So, a week or two ago, we saw this video of a Japanese woman explaining why she thinks Japanese women great girlfriends or wives, and one of the reasons she stated was that Japanese women care a lot about cooking. That’s a wonderful thing. I mean, there’s even a saying that says the best way to win a man’s heart is to first win his stomach.

However, caring about cooking and having the talent and taste buds for cooking are two entirely separate issues. Sorry to burst your bubble if you were thinking that all Japanese girls make fantastic home-cooked meals, because among the Japanese, there is a group of women collectively referred to as meshimazu yome, which means “wives who make unpalatable meals”. A survey by Goo Ranking reveals the top 10 shocking meals made by Japanese wives with… unique tastes. Are you in for a treat?

10. Shishamo corn potage
Shishamo is a small, slim fish that looks somewhat like a willow leaf. Due to its size, it is usually fried or grilled and served whole. Fish in corn soup sounds fishy enough, the image of having a whole fish floating in my bowl of golden creamy corn is just… not pleasant.

9. Persimmon ramen
I’ve had ramen with tomato in it before, and the tinge of sweet and sourness of the tomato balances out the savory flavors of the soup rather well. Persimmons may look a wee bit like tomatoes, but taste nothing like them. Not a very delectable combination, it seems.

8. Chinese cabbage with chocolate sauce
Potato chips and chocolate taste surprisingly good together but… oh, right, potato chips are not vegetables. The adventurous cooks who tried this dish need to realize that there’s a reason why restaurants usually serve fruits and nuts with chocolate fondue.

7. Rice cooked in acerola juice
This has to be the most vitamin-packed bowl of rice ever. It might be good for your skin, but no guarantees that it’ll sit well on your tongue or in your tummy.

6. Chazuke with cider
Chazuke, or ochazuke, is a dish made by pouring hot green tea or broth over cooked rice topped with savory toppings such as seaweed, pickles, or mentaiko, among other variations. Now imagine savory seasoned cod roe, or pickles, and rice, soaked in a sweet fizzy soda.

5. Sekihan cooked with strawberry syrup for shaved ice
Sekihan, written with the Japanese kanji characters which mean “red rice”, is a traditional dish prepared by cooking rice with azuki red beans. The color of the beans is transferred to the white rice during the process of steaming, thus giving the rice a reddish hue. Coloring rice red with strawberry syrup and calling it sekihan is probably as good as giving a polar bear black eye bags and calling it a panda. That said, strawberry isn’t always such a terrible accompaniment to savoury dishes.

4. Deep-fried oyster in the shell
Deep fried oyster is a common dish enjoyed by many seafood-loving Japanese. Just for the record, deep-fried oysters are not usually fried with the shell on.

3. Curry cooked with sprouting potatoes
In case you didn’t know, potatoes contain a toxic substance called solanin in its green parts, so if a potato is still green, or has started sprouting, you shouldn’t be eating it.

2. Natto yogurt toast

Natto (fermented soy beans) is an acquired taste, and so is yogurt. Putting two acquired tastes together probably requires double the courage to stomach it.

1. Kyoho grapes in miso soup
Another creative cook challenging the possibilities of savory-sweet combinations. There are so many other ingredients you can put in miso soup, why grapes, of all things?!

Cooking doesn’t come naturally to everyone, male or female, and there’s a first for everything. When in doubt, it’s always safer to stick to the recipe. Of course, trying new flavors and combinations is interesting for a change, and might turn out surprisingly tasty at times, but for the love of the ones you’re cooking for, taste test it before serving it. If your partner is one of those with unique taste buds, however… well, good luck!

What’s the weirdest food combination you’ve ever had? Share your gourmet misadventures in the comments section below!

Source: Goo Ranking via Zhaizhai News