Foods Guy Fieri Avoids At All Costs

Television chefs obviously need to have a true passion for food. A wide range of tastes and a willingness to try many different dishes, some of which use ingredients not common in the U.S., are required for success. Nevertheless, TV chefs are human and have foods they don't enjoy just like anyone else. For example, there are foods that Gordon Ramsey dislikes. Other examples include Ina Garten's intense dislike of cilantro, Ree Drummond's complete avoidance of bananas, and Wolfgang Puck's negative view of wagyu beef. Add Guy Fieri to that list.

Arguably the most popular chef on the Food Network, the host of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," "Guy's Grocery Games," and "The Tournament of Champions," realized his passion for food by a single steak dinner he cooked as an 8-year-old. In addition to his shows, Fieri often appears as a guest judge or mentor on several other network shows. It all started when he won Season 2 of "Food Network Star." He eats many different foods from a wide range of cuisines. Fieri is always fair to the chefs who prepare these meals, but there are foods that he does not like. There are some foods he is very open about hating. Others, he has tried on one of his shows. Being a good sport, he tries to be positive, but his true feelings show on his face and in his reactions. Let's take a look at some of the foods Fieri would rather not consume.

Eggs are one of the most commonly consumed foods, eaten on their own or used in all kinds of recipes. Eggs are nutritious, packed with protein, and very versatile. Fried, scrambled, hard or soft boiled, poached; so many ways to serve them. They are not just for breakfast. Eggs are also used in recipes for many savory and sweet dishes. One name you will not find amongst egg lovers is Guy Fieri. Eggs rank high on the celebrity chef's list of his most-hated foods.

Fans of the Food Network, who watch his shows, are well aware that eggs are the classic breakfast food that Fieri can't stand. He doesn't mind them used in a recipe, such as a Caesar salad dressing, but do not serve him a plate of eggs cooked any way. The food icon has explained that when he was 10, he saw a whole chicken inside an egg and understood how baby chicks are born, which was off-putting. He also had a bad, hard-boiled egg with a chalky yolk. That was enough to wipe out the appeal of the common food item for life. In fact, Fieri is not a big fan of breakfast at all. When he does eat the meal, it's usually grits or a liquid. There will not be eggs in his morning meal. That's for sure.

Organ meats are healthy for children, as well as adults. Mothers have tried in vain to get their children to eat liver. There are even sneaky ways that moms attempt to serve their offspring this healthy protein source. The unpopular organ meat is incredibly nutrient dense, containing protein, iron, and B-vitamins. It's also an excellent source of copper, phosphorus, and potassium, and many other minerals. The problem is the strong odor and funky taste, as well as the fact that organ meats are generally disdained by the public. Forbes described it as America's most hated food in 2011. The fact that the liver's function is to filter toxins out of the blood is yet another reason most people avoid it.

Guy Fieri agrees wholeheartedly with the majority. His dislike of liver is even stronger than his disdain for eggs. Specifically, Fieri hates the common pairing of liver and onions, calling it "nasty" and stating that he can't even be in the same room with it. The chef's hatred of liver is so intense that it has not been and never will be featured in a dish on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." A complete ban punctuates Fieri's hatred of liver.

Chitterlings, commonly known as "chitlins" in the South, where they are popular, are an example of using the whole animal. Pig's feet, ears, tails, and jowls are all edible, but they are not the only parts of a hog you can eat. Chitterlings are the large intestines of pigs. Occasionally, calf intestines are used. Most frequently fried or cooked slowly, they are generally a side dish for soul food or Southern cuisine. Chitterlings take a considerable amount of time to prepare for cooking. They need to be cleaned carefully, because let's face it, we know what moves through the intestines. Failure to clean them sufficiently can leave harmful bacteria that can cause health issues if consumed. Because of the labor required, they are usually served at holiday meals or at special events.

Chitterlings have a mild taste and are usually served with spices and tangy sauces. On an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," Guy Fieri had the chance to sample chitlins, cabbage, and cornbread at Cora Faye's Cafe, a Denver eatery. Good sport that he is, Fieri tried them without hesitation, although he did douse them in a liberal amount of hot sauce. This video clip from Food Network shows that his reaction indicated that this was not something he enjoyed. Fieri stated, "Wow! I bet that's an acquired taste." It is not likely that Fieri will be seeking that acquisition again anytime soon.

Another food that comes from animal organs and is less than popular in the States, Scots proudly raise a whiskey glass to haggis, their national dish. Haggis is a mixture of the heart, liver, and lungs of a sheep, known as the "pluck," and is mashed up and cooked with onions and spices, and served in the lining of the sheep's stomach. Scots are hearty people, but the authentic haggis was banned in the U.S. in 1971 because the U.S Department of Agriculture does not consider sheep lungs healthy for human consumption. Versions with sheep tongues substituted for the lungs are legal substitutes. That's a fascinating backstory and, like throwing the caber, wearing kilts, and playing bagpipes, is one of the many things that makes the Scottish culture unique.

Most Americans, unless perhaps of Scottish ancestry, would pass on the opportunity to try haggis, but not the intrepid Guy Fieri. On "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," at Mac's Dish Shop in Santa Barbara, Fieri finally tried the pride of Scotland, although the version with a sheep's heart, liver, and tongue, to avoid the illegal lungs. Still not for the faint of heart. Fieri was visibly squeamish watching the preparation. To his credit, he tried it, but did have to take a few seconds to prep himself. He declared it delicious, but the look on his face said otherwise. Don't expect to see haggis appear on "Triple D" again in the future.

