You don't like that?!

[ArikaDawn]

Recently a conversation with my friends centered around widely loved foods that I just don't like. They were giving me a hard time(in good fun) because a lot of the food I love, they find weird, but some foods I dislike, they thought EVERYONE enjoyed.

The list includes
-hollandaise
-parmigiano reggiano(I stil use it in recipes that call for it, but don't find it special)
-bacon and/or cheese on burgers
-french fries
-potato chips
-ribs
-chicken noodle soup
-snickers

Ever had the experience of not loving a widely accepted food and being the odd (wo)man out?

Arika
http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com

[Sooeygun]

I don't like a lot of fruits. I find they taste like perfume. So when everyone is excited about peach season, they don't understand why I'm not. My mom has trouble remembering and keeps offering me peach pie to take home.

Soft drinks. I don't like anything carbonated.

[Pampatz]

I agree with most things on your list. I don't see the allure of french fries unless they are prepared like the ones I have had in France and Belguim.
My additions to the list:
Brussel sprouts
Asparagus
Lima beans
Coffee
Milk
Mangos and Papayas
Pam

[Veggo]

Mangos? When you can buy them "para hoy" in Michoacan? I'm surprised..

[Sam Fujisaka]

I doubt that everyone supposedly loves brussels sprouts, and Lima beans.

[pikawicca]

Yeah, you were right, Sam, IMHO. I love roasted Brussels sprouts and pureed Limas, but my family won't touch either.

[Emme]

mangos and papayas - here, here - i think they taste like dirt

[amyzan]

I get that dirt flavor from a mango every once in a blue moon. I've never had an ataulfo (called champagne, too?) taste that way, though.

[CeeBee]

Ketchup. I hate ketchup. I'll put anything but ketchup on my fries (mayo, malt vinegar, ranch dressing, honey, brown gravy).

[Emme]

that's hilarious. i'll put ketchup on anything.

[asiansensation007]

i totally agree. i hate ketchup and think it ruins a perfectly delicious french fry. Now mayonnaise on the other hand i think is a perfect fried spud condiment

[emerilcantcook]

Third here. I cannot stand it. I once bought some in the early 2000s, you know, just in case I need it, and then discovered the un-opened bottle 7 years later. It was maroon in color, and even more scarier than its natural state.

[vorpal]

Agree. Ketchup is my most reviled condiment. I can't help but look down on it. The only thing I use it for is to put a glaze on a meatloaf.

[Googs]

While I don't put ketchup ON anything I will put it in. Hard to make a good bbq sauce without it.

[Gio]

I don't like most sweets, especially chocolate. Rarely have dessert.
Recently I added green papaya to my Do-Not-Like list.

[ItaliAnna]

Gio, at least you tried green papaya. Kudos for bravery. :)

[pickledtink]

Hmm..I agree about the potato chips, for the most part, though I did have ones that were freshly-made which were pretty good. Others on my list:
Olives (Olive oil is just fine though)
Strawberries (they are ok if really, really ripe)
Chicken Wings
Rasins
Peanuts
Bananas (its a texture thing)
Orange, Apple and Grape juice
I am allergic to dairy products, so whenever people rave about great pizza/cheese/ice cream/milk chocolate I am automatically out of the conversation. If/when I explain that I can't eat dairy products their reaction is "But how do you LIVE?".

[Bonnie Celt]

pickledtink, I'm mostly with you on this one.

Olives and raisins gross me out, and while I *LOVE* dairy, it makes me sick. I have been known to damn the torpedos and eat ice cream now and then and just suffer the consequences.

[Emme]

some similarities here...
hate olives *and* olive oil
hate bananas - taste not texture
oranges
strawberries (and i'm allergic)
avocadoes and guacamole (people don't seem to get that *their* guacamole will taste no better than anyone else's because it's still made from avocadoes)
mangos, papayas
bell peppers
ginger
cilantro
salmon
coconut
black beans, actually most beans are not yummy to me
blue cheeses
white potatoes (love the skin though)
nuts (except pistachios)

gosh, i sound impossible to feed.

[Catskillgirl]

Oooh, finally someone else who doesn't like black beans! I do love every other kind I've tried, but something about the black beans just turns me off. Not the appearance, it's the flavor.

[PattiCakes]

I like Emme's comment about the guacamole. I like guacamole, but can also understand that some people don't. Why do people continue to advocate for a food choice even when they know the person they are talking to/eating with doesn't like that food choice? Is it a rejection thing? Example: I like avocados. You don't like avocados. That must mean you don't like me, or I am not worthy.

I also get annoyed when my husband gets into this "come on, try it" war with me or with one of the kids. Why can't people accept that sometimes you just don't want to "try it"? It's not that you are rejecting THEM, you are just rejecting that particular food at that particular time.

Food I don't like:

eggs that looke like eggs, with a separate yolk and white. Scrambled or in an omlette are just fine. Not egg salad. I know, weird.

Fish, if I have to prepare it. If it's prepared by & served to me by someone else, that's OK.

There are also a bunch of things I HATED as a kid, but now like:

brussel sprouts
lima beans
ham
scrapple

[gini]

The way your husband asks you to try something is completely between the two of you, but you just answered your own question about why people may ask you to try something: things you hated in the past you may like now. Tastes change.

[PattiCakes]

Gini, I'm sorry if I hit a nerve with you; it's possible you did not grasp my point. It's not the initial offering of "come on, try it", it's the 3rd, 4th 5th or 6th insistance when it has become patently obvious thay the potential "trier" really doesn't to try it at that point. It's the "you really don't understand what' you like or not so I am going to force you to be educated in order to raise you tastes to the lofty level of my tastes". It's also the underlying attitude that someone else's tastes are better than yours. And it's not just my husband. Here's a sample conversation: "What! You don't like cheese? How can you not like cheese? Come on, try a bite. No, come on try some. I know you'll like it if you just try it. Hey Joe, can you believe she doesn't like cheese? Aw, come on try it. You won't even try it? You may like it, you know. Well, I guess you'll just never know what you are missing."

Yes, our tastes change, but they should be allowed to change in their own good time. Maybe it's me, but I tend to appreciate something more if I have some ownership or control in the discovery and the process.

[gini]

You don't like cheese?!?! :P J/K.

[keith2000]

wow this conversation really struck a nerve with me. There are thousands of different cheeses in the world all with different tastes and textures all completely different from one another. I hate gouda ,ok. I hate american cheese, fine. I hate swiss, I will accept. I hate all cheese, no way now you have crossed a line. That is like me not liking a chair and saying "i hate furniture." Just silly unless you are lactose intolerant in which case you should still love cheese but hate the cramping.

[Solstice444]

Exactly. I spoke below about 2 coworkers of mine who hate all cheese. Just doesn't make sense to me!

[NicoleFriedman]

I am not lactose intolerant and I hate ALL cheese. Why is that hard to believe? And yes, I have tried numerous kinds over many many years. Just the smell of parm makes me queasy and the bagel guys know to make mine with lox, NO cream cheese or there will be wrath to pay! :} The only exception is possibly ricotta, but only in cake form, and only if made so sweet that I cannot tell there is any cheese in there:} How is my dislike of cheese silly when I am an adult and clearly know that I simply do not like it?

[Solstice444]

I guess the reason why I find it hard to believe is that it's sort of like someone saying they hate all fruit, or all vegetables, or all meat. Just like parmesan cheese is totally different from cheddar, and has a totally different flavor and texture, an apple is totally different than a banana. I guess in my experience people don't tend to hate entire groups of something like that. I guess that's why it doesn't make sense to me. I'm sorry if I offended!

[NicoleFriedman]

No offence taken:} I must admit though it can be frustrating even though I understand where you are coming from- because I've had to explain numerous times "Yes I've tried gouda, cheddar, ricotta, parm, soft cheese, semi hard cheese, hard cheese, french cheese, cheese from antarctica..." Admittedly I've never tried Sardinian maggot cheese, but then again I doubt most people have either:} At some point, they do get it! :}

[Jacey]

I'm with you Nicole, I DON'T like cheese. I think it's so overrated. The only one I can kind of handle is parm on occasion (only sprinkled).

[pikawicca]

My adult son loathes dairy, including cheese. Didn't get it from me, but he's been like that from birth.

[weewah]

Gini, hilarious!

[pikawicca]

Research suggests that many people have to try a new food 10 times before they come to like it.

[Emme]

it's so weird how pedantic and righteous people get about certain foods and getting people to love them/their food... my grandmother is notorious for this conversation:
Me: I don't like _____.
Her: Yes you do. You love it.
Me: No, I really don't.
Her: You love it; you ate it all the time with me as a kid. Don't be stupid.
Me: No, I really don't like it. I don't think I ate it as a kid, and if I did, I didn't like it.
Her: What the hell is the matter with you? With a mouth like that, you're not gonna have any friends.
Me: You're probably right.

"Come on, try it" is so irritating... I'll try anything once, unless it's made of inredients I'm allergic too and/or don't like... smothered in blue cheese? Not gonna like it. Filled w/ bananas? I'm sure, thanks. Made w/ gluten? Yes, yours too will upset my stomach, I'm certain.

[piccola]

I'm going to argue the other side of this. My boyfriend has some pretty particular tastes, and there are some things he just doesn't like. I respect that.

BUT there are tons of things he hasn't tried and just assumes he won't like - like, say, pesto or Indian food. I know he likes similar things (ie, basil for the pesto) but he just doesn't want to try something unfamiliar.

It's really hard for me when we eat together if he won't even give new foods a chance before ruling them out. If he tries something and still doesn't like it, fair enough - but at least try a bite off my plate.

[goodhealthgourmet]

piccola, i feel your pain on this one. my sister is the same way. she insists that she just *knows* she won't like certain things, so she refuses to try them. i just don't get that. HOW can you know what something will taste like if you've never tried it?? it drives me nuts.

she's never tasted shellfish of any kind - says she thinks she just won't like the taste & that it doesn't appeal to her...yet she'll eat tuna salad made with canned tuna, which is some of the fishiest stuff on the planet.

and she thinks I'M insane because i love herbs & spicy food, and i don't like most of the stuff she lives on, like ice cream, milk chocolate, sugared cereals, bottled salad dressing, & ketchup.

people are weird.

[kubasd]

I'm the same way with my boyfriend!!! It drives me nuts! He just won't try anything, and thinks I'm weird for eating what I do.

[amtriska]

I'm with both PattiCakes and Piccola. Regarding Piccola's point, I get frustrated when someone refuses to try something just once -- how can you assume you won't like something before you know what it tastes like?

On the other hand (PattiCakes' point), if it's the third or fourth time someone's tried something and they really don't like it, it's rude to keep trying. I may not be picky with my food, but it's no personal insult to me if other people are.

[piccola]

Late reply, but yes -- after a couple tries, don't push it. Nobody likes being nagged.

[scoutmom1973]

I'll try to get my kids to sample new foods and expand their horizons, but I don't push. If they see me enjoying it they'll get curious eventually. :)

[somervilleoldtimer]

The problem is that people become picky, picky, picky with perfectly good food, and then they expect me to respect their pickiness! Why on earth would I respect that? I may acknowledge it, but I don't think pickiness in food is any more worthy of respect than pickiness in anything else. There are about three foods that I really don't like, and I don't eat them, but I also don't expect anyone to give me respect for my choices. Somehow it seems weird to me that the whole thing gets mixed with "respect." Then what about the respect that picky eaters should give those of us who eat nearly anything?

Sorry -- it's late and it's possible this is just a rant.

[somervilleoldtimer]

The problem is that people become picky, picky, picky with perfectly good food, and then they expect me to respect their pickiness! Why on earth would I respect that? I may acknowledge it, but I don't think pickiness in food is any more worthy of respect than pickiness in anything else. There are about three foods that I really don't like, and I don't eat them, but I also don't expect anyone to give me respect for my choices. Somehow it seems weird to me that the whole thing gets mixed with "respect." Then what about the respect that picky eaters should give those of us who eat nearly anything?

Sorry -- it's late and it's possible this is just a rant. (Now this isn't a duplicate post -- the other one isn't saving!)

[EWSflash]

Damn- I feel the exact same way! Thanks for pointing that out. It seems to me that picky people tend to think of us nonpicky types as being not very discriminating, or even gluttonous, for reasons I don't understand. To let themselves feel superior, perhaps?

I usually try to keep it to myself, but I will say that I never would have married a picky eater, though. Life's too short.

One more thing- I wouldn't dream of looking at your meal and saying "ewwwww- how can you eat that?"- and I expect the exact same courtesy from you. "Respect", my eye.

[keith2000]

It isn't always a rejection thing Patti. Understand that there is a ton of otherwise deliscious food that is prepared very badly. You gave the example of guacamole. Guac is one of those blank canvas foods (much like potatoes). It can taste like pretty much anything depending on how the cook makes it. I have had a lot of very bad guac in my day but I still love it because I know it's potential. I simply hate definitive statements. To say that "I hate all guac!" is such a closed minded statement to me. This is when I advocate for a food. If I feed a person the best guac on the planet and they still don't like it then fine i accept that. If someone has only eaten that garbage in the plastic tub then I simply can't accept that as a catalyst to hate the food forever. Also, kudos to your husband. Kids should have to try new things otherwise you get young adults who won't eat anything but fried chicken fingers.

[stephanieh]

I hate all guac. How would you prepare guac to change my mind? What is the best guac on the planet?

[laliz]

you'll never get consensus on the best guac on the planet

[keith2000]

Nevermind. Not the point of my post.

[stephanieh]

Your point seemed to be that if someone said they didn't like something, you became a "food advocate" (in your own words). Yet, you refuse to help me like guac, which was the example you chose. So, instead, can you provide any example where your food advocacy worked and you brought someone over from the dark side?

[keith2000]

ok steph you win. I can't help you. I could say a lot more but I am sure that you would only see the parts that make you right and me wrong. This conversation makes me both bored and sad.

[vtnewbie]

Nope, you're neither bored nor sad. You just don't want to invest the brain power in an argument.

[beachmouse]

I didn't like guac until I was in my 30s, and it had nothing to do with how it was prepared. It was just the texture of mashed avacado itself that turned me off on it- didn't like the mouth feel at all. Tried it again after a couple year gap, and I didn't have the same texture issues about it that I used to.

