I was waiting on my Swiss cheese at the deli counter, when I heard muttering. I glanced over at the customer next to me, who was scanning the meats. His face suddenly lit up and he scooted closer to me, knocked his elbow against mine and pointed at the display case. “I’m getting me some of that! Hot head cheese. Woo!”
I looked at the head cheese and then eyeballed him sideways as I scrunched my nose. “Um, ew,” I said. I know, it was rude, but head cheese? Do you know what that is? It’s bits and pieces of a cow or pig’s head and possibly brain, all processed into a hard meat jelly. Yes, meat jelly.

I kid you not, this is what it looks like. (source)
“Oh, no babe, it’s good,” he chuckled. “Have you ever had it?”
“Well, actually no. I haven’t.”
“You gotta try it then! You’re missing out.”
“Okay, good point,” I said, nodding my head. “I don’t really know what it tastes like. But just the thought, ugh.”
“Well you’re gonna try it today. Come on, I’ll have the lady give you a piece.”
I stared at him for a second, shrugged and said, “Okay, sure, why not.”
For future reference? If you say something like ‘why not’, that generally means there’s probably a reason why not and you might want to give it some more thought. But sadly, I didn’t.
When the deli server handed me my Swiss, he gave her his order and asked her to get me a piece. She smiled at me and quirked her brow, but I didn’t say anything. I was preparing to eat brains.
She quickly returned with a gigantic slice of head cheese. I grabbed it from her and peeked over at my new friend who smirked and said, “Go on! Try it!”
I jiggled the slice a little, wincing, before I took a deep breath, ripped off a piece and slowly put it in my mouth. Now, I don’t want to give anyone nightmares, but I’m telling you, there were chunks. I chewed globs of brain matter, maybe some tongue or snout, all mixed in with gelatinous pieces of I-don’t-know-what.
But I’m proud to say, I swallowed and did not gag. This was a major accomplishment, under the circumstances.
“And?” the guy asked. “What do you think?”
“Well, um, it was interesting?”
“Okay, you gotta try some more. Eat the rest of that slice,” he encouraged.
“I think I’m good, really,” I said with a grin.
“You need to try it with Saltines,” he said. “They cut the spice a little.”
“I’m actually fine with the spiciness. It’s more the pieces of brain that are a little hard to take. So I’m all set, but thanks.”
He burst out laughing, reached over, snatched what was left out of my hand and shoved it in his mouth. I stared at him, mouth hanging open a little, wondering if he really just did that. But, yep, he did. He ate head cheese out of a stranger’s bare hand. This guy clearly lived on the edge.
I laughed and shook my head, then thanked him again and walked away, wondering how long it would take to get that taste off my tongue. As it turns out, it takes a really darn long time.
**if you eat and enjoy head cheese regularly, please don’t be offended by this post. I grew up loving Spam and liver sausage, so I clearly have no room to talk.
That is quite the strange encounter, my dear. I would have stopped speaking to him as soon as he called me “babe.” However, I can’t remember the last time someone called me “babe.”
Love,
Janie
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It was strange! I don’t know why, but the babe didn’t bother me. He was such an outgoing, silly guy, he was kind of irresistible. Until he made me eat those brains.
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Somehow I missed the photo the first time through. I think I’m going to bed now and hide my head under the covers for a couple of months.
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Ha ha, that’s because I forgot to add a pic and must have gone back to do it while you were reading. I know, the stuff of nightmares, right?
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You are a brave woman. I don’t think I would have gone through with it. But nonetheless, in exchange you got a funny story to tell and you told it well. 🙂
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Brave, or really, really gullible. Ask my brother who tormented me as a kid…it’s more likely the second one. But thanks!
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I’ve never ever eaten head cheese and I’m really glad I’m a vegetarian.
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Here’s the really sad thing…I am mostly vegetarian, too! I have been eating whole food, plant based for the last three months or so, and have had meat only twice in that time. So why, given all that, I would eat head cheese, I have no idea!
