Try a new type of cuisine.

“One evening, I found myself at a Thai place named, Spice. I didn’t know what to expect — didn’t know what to order. So, I asked the server to order her favorite appetizer and entrée for me. She arrived with the oddest-looking ‘salad’ I have ever seen. I asked what it was, and she told me, Papaya salad or Som Tam. “I thought to myself, ‘Fruit salad? Really?’ I dove right in. The explosion of different tastes, textures, and sensations was mind-blowing. The sweetness from the palm sugar, the tartness from the papaya, the saltiness from the soy, the spiciness from the Thai chiles, the umami (a term I wasn’t even familiar with at the time), and the funk from the fish sauce was a complete experience all on its own. I was floored, baffled, and confused, but also felt euphoria.”

“college girlfriend convinced me to go to the one Indian restaurant in our town. I got some "first timer" Indian food, like Tikka Masala and naan, and really liked it. The real experience though was after liking the food at the restaurant, she figured I was brave enough for another try, and we had dinner with a friend of hers and her husband, who were Indian, and they cooked. It was so freakin' good, I'd never tasted anything like it. They were very thoughtful about me being new to their cuisine, and didn't blow me away with spice (I did that later on my own at another restaurant) and made the most wonderful meal. Nearly 40 years later I still have fond memories of that dinner. Up til that point the most exotic food I'd ever had was probably an egg roll or chow mein. After that dinner I was up for anything, and have enjoyed trying new cuisine all my life since then.”

“I still remember vividly my first experience with Japanese food, I was a 19 year old college student and some Japanese friends took me to a Japanese restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. They all ordered sushi. They gave me a piece of sea urchin (uni) and it was so vile I almost vomited... They apologized and gave me maguro (tuna) instead telling me this was a favorite of children. I chewed off a tiny bit before I politely spit it into a napkin. They then tried to get me to eat octopus and I flatly refused. I called the waitress over and ordered teriyaki chicken...”