And you can find some decent grocery store guac these days. Our preferred brand brags that it is 97% avacado, and has a minimal but nice mix of spices added to it. (And oddly enough, it costs the same per tub as the stuff next to it that is like 60% sour cream)

[stephanieh]

Thanks beachmouse! I may be ready to give guac another shot, if I can find one that's mostly avocado. I think my issues were mostly with texture as well, but I don't remember liking the flavor either. I'll admit, it's been awhile, but we eat Mexican food out all the time, and every now and then they sneak some on my plate (which used to gross me out). It's one of the only things I can think of that I have an issue with the actual color, as well as texture and taste. We recently went out with friends who ordered some as an appetizer and they were enjoying it so much, I was a little curious. But, I didn't want to try it in front of them (in case I made a weird face). They weren't exactly offering to share, either. (And, contrary to what a lot of CHs believe, I wasn't screaming at them "OMG I can't believe you're eating that foul disgusting stuff". I wasn't even thinking it. I was thinking, "maybe that's better than what I remembered".) It did look different than what I've seen before. It kind of had a fresher more homemade look. I'll see if I can get past my issues.

[Louise]

Sometimes the guac has a high proportion of what I would think of as salsa ingredients, chopped tomato etc. So mixing some salsa into the guac might help, or then, you might decide you'd ruined some perfectly good salsa.

I understand about it being a texture thing, that's my problem too with most foods I don't like. Don't get me started about raw celery.

[goodhealthgourmet]

Louise - i'm always curious about people's texture issues [i have a couple of my own]. what is it specifically about the texture of celery that turns you off? stringiness?

[kubasd]

The strings!! ugh... I shudder just to think of it, it sends shivers down my spine, seriously.... And the same with the pith of oranges... Removing it has become such a chore that I've abandoned eating oranges entirely... solely clementines for me :(

[Davedigger]

Hmmm. Weird. I don't mind raw celery, but am not a fan of cooked. Same with green peppers. And texture has nothing to do with it. Jello on the other hand... <shudders>

[silleehillee]

I also hate raw celery...and bok choy for the same reason. Not only is it the stringiness and smell, it's the sound in my head it makes when I crunch on it.

Now I feel crazy. :P

[goodhealthgourmet]

i, for one, don't think you're crazy, silleehillee. the mere thought of dried coconut of squeaking between my teeth makes me shudder.

[Solstice444]

I don't like raw celery either, but really just b/c of the taste...I feel like it tastes like nothing. I think it's b/c my mom craved celery when she was pregnant with me. I must've gotten sick of it in the womb!

[stephanieh]

As a follow up... we ate at a Mexican restaurant today, and my meal came with guac on the side. I tasted it... just a really tiny bite... and then another... and it wasn't as disagreeable as I'd thought it would be. I can't say I like it yet. There's still a bit of a texture issue. Not to mention that this particular guac seemed to have the high ratio of sour cream that beachmouse noted. (And I love sour cream, so can't figure out why that's a turn off when it's in guac, but it is). Baby steps.

[tomwaller66]

I'm with Keith. My wife is free to choose whatever she likes to satisfy her tastes, but the kids are required to try things that they've never had before. That's no problem for my daughter - she understands that if she tries it and doesn't like it, I'm OK with that and she never has to try it again. My son, on the other hand, is a much more difficult case - he has Asperger's Syndrome and has an extremely limited list of things he'll eat. When he was 6 that list included about 10 things, and 2 years later we've got it up to about 20. But he still knows he has to try it, and eventually he does. And he is one of those kids that used to love something and now will refuse to eat it, until he's made to try it again, then he loves it again...go figure.

And thanks to Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution I was able to show my kids how chicken nuggets are made - they won't touch them now, and I'm grateful. One more processed garbage item that they don't ask for.

[Fromageball]

Ditto on the fish...I love most kinds but for some reason have trouble eating it when I prepare it.

[Davedigger]

I didn't realize there were others like this! Imagine catching fresh pickerel on a fly-in fishing trip but having to find someone to cook it for you!

[dvsndvs]

To some, cilantro takes like soap, it is thought to be genetic. I love it, but you may want to visit ihatecilantro.com.

[sisterfunkhaus]

I hate cilantro. It does taste like soap. It's foul and nasty!!! I can eat it in small amounts in salsa or guac, but if I can smell it, or see large pieces, then it probably tastes way too strong.

[EWSflash]

That's how I feel bout dill, but I could eat my way through a field of cilantro and love every bite.

[Passadumkeg]

I could eat both fields!

[iluvtennis]

Being from Louisiana, my family eats a lot of cajun food, seafood, and the like...i think i am the only one in my family who doesn't care for shrimp. I used to hate when my mom would boil a big pot of shrimp and smell up the whole house...my family still gives me a hard time about not liking it.

[givemecarbs]

Two of my good friends won't eat shrimp but enjoy crab. Shrug.

[jcattles]

I don't like shrimp either. I keep trying it, but nope, just don't like it. I love crab and can tolerate lobster in small amounts, but no shrimp!

[piccola]

I'm not a fan of most cakes, candy and chocolate. And I hate frosting - even if it's homemade, it's just too much.

I also don't really like heavy or rich foods, ie, cream sauces or super cheesy casseroles, whatever.

On the other hand, I haven't met a fruit or vegetable I didn't like, even the so-called gross ones like okra and Brussels sprouts.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i'm with piccola on everything except chocolate.

and i have to add orange juice, apple juice, American cheese, dark chicken or turkey meat, & coconut.

oh, and ham. i love bacon, prosciutto, pancetta...but not ham.

[piccola]

Oh, I forgot about juice! Blech.

And I don't hate chocolate, I just don't love or crave it. I can go without. (Note: Chocolate bars like Snickers, etc, are the only kind of chocolate that actually tastes gross to me.

[starlady]

I'm with you on the chocolate thing, most of my gfs think I'm crazy, but they love coming over because my Mum sends chocolate in care packages all the time that I never eat!
Also with GHG, don't like ham but bacon, prosciutto, etc is all great stuff.
Also can't stand processed cheese, orange juice, coffee, I'm sure I'll think of others...

[keith2000]

Tasso ham is very different from the ham you are talking about. Most ham is booty but Tasso is special especially if you like prosciutto I think you might like it.

[kubasd]

I'm with you on the American Cheese.... I won't eat anything that has american cheese on it, it just grosses me out! Ugh, it tastes like chemicals

[tomwaller66]

Ever tried pound cake? I hate most cakes and all icings/frostings, but I love me some pound cake!

[piccola]

Pound cake is OK, actually. I still like muffins better though.

[EWSflash]

Can't see any reason to make or eat pound cake- i'm not sure why but it seems really blah to me. Same with muffins, especially the blueberry kind- a sad waste of blueberries.

[linguafood]

Don't get that whole blah dough thing, either. Blueberries are best picked off the bush and eaten right away. Or maybe in some milk. I am very specific about dough, though. It rhymes.

[Catskillgirl]

Pound cake is ok if it's used as to sandwich something yummy, say rich chocolate buttercream, or fresh strawberries & whipped cream. On its own it's a useless item.....

[Richard 16]

Good thread!

Pork products, including bacon. I find that it makes dishes heavy, with a greasy mouth feel.
Chicken stock. I don't hate it; I just find it pushes dishes in the same direction and there usually are far more appropriate ways to add roundness, salt, and umami.
Dinner mints and candy canes.
Dried, flaked, coconut - except in macaroons.
Most "jalepanoed" things. They have their place, but not in chips, cornbread, etc.
Provel "cheese" on a pizza. (It's a St. Louis thing.)

There's more, but that's it for now!

[swsidejim]

tofu - no flavor, hate the texture
salmon - salmon loaf ruined this fish for me

[kubasd]

psst.... tofu actually has a great flavor.... I use it in salads to create a creamy tasty dressing... but I guess that's my opinion, and i respect yours.... even if i'm fighting myself to stop me from trying to change it...... lol

[pikawicca]

I make a wicked tofu pie that would have you screaming for more (seriously).

[Chew on That]

Ooh totally! I really don't like onions very much. I've been able to tolerate them lately but I prefer my dishes without onions.

Other things...I really don't like pumpkin pie and everyone else seems to love it! I'm also not a fan of chicken wings (though I love boneless) or any sort of dark meat chicken. I've been chastised for this many a time!

[Sooeygun]

I would never chastise you for not liking dark meat. I don't like it either. But I don't personally know anyone else who doesn't like it.

[food kitten]

I don't like dark meat either - you're not alone!

I also don't like pasta.....I can sometimes tolerate eating it when it's part of a bigger dish. But I hate the smell of it cooking.

[MaxCaviar]

wow, i couldn't imagine a world without pasta. i've never heard that one before. what about the smell of rice, barley, polenta, et cet.?

[food kitten]

Rice makes me a little queasy cooking too, but everything else I'm fine with.....
I think it's bad childhood/college memories of eating pasta night after night after night after.......

[Catskillgirl]

I'm so with you on the dark meat - I just don't like it. I do try it from time to time, but nope, I just don't like it. And the closer to the bone the less appealing it is to me. To me dark meat chicken or turkey has a slimey feel to it, regardless of how it's prepared. I guess that's why so many people think that white meat is dry - they *like* that slimy feeling!

[ArikaDawn]

Add me to the no dark meat list!

[Solstice444]

Yes! Dark meat is definitely slimy!

Coffee
Pork chops
Bananas
Orange Juice
Oranges
Grapefruit
Milk chocolate, plain in a bar (like Hershey's chocolate bar)...I don't like smores unless they are made with dark chocolate! But I'll eat Milky Ways or Snickers, as long as it's not a plain milk chocolate bar.
Steak (I'll eat it if it's on the menu at a bat mitzvah or something, which was the case earlier this year, but never go out of my way to order it...I really just don't see the appeal!)

As for potato chips, I really don't like plain potato chips, but I like almost any potato chip flavor. Just would never buy plain or eat plain!

[augustiner]

i can barely tolerate white meat and my sister won't go near dark meat. growing up, that made holiday dinners really easy on my family. the only thing we fought over was who had to do the dishes.

[brandywiner]

I'm with you on dark meat. Partly due to my upbringing; everything was cooked well-done-plus, and only the dark meat had any flavor! (Seems to be a common malady in Irish-American households....) Even now, I think that white meat poultry is almost tasteless.

Other items:

Cinnamon. On anything.
Coconut
Raspberry sauce/drizzle/filling on chocolate or coffee desserts. For a while in the 90's, it seemed that it was almost impossible to get a chocolate cake or tiramisu at a restaurant w/o some raspberry in t!
Melted cheese on sandwiches (including - especially - burgers); cheese on pasta and pizza is fine.
ANY cheese for breakfast. A waitress at a place I frequent for breakfast always gives me (good-natured) grief when I order my omelet w/o cheese. (Aside: The convenience store chain Wawa recently started making (well, assembling) breakfast biscuits to order; they used to be pre-made. I decided to give them a try one morning, only to find out that cheese was premixed into the eggs!)

Citrus fruits, though I like, and in a few cases love, juices and sauces made from them.

Tofu

[Greg B]

Onions. Especially raw onions. And very especially raw red onions, which seem to have permeated every restaurant plate thelast few years. I despise the things and spend far too much time separating them from the rest of my meal.

Also, I loathe eggs in most straight-up forms. Boiled, fried, scrambled, quiches, egg salad... all make me deadly nauseous.

Liver and/or pate.

Leeks (see onions).

Raw garlic or overdosing on cooked garlic. I like hummus when it has balance in the flavors, but most seem to use it just as a vehicle for garlic delivery..

One of the more frustrating things is going to a nice restaurant and perusing the menu, seeing all kinds of interesting dishes, and having many of them spoiled for me by one or more of the disliked things being added to the plate.

[Fromageball]

I totally understand the eggs...I'm like that part of the time, oddly, but part of the time not. If I think too much about the eggs they start to gross me out and I can't eat them. Not sure why...

[Catskillgirl]

I can eat eggs sometimes, but not if I have to smell them cooking. Bleh.

[Janet from Richmond]

Apples
Roasted Turkey
Cornish Game Hen
Bananas on their own
Poached eggs
Boiled eggs
Deviled eggs
Cottage Cheese

[Firegoat]

I feel so much better after reading this thread. I thought I was a horribly picky eater
:D

I don't like olives. Or an olive "spread" on a sandwich.
Or onions or chopped tomatoes or jalapenos chopped up and mixed into my food.

[DanaL55]

oh, goodness...thank you, firegoat! I feel better!
Olives top my list - the rare exception being the occasional one stuffed with bleu cheese and sitting in Grey Goose on the rocks...
Fennel, anything curry, and cilantro are also right up there!

[rockandroller1]

I don't like any seafood or shellfish of any kind. And YES, I've tried it, prepared all kinds of ways by the best chefs and in the greatest holes-in-the-wall. Everyone always says, "well, you just haven't had it prepared right." YES I HAVE! I think shrimp have the texture of ear cartilidge and they smell, and I think even the most mild whitefish is "fishy" tasting, I just don't like it. And yes, I've eaten sushi, yes, I've tried lobster, yes, I've tried all of it, I don't like it. It just seems unacceptable to so many people.

[Firegoat]

LOL BLESS YOU!
I love hearing someone say.... I just don't like this, completely unapologetically. I get so sick and dang tired of if we dare to say "i don't like this" the chobs will come down on us and insist that we really do, we just aren't doing it right.... or we're just white trash trailer park material.

[cyberroo]

Given a choice, I wouldn't eat anything that lives in water or swims. Period. And I've tried some of the best, prepared by amazing chefs (in the course of business - when you market fine dining, you eat what the chef prepares for the most part). Just don't like it.

[Blush]

I could just say "ditto" to this whole post. When people bug me about it I have decided to say, "well, then, there's more for you!"

[Pampatz]

I'm so with you on the fish.
Worst dinner I ever had was some kind of poached white fish on a bed of olive tapenade. Ugly, smelly with NO redeeming value. The worst part about it was that it was prepared by a new friend and we were eating in their home for the first time, so we had to eat it. Wonder what happened that couple. Haven't seen them in years.

[Avalondaughter]

I know exactly what you mean rockandroller. People are always telling me I should eat X type of fish, but it all tastes fishy to me. I can't stand shrimp and salmon is just vile tasting.

I guess I can understand people getting upset and dismayed and shocked when I tell them that. I get that way when people tell me they don't like chocolate.

[Emme]

im sooo with you on salmon... i don't like most fish, wish i liked salmon bc of the omega 3's and whatnot, but it tastes so metallic and fishy to me... yipe. same for swordfish. actually the only fish i don't mind is blackened halibut or blackened ahi (though it needs to be rare for me). everyone tries to tell me how "mild" whitefish is... no it's not. it tastes like fish. fishy fish. i do like lobster, but really only the claw. not a shrimp fan, and i've learned to like scallops (something id never thought would happen). can't stand mussel, clams, oysters, etc... texture and taste.

and i do eat sashimi, but only a couple fish that i don't find fatty or overly fishy. and i've tried whatever was put in front of me, so i'm not close-minded; it just hasn't worked out. :)

[soxchik]

I'm a vegetarian so people assume I like all vegatarian food. Not true - I'm a fairly picky eater (though I've tried to be less so). I prefer not to eat... olives (they are the one food I cannot eat at all), mushrooms, cheesecake, cream cheese, all stinky cheeses, goat cheese, cola, flan, peas by themselves, eggs with runny yolks, curry.

