15 Foods You've Never Heard Of But Will Absolutely Love

There are lots of delicious foods out there you probably haven't tried yet. This list of 15 foods includes unique tastes that might soon become your new favorites. Give them a try and see what you've been missing!

1. White carrot

Carrots get all the good press. Parsnips are their more spicy relative. Both vegetables are part of the Parsley family, but parsnips are less popular. You can use parsnips just like you use carrots as a companion to a good roast, as a soup, glazed, or as an accompaniment to a stir fry.

Live a little and experiment; this will round out your palate and make your meals more interesting. A rabid parsnip fan commented that they used to be more popular. So why did they leave the mainstream?"

2. Waakye

According to Wikipedia, "Waakye is a Ghanaian dish of cooked rice and beans eaten for breakfast or lunch. However, others eat it for supper.

The rice and beans, usually black-eyed peas or cow beans, are cooked together, along with red-dried sorghum leaf sheaths or stalks and limestone."

I am still determining what this dish tastes like, and it is essentially the Ghanaian version of rice and beans. Still, using red sorghum leaves for flavor and having them give the word a rich, bright burgundy looks tremendous and sounds delicious.

3. Lefse

A great way to expand your palate is to try foods from different cultures. The late Anthony Bourdain made a career of trying out foods in faraway lands, earning him a reputation as one of the world's foremost food experts.

In that spirit, when a user mentioned this Norwegian dish, Lefse went on the list. They said, "Lefse. It's passed down how to make it by the women in my extended family, and they'll have entire family gatherings of extended family making Lefse.

At the last one I visited, a cousin was turning 16 and was being taught the tradition. My wife thinks it's incredible and wants one day to be taught by my mom."

Lefse is, according to Wikipedia, "a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. It is made with flour and can include riced potatoes, butter, milk, cream, or lard." It sounds like a symphony of delicious carbs.

4. Golden Needle Mushrooms

The mushrooms are underappreciated because of their greatness as an ingredient, and their quality needs to be respected. Unfortunately, canned mushrooms are wrongly considered a good option for everyday use rather than a last resort. 

Chef Eric Rivera did not have kind words for most mushrooms in grocery stores, like cremini, which tend to be tough and encourage people to overcook other mushrooms. However, mushroom fans note that most grocery stores only carry a few varieties and advise that gourmet varieties are available at specialty stores and inexpensive to grow at home.

The fungi are low in calories and have no fat, so they are the perfect diet food. In addition, it's easy to saute mushrooms in pepper, lemon juice, and garlic to render them even more flavorful. 

5. Romanesco

Romanesco, often described as the Fibonacci vegetable because of its natural fractal pattern, is as delicious as it is beautiful. This cruciferous vegetable tastes like a cross between cauliflower and broccoli but with a slightly nuttier, earthier flavor. It can be roasted, steamed, or eaten raw in salads, bringing a crunchy texture and a visual pop to any dish.

6. Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit, with its vibrant pink skin and speckled flesh, is not just a feast for the eyes but also a powerhouse of nutrition. This exotic fruit offers a mildly sweet taste, reminiscent of a blend between a kiwi and a pear. It's packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber, making it a perfect addition to smoothies, salads, or eaten as is for a refreshing treat. Its unique look and delightful taste make dragon fruit a must-try for any adventurous eater.

7. Nasi Goreng

Another dish on the list that was immediately interesting is Nasi Goreng, a type of Indonesian food. Nasi Goreng is the Indonesian version of fried rice prepared with Kecap Manis, a sweet soy sauce, terasi, or Indonesian shrimp paste.

Surprisingly, a commenter who first tried the dish in The Netherlands brought it into the discussion. They confessed, "I had it for the first time while living in the Netherlands, where Indonesian cuisine is popular, and I thought, "How on earth is this not everywhere?!?"

8. Pierogi

Polish food isn't the most well-known cuisine in the world. But multiple users in the forum suggested that pierogis are a world-class meal. This pierogi fan stated that pierogis are usually prepared as savory dishes that often use cheese and potatoes as ingredients.