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I think you handled the encounter very well. He obviously wanted you to join his brain-eating ghoul cult. You showed him you could taste the brain without getting addicted. I can recommend a good mouthwash for future incidents of this kind.
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Ooh, what if zombies aren’t what we think they are going to be? What if it is a more gradual thing and people slowly become them and they start by eating head cheese? Brains. Oh my gosh, why didn’t I see it? That guy was a zombie and he was trying to turn me into one! Thanks for your comment…I would have never realized otherwise.
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There are few things, on a limited list, that I won’t try. Anything alive, bloody, or more likely to kill me than not… and head cheese because ew. Like just looking at it… No, thanks.
The old guy though. Love him. I bet he’s great entertainment at parties. (Possibly the weird grandpa who gets drunk and tells crazy stories about eating head cheese from a stranger’s hand.)
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Ha! The funniest thing is it wasn’t even an old guy! He was probably in his mid 30’s. I purposely didn’t put any description about him, because it wasn’t really pertinent to the story, but I’m curious to see if other people think he was an old guy, too. He must have been an old soul 🙂
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You are braver than I am – there is NO WAY that I would put that in my mouth. I had to shudder when I read that he took the rest out of your hand and ate it! Wow!
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I know, isn’t it crazy that he did that? I was just dumbfounded, because who eats cold cuts out of a stranger’s bare hands? I mean, sure, I look clean, but who knows where my hands might have been!
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Not only did he eat brains out of a stranger’s hand, it was a piece you’d already bitten out of!!! Ich. I’m thinking he was a wild one.
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I know!! Or he really, really loved his head cheese, so much that he couldn’t waste a single piece!
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Just the name alone, would have made me barfy. Also? A stranger called you Babe and ate out of your hand, is there more to the story? 🙂
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Ha ha, when you put it that way, it seems there should be more to the story! 🙂
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Trying something weird that’s bound to go poorly just because there could be a story in it. That’s what I call “Thinking Like Mike” 😉
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Ha ha, yep, I was modeling myself after you! Now you need to eat head cheese for your blog 🙂
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Oh geez, the challenge has been thrown…
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Yep! But do you have head cheese in Australia? If not, then eat something else equally disgusting 🙂
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You are really a sport , brave actually..I could have never tried that..No matter what!
Random Thoughts Naba – Turn Back Time……
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A sport. Brave. Stupid. Yeah, one of those 😉
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that is a bizarre encounter. ew.
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It definitely was kind of bizarre 🙂
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You got to eat chunky animal brain jelly & lived to blog about it. I’d say it was “win-win” but… CHUNKY ANIMAL BRAIN JELLY!!!
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Ha ha, yeah, it was worth the experience for blogging, but I know…chunky animal brain jelly! I will never be able to understand the attraction.
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You are braver than I am. I will never try head cheese.
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Well, at least now I know to never try it again!
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Yep. I grew up on the stuff. We used the hooves. Very gross, I know. I loved mine with tons of garlic and vinegar and salt. I have not carried on the tradition, as I cannot seem to put hooves into my grocery cart.
It’s been a long while since I’ve run into an interesting stranger. I’ve got to get out more.
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Hey! You’re the first person who has admitted to eating and liking head cheese! But I’m hoping you wouldn’t eat it out of a stranger’s hands 🙂
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I’m so glad you’re back on the grid! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to be sick.
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Thanks!! And, also…I’m sorry!! But it’s good to be back, seeing some familiar faces and lots of new ones, too!
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I want to say EW!!! But I can’t because I’ve never tried it. lol But ew just the same!
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Oh, no worries…you can say EW! It’s a myth that you have to try it first, as I’ve learned!
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The city dweller in me immediately assumed that the man at the counter wanted something from you. Glad my suspicions were unfounded. Although, I suppose, he did want you to try headcheese. You are one brave brave soul.
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That’s what people at work thought, that he must have wanted something or was hitting on me or some such thing. But, nope, he was a just a outgoing guy who has an abnormally strong attraction for head cheese!
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