[maplesugar]

I'm in the don't like olives club too - hate walking by the briny bins in the grocery store even. Why is it most places insist on putting olives on vegetarian pizza? ick.

[piccola]

So just tell people you're vegan. :P At least the cheese and eggs won't be an issue. Won't help for the peas, though.

[soxchik]

I'm replying to my own post because of a funny incident the other evening. I went out for a celebration dinner to a fine restaurant with arguably one of the best chefs in town. Amazing, fresh ingredients, inventive and stunning preparation. I had the tasting menu and one of the dishes was primarily freshly foraged mushrooms (2 or more varieties) and a perfectly poached egg. I wanted to like it. My DC kept telling me to think of the runny yolk as just a sauce. I ate the entire thing and didn't like it at all. Some things, no matter how much I try or how perfectly they are prepared, I just don't like.

[Peg]

honey
cooked carrots

[Fromageball]

Especially cooked carrots WITH honey/other sweetener...bleh

[Dan G]

- corn, unless part of a tortilla or chip
- most soups: will occassionally eat pureed veg (squash, etc) soups, but nothing based on a broth
- most tree fruits (apples, pears, oranges)
- melons
- white bread
- any carbonated beverages
- runny eggs (more because of texture than taste)
- standard burger condiments (ketchup, mustards, relishes, etc)
- sugar
- salt (these last 2 might explain many of the others!)

however, I do eat olives daily!

[grampart]

1. Cilantro
2. Blue cheese or any others like it being sold under an alias

[Boccone Dolce]

For years I thought Cilantro was toxic; tasting like Barbie Doll Hair, but I ate blue cheese dressing on anything that wasn't moving (Atkins Diet-I used to think it was a free food!) NOW it's flipped- Cilantro is my happy, green friend and blue chz gives me the willies.

[gloriousfood]

Shellfish, esp. mussels. They look like waterbugs and that alone is enough so that I'll not have them. Sushi. Anything that was once living and is now eaten raw or just about raw. I don't do raw in general.

Also, fruits that require peeling (I know, I know) and cereal.

Growing up, I ate so much innards and I definitely avoid eating them now.

[meatn3]

peanut butter
peas
milk
ketchup
salad dressing as opposed to mayo

I've been asked if I really am U.S. born n bred!
;-D

[lizzy]

milk
chicken
green beans
ketchup
grapefruit
cooked raisins
anything strawberry flavored

[ArikaDawn]

I don't like grapefruit either, BUT a few weeks ago I made grapefruit sandwich cookies, I had to, and they were divine. They're on my blog if you're interested.
Arika
http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com

[lizzy]

I think the cookies sound really good, and I may have to try your recipe. My problem with grapefruit isn't really the taste, but instead the way my teeth feel after I eat it. The only way I can describe it is, they feel like all the enamel has been stripped off and if my teeth were to touch I would be extremely grossed out. I do not have this problem with other citrus, and I know I sound like a complete loon...but just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine. Feel free to mock me now.

[mogo]

That is exactly the way I feel after having any sort of diet drink. My teeth just feel all weird, like there's a strange coating on them. If I grit my teeth, the resulting sound is just weird and wrong. This is true to a lesser extent with other foods with sucralose or aspartame (like yogurt), but with drinks it's just so pronounced since it gets all over your teeth.

As for my hated foods that everyone else seems to like: buttercream frosting, royal icing, fondant, marzipan. barf, gag, ugh. I think I must have had a really bad experience with a cake when I was younger. Less sweet frosting I'm okay with.

[Kate is always hungry]

Thanks for reminding me, I have to add fondant to my list. I decorate cakes but for the life of me, I don't understand the fondant thing. I took a bite once and could not swallow it. It was like tasteless chewing gum. Fondant that is enrobed in chocolate candy is not included in my list. I LOVE that stuff.

[mogo]

Oh, I hate fondant in chocolate too. Especially those Easter eggs where the fondant is white and yellow. I remember very clearly opening one of those for the first time when I was 6 and being absolutely horrified by the ooze.

[kubasd]

haha, I hate fondant on cakes, but loooove the cadbury easter eggs with the fondant center.... so delicious!

[lizzy]

Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone. :-)

[Catskillgirl]

ROFL! Vile, bitter, angry... a fruit with real issues. I love red grapefruit in any form and will definitely be making these cookies. Just as soon as I have a working oven. Sigh. Now I have yet another reason to get the damn oven fixed.... or get my alternate oven installed!

[at24]

- meat- grosses me out, I have never liked handling it
- milk
- refried beans- its the smell and the appearance of them
- avocados
- jello

[crewsweeper]

Beets...in any form, especially borscht.

yams and sweet potatoes in most recipes, except sweet potatoe pie, which I love!

[emilief]

Tomatoes (raw), tomato soup, tomato juice. People get so incredulous that I don't like tomatoes and go on and on and on- but summer tomatoes are the best! Finally I resorted to saying I am allergic! I love to cook and use tomatoes in cooking -marinara sauce, etc.People just refuse to believe that I don;t like tomatoes.

[at24]

I agree about fresh summer tomatoes. I have never been a big fan of raw tomatoes from the grocery, they are hard, tasteless and a weird color. However, I did a garden this year and I have crossed over to liking tomatoes! The ones from the garden are incredible -it is like night and day.

[invinotheresverde]

Besides all meat, fish and poultry, I catch the most slack for not liking dark chocolate. I know I'm "supposed to", especially as someone who has a fairly studied palate, but it does nothing for me. Other dislikes include:

Oreos
Earl Grey tea
Mustard on a sandwich (pretzel, veggie burger, etc. okay)
Mushrooms
Eggplant
Runny eggs
Raspberry flavored anything
Orange/chocolate combined
Ranch dressing!
Bernaise/Hollandaise

[goodhealthgourmet]

ditto on the Earl Grey. the smell of bergamot makes me gag. chamomile too.

[laliz]

ditto on the orange chocolate combined

[operagirl]

I don't know if they're widely-liked or not, but, turnips. I have not come across a way to cook turnips that I've enjoyed. They have a funk that I just can't get past.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Lots of people don't like turnups.

[Passadumkeg]

I learned to like them eating them raw like a peeled apple. Try them grated raw on salads.

[Bat Guano]

Maybe you just haven't had good turnips. I'm not a huge fan of most turnips, but I absolutely love the ones from my local farm stand, which are small, young Japanese turnips. Cooked simply - steamed or roasted - with a little butter, salt and pepper, they are fantastic - sweet, slightly crunchy, juicy and delicious. Almost a completely different vegetable than standard supermarket turnips.

[Will Owen]

I don't know what made me stumble into this thread, but I find it heartbreaking - there is not one single item listed here (except Pam! Who eats Pam? And ketchup) that I don't adore. The only "normal" food that many people like and I don't is sweet custard, though I love every thing that goes into it. I'd think it was about the tastes of sugar and egg together, except for the fact that I love eggnog...is a puzzlement.

[Alice Letseat]

WO, I'm with you...although I'll also eat that custard, thanks so much (yay! more for mememe!) BTW, operagirl - try those little ole turnips roasted (cut 'em into nice little wedges first) in a 450 or 500 degree oven along with some potatoes and onion quarters. (I say this based on watching several turnip haters devour them when roasted as part of a large, mixed-veg platter.)
I'm trying to take th broader,kinder view that everyone's different anatomy makes for literal physcial differences in palates that can lead some to dislike so much food, glorious food. There are things I wouldn't want to eat everyday...but there's no big deal about eating ...almost anything. And absolutely anything at least once to decide maybe I wouldln't want it on my plate every day. (Yup - one of those weird folk who really truly envy that Zimmerman fellow!)

[kubasd]

see, I find a common bond with Zimmerman.... I'll try anything once, no matter what it is. Actually, I'll try it a couple of times to make sure I REALLY don't like it. The only thing i'll ever ask to be left off a plate is green peppers. For some reason I just hate them, and I love all vegetables....

[ArikaDawn]

Sorry WO, I hate to break your heart, but I don't love custard either =). I'm not someone who reviles at certain foods when they're put in front of me. I'll eat nearly anything I am served, but I could honestly go the rest of my life without the foods on my list and not bat an eye. I simply cannot appreciate a french fry or a potato chip in the way I do most other foods. Don't know why. Just, no thanks.

Arika
http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com

[Catskillgirl]

Count yourself lucky, then. The calories I've ingested from french fries during my lifetime must be in the millions! Potato chips are also way up there. If it's bad for me I'm addicted, it seems.

[ArikaDawn]

If only I had an aversion to all calorie laden foods. I may not be a chip/fry eater, but no cheese is safe in my presence.

Arika
htt://rawforamonth.blogspot.com

[iluvtennis]

Me, too...i wish i hated chocolate instead of being positively addicted to it. I envy those of you who truly don't like the taste of foods loaded with calories...lucky!

[Boccone Dolce]

I don't like salmon unless it's raw.
canned tuna, I'll eat it fresh/raw.
-dark meat chicken or turkey-
excessive mayo
broccoli stems
egg yolks (I really, REALLY have to be in the mood)
Sausage<----strangest one, I'll cook with it but I don't really like it.
bananas (there, I said it!)
wings (again, I have to be in the mood)
Hershey's Chocolate -and for that matter, hot cocoa.
red wine (cook with it fine, but not to drink I get horrible headaches)

[pickledtink]

Wow...I have a listed posted above, but I agree with everything you have on yours, too! I will only eat raw salmon as well, although I did cave when I was in Alaska and had it cooked. I have to say that I liked it, but it was like no other cooked salmon I have ever had (being on the east coast) because it was wild, fresh-caught stuff.
Do you like white wine? I find that I don't react well to wine in general, but I seem to tolerate white a little better than red.

[Boccone Dolce]

White wine is great-it's the red that gets to me. I once had the best red wine ever at a friends home. It was called Opus. It was red, and he ran to open it when he heard that I didn't like reds. Oh my G-d it was the most perfect wine I ever had in my mouth. He and I slowly drank the whole bottle while my husband played pool. No headaches!!! Too bad that wine is so spendy.

[kubasd]

completely unrelated to the topic.... but i love that you said "so spendy"!!! I say that all the time. And yes, I've had opus one, and it is a darn amazing wine.....

[KaimukiMan]

I was glad to see that most of the dislikes I have are shared. When I was younger I had many more, my pallete has become more tolerant with age. I am on board with many commonly disliked foods (liver, brussell sprouts, cauliflower), although others I kinda like (asparagus, broccoli). Other things I like but my body doesn't (mellon, lychee, milk)

On my odd dislike list:
Berries: almost any berry except Strawberries (love them)
Sweet pickles (but I love dill)
Eggs in general, but especially if they are the least bit soft
Pumpkin (even as pie)
Bivalve shell fish (mussels, clams etc), but i like shrimp, crab, lobster
Plums, peaches, nectarines, apricots (i like pears, apples)
Peanut butter flavored anything (cookies, candy, etc; but i like peanut butter itself)
Mush (polenta, oatmeal, cream of wheat, grits - definitely a texture thing)

and most irritating to most people of all my dislikes, Coffee. The smell is great, but I can't stand the taste. I even avoid tiramisu or coffee ice cream if i can. And yes, I have had some excellent coffee. It is wasted on me, all i taste is bitter, bitter, bitter.

[Kelli2006]

Whole olives because I can't get past the slimy feel.

Cottage cheese, because I had too much of it as a child

Ive never liked mayonnaise or the derivative sauces.

poached, boiled or deviled eggs.

I don't understand what the fuss is about shrimp and lobster.I'll eat them but they dint taste like much to me.

Creme brulee/flan because I had it almost weekly as a child.

I can't get past the mouth feel of raw oysters.

Fresh mango tastes like turpentine to me.

Coconut tastes like soap flakes to me, but I love druian. Go Figure.
.

[Rubee]

This is a fascinating thread. I'm totally surprised regarding the variety of dislikes - heh - especially since this is a forum of food-obsessed Chowhounds.

One of the things I had always enjoyed about dining with my fellow CHs is that they really expanded my horizons since they will eat and try anything.

In fact, I was just commenting to my husband that it was so much easier cooking for a group of Chowhounds since they eat everything. Now that we're in AZ and cooking for family and friends, it's so much harder because every one has their own set of likes and dislikes.

[critter101]

Any type of hot cooked cereal - oatmeal, cream of wheat, cream of rice - all make me gag. But I love oatmeal in cookies, granola and granola bars. And I will tolerate polenta, but prefer it solid and fried.

[ArikaDawn]

I agree it is easier to cook for CH's. That how this whole thread began, a conversation with my non-CH friends. They generally ONLY eat things like ribs, french fries, chips, whereas i've had them already and am interested in the slightly less common just because I have a restless palate I suppose.

Arika
http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com

[gini]

It may just be that you're such a fabulous cook, Rubee, that we'll chowdown anything you serve us!

[Jambie]

I absolutely cannot stand shredded beef in anything. I will eat ground beef and steaks are fine but some reason when I find a Mexican food item where they have used the shredded meat, I don't want to look at it, smell it, much less eat it.

[TampaAurora]

Olives
Mayo or anything creamy or cheesy except parmasean and cheddar and then rarely - yet ice cream and gelato are favorites
Eggs unless they are scrambled or an omlette - the texture freaks me out
Candies with fake grape and banana flavoring - or for that matter added grape juice as a "Real Fruit Juice"
Mustard
Avocado
The color of meat close when cooked close to the bone - reminds me of the dissections I do in my classroom and just can't do it if I look at it.

I've lived with friends who couldn't eat tomato in any form without gagging and my husband dislikes cooked fruit other than apples - both of which I could eat almost daily.

[nofunlatte]

Olives (but I keep trying--I can tolerate the odd olive, but not more than that-Olive oil is great,though)

Watermelon
Cantaloupe
I cannot understand why people go gaga over these. Blechhh!

[swtcrm]

yes! finally somebody else who doesn't like watermelon!
also:
shredded coconut (like german chocolate cake- ick) and runny egg whites.

[Kate is always hungry]

I'm not a fan of watermelon. I don't like cucumbers either and they are closely related to each other.

[Blush]

Ditto on both of these.

[kubasd]

I hate real watermelon, love watermelon flavored candies though.... lol but i love cucumbers. I will actually just eat a whole english cucumber whole with a sprinkling of salt.... does that make me weird?

[thew]

i love cukes with salt. travel in asia has also opened up an appreciation of cukes with salt and a little (or a lot) of spice too

[swtcrm]

i love cucumbers too but hate watermelon flavored candy even gum!

