HOW I BECAME A FOOD ADVENTURER!

I have been an adventurous eater for as long as I can remember. The idea of eating new (or even scary) things excites me, even when I know I probably won’t like it.

I have eaten brain tacos, eyeball tacos, and my favorite, tongue tacos (tacos de lengua).

Most recently, when I went to Paris and ate foie gras, frog legs, and escargot, I began to ponder where my love for adventurous eating came from.  

I believe my fearlessness with new foods comes from my father. He built my love for Mexican food, taco by taco. I am 50% Latina, from my dad’s side of the family (he is 50% Mexican and 50% Spanish). I have grown up eating my Abuela’s taquitos, albondigas, and various other foods from my father’s family.

I have a distinct memory of my dad offering me a bite of his street tacos in Mexico when I was around 6-years-old. He didn’t tell me what was in the taco, but I loved it and asked for a taco for myself. He thought it was hilarious. It was my first time, of many, eating tacos de lengua (cow tongue). 

I think that is when my love for food began. I realized it doesn’t matter what the food is as long as it tastes good. And, as I have gotten older, I have built even more of an appreciation for dishes from other cultures that may seem strange or unusual. I find it fascinating to think about how these unique dishes originated thousands of years ago.

In Mexico, it is normal to eat tongue, and it is, in fact, a very popular and often sold-out taco meat, because years ago it became customary to use all parts of any animal that was killed. 

When I tell my friends that my favorite food is tacos de lengua, it sounds strange to them, but to me it is normal. I try to keep an open mind about all the diverse foods and ways of eating in the world. I don’t want to allow myself to be grossed out by food that I haven’t ever tried. 

After all, we are all humans, with the same tongues and bellies (both of which I have eaten!).  If it’s a delicacy to one, it can be a delicacy to anyone, as long as we don’t allow our biases to get in the way.