At the risk of the thread becoming hopelessly racist... a lot of African (especially West African) cuisine is pretty off-the-charts in regards to a Western palate.
I guess it's because it's a combination of 'très exotique' ingredients and a very humble 'peasant cooking' non-aesthetic...
Ergo, a stew of Giant African Snail with a cassava dumpling isn't jazzed up all haute cuisine stylee with foams and a sprig of parsely, but just comes on a normal plate as a splurge of brown slime with a pallid cyst like accompaniment.
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