There is a book out about how people acquire a taste for food. It turns out that taste preferences start in the womb. If the mother eats garlic, there will be garlic in the amniotic fluid and the baby will be born with a preference for garlic. Dominicans have a taste for guandules (pigeon peas) and rice. It is vastly more bland a dish than Cajun style red beans and rice. I love guacamole, but none of my Dominican friends can stand it. It is too spicy for them, even when I leave the chili out.
I love trying new foods and dishes. The only new foods I have not liked are Korean hotpot dishes, because they are too hot to taste anything.
My face turned purple when I forced myself to eat this. Apparently, Koreans get a high from extremely hot foods, but all I get is a burning sensation.
Most Americans cannot cook lamb or goat worth a damn, so they cannot appreciate it. It tends to be a bit greasy, and you need to deal with that by making the grease taste better. Generally this involves spices Americans are unfamiliar with.
