These Tasty Foods Need Some Help With Their Looks
There's definitely some truth behind the saying "We eat with our eyes." Things that look good, tend to taste good. When food is presented in a beautiful manner, it makes us excited to put it in our mouths. That's why you should never underestimate the importance of plating or visuals when it comes to food. But what about the opposite? Is it true that ugly-looking foods taste bad? Of course not! And to prove it to you, here are 20 unappetizing foods that look pretty bad, but actually taste quite good.
1. Sloppy Joes
With the word sloppy already in its name, you know for a fact that this food is going to be a messy one. And messy doesn't exactly translate to pretty when it comes to food. Everyone knows Sloppy Joes taste delicious, but they aren't the most photo-friendly dish out there. No one ever thinks, "Hey, let me take a photo of my Sloppy Joe to post for Instagram!"
2. Oysters
While raw oysters are considered an expensive treat for many, they don't look very appetizing do they? Coming across as very slimy and wet, if you never saw an oyster before, you probably wouldn't think about putting it in your mouth.
3. Uni (Sea Urchin)
If you really want to go big at a sushi restaurant, you'll likely consider ordering uni, an expensive delicacy known for its buttery texture and umami-packed flavor. While that sure sounds like something delicious, its appearance leaves a little more to be desired. Kind of looking like an orange, prickly tongue, its look definitely doesn't live up to its reputation.
4. Refried Beans
Refried beans might be one of the tastiest ways to enjoy this vegetable, but in all honesty, we do wish it looked a bit more appetizing. Just look at this pan of mush; it doesn't quite look like food does it? While we know it tastes delicious, its play-doh-like appearance could use a bit of work.
Karyn Christner on Wikimedia Commons
5. Century Eggs
Guys, calm down. These eggs aren't actually preserved for a hundred years! While the black, gelatinous appearance of these eggs may make it seem like they've gone bad, it's actually done on purpose. By preserving them in a clay mixture, it causes the egg white to turn jellylike while the yolk stays soft. It certainly has an acquired taste due to its pungent flavor, but for many in Asia, it's a beloved side dish.
Charles Haynes on Wikimedia Commons
6. Balut
If you've never heard of balut before, we're guessing that one look is all it'll take for you to think, "Nope, I'm never putting that in my mouth." And with a fertilized embryo shining through the egg white, we can definitely understand why it'd be hard getting over its visuals. However, in many Asian countries, balut is considered a tasty treat despite the controversy around it.
Aterux at Vietnamese Wikipedia on Wikimedia Commons
7. Black Pudding
Just look at those hockey pucks in the photo - they don't exactly look like something you want to dig into, right? Despite black pudding's scary appearance, even scarier name, and questionable ingredients, it's actually quite the complex food with a delicious earthy flavor. The Brits absolutely love it as part of their full English breakfast!
erik forsberg from Helsingborg, Sweden on Wikimedia Commons
8. Truffle
As one of the most expensive and luxurious ingredients around, truffle has an appearance that doesn't quite match its elegant taste. As the final touch to many gourmet dishes around the world, you'd expect truffle to look a bit...less like dirt, don't you think?
9. Biscuits & Gravy
It doesn't get more comforting than biscuits & gravy down in the South. While this beloved dish is beyond delicious and provides a rich and hearty start to any morning, it's definitely lacking in the aesthetic department. Often just slathered on without much care, it can start looking a little bit like vomit on a plate.
10. Scrambled Eggs
Just because you're familiar with a certain food doesn't mean it isn't unattractive. Think about scrambled eggs for a moment. When they turn out watery, it can look a bit like baby food. And even when they're overcooked, they just look a bit sad on their own. That's not to say scrambled eggs aren't delicious though, which is something we all know to be true.
Rosser1954 on Wikimedia Commons
11. Escargot
Listen, because we know what snails look like normally, seeing them cooked doesn't make us want to eat them any more than we did before. They might be considered a French delicacy and are said to be delicious when cooked properly, but the visuals just don't do it for us.
Kostiantyn Klymovets on Pexels
12. Passion Fruit
This tropical fruit certainly tastes refreshing and vibrant when used in drinks and desserts, but have you ever seen one in its natural form? It looks a bit creepy doesn't it? Those seeds and that slimy looking texture unfortunately just make it look unappetizing. We know it tastes good though!
Photo by Lottie Griffiths on Unsplash
13. Chicken Feet
Commonly eaten in Asia during dim sum, chicken feet is one dish that'll get a lot of stares when served in countries that are unfamiliar with it. It can look downright scary. Seeing all those toes, the nails, and the scaly skin just seems far from appetizing. But when cooked in a good sauce, the flavors will surprise you.
14. Caviar
For such an expensive and luxurious ingredient, caviar is one of the most boring looking foods around. To be honest, it doesn't even look that edible! Looking like little black beads that don't belong in your mouth, it's almost shocking hearing about how pricey and delicious it can be.
15. Blue Cheese
Already a pretty polarizing food that people love or hate, blue cheese gets a bad rep for its offputting appearance. That moldy blue look just doesn't do it for most people. But if you love its pungent and strong flavor, you're likely able to look past its ugly appearance to appreciate its taste.
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
16. Natto
Looking like stringy, slimy beans, natto is definitely a dish that confuses most foreigners. Its sticky looking texture just makes it look like it's gone bad! But in reality, this is a popular dish in Japan that many eat in the morning. Not to mention it's also quite good for you!
17. Cottage Cheese
What's your take on cottage cheese? Becoming more and more popular, it seems like people either love or hate this food. It certainly has a unique flavor that not everyone will enjoy, but people who do absolutely love it. But what's more important here is how it looks. We can't say its appearance is doing this already divisive food any favors.
18. Cooked Eggplant
While the eggplant emoji might be spammed for its hilarious double meaning, actual cooked eggplant definitely isn't as cute. Many people love the taste of this vegetable, but first, they have to overcome its mushy, bland looking visuals. It's just not something you look at and think, hey, I want to eat this.
Photo by Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash
19. Oatmeal
Oatmeal may be the perfect morning meal to help kickstart your day, but we think we can all agree that it looks like straight up mushy baby food. Unless you add some color by throwing in some fruit or crunchy granola, oatmeal on its own just looks so bland and boring. We know it has the potential to taste good, it just seriously needs help.
20. Chia Seeds
Despite having many health benefits, chia seeds are something people seem taken aback by upon first glance. If you soak them in liquid like soy milk, they became a bit gelatinous, which has apparently freaked out many people online. It definitely looks a bit confusing, almost as if it's more of a decoration than food.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_with_scrambled_eggs_amd_cheese_on_toast.jpg){kind=link}