[Fromageball]

I don't like watermelon either, the taste is ok but I hate eating it(dribbles, etc). Cantaloupe is ok, I've only had it once or twice when I thought it was really good. I hate eating it off the rind though for the same reason I don't like watermelon so I always have to cut it up. I don't understand why people go gaga over honeydew melon either.

[Bill Hunt]

With the exception of the Snickers, you just shattered my "food pyramid!" Actually, I can live without the chicken soup and most potato chips, except the blue ones, but the rest - I am devastated.

Hunt

[ArikaDawn]

Oh Bill! It was not my intention to shatter anyones pyramid. Lets just focus on the more for you factor.

Now what blue potato chips are you referring to?

Arika
http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com

[Bill Hunt]

WOW, wish I had a bag of them in front of me, but the cupboard is bare. My wife picks these, plus taro and sweetpotato up at either a little boutique grocery near-by (PHX, AZ), or at Whole Foods. They are made with blue potato, and are thick sliced and done just right. The taste is a bit like the older versions of the Maui kettle chips, but different. I'll ask wife for the name. I just refer to them as "blue chips," and she knows what I mean.

Hunt

[ArikaDawn]

Am I required to retract my initial anti-french fry and potato chip sentiments when I remember that I adore sweet potato chips and fries?

Arika
http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com

[Bill Hunt]

No. Your statement was based on the normal Lays offerings.

Now, great "fries," are something to behold. Unfortunately, 99% are frozen and pre-packaged abominations. For me, it's a cast-iron skillet with hot lard, thick-cut potatoes just the right amount of time. Poor wife (and she actually got to taste the ultimate) has yet to get it down. She knows it, and so do I. In some cupboard, we have an expensive commercial deep-frier, that was bought just for fries (and our elusive search for some special Southern Fried Chicken), but is gathering dust. She's the cook in the family, and is still trying to get it just right. Were it not for Elsie's "greasy fries," I'd probably be in 100% agreement with you on this dish. Most of what I taste are the fried equivilant of instant mashed - non-edible!

Hunt

[stephanieh]

Bill, does your wife use the twice-frying method? That's how I get mine at home cooked perfectly. Fries at home are an art form.

[Bill Hunt]

I do not think she's tried that. We're working on something similar with regards to the Southern Fried Chicken.

With fries, exactly how does this work?

Thanks,

Hunt

[stephanieh]

Oooooh, the twice-frying makes all the difference. It's also referred to as the blanching process. I'm no Alton Brown, so I can't say how it works, just that the fries are soft inside (but not mushy) and crispy on the outside. Here's what you do...

Hand cut your potatoes, or use a french fry cutter. Keep the cut fries in a bowl of cold water so they don't turn brown. (Pat off the water with a paper towel before frying). Heat your oil to 350 degrees and cook them in small batches for one minute. Take them out and drain on paper towels. That's the blanching stage.

Let them cool completely. At this point, I've read and tried two methods, both worked and I can't say which is better. If I've planned enough ahead of time, I put them in an airtight container to cool in the fridge (something about keeping moisture in, I think, or it may steam them a little). If I haven't planned ahead (most times), I just let them cool for about 15 minutes or while I prepare everything else.

Then, they go back in 350 degree oil for about 5 minutes. I have two settings on my french fry cutter, and I alternate which I like best. The thinner setting needs to be checked before five minutes or they may get too browned. The slightly bigger setting is usually done at 5 minutes. If you hand cut yours bigger, then it would take longer. You'll get a good eye for the right color after doing it a time or two. Salt them immediately when you take them out so that the salt sticks.

I'm sure others can tell what oil is best for frying in. I've used canola (I don't usually taste a fishy taste, but some do), and I've also used the Smart Balance blend of cooking oil for the Omega 3s. I've probably also used peanut oil. I remember buying a big jug of that once after Alton Brown schooled me on smoke points.

Good luck! Everyone deserves perfect fries!

[himbeer]

I don't have a fryer, but if I want homemade fries, I use a method from James Beard, frying them in butter. I use my cast iron pan.

[stephanieh]

That sounds good too! You can't go wrong with butter.

[Bill Hunt]

Thank you for the clarification. I can now safely say that she has NOT done that with fries, but will next time. We're the "hand cut" sorta' folk, so it'll be with a close eye - not too "close," 'cause we don't want to get hot grease in it!

Appreciate your taking the time to write that out for me.

Hunt

[stephanieh]

LOL! Watch out for that grease! As for taking the time to write it out, no problem. I'm sort of a fryvangelist. ;-)

[Blush]

Mayo or any sauce using it
Goat cheese
Fish/shellfish/seafood
Melon of any sort
Avocado--just tastes like slimy nothing to me
Chocolate with nuts in it--I live for chocolate and love nuts, but not the combo (although I love chocolate and peanut butter together)
I'm not a big fan of pastry in any form, either dessert or savory pies/quiches

[Judith]

I don't like scallops, probably because I once got sick eating them. But they don't give a lot of bang for your buck. I don't like jello. I'm not big on celery, ate too much of it in elementary school (in the egg salad, yuck). I can't stand any fast food, and can really pass on most things involving mayonnaise, unless it's freshly made. I hate whatever passes for "syrup" in most breakfast places. And I absolutely despise anything made with rose water, although I guess that doesn't qualify as a widely loved food.

[baccimi]

I love most foods but I have a few things that make me cringe a little:
-Black olives (love green)
-anything with fake banana flavor
-excessive mayo-the gloppiness makes me gag
-another vote for any dark meat poultry
-sodas (anything carbonated)
-sunny side up eggs....too runny

[yayadave]

Don't like venison. And everybody says the same thing. "You just never had it fixed right! Why my wife/mother/husband/buddy/club cooks/neighbor fixes it so good ..."

Some one even made burgers with half venison, which I managed to choke down. "See, you didn't even notice." I noticed! I just thought the burger was bad because she's such a lousy cook.

She's the reason I never eat red cake. Rant, rant!!

[operagirl]

Oh, I remembered another one! Cardamom in desserts. Barfi makes me feel . . . barfy.

[goodhealthgourmet]

cardamom is tricky. it's super-strong, so if you overdo it even a little it can ruin a perfectly good dessert. you end up with nothing but that overpowering, floral/soapy taste.

do you just dislike cardamom altogether, or is there a chance you've simply encountered preparations where they went overboard with it?

oh, and how's your mouth? i hope you're healing quickly!

[operagirl]

Thanks for asking! My mouth is coming along, the graft took perfectly, thank goodness!

I enjoy cardamom in savory preparations, just not sweet ones. Even the Dagoba Chai milk chocolate bar, with its tiny aftertaste of cardamom, just makes me cringe! I have no idea why.

[goodhealthgourmet]

bummer on the cardamom - it's the secret ingredient in my almond-fig muffins that everyone always loves but can't identify.

glad you're on the mend!

[operagirl]

You know, I just remembered, there's ONE cardamom + sweet thing that I like -- stewed rhubarb with sugar and some ground cardamom. Almond-rhubarb muffins? Ey? Ey?

P.S.
Mind posting your recipe in home cooking? Been thinking about healthy breakfast muffin recipes lately, and I could always leave out/substitute the offending spice! ;-)

[goodhealthgourmet]

here you go...

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/559236

all my muffin recipes are now dairy & gluten free, so i posted the "normal" version for you that i used to make - otherwise you'd need a bunch of specialty ingredients for GF baking. it does require almond meal, but you can find it in a lot of stores now, including TJ's & WFM.

enjoy!

[byeCalihelloBahamas]

Mayo
Sour Cream
Milk
Tomato
Canned Tuna
Peanut Butter
Jelly or Jam
Spaghetti
Salmon
Quesadillas
Green Olives
Goat Cheese
And pretty much anything sweet, never been big on desserts

[dolores]

>>Ever had the experience of not loving a widely accepted food and being the odd (wo)man out?

With the exception of live animals or dead pets -- no.

[Sam Fujisaka]

You belong to a live animal - dead pet eating society???

[Emmmily]

-Peanuts/peanut butter/snickers/peanut butter & jelly sandwiches - took a lot of abuse for that as a kid.
-cherries
-bananas
-bell peppers
-shrimp
-coffee
-mayo & mustard both make me gag
-vinegar

[Panini Guy]

My gag list:
- lima beans or any other large fibrous legume
- cooked cauliflower (raw is ok)
- commercial tartar sauce
- commercial hollandaise mixes (homemade is ok)
- aqavit (gasoline filtered through rye bread)
- large clams or oysters that require more than a couple of chews
- spleen
- kidney
- overcooked liver
- too many raisins in anything

Other than that, I can pretty much choke down anything. But the above list discreetly ends up in a napkin.

I'm looking forward to adding to the list. Just haven't had the time/disposal funds for travel to go exploring new gag-me experiences.

I'll add a certain sadness in reading this thread and seeing coffee mentioned several times. I have to assume that experiences with horrible commercial/institutional coffee has turned off many people from discovering and enjoying the good stuff.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Your list is of what many people don't like, not of what you don't like but most do.

[Panini Guy]

Sam,
Most of that list was regular fare (except the large mollusks) at my house growing up. And when we visited relatives for dinner, it was there too. Most of the rest of the family ate it. So in that regard, yes, I was odd man out.

[Sam Fujisaka]

You need to start a new thread, "Kidnapped by food aliens!". Your family liked a lot of what most people don't like. I, too, don't like lima beans, commercial tartar sauce, commercial hollandaise mixes, and over-cooked liver

[NE_Elaine]

This is a very interesing post. I am surprised to see how many people dislike olives.

Here is my list...

beets
lima beans
chai tea
anything with a strong black licorice flavor
anything sweetened with aspartame (yogurt, diet soft drinks)
eggplant
goat
trout
caviar or any kind of fish roe
skinny onion rings
french fries
raw oysters
foam
stout

That is all I can think of for now.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Your list is of what many people don't like, not of what you don't like but most do.

[Judith]

I was surprised about the olives too. My closest friend despises olives, and she also hates any kind of dried fruit, most especially raisins. OTOH, she'll eat any old kind of junk, so I just wrote it off to general lack of taste in food. But apparently lots of people don't like olives.

The most interesting thing about this is that there's no logic. You and I both like olives, but I love beets, chai tea, licorice, eggplant, any kind of fish roe, and I live for raw oysters!

[yayadave]

The nicest thing about this thread is that all the dislikes listed are subject to change into likes. Honest.

[Solstice444]

True! I used to dislike shrimp and calamari, and now I really like them...and broccoli rabe, which used to taste horribly bitter, now tastes good! (That's probably just a fact of the maturing of my taste buds to accept bitter flavors...I doubt many kids actually like broccoli rabe.)

[yayadave]

A lot of times it's just because we never had "good" of. I never went for those nasty black olives in a can, but after I climbed 365 steps to a little village in Italy, the dish of olives on the table never had a chance. Same with tomato soup. All I ever knew was stuff from a red can. After I found some spicy tomato soup and tomato soup with roasted peppers, I now look forward to it.

[AmblerGirl]

Reese's peanut butter cups, actually any combination of milk chololate and peanut butter! My girlfriends think I'm crazy!

[goodhealthgourmet]

AmblerGirl, that's not crazy. i don't like milk chocolate with peanut butter either...because i don't really like milk chocolate. but if you put DARK chocolate with peanut butter [or peanuts] in front of me, you'd better keep your hands away from it or you might lose a finger ;)

[AmblerGirl]

I feel exactly the same way, I'm not a fan of milk chocolate at all. Dark chocolate is the best, it tasts completely different than milk..... anything covered in dark chocolate is good!

[amyzan]

Yeah, milk chocolate has no appeal to me, either. I'd rather eat vegetables, and I'm not exagerrating. It's way to sweet and has no chocolate flavor to my taste. I once went to a party where someone had made a chocolate cake. I was looking forward to it, but it was the most tasteless dessert I'd ever had in my life. Everyone was raving. I felt like a party pooper when I didn't even take a second bite.

[SuzyInChains]

peaches
chicken
raisins
mushrooms
most Indian food
carrot cake
white wine

[himbeer]

-pesto; I neither like basil or garlic. I can take a little garlic, but so often a dish is glutted with it. I usually substitute shallots.
-pine nuts or sunflower seeds
-fennel or anise; an occasional licorice candy only, not in my meal.
-avocado; tastes like eating fat
-chicken; I never, never order it at a restaurant, although occasionally cook it at home cuz it is cheap; rather just cook a turkey breast. I do like dark meat duck and goose.
-sour cream or cream cheese; only if making a dessert
-mushy stuff; no oatmeal, grits or rice pudding; heck if I do have cereal, I don't mush it up with milk.
-egg whites; i love a runny poached yolk soaking into unbuttered toast; i cut away the white.
-smoked meats, except for smoked pork
-flavored potato chips or popcorn
-bananas and oranges, only in their raw fruit form, not used as a flavoring
-red wine; it's like drinking liquid chalk
-squid or octopus
-sushi; ain't touching beef or venison tartare either
-sourdough bread
-wheat or dark beer
-sweet potatoes, yams, or squash
-melted butter for lobster,crab, or clams; the meat is rich enough on its own
-flavored coffees, gag me with a spoon
-beans, except for boston baked; didn't help that a friend made us burritos once and he forgot to pre-soak them

Since I switched to microwaving broccoli and then using a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, and red pepper flakes, I find I prefer the cut up stalks to the florets.

[Judith]

Flavored coffee. I'm there. How can anyone choke that stuff down?! And I'm with you on garlic. I like it, but it's generally overused and when you go to a restaurant and they just throw garlic at you, it's not only disgusting, it's a giveaway that they can't actually cook.

[Richard 16]

Out of curiosity, for those that listed sushi is it the rice or the fish? (I once made chicken salad maki rolls for a party, and, if I do say so myself, they were a hit.)

[Sam Fujisaka]

Sushi is based on vinagared rice and may of may not include fish. Sashimi is raw fish or other raw meats.

[Kate is always hungry]

After careful consideration, here's my list:

(In no particular order)
Original Fritos--they take my breath away, not in the good way
Lima beans
Liver--except my mother's chopped liver
Cilantro--unless it's in a really good salsa
My mother's fried white fish--I still remember the smell
Salmon patties
Earl Grey tea
Kasha
Enchilada sauce
Asparagus
Chocolate flavored with citrus
Mustard unless it's in potato salad
Olives--they scare me, nothing wrong with olive oil, though
Most things that have been chipotlefied
Thousand Island dressing
Tartar sauce
I noticed of shellfish listed, don't know never ate them.

[Solstice444]

Not one, but TWO of my coworkers dislike all types of cheese. I can understand not liking some kinds of cheese, but cheeses cover such a wide spectrum that I can't understand not liking any type of cheese at all! Brie, fresh mozzerella, extra sharp cheddar...all totally different! Does anybody else know of anyone with this odd dislike?

Another all-encompassing one that I've encountered with a couple of people is not liking any type of seafood. That one I can understand a bit more...but the cheese just boggles my mind.

