Back in the day, I was a big fan of tropical fruits and, as you probably guessed, durian was at the top of my list of desires. I'd read a lot about its incredible taste and even more incredible smell. And so, after several years of dreaming, in 2018 I went to China and there, at some street diner in Guangzhou, I finally tried it... What can I tell you? Really tasty, but the absolutely hellish smell completely discouraged me not only from the taste, but also from further fascination with this kind of fruit.
In fact, there are now over 7 billion people in the world, and about the same number of taste preferences in food. What is an undoubted delicacy for many can literally turn others inside out just with its taste. And here is a special selection by Bored Panda based on a viral thread in the AskReddit community dedicated to just such foods, meals and drinks...
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Intestines/innards of any kind and solid portions of fat on meat. One of my husband's favorite dishes is barbequed intestines (Japanese barbecue) and I can smell its appeal, but I physically can't deal with the texture. And it really saddens me because I've always wanted to eat menudo and I know the soup is bomb AF 😭. I think I have some sort of fat/chewy PTSD from when I was forced to eat gristle off of meat as a kid.
Black licorice. I've accepted my DNA just can't stand the stuff.
Let's start, perhaps, with the main question - why do people generally differ in their taste preferences in food? Here the answer, as usual, is quite simple - it’s in our genome. In 2004, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, showed, for example, that our smell receptors are associated with a part of the genome that has a higher number of variations than the rest of the DNA.
And the more variations, the more differences in taste. So, literally the same steak will be perceived by two different people in completely different ways. Simply because they have different perceptions of taste at the biological level.
Tripe
More like a steamed bun. Could be stuffed with pork, chicken, cream, custard etc.
Most definitely Brussel Sprouts. I've tried them in so many forms and yet I still hate them.
Initially, this feature helped people survive. A classic example is why the vast majority of people don't like bitter tastes. The thing is that for ancient people, this taste was strongly associated with the presence of toxins in food, and therefore such food had to be spat out quickly, or even better, not eaten at all. Thousands and thousands of years have passed since then, humanity has come a long way in development, but the ancient protective mechanism remains.
And, of course, the psychological factor plays a huge role in our taste perception of food. For example, if we were taught from childhood that some dish is tasteless or even disgusting, then dislike for it can spread into adulthood. Or, let’s say, we once had a bad experience with some vegetable or fruit (like, for example, I had with durian). But overcoming such food prejudice can sometimes be very difficult.
Kombucha, smells like stinky feet and taste like vinegar to me.
Lamb. I tried... really
Lamb is SOOOOOOO nice. When it falls of the bone. Lovely.
Beer, of any kind. It always makes me very nauseous.
I always feel nauseous after drinking beer. After about 10 pints or so.
On the other hand, our culinary preferences are quite flexible - and once we try something delicious, we stick to it for the long run. In any case, all the factors that influence our perception of food can be divided into three groups: innate taste preferences, which are determined by human evolution, the physical characteristics of food (texture, temperature and whatnot) and our previous experience of interacting with this taste (or smell - sorry, I’m reminiscing about that very durian over and over...)
I know this is a drink, but sparkling water. I like some flavors, but I can’t stand that after taste. Bleh
Wine. Every year I'll try it around the holidays with family and it's still gross
Octopus.
The texture just isn't for me. I want to like it. The flavor is fine, just can't get over the chewing experience.
I like it, but have pretty much stopped eating it. Feel guilty about eating such an intelligent animal.
Perhaps some of the stories told by people in this selection will seem absolutely strange and weird to you. On the contrary, you will completely agree with some. In any case, please feel free to scroll this list to the very end, give your ‘likes’ to the most interesting submissions and for sure share your own experience of interacting with some foods or drinks. Maybe your special story will be no less tasty and delicious than the most popular meals ever!
Overnight oats. They're basically lumpy, cold snot in my throat first thing in the morning. I gag just thinking about adding chia seeds.
Olives. I've tried many varieties. I always try them because they look like they'd be good but they're just not.
Spicy food. Never have been able to eat it.
When people brag about heat. What's the point if it overrides all the favour and your food geysers out a couple of hours later?
Peeps, the Easter sugared candy. I like to think I can digest anything covered in sugar BUT NOT THAT....
Caviar .
The salty /fishy /cold/ bubble tea texture combo makes me retch . Smoked salmon too - I’m a terrible one for cold fishy amuse-bouche.
Tofu. I’m trying to be more health conscious and environmentally friendly with my eating habits. I’ve tried tofu several different ways, but haven;t found a flavor/style I like enough to keep eating.
Matcha ! Just tastes like grass to me
100% agree. It is just blended grass. But not even good grass. Blended crappy city grass.
Celery
Ham. Even like, “good” ham. My parents used to make the premade hams from Walmart and it smelled like skunk and tasted weird.
Sweet potatoes
I like a nice asked sweet potato, dripping with butter and sprinkled with brown sugar. Yum. I also make a killer sweet potato casserole—-no marshmallows, but whipped sweet potatoes with a brown sugar and pecans topping. Yum.
I can’t drink egg nog. Every year I give it a shot and try to like it, but I just can’t.
Durian.
