What is the most exciting, appalling, thrilling food experience you have ever had?

The best restaurant I have ever been to is in Los Angeles and is called The Stinking Rose - a garlic restaurant. And indeed, everything on the menu is made with garlic - one of my favourite ingredients. The only downside when you eat so much garlic, it comes out of every pore. I happened to be flying to Mexico the next day and I am guessing for the poor gentleman seated next to me on the plane, it was the longest flight ever.

by Ivana Katz

I've eaten many strange things, and many delicious things, but one of the most interesting food experiences I've had was eating mutton bird. It's a fatty seabird that looks rather similar to your regular poultry meats but tastes like fish. It was delicious, but a really strange experience because the taste is so different from your expectations.

by Natasha Stewart

Certainly my most exciting and memorable food experience was when I was travelling and made it my mission to find the best chocolate éclair in Paris, stopping at every patisserie I passed in order to fulfil my mission. Did I find the best chocolate éclair in Paris? No, they were all fabulous! :)

by Clare Deville

When traveling through Europe with a friend in my younger days we were picked up by a couple of young French boys and taken to dinner. My friend, embarrassed to ask what some of the menu items were, chose the cheapest item. To her horror, what arrived was beef carpaccio - raw, thinly sliced beef. Unable to bring herself to eat raw meat, she asked me to try so we could swap meals. I did and found it not too bad - certainly the marinate which tasted a bit like the juice from pickled onions with which it was served helped. I didn't suffer any after effects, so would be happy to try it again.

by Karina Bryer

Yes indeed I had a very embarrassing thing happen,I helped out a Sudanese family.
They were very happy and grateful, so they made food for me on a plate.
I had no idea!
I had just had lunch,and they brought out a massive plate of what they eat back home.
I wish I could say it smelt great, or even looked great....but it didn't.

I had never seen such food all mixed together, some kind of strange beans, a fish I had never smelt or seen before..Bless their hearts :)
Because the smell was less than attractive, and look of the food....I just had to eat,(on a full stomach) what they gave me.
I did my best, but in the end it became so so painful.I didn't want to upset them.
I felt after a few minutes I was soon going to vomit, because I had just eaten.

I was very concerned for their feelings, but what if I did throw up, at their place?
I remember asking what the time was, telling them I was only stopping in quickly, and that I really had to go.

I left, apologising all the time out the door.

It was so sad, because I had no idea they were going to feed me, and also I
had no understanding of their food.

by jonaja

Peking duck

by Finy