[ArikaDawn]

I went to school with a girl who doesn't like "salad". She won't even try one and this includes all varieties from club to caeser to greek to hot spinach to wedge to chopped to waldorf to...well, you get my point.

[Solstice444]

I guess she doesn't like any sort of leafy greens? Because that's sort of the common theme...I wonder if she eats lettuce on sandwiches ever!

[ArikaDawn]

She really doesnt eat veggies ever. She's a TGI Fridays IHOP kinda gal.

[KaimukiMan]

I've outgrown it, but when I was young I disliked all cheese, from velveta to brie to parmesan to feta. Oddly enough the first cheese thing I liked was roquefort dressing. My parents about dropped dead from surprise when they saw me eating it, I think i was about 12 years old then.

Yes, cheese has an amazing range of tastes and textures, but underneath it all, it all shares a cheesy taste - a taste I used to find greatly unpleasant.

[iluvtennis]

I used to be a cheese hater as well...i hated all cheese and would even eat my pizzas minus the cheese. Now i can't think of many cheese i don't like.

[keith2000]

Hello kindred spirit. how funny that we would say the same thing 10 days apart. I promise I didn't see your post about cheese before I wrote mine. and I agree with you about seafood as well.

as for toast. It has its place ie garlic bread, croustinis, grilled cheese sandwiches. Otherwise you are right good bagels should never be toasted good bread makes better sandwiches untoasted. Toasting was designed to cover up poor quality or stale baked goods. Not great for much else.

[Catskillgirl]

I have to disagree on toasting bagels - I enjoy fresh bagels just about every day, since I work in a Jewish-style bakery. I love bagels. But I love them even more toasted. And i promise you that our bagels are not stale or poor quality. I just prefer them toasted.

[Solstice444]

Now if you just love spicy food, we are definitely kindred spirits! And yeah, I forgot about garlic bread...that is good toasted. Never was a big fan of grilled cheese though for some reason, even though I love cheese.

[keith2000]

Absolutly.

[thew]

i like peanut butter. i like jams/jellies. i can't stand them together.

oatmeal.
egg salad
calves liver
(these last two are holdovers from childhood, and i'm ready to try then again and see if it's still true or not)

[AngelSanctuary]

Ketchup =/, it's just so awful D= and god, the smell!
Papaya
Sweet and sour pork

[iheartcupcakes]

I have to say I dont get the whle hating of ketchup thing - I ADORE ketchup, but since losing some weight I do notice I eat a lot less of it as I find it very sweet now!

I cannot stand any kind of bean except baked beans (good old Heinz)
Pesto
Pine Nuts
Olives - they really gross me out
Gherkin - everyone raves about them and I was told that when I came to the US I'd understand why - I really didn't get it! Sorry! I'm going to Katz Deli in March - maybe it'll convert me!

[goodhealthgourmet]

