‘Tis the season! By the time you’re reading this, the holidays will have come and gone. But worry not, let me offer you some closure to the holiday season. I’m sure the end of 2020 is exciting enough, but it gets even better, as 2021 is bringing you yet another picky eater review. This time: holiday edition.
Sugar plums: 5.5/10 – I’ve never really known what sugar plums actually are, I always just thought they were plums and sugar. Turns out there is more to them than their name. The sugar plum is almonds, dried apricots, dried cherries, dried cranberries, and prunes all rolled up into a small ball and covered in sugar. The texture of the sugar plum was very enjoyable, but it was way too sweet. Don’t get me wrong, I have a major sweet tooth, but I could not eat more than one of these in a sitting.
Turkish delight: 1/10 – I had never heard of Turkish delights before deciding to try them. They are small jelly cubes covered in starch—sounds appetizing, right? Unfortunately, they are not. Their appearance is amazing, as they come in cute little colorful cubes, but they taste like soap and the aftertaste lingers. Originally, they were served as a luxury sweet during Christmas, but now there is probably a reason I have never crossed paths with them.
Roasted chestnuts: 0/10 – I began the process of trying roasted chestnuts, but it didn’t last long, since they are not edible if not prepared correctly. That’s right, Nat King Cole was not talking about eating chestnuts roasted on an open fire. It was only when I began to open the chestnut that I looked at it and thought, maybe I shouldn’t be eating this. So I looked it up and it turns out I should always follow my gut. My rating is pretty self explanatory: since I couldn’t eat the chestnuts, I can’t give them a proper rating. However, I still felt pretty cool while making them (even if we didn’t use open fire).
Mincemeat Pie: 3/10 – The last food I tried was mincemeat pie, which actually does not have meat in it. Mincemeat is a mixture of dried fruits and spices which, by the way, is not at all what I thought it was. But I’m a pie fan, so if I’m being honest, I wasn’t nervous about this one. The best way I could describe this dessert is that it’s just fine. That’s it. One bite of it was okay, but I would not be able to eat a whole piece. The texture of this pie was different, too. It was thicker, which sounds gross and… was gross.
Well, it’s official: now that you’ve read this, you can say goodbye to the 2020 holiday season! You’re welcome. No, but really, I have enjoyed doing this. I can pretty much guarantee you that I would not have tried any of these foods if I wasn’t writing this piece. I think it is a good beginning to the new year, and I hope it inspires you to try something a little out of your comfort zone. It’s how we grow and learn. Here’s to 2021!