Scrapple is a food that is popular in the South and Mid-Atlantic regions, especially in Pennsylvania, where it was created by the Pennsylvania Dutch who settled in the area. Also known as livermush, scrapple uses leftover pig parts. Rib tips, the ends of pork loins, the tail, and organs such as the liver, tongue, and skin are cooked with cornmeal, salt, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Pork bones are added with water to create a flavorful sauce. After cooking, the leanest bits are ground up and formed into a patty.

The final dish is similar to a pork and corn polenta, and most often served with breakfast. Although many people love it, the enjoyment is not universal. It has a strong odor that lingers, which can make tasting it unpleasant. The Empty Kitchen called it "the most disgusting food ever." Guy Fieri visited The Dining Car & Market in Philadelphia on an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" to try some of its local cuisine, including its Pennsylvania-style scrapple. Fieri appears to be less than thrilled. He has a look of disgust on his face as he chews a forkful and calls the scrapple "funkadelic." The evidence points to scrapple landing a place on Fieri's not-so-esteemed foods list.

Guy Fieri is no stranger to the heat, with recipes like his dragon's breath chili. Peppers are common sources of heat and are measured on the Scoville scale. According to Pepperhead, ghost peppers rank eighth on the list of the world's hottest peppers. They are frequently used in dishes for those who like it really hot. Ghost pepper challenges are common, especially on YouTube, where you find people doing all kinds of things that are pretty questionable. In fact, during a challenge, a ghost pepper burned a hole in a man's esophagus and nearly killed him.

Fieri is too smart to eat a raw ghost pepper, but he has tried them in sauces. Fieri visited Smalley's Caribbean Barbecue in Stillwater, Minnesota, on an episode of "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives." The eatery is known locally for its 666 wings with death sauce. The concoction is made with four super-hot peppers, including the infamous ghost variety. Fieri is not one to shy away from a little spice. As this clip on the Food Network website shows, when the wings were properly doused in the death sauce, Fieri could not even get close to the bowl because of the intensely hot vapors. He brought in three buddies to try the dreaded dish. Upon taking a bite of a wing, Fieri downed an entire cup of blue cheese, exclaiming, "It hurts all the way through." It may be safe to say that Fieri will be avoiding ghost peppers going forward.

When it comes to the best soup in Mexico, it's all about menudo vs. pozole. Menudo (used by some as a way to avoid a hangover) contains onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, and hot chili peppers, along with either pig's or cow's feet. The ingredient that most makes it unique is tripe. This is the stomach lining of a cow, sheep, or hog. For many of us, this sounds incredibly unappetizingly, but tripe is commonly consumed throughout the world, including the Southern U.S. Menudo is a popular way to use tripe in Latin American countries.

On a visit to Roberto's Authentic Mexican Food, a joint connected to a gas station in Phoenix, Guy Fieri steeled himself to try menudo. As we've discovered, the host of "Triple D" does not like organ meat in general, and the tripe threw him on this episode. In the episode, Fieri looked squeamish while watching the cook put the tripe into the pot. Before sampling the dish, he declared, "I'm scared of the tripe." He did put a spoonful of menudo in his mouth, which he immediately followed with a piece of bread. The look on Fieri's face was not one of enjoyment, and menudo lunches and dinners are highly likely not something he would ever normally order.

People eat pretty much any animal organs, and this includes the brain. There is a history of people eating brains, and they are popular fried on sandwiches in the Midwest. Organ meats are high in protein, and beef brains are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for heart and, not surprisingly, brain health. The consumption of cow brains dropped off in the '90s during the mad cow disease scare, but there are still people who eat them and restaurants that serve them.

On an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," Guy Fieri traveled to an Oklahoma City eatery, Cattleman's Steakhouse, that had a breakfast dish consisting of scrambled eggs fried with cow brains. We already know that Fieri doesn't like eggs, but did the addition of an organ meat make it any better? Of course not! This combo became the breakfast that Guy Fieri almost spat out.

Cow brains are another kind of organ meat that Fieri won't eat. Popular fried and placed on sandwiches in the Midwest, Fieri tried it with an egg scramble on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" and barely managed not to spit it out. Despite giving it a try, a reluctant Fieri was barely able to keep the forkful in his mouth and reached the precipice of vomiting. This was the first time the host tried cow brains, and it is likely to be the last.

Hamburgers have come a long way, and people put a wide variety of toppings on them. Different cheeses, ketchup, mustard, mayo, and assorted condiments pair up with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and many other veggies. One somewhat unusual burger addition that is popular in some circles is peanut butter. Some people use it in the meat mix they use to form the patties, but there are those who spread it on the bun just like making a PB&J. Would you eat a peanut butter burger? There are as many yeses as noes in answer to that question. How would Guy Fieri respond?

Now, in all fairness, we should mention that Fieri visited Moo Creamery in Bakersfield on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" and tried a peanut butter crunch burger, which this YouTube video shows that he liked. The peanut butter was part of the meat mixture, and Fieri likened it to a spicy Thai chili sauce. What about peanut butter spread on the bun? An earlier episode of "Triple D" shows Fieri at the Triple XXX Family Restaurant in West Lafayette, Indiana. He takes his usual big bite and declares, "I didn't like that at all." He is clearly saying it ironically, but the look on his face says he didn't enjoy the experience all that much.