"but since losing some weight I do notice I eat a lot less of it as I find it very sweet now!"
~~~~~~~~~~~
you answered your own question - many of us think it just tastes like tomato-flavored sugar...not exactly what i'm looking for to enhance my savory foods, thanks.

organic ketchups aren't as sweet, but the only thing i can imagine using ketchup for these days is on a plate of crispy, jersey diner home fries...and no diner i've ever seen carries organic ketchup ;)

[Catskillgirl]

Katz's Deli! Oh, how I envy you - haven't been there in maybe 6 years. But it never changes. Sigh. Don't let the appearance of the place put you off - the food is really, really good. It's just kind of, well, old & dirty looking.

For the record I love pickles, but they have to be dill. And the more sour the better.

[gini]

Everyone has their likes and dislikes, but one particular aversion of mine that seems to bother people is mac 'n' cheese. Yes, I'm sure there are good versions out there (the short rib mac n cheese at KO Prime springs to mind), but the idea of mac n cheese just brings back bad grammar school memories of plastic yellow cheesestuff. I do love tortellini in a mornay sauce, so obviously this is just a semantics thing.

[TSQ75]

Cold coffee or anything coffee flavored (but i love hot coffee)
Iced tea (i do like hot tea)
Canned tuna (but i eat sardines)
chocolate ice cream
eggplant

[starlady]

Grapefruit - LOVE all other citrus fruits!
Rye/ anything with caraway seeds
Canned soup - used to think it was OK as a kid althought never liked canned tom soup
Miracle whip
Cranberry juice - like cranberry sauce OK but any of the Oceanspray juices can't stand 'em!
Potato chips - I'd rather have pretzels or corn chips
Cookies - Don't HATE them but would rather have carrot sticks, or cheese and crackers. Even gave them away out of my lunch box when I was a kid. The one exception is my Grandmothers lemon cookies.

[Firegoat]

Totally agree with the rye. I abhor rye bread. Horrid horrid stuff.

[queencru]

ranch dressing- actually I don't care much for any creamy dressing
gravy- it just tastes far too salty to me. I tend to be a minimalist when it comes to salt.
On the gravy front- can't stand thankgiving dinner generally. It just does nothing for me and everyone thinks it's some sort of travesty that my immediate family has all decided individually that we are not into it and do something else instead.
soft drinks
cereal with milk- for some reason, I can't see why this would be appealing for breakfast.
runny eggs
most melons
onion rings- I hate onions generally
cold coffee/frappuccino- I just find it totally repulsive, although I like warm coffee.

[Fromageball]

I am the same with thanksgiving dinner. It's not that I actually dislike any part of it, I just can't get excited about it.

[Orchid64]

Shrimp. The only time I ever tried to eat it, I nearly threw up. I also do not like ketchup or any alcoholic beverages (the smell just turns me off completely).

[beachmouse]

milk- my parents never did that 'finish everything on your plate' deal, but I had to finish my milk before I was allowed to leave the dinner table
lettuce on sandwiches- I like salads as a distinct entity, but hate lettuce on sandwiches because it seems to kill the flavor of the rest of the sandwich
shrimp- like small shrimp because it's easy to get nice and tender; hate the larger stuff because it always seems too tough. Jumbo shrimp- yucky
Eggs and egg products that seem too eggy- The smell of eggs cooking on a stove makes me sick to my stomach to the point where I've never been able to eat them. Mayo and aoli are far too close to the egg in its natural form for me to like. But I do like ranch dressing because the egginess seems to have reached a point where it doesn't dominate other flavors, and I can enjoy custard pies because the sugar overwhelms the part of the egginess I don't like.

[Jolie]

I cannot stand cilantro
I do not like onions I can tolerate (barely) red onions
sweet pickles
lettuce on sandwiches (especially hot)
cinnamon (except in tomatoe sauce)
papaya (but I love all fruit
red wine
beer
flavored coffe (especially hazlenut
basil (most herbs) although I cook with them
most candy bars like Snickers
and there is a lettuce type thing that I cannot think of the name that I really dislike.
frou frou girly rinks (i.e. cosmopolitans, pomegranite martinis
But I will eat anything even if it has the above mentioned things. And I will drink wine because I would love to develop a taste for it. I will have a beer when I cannot think of anything else to drink

[Metalee]

Funny thread!

I dislike bell peppers (texture) and salmon (I just don't understand the allure.)

[Olallieberry]

None of these things are foods I won't eat, but just things I don't get the hoopla around:

Pasta. I can eat a good plate of pumpkin ravioli or meaty spaghetti every now and then, and I loooove gnocchi, but for some reason I just very rarely crave pasta. Bread is my go-to carb.

Macaroni and cheese (which I wouldn't count as 'pasta'). The homemade stuff can be good, though, I'll admit.

Carrots. Raw, cooked, meh. I'll eat them, and dip them in ranch, but I don't get much from it. Love almost all other vegetables (except bell peppers, blegh).

Stone fruit, unless it is VERY ripe. Peaches are the exception. I f'love peaches.

Chocolate ice cream. Love chocolate, love ice cream, together not so much.

Cotton candy (okay, does anybody over the age of six actually like this?)

[dvsndvs]

Wow, I had to read pretty far down this thread to find someone else who doesn't like stone fruits! I really don't like 'em, peaches, plums, cherries, thanks but no thanks to quote Sarah Palin!

But, I also don't like bananas.

Love olives though, who new so few people do!

[Sooeygun]

I was surprised to find lots of people don't like olives. I thought I was the odd man out not liking them, until one day we did a poll of everyone that walked into the lunch room. Unscientific, I know, but there were people of many ethnicities and very few (maybe 5%) liked olives.

[laliz]

Boy has this thread made me feel better about my many dislikes

Oysters
Crawfish
Cornbread
Okra
Miracle Whip
Pickled beets, I like beets, just not pickled (I don’t like pickled anything) (except pickles, I like pickles)
Mint
Lamb
Marshmallows
Cilantro
Pork Rinds
Fresh water fish (trout, pike, perch, etc)
Mussels
Black licorice
Kidney beans
Black eyed peas
Caviar
Liver (although I do like chicken livers)
Duck
Old Bay Seasoning
Capers
Ginger
Smoked meats
Smoked poultry
Smoked cheeses
Smoked nuts
Smoked fish
Indian Food
Grits
Dr. Pepper
Pepsi
Guava
Manhattan Clam Chowder
Pearl Onions
Dill
Curry
Anchovies
Goat Cheese
Feta Cheese
Chipotle
Gazpacho
Jalapenos, stuffed poppers
Prunes
Sardines
Catfish
Orange/chocolate combination
Milk (whole or low fat)
Ranch Dressing
Pepperjack Cheese
Anything cooked with or containing wine and/or alcohol
Buffalo wings
Cajun spiced anything

[BamiaWruz]

Marshmallows? Haha, I thought I was the only one.

My list:
Oranges
Chocolate
Sweets
Cookies
Coffee
Apples

[Louise]

Chocolate. Ick. I used to like it, now it has little appeal. It was really sudden. Milk, dark, orange, makes no difference. And mocha--double ick!

Though I do love a good coffee.

Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone.

[ArikaDawn]

Funnily enough, I am sort of going through the same thing with milk chocolate. All of a sudden, I don't even like the way it smells and have no real desire to eat it. Dark chocolate I am stil enjoying, but it's nothing I crave. I'm also going from being infatuated with PB to not really enjoying it much either. Maybe it's just moving away from overly sweet things in general...

Arika
http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com

[TSQ75]

"(I don’t like pickled anything) (except pickles, I like pickles)"

bahaha..love this!

[stricken]

Ok., you should see a doctor. :-)

[firemyars]

Miracle Whip isn't food, though. I can't imagine not liking Indian food. Sorry, not giving you a hard time, I just wanted to say. I'm also with you the sodas. Sweet, bubbly, weird syrup...yum.

[Passadumkeg]

Gee I'm pretty lucky. From the entire list, only Miracle Whip, flavored potato and tortilla chips and aspartame.
What I do not like are processed foods of an kind. From Pop Tarts to breakfast cereals. Canned meats Spam, Deviled Ham, Vienna sausages etc.
Canned peas
Prepackaged plastic wrapped lunch meats
Kraft and other Mac & Cheeses
Frozen pizzas & dinners
Chain restaurants (other than local ones)

Mr. Natural (Look out at night when no one is looking!)

[FoodFuser]

The classic song to which I'm sure you allude deserves distribution to today's Chow's:

"Junk food Junkie", ca 1975.

"Yeah, in the daytime I'm Mr. Natural
Just as healthy as I can be
But at night I'm a junk food junkie
Good lord have pity on me

Oh, but at night I stake out my strongbox
That I keep under lock and key
And I take it off to my closet
Where nobody else can see
I open that door so slowly
Take a peek up north and south
Then I pull out a Hostess Twinkie
And I pop it in my mouth

Yeah, in the daytime I'm Mr. Natural
Just as healthy as I can be
But at night I'm a junk food junkie
Good lord have pity on me."

(Google for full lyrics). As a bearded young-buck bar-singer / burgeoning home cook during the height of the Granola Revolution, this song was responsible for an embarrassing number of "Let's cook at my place" dinner dates.

[yayadave]

I never heard of this before, but here itizz.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISSyBj...

Ho Ho's rule!!

[TSQ75]

canned asparagus! *gag*

[shivani]

pesto. I like the things in pesto separately, but generally dislike pesto. also not a huge fan of american style french fries, though good french or belgian ones are a different story.

[thew]

re the fries:

how are they different?

[shivani]

i was thinking of frites--thin and crispy, usually served with aoli rather then ketchup (though i do love ketchup).

[thew]

i've seen many a non-pencil thin frite in europe, and many thin crisp fries here, so... i still don't see it/ a good fry is a good fry whether called a frite or a fry....

[archstreet]

chocolate and orange, or with any other fruit except banana
pumpkin or butternut squash in mostly anything
flavored coffees
shellfish
bread pudding
rice pudding
kugel
eggplant
curry
plaintains, sweet potatoes, yams
most nuts, especially hazelnuts - Nutella is yucky!

I'm sure there's more that I can't remember off the top of my head.

I used to really dislike zucchini and yellow crook-neck squash, but thanks to my CSA, have developed a taste for it over the past 18 months or so, if prepared correctly (meaning by me).

[Passadumkeg]

I thought of one! Canned or frozen okra.
Sorry Scaregod,
Markie Bear

[Panini Guy]

Arch - have to ask a couple of questions here: on the bread pudding, is it just the texture/execution or is it the extras (like raisins)? I ask because I used to deplore bread pudding with any additions, but I've started making it myself with fresh or frozen fruits instead of dried and I've come to enjoy it.

And on the eggplant... does that include babaganoush? As a eggplant lover, when people tell me they hate 'em, I'll try to sneak some babaganoush on an olive and crostini plate along with hummus and often they just think it's a "different" hummus.

[archstreet]

Panini -

I think with the bread pudding its the texture. Same with rice pudding. I guess I also just want my bread and rice to be on the savory side.

I don't know if I've ever had babaganoush, but I guess if you put enough garlic and olive oil on it, I'd like it. I would probably know that it wasn't hummus, though, even "different" hummus!

[goodhealthgourmet]

archstreet, i have a question about one of your other dislikes - chocolate with fruit. no chocolate-covered strawberries for you?

[archstreet]

No thanks, That means more for you, GHG!

[goodhealthgourmet]

i'll take 'em :)

[Jacey]

It's funny, eggplant in any way, shape or form I love. However, I don't really like babagnoush. It almost makes me gag. It's definitely not the texture nor the tahini ( I like hummus with tahini). I just don't like the combo of both, I guess.

I also don't like chocolate with any type of fruit. And I don't like cake, ick (but like brownies). I do like carrot cake, though.

[Davedigger]

Funny. I can easily stay away from cake. It doesn't interest me. But I can't walk by a carrot cake. Sans raisins of course.

[kubasd]

That is funny. I can resist cake like no other because i just don't like it. I think i'll have pie at my wedding... or carrot cake. I love carrot cake! I wonder why it's different...

[archstreet]

I think I've recently "acquired" another dislike, and its a weird one - sometimes I can't stand toast. I mean toasted sandwich bread, like for eggs in the morning. Sometimes, I can't even stand the smell of it toasting! This may be because I once ate it when I had a migraine, and it made me sick. But still, there's other foods that have done the same to me, and I like them fine.

[Solstice444]

I actually don't like toast. I forgot about that one. If someplace asks me if I want my sandwich toasted...absolutely not! I rarely ever eat toast unless my mom makes it and puts it in front of me. A toasted english muffin is ok, but a toasted bagel or toasted bread, I really have no desire to eat.

[keith2000]

It is nice of you to eat something you don't like because your mom made it for you. Now that I am grown I can really empathize with how sad my mom must have gotten when she lovingly prepared a deliscious dinner and all the kids refused to eat it. I think that there should be a rule that it not matter if you like a food or not. If it is prepared by someone who loves you, suck it up and eat it.

[archstreet]

Oh, I thought of more -
oatmeal
rum
tequila

[Boccone Dolce]

I can't believe I just read the words "nutella" and "yucky" in the same sentence!!

Oooh I remember my Dad used to buy this candy that's like an orange -orange foil wrapped chocolate that falls apart into 'slices' and they are chcolate w/orange flavoring. Or have I lost my mind??

[Humbucker]

You are perfectly sane:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry%27...

[Boccone Dolce]

YAY! Thanks Humbucker. They were really sophisticated to my 10 year old mind...

[mpjmph]

Eggs
Avocados
Cooked carrots
Raw onions
Olives
Mayonnaise

When I was a kid I was so anti-onion that I went several months w/o ice cream b/c my parents told me cows eat wild onions and therefore ice cream contains onions.

I've always hated the "just give it a try" back and forth. I don't like eggs b/c the smell of them cooking makes me sick. It always has, and after 25 years I don't expect that will change, so no I don't want to try it. That said, I once stopped dating a guy b/c he didn't like peanut butter (or art, or sports, or beer...).

[mpjmph]

I light of the "just try it" discussion, I wanted to list the foods I thought I didn't like but really did once I tried them (mostly as a teenager)...

Calamari
Goat cheese
Cocktail sauce
Onions in general (still, no raw ones)
Figs (omg, I LOVE figs)
Asparagus

[Al_Pal]

I'm SO with you on almost all of those. Bacon and cheese on burgers is the worst. It's tons of extra calories for a very minute amount of extra taste. Really hard for me to justify.

Potato chips are too greasy and never very good (unless they're home-baked and fresh from the oven), snickers bars just aren't as good as everyone pretends they are, and 9/10 times, chicken soup is pretty icky.

I also hate white milk. I can drink chocolate milk, but it's something about the texture and lack of distinct taste that makes me want to hurl the second white milk hits my lips.

Oh, and beer. Unless it's Guinness, it does absolutely nothing for me and really just ends up making me feel full and bloated.

[Avalondaughter]

PEAS (my pea phobia is infamous in my family)
Seafood of any kind (but particularly salmon)
Olives
Blue cheeses of all sorts
Eggplant (and I did try to like it)
Mayonnaise
Beets
Raisins
Scotch
Starchy pototates, paricularly of the baked type (I can handle Yukon Golds somewhat, but not like russets at all). I never eat a baked potato in a restaurant.
Lima beans
Yogurt (and I like most other dairy products, but I don't understand the appeal of that nasty sour goop)

[Emme]

another non-potato person? where have you been all my life? i like the skins of potatoes, but definitely not the inside pasty pulp. i'm sure if you smothered it in cheddar cheese or something else, i wouldn't taste the tater, but eh, why bother... crisp me up a baked potato and i *will* peel off the skin...

second beets. my grandmother used to feed me borscht as a kid, and i ate it begrudgingly, but only when i was older did i taste beets, and go ew, this tastes like borscht... my mom and i have opposite palates, and of course, roasted beets are one of her favorite foods, along with her love of olives and feta and hummus and the list goes on, none of which i get.

[jcattles]

It took me awhile to finally accept there are some foods I just don't like. Here's my list
Canned Tuna
Salmon
Black Licorice
Animal organs or sweetbreads
Oysters
Mussels
Shrimp
Wild game
Octopus
Champagne
Milk Chocolate
I'm sure there are others, but that's it for now.

[Firegoat]

Yay for hating black licorice.
Man..... that is nasty stuff.

[stricken]

I'm open to any and every kind of food but I REALLY don't "get" chocolate and chocolate flavored food and drink. I've had all kinds from Christopher Norman to Green&Black. Godiva to Hershey's. It's all very nice, but I don't understand how and why become excited over it. I've heard that it creates some sort of chemical response in the brain. I guess that part of my brain is dead because there are so many other flavors that excite me. Chocolate is not one of them. I also don't like caramel. I'm learning to appreciate coffees.

[Avalondaughter]

As someone who is a chocolate fiend, I have to say it really has nothing to do with brain chemistry. I just really love the taste. I love the taste more than most other tastes. Really that's all there is to it for me. While I can understand someone not loving it the way I do, I find it hard to understand really having an issue with the taste. It seems like such a harmless flavor. But people's taste buds/olfactory functions are all different. I'm the only picky eater in my family.

[stricken]

I don't hate chocolate. I just feel as if I'm missing out on something that everyone else seems to enjoy. In desserts I prefer vanilla and I almost always double up on vanilla in recipes. I'm a little more tolerant of chocolate when it's blended with maple flavors or chile flavors.

[starlady]

Im with you on pretty much anything. I much prefer vanilla in most things over chocolate. But I do like vanilla and chile together.

[thew]

really loving the taste has to do with brain chemistry

[stephanieh]

Do the things we dislike also have to do with brain chemistry? I'm just asking because I've been staying out of the heated "try it you'll like it" debate here. I've recently tried a few things I thought I didn't like since childhood, and guess what, I still don't care for them. But, at least I didn't go into gagging convulsions. And I did it in the privacy of my home, without an audience chanting "just take one bite" and waiting with baited breath for my proclamation that I do, indeed, love it... just like they said I would. Because they are so much wiser than I am.

And, I have a couple of extreme aversions... one being to mustard. I can't stand to smell it. And if I accidentally get even the tiniest dot on my finger when making my husband's sandwiches, I have to wash it off immediately. There isn't enough peer pressure in this world to get me to try mustard again, as I know from the smell, that I still won't like it. Plus, there are really no health advantages to learning to like it, so why put myself through that?

I guess, if I have a point, it would be that I'm willing to try some things, but don't like them being forced on me, and I particularly don't care for the attitude that I'd be less of a person if I go on not liking those things.

[thew]

everything we perceive has to do with brain chemistry

[stephanieh]

thew, you're always the voice of reason.

[Richard 16]

Smell is the only sense that does not go to a part of the brain called the "thalamus". Smell is a very primitive sense that goes to the "limbic" system, an area that also is the seat of our emotions.

It's why smells can evoke strong emotions; bringing back not only the memory of a smell but sometimes a whole scene including emotions.

And let's not forget genetics sand genetic expression.

[Avalondaughter]

Imeant that chocolate doesn't affect my brain chemistry. I don't feel high or euphoric from it or anything like that. I don't notice any sort of endorphin rush. I just really love the way it tastes.

[thew]

everything you eat affects your brain chemistry. everything you see effects your brain chemistry. everything you think effects your brain chemistry.

seeing, tasting, thinking, perceiving all exist only as changes in brain chemistry.

[antrobin]

Broccoli
Mushrooms of ANY kind
Avocado
Runny eggs
Chicken livers

[baseballfan]

Milk ( unless in hot tea)
bananas
cilantro (never ever!)
sushi (yes I have tried it, still hate it)
Soft shell crab (very much a texture thing)
Ham (love bacon and pork chops though)
Greek salads (the entree type that you would find in a restaurant)
olives
dark meat poultry ( I can't even think about it!)
tequila (bad college incindent)
martinis (see above)
Brussels sprouts, asparagus, lima beans (no explanation necessary)
calamari ( I think I am the only person on the planet)
indian food (thanks but not thanks)
gigantic raw oysters ( I like the small ones though)
Hot dogs or anything in a casing
milk chocolate
orange juice
lox
lamb

[colliecookhuh]

water chestnuts, peaches and breakfast sausage. Must be a texture issue.

[Stillwater Girl]

Water chestnuts, BBQ sauce, anything mesquite, anything I have to remove from a bone (for some reason hot wings don't count), ketchup, olives, orange juice, fruit and meat in the same dish, artificial fruit anything (think poptarts or jelly), fruit desserts, celery, cauliflower, iced tea, french dressing, miracle whip, marachino cherries, candy (especially the fruit kind), corn, and cheesecake. Despite all my qualms with fruit products I actually like fruit!

[Catskillgirl]

"fruit and meat in the same dish"

Ditto. I really don't like any fruits that are cooked. The only exception to the fruit/meat think that comes to mind is pork chops with applesauce - love them together. But pineapple on ham? Orange chicken? Shudder. Peaches wtih meat? Yuck.

[sophia519]

Interesting topic. Mine are:
Hazelnut coffee and hazelnuts in general (once I eat one I feel like the taste doesn't leave my mouth for days!)
gnocchi
salmon
juices
pork chops (recent addition)
venison
bananas
snickers and peanut butter cups
seaweed
lamb
clams
mussels
mangoes ( I can't believe how many dislike, I thought I was the only one!)
any turkey (other than the big thanksgiving day feast) is starting to creep me out
chocolate frosting
flavored waters (unless I flavor myself with fresh ingredients)
chamomile tea (I love all other teas, except this one)
plantains

[Emme]

wow we are close in palate... the only thing on your list that i *do* like is peanut butter cups. i can't eat gnocchi anymore, but i always wanted to like it more than i ever did.

[MoxieBoy]

My wife hates, with a passion (can't - or won't - be in the same room with me when I have) peanuts or coffee. She won't drink soda, especially my faves, Moxie and Cel-Ray.

I don't like butter, sour cream (unless mixed with onion powder or in Mexican food, then I love it!), pot cheese and being a Jew, I think it's poison to put mayonaise on cold cuts. That's what mustard was invented for (even at Katz's deli, the guy behind the counter called my wife names for making a Hellman Pastrami!) Can't blame him. Mayo for tuna, mustard for tongue! Ah machayah!

[Caitlin McGrath]

Moxie and Cel-Ray are definitely acquired tastes, that most people are unlikly to acquire.

[emilief]

Had a moxie a couple of weeks ago in Maine. Ugh! Used to drink it as a kid but I think I would need to drink alot of it to reaquire the taste. You must be a Mainer.

[al b. darned]

Whenever I go back to Vermont, I have to stock up on Moxie. Just can't get it in Syracuse. Gotta have a fix once in a while!

[bnemes3343]

If you don't find Parmigaino Reggiano "special", then I'm going to guess that you may not be getting the real thing. The authentic cheese, when aged a long time (2 or even 3 years), can bring tears to your eyes it is so good. It's not special, it's heavenly.

[ArikaDawn]

I have had the real thing on several occasions, cheese fanatic here. I recently had a reserve reggiano which was supposed to be"to die for" and I didn't love it. It really just does nothing for me. There's something about its slight sweetness that makes me hesitate and comes across as quite the opposite of heavenly. To each his own I suppose.

[rizzo0904]

I don't eat eggs, jello, most sauces (ex. hollandaise), marshmallows, canned soup that contains any kind of meat (just creeps me out), egg nog......

[Sal Vanilla]

Limoncello. HATE IT. Tastes like furniture polish!
Food: Sunflower seeds, mandarin oranges,soup with noodles in it - unless it is Asian like pho or something and then - miracles - it tastes like heaven. Also, Shrimp. They taste like metallic rubber balls. Anything too cuminy tastes like dirt to me.

Snickers? Gasp!

[Olallieberry]

Funny, I don't like mandarin oranges or non-Asian noodle soup very much either, and sunflower seeds don't do anything for me except as a crunch additive in salad. Love shrimp though.

[sebetti]

Sometimes it's hard to determine if people really don't like something or if they're just stubborn but the shrimp description above hits the ball out of the park for me and that's exactly the way they tasted to me while I was pregnant -- that taste is amazingly vile...

Thankfully, once the hormones normalized, I could eat them again. Sadly, although I still love tomatoes, they've never been as amazing as they were the summer I was pregnant.

Hormones...perhaps that explains why some people find food bland when they're depressed?

[laliz]

when I was PG just the smell of coffee nauseated me. It is worth noting I worship at the altar of the roasted bean beverage as a rule.

Another smell and taste I could not do was peas. I love peas but not when I'm PG.

[GermanBrat]

The post is gone now, but there was someone who replied to soupkitten that she (or he) found brussel sprouts bitter, no matter how they were prepared. I'm sorry I can't remember who it was, but I wanted to suggest that perhaps you are a "supertaster". I read this recently in the book "YOU: On a Diet" by Drs. Roizen and Oz. Supertasters commonly find some vegetables to be bitter. According to the book, about 25% of us are supertasters, 25% are undertasters, and everyone else falls in the middle. They had two tests you can do to see if you're a supertaster. You can dissolve a packet of sweet 'n' low in 2/3 cup water. If it tastes more bitter than sweet, you may be a supertaster. You may have to take a couple of tastes to tell. The second test is to swab blue food coloring on your tongue, then hold a piece of paper over your tongue that has a hole punched in it (normal 3-ring binder sized hole), then using a magnifying glass, count the number of dots (papillae). If over 30, you're a supertaster.

[lindsley]

HATE the texture thing - can't eat jello, aspic, molded salads or eggs (unless they're really beaten and cooked dry)
ketchup
salmon (yes, I've had "good" salmon!)
marshmallows
fruit preserves
rare meat (tastes like that bloody socket in your mouth when you lost a tooth as a child)
chicken or fish when it resembles the actual animal
white wine (goosebumps)
CANTALOUPE ICK!!

[goodhealthgourmet]

"rare meat (tastes like that bloody socket in your mouth when you lost a tooth as a child)"
~~~~~~~
ok, now that's a description i could have done without ;)

[lizzy]

That was me....maybe I will have to take the test and find out if I'm a supertaster.

[Boudleaux]

Red bell peppers. Just the red ones. The other ones are fine. I try them every once in a while just to make sure I still don't like them.
Pearl onions. Are these widely loved?

