Grownup Tastes

While nibbling on some bread and rotwurst this afternoon I had an awakening: I don't even like liver.

That was it.

But I ate the rotwurst anyway. I had no other choice. It had been sitting in my cupboard for some time now. It was pawned off to me a while back and in light of the fact only a week remains for me here in Latvia, naturally I am disinclined to buy more food than is necessary and so, the can was opened.

It wasn't until later in the afternoon that I became curious enough to actually know what else, besides liver, rotwurst contained. I looked it up. That was when the real awakening of the day occurred.

You see, I erroneously assumed that rotwurst was liverwurst. What I was eating was not liver at all. It was blood.

Yes, unbeknownst to me, rotwurst is German blood sausage.

I just know that 10 years ago (or maybe even 5) there would have been no way on earth I would have eaten such a thing. Firstly, I didn't even have a clue what rotwurst was. Secondly, even (and especially) if its contents had been known, there would have been no chance in hell that I would have ever opened the can.

It's funny how these things change as you grow up. Some like to use the phrase "refined tastes," or say that "your tastebuds have matured" to characterize it. But I'd like to think the opposite. Could it be that in fact our tastebuds are not becoming increasingly refined, but degenerating with age as things naturally repugnant such as chilled blood puree become palatable?

Instead of questioning why little Jimmy won't eat his peas it would be better if we questioned why Daddy Warbucks is sucking down raw oyster. I mean, when did eating uncooked fish eggs and snails ever become sane?