Florida Dad Makes Daughter’s Boyfriend Eat 12-Year-Old Beef to ‘Earn’ Marriage Approval: ‘Some Families Need Therapy’
Florida — Family traditions can be awkward, uncomfortable, or simply misunderstood — but one alleged Florida household ritual has left the internet deeply unsettled after a man claimed his girlfriend’s father demanded he eat 12-year-old beef as a condition for marrying his daughter.
The bizarre story surfaced in a viral Facebook post, where the unnamed boyfriend said his girlfriend’s father presented him with a slab of ancient meat that had allegedly been sitting in the family’s possession for over a decade.
“My girlfriend’s dad genuinely expected me to sit down and eat 12-year-old beef that’s been rotting in his fridge,” the man wrote. “If I eat it, it’s the only way I’m allowed to marry his daughter.”
‘Entrance Exam’ to Marriage
According to the post, the father framed the challenge as a long-standing family ritual, claiming that every man who married into the family had to pass the same test. The beef, described as discolored and deeply unappetizing, was allegedly brought out during a serious conversation about marriage.
Rather than accepting the challenge, the boyfriend said he immediately backed out — not just from the ritual, but from the relationship itself.
“I blocked my girlfriend,” he added. “Because if this is the entrance exam, I don’t even want to see the final boss.”
He ended the post bluntly: “Some families have traditions. Some families need therapy.”
Father in law expected us to eat 12 year old beef.
byu/Ok_Pension_1451 inmildlyinfuriating
Was It Really ‘Rotting’ Beef?
As the story spread, internet sleuths noticed a twist. A nearly identical image of the meat later appeared on Reddit’s r/mildlyinfuriating, where the description differed slightly. In that post, the beef was reportedly stored in a deep freezer, not a refrigerator, and the father allegedly offered it simply because he didn’t want the meat to go to waste.
That discrepancy raised questions about whether the story was exaggerated, misrepresented, or even partially fabricated. Still, the core detail remained the same: the meat was approximately 12 years old.
Internet Divided Over Food Safety — Not the Marriage Rule
The comment sections quickly split into two camps. Some users were horrified by the idea of eating meat frozen for more than a decade. Others argued that, from a purely technical standpoint, frozen beef can remain safe indefinitely if stored properly.
One Reddit commenter claiming to be a food engineer wrote that deep-frozen meat wouldn’t necessarily be dangerous, though its taste and texture would almost certainly be unpleasant. Another recalled growing up with relatives who lived through the Great Depression and regularly consumed extremely tough, aged cuts of meat out of necessity.
Even so, most users agreed on one thing: forcing someone to eat ancient meat as a prerequisite for marriage is deeply unsettling.
‘Not a Test Anyone Should Have to Pass’
Regardless of whether the beef was technically safe or truly “rotting,” many people felt the situation crossed a line. Marriage approval rituals, critics argued, shouldn’t involve coercion, humiliation, or potential health risks.
At minimum, commenters said, the demand raised red flags about control, boundaries, and what future family dynamics might look like.
As one user summed it up: “Even if the beef won’t kill you, the situation should be enough to walk away.”
What do you think — harmless tradition, bizarre power play, or internet exaggeration? Share your thoughts and stay tuned for more viral and offbeat stories at CabarrusWeekly.