Things I'm not crazy about:
Miracle Whip
flavored coffee
Maple syrup

[eddielike2eat]

i really get queasy about:

offal meats and sweetbread (yuk), esp. kidneys and liver (eww)
jarred mayo
milk chocolate
canned fruits
anything with substitutes (fake sugar, food flavouring etc)
chamomile tea (taste like soap i think)
milk as its own (esp. when it is lukewarm)
raspberries and apples
refried beans
pork rinds (brrrrr)
vegetables cooked to death. doesnt even matter what it USED to be.
white poultry meats
raw onions
really dark roasted coffee
grocery store fruitcakes

[almansa]

Yes, yes, yes. Flavored coffee.
and because of smelling too much flavored coffee, I now hate hazelnuts.
I can do without sweet potatoes and winter squash, too.

[archstreet]

I dislike flavored coffee, hazelnuts, sweet potatoes and winter squash, too!

[Panini Guy]

Can we assume then that you like coffee?

People who like flavored coffee generally don't like the bitterness of supermarket coffee. They mistakenly assume that all coffee has that bitterness, which is oh so wrong. Really good coffee is extremely flavorful and sweet on its own without the chemicals.

And fwiw, flavored coffee is usually made from beans that you or I wouldn't be able to drink without the masking of the chemicals. So I'd consider your avoidance of flavored coffee a character asset!

[OCEllen]

Mint - any form, from fresh leaves to gum to toothpaste, to even a hint of the smell on someone's breath. Gag!!!
Concord grapes - juice, jelly, fresh (which seem lately to be appearing in markets...). All other grapes delich!

[hungry100]

I'm with you on mint -- makes me gag.

[iluvtennis]

I hate mint flavored toothpaste...i have to buy cinnamon...and the mint/chocolate combination...yuck! I'm not sure what it is, but i end up with a headache after consuming a lot of mint flavored stuff.

[kubasd]

third the mint thing.... but the only way i can have it in toothpaste is the vanilla mint one by crest. Otherwise, it makes me really nauseous. But mint candy? mint sauce? mint in dessert? all disgusting to me.

[EWSflash]

Count me in with the mint-haters, wish I could get fruity flavored toothpaste because I'm not THAT big into cinnamon, either

If I make a nice grill roasted leg of lab and you ask for mint jelly with it, I may be reduced to tears- or homicide.

[swtcrm]

i love mint but not in my toothpaste! my favorite was apricot but they stopped making it, now i get cherry...

[EWSflash]

Are you in the USA? Where do you get cherry flavored toothpaste?

[Davedigger]

I'll eat anything. Except Jell-o. I HATE Jell-o.

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

[HungryHaeley]

I am pretty much into everything except:
flavor wise:
olives
capers
nutmeg
anything that tastes like licorice (like fennel)

texture wise:
pears
beets
liver
or anything else that is kinda grainy like dirt
and I hate the way peach skin feels on my teeth but I like peaches themselves
(although beets and liver are not odd things to dislike)

I can kinda relate to the mango/ papaya thing except sometimes I think they kinda taste like soap instead of dirt :)

[Cinnabon]

I thought I only disliked a few things, when I read through the list I realized I am a really picky eater…

My dislikes are:

Bananas – dislike the smell, taste & texture
Raisins – terrible after taste
Mango- taste like dirty fruit with a bitter aftertaste
Guava – can’t get past the smell of body odor. My family had several guava trees so the stench was constantly around
Papayas
Ketchup - taste nasty
American cheese – taste like wax paper & plastic
Cooked carrots
Cooked celery
Jell-O – shudder, squish thru the teeth, savor & swallow??
Bologna
Sweet pickles.

[Davedigger]

"Jell-O – shudder, squish thru the teeth, savor & swallow??"

That just literally made me shudder and gave me goose bumps. Blech!

[fallingup]

-Chocolate cake. Never found one I cared for.
-Beef. I hate the taste and texture, and I've had it in just about every possible form, from fast food hamburger to gourmet $100+ restaurant dinner.
-Breakfast potatoes, the kind with peppers and onions in them. I love potatoes, I love peppers, I love onions. But the combination? Can't stand it. Maybe more people dislike breakfast potatoes--but I don't just dislike them, I DESPISE them. I also despise breakfast sausage.
-Nutmeg--can't stand it, not even a hint of it.
-Ham, unless it's really thinly sliced and flavored and super-processed, which means it isn't really ham anymore.
-Cumin. I put it in lots of recipes and I can it eat it if it blends in, but if it's the only/main flavoring or if I happen to bite into a whole cumin seed...ugh. Same with cardamom.
-Beer. I have to force it down. And I like other alcoholic drinks, including strong-tasting ones.

[EmmaToo]

Have you tried Guinness? I don't like beer in general but recently tried Guinness and liked the flavor.

[thew]

i cant stand pilsners and lagers. there is a top of the mouth high note i think of as "beery" that i don't like. i love ales ports and stouts though

[Googs]

Bananas. I hate bananas. Not a texture thing. I can't tolerate the smell. I run from people bearing peeled bananas.

Soft drinks. The only time I want to see a soft drink is when it's making cozy with some alcohol. Otherwise I never touch the stuff.

Beer. I live in Canada. I still don't get it. Cook with it? Sure. Drink it? Tried 3 times. Once with intent, once thanks to a charming gentleman who talked me into it, and a 3rd time by accident. The 3rd time was not the charm.

[fallingup]

I hate soft drinks too! I can't even have it mixed with alcohol. I can do champagne and some energy drinks, but I'd like them even better if they weren't fizzy.

[gmm]

With most of the foods I dislike, I like in specific situations.

Examples-
celery - hate in anything except tuna salad (love it in tuna salad)
milk - except with a chocolatey food, like cake or cookies. I could never just drink a glass of milk
alcohol - my system doesn't handle it well, plus I get the asian blush reaction, but I've never liked the taste. That goes for beer, wine and hard liquors. But I like the flavor of rum in rum balls, and white wine or sherry cooked with seafood.
lettuce - that's even a little warm or wilted almost makes me gag. But I love salad.
raisins - but I like golden raisins in an oatmeal cookie.

Come to think of it the only thing I really, really will not eat is blue cheese. The first time I had it was in a blue cheese dressing. I thought my ranch dressing had gotten soap in it.

[vtnewbie]

Lindt chocolate (tastes like dry milk to me)
Cooked carrots
Basil pesto (love basil - how can it be ruined like that?)
Runny eggs
Homemade french fries (taste burnt)
Anything fishy, especially salmon (and it has that metallic taste). (But love shrimp, scallops, ling cod, halibut, etc.)
any clams or oysters that aren't fried
any organ meats
Olive tapenade (ugh)
Garlic
Bacon (especially on a burger)
Feta cheese
Liver (but pate I love, go figure)
Brown rice
Boiled meat of any kind (especially beef tongue and pork)
Green pepper (bitterness lasts for hours)
Almost any soda pop, other than really gingery ginger ale and really rooty root beer :-)
Chicken and dumplings
Lima beans, yams, some squash, hominy, undercooked or raw broccoli and cauliflower
Coffee flavor in anything, especially chocolate
Half and half (it doesn't stretch the cream, it ruins it) and lowfat milk
Strong cheeses (still smell them for hours afterwards)
Goat cheese
Mustard on a sandwich (love mustard on sausages though - go figure again)

Sure I'll remember others

[moma1bud]

FISH- I just don't like it, can't eat it, know I'm probably missing out but I don't see the appeal. It's not filling either, to me. I do eat tuna salad but I don't think that counts : ) and I absolutely love most shellfish (crustaceans) except for mussels and oysters. And fried calamari (which DH calls "bait")

[ArikaDawn]

In terms of fish not being filling, and no I'm not trying to change your mind, but have you ever tried having a tuna steak? They're very hearty, and maybe since you like tuna salad you'd like tuna steak. Again though, not tryig to convert you. Justwondering.

Arika
http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com

[noodlenoodle]

Mayo - how can anyone like that stuff?

[phimoez]

Here are some of the foods I hate most:

Condiments- Ketchup, mayo, mustard, relish, hot sauce....ICK. I don't even like to touch a ketchup bottle especially with the crusty old ketchup hardened on the lid. I do like soy sauce, BBQ sauce (which I know had ketchup in it), and butter......thats about it. I think food should taste good as it is and shouldn't need 10 condiments slathered on it to be able to be eaten.

Milk- Hate the smell, the taste, even the word milk. Really it bugs me because you can not see thru it....

All beans except green beans.........black, pinto, white, and why are places putting beans in Taco's??

Canned food- I lived with my great grandma and all her veggies were canned and cooked until all flavor, color, and vitamins where gone. I don't eat canned meat, fish or anything besides canned Mandarin slices

Tomato Sauce- I love raw tomatos and will eat them like an apple but I hate cooked tomato sauce. Give me my pasta with butter, alfredo, cheese, whatever besides tomato sauce.

Any soup that doesnt not have a clear broth.

Sausage, hot dogs, bologna......ewwww.

[Solstice444]

I'm the opposite...I don't like raw tomatoes but love tomato sauce. My mom has never understood how this is possible. But as you understand...they don't taste similar! I adore condiments, but my best friend from college always hated them. A coworker now does as well. I'll agree with the mayo, I don't really put mayo on anything.

[lovessushi]

I really dislike the following:

mayonaise (sp?) - I HATE it!!!! Disgusting! How anyone puts it on sandwiches (including my bf) is beyond me (no offense to anyone)...yuck!

Cream sauces, though I do like mac and cheese

Hollandaise

Eggs that are runny or even the slightest bit of that jelly sort of yellow - yolks MUST be firm (like seriously immovable)!

Chewy cuts of meat

Cheeseburgers - however oddly enough I will eat a blue cheeseburger

Scrapple (never had it, don't want it)

I should say though that the list of foods use to be SO much longer and as I've gotten older, I'm definitely accepting of more and I'll try more things - just for an ex., I use to only eat vegetable sushi rolls because I said I hated raw fish and anything squishy and now I'm eating uni and all sorts of odd things! (though still no squid...)

[MoxieBoy]

Hi Lovessushi. You must know my daughter. If it's not noodles or skinless chicken, she won't go near it. And she's eleven!

[tracylee]

I'm known for my odd tastes in what I love and what I hate - here's the stuff I can't stand:
salmon
cooked fish (except canned tuna)
mangos and papayas
potatoes
guac
slab o' meat, as in steaks
bell peppers
raw onions
curry
anything sweetened with aspartame
pickles
most vegetables
mutton
cold coffee or tea
beer
gin
hazelnuts (I love all other nuts)
3 musketeers bars

[EWSflash]

Tracylee, if we can find somebody to take the beer, gin, and curry, oh, and the green bell peppers, we will have a collectively clean plate!

[firemyars]

I gotcha.

[Terrieltr]

I'm a fairly picky eater, to the point that I have had people ask "How do you eat anything?"

* Olives (I think they exist to make oil)
* Button mushrooms. I like many other mushrooms, but I find the texture of button mushrooms slimy and the flavor lacking.
* Celery. Might be one of those chemicals some people can't taste, but I find it unpleasently bitter, even after cooking.
* Green peppers. Also hopelessly bitter. And prone to contaminating surrounding foods.
* Grapes. Just dont' like 'em.

[BamiaWruz]

I actually have the same problem with celery. Never grew up with the stuff because "celery" in other languages and to me was parsley. Don't see any appeal in snacking on this thick stalky stringy watery thing. I find it bitter and the smell is so strong.

[Jetgirly]

I don't like anything!

- Ketchup, mustard, relish and mayonnaise.
- Sour cream, cream cheese and cottage cheese (and anything made from them).
- Fruit (I don't like the fruits we can grow this far north like apples and berries, and I don't like fruit that has been imported from warmer countries, but when I'm in a warm country I like eating super-fresh fruit, if that makes sense).
- Milk
- Meat
- Eggs in any form other than scrambled
- "Common" potato chip flavours like salt and vinegar, sour cream and onion, barbecue, ketchup, dill pickle, etc. I like some "niche" flavours; there's a good coconut-curry one at the health food store, and don't mind plain chips.

All that being said, people are always impressed by the things that I cook and the variety of different foods I eat.

[al b. darned]

For me it's:
SPAM
prosciutto
American cheese/Velveeta/processed cheese food product"
Liverwurst
Anything in a creme or Alfredo sauce
any of the "nasty bits" except for chicken gizzards
Veal (ok, I don't really dislike the taste, I just don't eat veal)
Cold soup
Any "potted meat food product"
Undercooked bacon ( it has to be crisp enough to break, not bend.)
anything with aspartame in it (that aftertaste! Yuck!)
oysters, raw shellfish
Cold coffee
most canned veggies
most store-bought processed foods (canned, packaged, or frozen)
Flavored coffee
Flavored beer
Yellow mustard

[rrw8185]

Definitely agree with you on the liverwurst, and the cold soup. Blah.

[EWSflash]

I feel your pain, ArikaDawn. Truly. Many of my in-laws have a sweet tooth that borders on indiscriminate. I don'thave much of a sweet tooth compared to them, especially when it coes to cookies and ice cream in particular. They simply don't think of a lot of the things I like as an alternative to dessert, or sweets in general.

Thank God DH isn't like that. I'd have ot have him killed.

[umbushi plum]

i have a very weird palate i hate-

anything to rich creamy cheesy, even as a child
anything fatty butter batter fat on meat even when i was little always would never touch food once i knew it contained butter
pork in any form blech and steak and beef (except when i was little sausage rolls and aussie meat pies, but i'm almost pescetarian now)
cream in any form and icing, sugary candy blech far too sweet.

on the other hand i love EVERY vegetable even eat them at breakfast, also l love liqourice and black jelly beans and love most vinegeary strong ethnic foods.

[Full tummy]

Wow, that would be a great health advantage. Wish I was like you, haha.

[umbushi plum]

haha, yeah i eat like a horse but cause its pretty healthy i seem to be able to without affect to my body circumfrence ;-)

[Full tummy]

Yup, and I love everything you hate, with the opposite affect, haha.

[umbushi plum]

haha funny the next time i recieve a rich gooey cream filled sweet i'll know where to send it, good on you

[Johnresa]

celery
carrots unless they are in soup or shredded finely in a salad
RAISINS.........BLECH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[abduction51]

I'm going to have to go with most fruit, candy, and above all baked ham.

[h2Bn]

For me it's:
marshmallows
chocolate
jell-o
pumpkin pie
uncooked mushrooms
uncooked spinach--the thought of it makes me gag
Chardonnay
Brie
Vodka
Any adulterated cofffee (hold the frou-frou, just gimme my cuppa joe)

[Full tummy]

Kiwi and papayas. They smell like p**p to me. I do like golden kiwis, though.

[kubasd]

yummmmm golden kiwi fruit! I hate regular kiwi fruit and papayas too, but i will decimate a couple of golden kiwifruit cut in half and eaten with a spoon....

[Richard 16]

Doesn't the spoon make it kind of crunchy?

[kubasd]

yeah, i have to chew exra hard lol

[EWSflash]

Fritos! The smell alone makes me retch. I pity the fool that opens a bag of them in a car I' in- one of us will have to leave.

