and expose my palate to different cuisines and cooking styles.
This evaluation taught me that I need to really focus my palate by paying closer attention to what I put in my mouth. It was interesting to feel the texture of the foreign vegetable and use all of my senses to try and identify what it tasted like. From now on, I am going to make a conscious effort to try a new food every week and expose my palate to different cuisines and cooking styles.