The Not-So-Bizarre Food Andrew Zimmern Refuses To Eat

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Being a grown-up is great and all, but for many of us, childhood memories bring back the fond experiences of licking cake batter off whisks in the kitchen and, of course, sneaking bites of cookie dough straight from the tray. Unfortunately, neither of these habits is fully advisable — these kinds of baking mixtures often contain uncooked flour and raw eggs, both of which can cause food poisoning. However, many adults who technically know better still long for a taste of the good stuff — unless you're Andrew Zimmern, that is.

@andrew.zimmern

Why do people like raw cookie dough? It sucks. #hottake #cookiedough #andrewzimmern #askmeanything

♬ original sound – Andrew Zimmern

When asked what universally loved food he couldn't get behind, the Emmy-winning chef and "Bizarre Foods" host adamantly declared that cookie dough was on his miss-me list, calling it "terrible" and "not my thing." He admitted he's just too partial to the taste of baked cookies to find the dough — which is just "raw flour with sugar and other s***," he condemned — appealing.

Cookie dough lovers, brace yourselves, because Andrew Zimmern's stance actually makes a lot of sense — especially coming from a culinary professional with a trained and adventurous palate. When sugar and flour are baked, they undergo chemical processes — such as caramelization and the Maillard reaction — that transform their flavor from simply one-note and sweet to a far more complex and nuanced profile. The dough's undeveloped, saccharine nature is potentially just lackluster to a chef of Zimmern's caliber. If you don't relate, we get it — neither do we! — but we listen, and we don't judge.

Since raw eggs and uncooked flour carry risks of salmonella and E. coli, it's really best to just take a page out of Andrew Zimmern's book and avoid noshing on any mixtures that contain these ingredients. However, don't lose all hope yet — if you're craving that nostalgic sugar rush, you still have several safe options.

Some brands actually sell cookie dough that's specifically designed to be able to be eaten either baked or raw, such as DŌ and Doich Foods. Other popular labels will note on their packaging if their cookie dough is safe to consume straight out of the container, pouch, or sleeve. Pillsbury's Ready to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is an excellent choice, as is Sweet Loren's Gluten Free & Vegan Sugar Cookie Dough.

If you want to be a little more involved in the creative process, you can always whip up your own treats at home. Three-ingredient, no-bake cookie balls call only for packaged, dry cookies (think Oreos or your favorite Lotus Biscoff Sandwich flavor), cream cheese, and whatever candy coating or mix-in you'd like. Looking for something more sophisticated? This macadamia brown butter cashew cookie dough is anything but boring — in fact, we suspect even Zimmern would approve. Just ensure you make the flour yourself from processed oats, or confirm that the store-bought kind you pick up was made with heat-treated oats, as not all commercial products are safe to consume raw.