I went to a restaurant that served all the types of durian on a platter, all the way up to musang king. Hated every bite.
My fellow Asians judge me for hating it, but I refuse to be shamed. My American palate won't let me like it.
There's a reason they're banned on public transport in Asia.
One of those things that make you wonder how they were tried in the first place. Was it a dare? Did someone say "Ooo look! A big greenish brown spike ball that smells like death! Let's cut it open and dig in!"
Any kind of mushroom, its not the texture there is always a taste that i cant do for some reason
NOOOOOOOOOOO! Mushrooms are our saviours. Mushrooms are the future.
Pork. Idk i remember eating it before when i was young but one day i just don't like everything about it even the smell.
Any kind of Fish and seafood. I just want nothing to do with it. The texture, the smell, none of it. Even typing this is making me gag. Don’t like turkey or lamb either tbh.
watermelon. i try it again when someone says "OMG this is the best watermelon," and i can tell that's it's good watermelon but i still very much dislike it. really wish i did enjoy it. EDIT: lots of suggestions for adding tajin. never heard of that but I'll give it a go! i fully believe in trying things before disliking them, and even trying different combos or variations, etc. cheers! EDIT 2: i shouldn't be, but i am surprised how many other folks dislike it. i wonder if it's genetic, like disliking cilantro (i love it), or being able to smell asparagus pee (i can, my wife can't)
Raw tomatoes many times
A well flavoured, ripe tomato with a sprinkle of salt is heaven. The sad excuse for a salad tomato that you get from the supermarket is not even close…
Ketchup 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢
I’ve never understood the love of ketchup. Or most bottled sauces like it.
Grape-Nuts. I hated them as a kid but as an adult I decided to try them again, thinking maybe my tastebuds had matured by then. Nope. They were still just as awful as I remembered.
Peas
Funny story. One of my brothers was hosting for Christmas and wanted to know what favorite veggies my youngest son liked. Peas. So my brother bought the best canned peas ever - Le Sieur - and gave a great portion to my son. While eating my son pushed all the peas to one side and ate the rest of his plate. When my brother saw that, he asked why he was putting the peas aside. My son's response "those are not peas". Turns out, I didn't specify we had a huge garden (30' x 80') and he would walk the garden and pick-up peas and eat them as is. I thought it was hilarious. All my brothers were surprised I didn't buy canned food.
Cold cheese. Yeah I'm weird. Melted cheese is amazing though
I'm sad for many of these people.
Most of these comments are from people whose parents let them eat mac & cheese and Dino nuggets or hotdogs every meal. Seriously, this is all people with no flavor palette. If all you know are bland foods, that's all you will eat.
Hm, I agree with cca 15 entries on this list and cca 10 more I have never gotten the chance to try. But I also never had mac and cheese nor nuggets in my life; I grew up in Yugoslavia, it wasn't a thing there😁 I have never tried ready-to-eat meal (instant or canned or frozen) until university, I lived exclusively on nice home-cooked meals. But I was picky as hell, still am to a certain extent.
Like to see you eat Greenland shark meat then. An absolute rotten shark that smells like p**s but should be of no problem for a flavour paletteeur like urself 😁
I come from Scandinavians, from people actually born in Norway and Denmark. Salt cod and disgusting fish are in my wheel house lol. Not sure why you're getting downvoted.
I was surprised to see "regular" food on this list. Tell me you don't like spam, meatloaf, or aspics, then I might understand. I like meatloaf BTW; I have 3 good recipes.
Ooooo! I love meatloaf and had it for dinner just last night. You don't hear about people having more than one special meatloaf recipe very often. What are the differences... if you don't mind sharing? I'm super curious now!
I'll get back to you on this one; I have to check if they are in French or English. I would like to try yours, though. Edit: My oldest recipe is in French; give me a few days.
I'm sad for many of these people.
Most of these comments are from people whose parents let them eat mac & cheese and Dino nuggets or hotdogs every meal. Seriously, this is all people with no flavor palette. If all you know are bland foods, that's all you will eat.
Hm, I agree with cca 15 entries on this list and cca 10 more I have never gotten the chance to try. But I also never had mac and cheese nor nuggets in my life; I grew up in Yugoslavia, it wasn't a thing there😁 I have never tried ready-to-eat meal (instant or canned or frozen) until university, I lived exclusively on nice home-cooked meals. But I was picky as hell, still am to a certain extent.
Like to see you eat Greenland shark meat then. An absolute rotten shark that smells like p**s but should be of no problem for a flavour paletteeur like urself 😁
I come from Scandinavians, from people actually born in Norway and Denmark. Salt cod and disgusting fish are in my wheel house lol. Not sure why you're getting downvoted.
I was surprised to see "regular" food on this list. Tell me you don't like spam, meatloaf, or aspics, then I might understand. I like meatloaf BTW; I have 3 good recipes.
Ooooo! I love meatloaf and had it for dinner just last night. You don't hear about people having more than one special meatloaf recipe very often. What are the differences... if you don't mind sharing? I'm super curious now!
I'll get back to you on this one; I have to check if they are in French or English. I would like to try yours, though. Edit: My oldest recipe is in French; give me a few days.