I wonder how it was prepared. In Taiwanese culture, it's a very popular snack and appetizer and I love it. I've never cooked it myself but I believe it's boiled, drained and cooled in the fridge, sliced into thing slivers, served with soy paste, a touch of sesame oil and garnished with a sprinkling of green onions. Now that I think about, it hasn't much taste - it's mostly the soy paste you taste - but it's chewy and since it's served chilled, it's a great snack for a hot summer's day.

Try new things, expose yourself to different cultures, and maybe start appreciating other cuisines? Thats why you should eat it. At least try it.
Thinking you're above other country's cuisine is just plain ignorance.

Your comment shows not just your ignorance and prudeness, but your unwillingness to try new, interesting food.

I agree with everyone. Why would you write an article like this? You sound blatantly uncultured and super ignorant.

Read a book, or watch Anthony Bourdain/Andrew Zimmern's show for God's sake. Not only are pig's ears popular in Taiwanese and Chinese cuisine, but there are gizzards, intestines, blood cubes, etc. that are all favorites of many.

Your reaction is SO 'typical American.'

Meh? What's the big deal about eating pig ears? Many Americans eat pork rinds, pig intestines, and ham hocks. Consuming a properly prepared pig ear would not be a problem for me.

You know girlfirend Pigs ear is a delicacy in the African American communtiy too and I have been African American my whole life and I would not touch pigs ear feet or his guts with a 10 foot pole. I am a foodie and appreciate other cultures but I do have my limits and it is okay that you have yours and pass on the pigs ear if you want to. It will not decrease your quality of life if you pass this one by. Honestly its fun to try new things but we all have to draw the line at one point or another

While I think it's great for your own sake to try new things, I don't think you should necessarily feel you have to step out of your comfort range to do so. Granted, sometimes it's probably in your best interests to keep "etiquette rules" (i.e., trying a new dish a hostess has prepared for you), however in this instance I don't believe you were out of line. I'm sure there are plenty of people in Taiwanese culture who prefer not to eat Pig's Ears just as there are plenty of Americans who prefer not to eat distinct American flavors - Chicken and Waffles? Not to mention there could be plenty of other heath or religion related reasons why you may want or need to abstain from eating a particular foods.

I think a number of commenters are missing the point. Your article did not imply disdain or superiority toward a culture, country or person, simply distaste for the item. Everyone has things they just find distasteful, even those seen as "normal" within their own culture.

It's no big deal, the only question is how you handle it, which was your question after all. As this was not prepared in someone's home, you had a number of polite options. Try it - move it around on your plate - leave it untouched. Insulting options would involve grimaces of disgust or unkind comments about the item.

As mentioned below, the most mind-opening option was just what you did, to try it. I probably would have just moved it around.

How far do you have to go to be polite? Well, how about the good old "do unto others" rule which works so well so often. Be nice, thank the host, don't make a big deal about it generally fits the bill. (I bet the night the Pres. George Bush #1 threw up at the table, his host would have preferred he had known in advance what would settle or disturb his guests' digestive systems!)

Keep an open mind. Try new foods. Would you have responded the same way if you had been served BBQ spareribs? or pulled pork? smoked ham? crispy bacon, etc? It's all from the same animal--PIG. A hostess/host cannot be expected to be be sensitive to every guests food preferences --so be a grown-up, try it and if you don't like it--don't eat it.

Thank you, foodie, for catching my drift. Little did i know that having a dislike
for pig's ear would stir such responses. Honestly, i just thought it sounded
funnier than bell peppers.

I travel abroad a lot because of my work and I’ve been to business meals where the main dish were cow intestine, donkey, poison fish…if it’s something really disgusting for my taste, I won’t have it. My mother taught me “don’t eat what you don’t like”.
By the way, there’s a delicious Brazilian dish called ‘Feijoada’ made out of black beans that not only has the pig ear but all the other parts of the pork. It’s very good!!!