They are real starch bombs for when you need some comfort food. The dough is made of flour, eggs, and water; the little pillows are boiled or fried. You can also add toppings to pierogies to make them even tastier. Some standard toppings are bacon, onions, and sour cream.

A foodie stated, "Pierogis are a unique and delicious dish that often flies under the radar but is worth trying if you have yet to have them!"

9. Sauerkraut

Another food that gets strong reactions is the German dish Sauerkraut. With nostalgia for childhood, German people stated that sauerkraut is an acquired taste. For non-Germans, sauerkraut is fermented cabbage.

Don't let this put you off, though, since sauerkraut has a delightfully piquant flavor that can make any meal spicier. Germans typically make family dinners featuring sauerbraten, potato dumplings, red cabbage, sauerkraut, and gravy. You have never lived unless you have had a classic German family dinner like this with shortbread cookies for dessert.

10. Peking Duck

An underestimated waterfowl and game bird is the duck. Peking Duck and Confit de Canard are the best-known world cuisine dishes built around the bird, but it's hard to beat a simple supper of roasted or grilled duck breast with a simple sauce of port wine and cherries.

Curiously, this bird isn't trendy, but a duck defender stated their love for a good duck dinner, "Chicken and turkey are much more popular, but the roasted duck is tender and flavorful."

11. Trifle

Cakes, pies, and cupcakes are incredibly well like desserts, but what about the British dessert called Trifle? The name might seem strange, but a British food lover explained the strengths of the delicious delicacy, "Trifle. It's a great, easy dessert and can be changed into any combo or flavor you want."

Trifle is a multi-layered dessert with sponge cake soaked in egg custard, sherry, and fruit topped with whipped cream usually served in a large glass container.

12. Osso Buco

An Argentinian reader brought up their country's version of the profoundly flavorful meal, Osso buco, which originated in Italy. The difference is that the dish is made with Caracú or Brazilian beef. Caracú originated from Portugal and was brought to Brazil by the Conquistadors.

The Argentinian stated, "Here in Argentina, we eat osobuco, a.k.a. cow shanks with bone marrow. We stew it and then enjoy it. Man, now I'm hungry."

13. Sardines

If the idea of canned meat or fish puzzles you, don't worry. Many people who answered this question were mad about sardines and anchovies. These are small and even tinier fish that are traditionally canned. These fish have a pungent smell and flavor and have been sold as canned for decades.

However, if you use them properly - in a shallot pasta or a caesar salad - that strong briny flavor blends nicely with everything else and is just delicious. Pro tip: Blend some into your homemade marinara sauce to add umami and salt.

14. Spam

Spam is a divisive protein source. It's another meat in a can, and our society has a smoldering contempt for meat encased in metal. That contempt blazes into a raging fire when people assume Spam is "mystery meat."

Spam is mainly pork with potato starch and is incredibly popular in Hawaiian and Asian cuisines. It's just tasty. Making crispy Spam to add to macaroni and cheese or as a Spam sandwich on white bread is a classic dish born out of poverty that is truly delicious if done right.

Remember that all the weird cuts of meat are the most popular and expensive these days. So please don't knock it until you try it. Also, it stores on the shelf well, while fresh meat goes rotten in the fridge in a few days.

15. Frybread

Frybread is a staple dish of the Native American people. Its ingredients are wheat flour, salt, water, and sugar, deep fried in lard, oil, or shortening. Frybread is eaten with sweet or savory toppings like honey, venison, or beef.

The bread is the base of the Native version of tacos. Even though the bread was first made with ingredients given to the Indigenous Navajo people after being forced to walk 300 miles by the U.S. Government during "The Long Walk." to prevent them from starving, rather than resenting its origin, Native people have embraced the dish as a symbol of their resilience. 

A humorous commenter said, "Frybread. It's the perfect food. It's good with meat or cheese, can even be eaten cold, and is excellent. Very simple to make and even easier to eat. We should all eat it daily without caution against high blood pressure or diabetes."

This thread inspired this post.

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