[Jacey]

I feel this way about bugles chips. I think they are the nastiest thing ever. That smell alone and aftertaste makes me gag.

[Cinnabon]

aaahhh nothing like the smell of fritos or dirty smelly wet socks or something similar.

[EWSflash]

Yeah, you got it.

[mpjmph]

HA! I had basketball season tickets last year (Go Heels!) and my seat-neighbor smelled bad. I was taking my mom to one of the games and warned her that the guy next to me usually smelled strongly of feet, her immediate response, without hesitation was "Maybe he just eats a lot of corn chips." And that is why my mom is an awesome middle school administrator.

[Passadumkeg]

Tell her that my brother who has just retired from over 40 years of teaching 7th grade always said, "Nobody in their right mind would ever teach 8th grade."

SPAM, Pop Tarts and flavored corn chips are nonfoods. Go Fritos and Frito pie!

[Insidious Rex]

Proud to say theres very little i wont eat. But the following things do nothing for me and youll never find me seeking them out:

Watermelon (it tastes like soggy styrofome to me)
Shaved Coconut (you want to make me gag uncontrollably? Give me a Mounds…)
Cucumber
Salmon steak (yet I LOVE smoked salmon and sushi!)
Beets
Black licorice

Note though that I would never describe my feelings for even these foods as “hate”. Just indifference or “bleck!”. But even these I would force down if given in a social setting.

Oh! And I cant understand people who use mayonnaise as a condiment...

And don’t get me started on Gin…

[Solstice444]

Mounds is my favorite candy! But I agree about cucumbers. I don't hate them, but I just don't see why people eat them. They taste like nothing to me. Same with beets. Celery too.

[Insidious Rex]

I wish I could like Mounds but I just cant get past the shaved coconut... And of course they HIDE it under the nice chocolate! Its why I have a hard time with boxed candies. As a child I would inevitably get that one with an inch of shaved coconut under the luscious dark chocolate outer layer and some kind of weird nauseating green meringue cream ooze in it that had the consistency and look of caterpillar guts... Then I would immediately go into cat with giant hair ball mode… It was so traumatizing!

[Fromageball]

haha!! I used to love the ones w the meringue ooze, HATED the jelly filled ones though...

[adamshoe]

Geez!!, are we related Insidious? I can tolerate (or even love) coconut on a german choco. cake, and I disagree completely on the mayo thing, but otherwise, those are in my top "hates" too. I love watermelon, but it makes me burp just like cucumburps...yecch! Are you also not a fan of eggplant (and most other squash-y veggies...) and okra like me? I think it's the juniper in Gin that makes me wanna gag; but when I was young, I did love me some Tanqueray&Tonics. Now the smell makes me most queasy. adam

[Insidious Rex]

Eggplant I could do without as well but I wouldnt go as far as to say I dont like it. Its just one of those veggies I dont have much use for like cucumber. Something about the limited taste and/or the consistency. Never been a big babaganouche fan and if you are making parmesan why not just use meat really.

I will eat Okra but only when its thoroughly cooked in a stew like gumbo or whatever. Ill eat them fried too but rarely. Obviously the slime factor is an issue but not enough to turn me off.

Yeah Im pretty sure its the way juniper tastes (and smells) in an alcohol solution that turns me off about gin. Smells like it should be a bad air freshener. Even the best stuff. So that and the requisite bad drinking experience freshman year in college probably did it for me. I will simply say that Tanquaray and an entire box of captain crunch was NEVER meant to mix…

[Passadumkeg]

Pick some juniper berries for saurbrauten and you may change your mind. My favorite method to cook a venison roast.

[occula]

I'm sure this is strange, but I love peanut butter (as in sandwiches) but I hate peanut butter flavored foods ... candy, cookies, cups, etc. But cream cheese is the opposite! I don't like it itself, or as a spread, but I love foods made with it ... dips, cheesecake, etc. yummy!

I love eggs, but only totally cooked through (over broken hard) - I hate runniness in eggs, and that's why I've never tried eggs benedict.

I don't like tomatoes.

and I hate anything that requires too much butchering by the person eating it. I've never had lobster - it's just too gross. peel and eat shrimp, anything that looks like a real whole fish ... veins, mysterious elements, that strange crunch in ground meat ... well, let's just say I don't eat meat much. *shudder*

[Catskillgirl]

"mysterious elements" LOLOL! Nicely put.

[pikawicca]

Do what my husband does: Order Eggs Benedict with the eggs scrambled. He gets some odd looks, but that doesn't bother him.

[Solstice444]

I'm the opposite of you! I don't like peanut butter in sandwiches, but I love peanut butter in candy, ice cream, everything else. But I agree with you on the tomatoes and runny eggs.

[Alicat24]

From Arika's OP, her list is what prompted me to reply:

-hollandaise
-parmigiano reggiano(I stil use it in recipes that call for it, but don't find it special)
-bacon and/or cheese on burgers
-french fries
-potato chips
-ribs
-chicken noodle soup
-snickers

It just cracked me up because with the exception of chicken soup which I am neutral on, I couldn't live without everything listed, right down to Snickers being my favorite candybar!! We human's are so fickle.

My list would be:

Mushrooms (w/ the exception of wood ear in hot and sour soup)
raw tomatoes (but go through an insane amt of canned)
shrimp (I keep trying but just can't like 'em)
blue cheese (gag, and I LOVE cheese)
veal, lamb (OK, I might love them if tried, but I can't bring myself to eat babies)
most fish
avacado
cilantro
zuchinni
eggplant (except prepared very well in a parmesean)

I know there are ALOT of people that will scoff at my list! In a string up thread there was talk of people not willing to "try" things because they know they won't like it. I know for a fact that even if they tasted fantastic, I wouldn't be able to do organ meats. On the other hand, I have never tasted pesto, because I can't stand pine nuts I just have the stupid idea I won't like it! I think I'm going to just bite the bullet, test myself and whip up some pesto this weekend...

[Bat Guano]

Pesto - just make it with some other kind of nuts instead. Walnuts work pretty well; not the same taste, obviously, but still good.

[Alicat24]

Thanks for the suggestion, I have heard of using different nuts. I love walnuts so I think I will run with them this weekend!

[contessa15]

I completely agree with the raw tomatoes, blue cheese, mushrooms, veal ( i also havent tried it but cant bring myself too). i wish so badly that i could enjoy raw tomatoes because im sure i am missing out on so many fantastic foods but no matter how many times i try, i just cant do it...

[Alicat24]

Your reply is very timely. I had a BL for dinner tonight (notice the absence of the "T") and found myself thinking "Even with the mayo, this would be better with some wet tomato on it to counter-act the dry toast". Maybe you and I will get there some day! I have slowly made myself try fresh tomato, like 4 little diced pieces on a taco.

The last time I made BLT's, I took hubbies tomato slices and laid them on my sandwich, just to get the flavor, and removed them. I didn't mind it! Which may have led to my thought tonight while eating my normal BL. Will I ever take a salt shaker, pull a mater off the plant and eat it like an apple, or dig into a caprese salad? Probably not! I'd like to get to a place where I can enjoy small doses though.

BTW, I just realized I never got around to trying Bat Guano's suggestion. I'll have to remember that tip for the future.

[pikawicca]

Are you trying to like supermarket tomatoes? Don't bother -- they are truly dreadful. Wait until later in the summer and get yourself an assortment of local, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes. There is an enormous range of acidity and flavor. You're almost sure to find some you like. I am a huge fan of (Brandywines.)

[Alicat24]

I missed your reply. Yes, because I use them so infrequently and rarely get to the the farmers market, it's grocery tomatoes for me. I tried to grow them myself in the garden last year but they all split, were eaten by bugs or fell off the plants before they matured. I'm trying again this year, only in my raised beds instead of the area that is just tilled up yard. I've got a Brandywine, Roma and Yellow pear that I am looking forward to trying. Funnily enough, I've got 5 volunteer's that popped up from last year! We'll see what comes of them.

My father's girlfriend grew up on a small family farm and she is constantly lamenting the poor quality and taste of today's tomatoes. Her neverending search for flavorfull tomatoes just cracks me up, as one who has not admired them previously and therefore, do not know of these infamous, delicious tomatoes of yore!

Since I first posted in this thread, I have actually been eating them more and more. I can't say I love them but I am starting to gain an appreciation. I find myself being irked that "grocery" tomatoes, more and more often, are not fully ripe and red but hard, orangish-red and under-ripe. I and hubby like to cook according to what we feel like, so I shop multiple times a week and don't have time to ripen a tomato needed for dinner that evening when they occationally are warrented. Grrrr.

[pikawicca]

So, how did your home-grown tomatoes turn out?

[Fromageball]

Yeah make the pesto with different nuts(without basil even! sundried tomato pesto is my fav).

[PAO]

Cola beverages. Coke, Pepsi, whatever. I can't see why everyone else likes them so much.

[OneJayneDoe]

I love all of the foods on your list. My additions to the list are:
Lima Beans
Okra
Black Licorice
Fennel
Sushi (but I like Sea Urchin!)
Olives of any kind (I do use Olive Oil for cooking)
Kiwi
Rhubarb
Soy beans, soy milk, tofu
Head Cheese!

[EWSflash]

Dill and epazote. You know how people will say"Who the heck ever thought that an artichoke (or oyster, insert ingredient here) was edible"?

Well, with dill and epazote, I can't imagine why, having tasted it, they ever knowingly tried it again.

[Michelly]

My list of why-eat-this includes

cucumbers (taste like water)
raw mushrooms (feels like a damp sponge)
blue cheese (I LOVE all other cheeses. When blue cheese appears on a menu, I have them substitute feta)
okra (I think it was Bill Cosby who said 'If you go out into the yard barefoot and you step on a slug...THAT'S okra!')
red licorice (no flavor at all)
pickled pig's feet (my father's favorite...no explanation necessary)
pickles chopped up and mixed into salads
Jello
Italian sausage
herbes de provence (I wash with lavendar, so I'm not going to eat it)
non-dairy creamer
over-cooked scrambled eggs
cola soft drinks

Oh, all you french fry lovers: order garlic french fries whenever possible. No condiments necessary (except salt and pepper).

Miracle Whip

[hungry100]

Pine nuts -- everyone loves them, but no matter where or how I have them toasted, raw, on salad, etc. they always taste rancid to me.

I also dislike oregano and chocolate covered strawberries.

[rrw8185]

Oregano's definitely an acquired taste. It took me several years before I learned to like it.

[im_nomad]

I'm with you on pine nuts, although I do love pesto. Just on their own they have a very odd taste.

[Lizard]

I really enjoy this thread and the question. However, I think some of you are missing the point. People claiming to dislike offal, licorice, brussels sprouts, eggplant, etc. are proclaiming their hatred of already maligned (and hardly universally loved foods).

As I adore the latter three on my list (offal, depends what it is and how it's prepared, etc), I am so used to people with their 'eewwwwws', that perhaps my sense of the world is not one where 'EVERYONE' enjoys them.

Me, I'm pretty meh on chocolate and don't go much for thick cream sauces although I don't hate them. In fact, I'm actually pressed to think of what I hate. That's kind of sad.

[Insidious Rex]

Dont know if i would put licorice in that group of much maligned foods. Im not a big fan of the stuff. But most people I know enjoy it. No its not the focus of food worship like chocolate by any stretch but its not universally the butt of food jokes either.

[Richard 16]

Q: How much black licorice does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Who cares?

Black licorice and tooth whiteners cancel each other.

Hiding black licorice jelly beans in a bag of assorted: Grounds for justifiable homicide.

What do you *get* with a dollar bag of licorice? A dollar.
A $5 pack? $5.
To actually eat it? Priceless.

[Insidious Rex]

Yeah BLACK licorice is on my get it away from me list too. But all licorice? Most people like the other colors (are there other colors besides red?). Friends give me a hard time because I turn down Twizzlers (which probably doesnt even qualify as licorice really).

[swtcrm]

you know what's odd? i don't normally like black licorice but i do like the black licorice jelly beans... go figure

[firemyars]

What about Absinthe?

[sbring]

Soda. Always tastes so artificial.
Goat cheese and blue cheeses. I don't think they are widely loved, yet they are all over so many restaurant menus. It seems that so many vegetarian dishes have one or the other ingredient.

[rrw8185]

Some of the things I despise:
Bananas
Lima Beans
Spinach
Ketchup (except for when it is on burgers.)
Grape juice
Chewing gum. I want to slap anyone that smacks their lips while chewing. Ugh.Sorry if that hits a nerve with anyone. Just how I feel.
American "Plastic" Cheese
Cheese Whiz

Edit: red licorice.

[Fromageball]

I love chewing gum(with my mouth shut), but I HATE listening to other people chomp it like a horse or snap it....ugh!

[Sooeygun]

I never got into the habit of chewing gum as a kid. My dad thought it would rip our fillings out. Now, I only chew it at my desk at work if my lunch has left my mouth less than fresh. I chew it for a minute or two then get rid of it. Personally, I think people look like cows chewing cud when they chew gum (sorry, that's just what pops into my head when I see it). The dental hygenist was chewing gum while cleaning my teeth. Not very professional looking at all, IMO.

[im_nomad]

Well, for me, it's meat. I can't tell you how many conversations i've had over the years with people who, upon hearing that I don't eat meat, immediately proclaim "OMG, how can you NOT have a big juicy steak, I would DIE".....sort of thing.

[Solstice444]

All meat? Because I'm definitely not into steak, and I've heard the same thing over and over! I also don't like pork chops, lamb chops, not really into ham...but I do enjoy hamburgers, sausage, and bacon!

[tracylee]

I'm pretty much the same with meat - or what I call "slab 'o meat". It comes from having to eat everything on my plate growing up and spending way too long chewing on whatever was overdone that night.

[FreshMango]

Mine are a little strange.
I don't like most berries, unless they are hot, like blueberry pie or strawberry rhubarb. Though I do love Ben and Jerry's Organic Strawberry ice cream *yum*
Okay that's not so weird I guess.
Other things:
Mayonase. It's so disgusting. I'm a die hard Miracle Whip lover. (unless there are eggs involved. Like potato salad, egg salad etc.. then mayo is okay)
I hate all types of mustard, and I hate honey.
But I love honey mustard dressing.
(homemade is only good if it's made with some kind of "fancy" mustard, not plain yellow).
I hate Jalapeños. I hate fruit jelly. (jam and preserves are fine, just not jelly)
But I *love* Knotts Berry Farms Jalapeño Jelly. Esp. with cream cheese, on wheat thins. Reminds me of my favorite gramma.
Fresh tomatoes are on my yuck list, as are green beans, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, broccoli and a lot of other well liked veggies. (except I love broccoli in "Asian" foods like Pad Sie Ew or Broccoli Beef)
I have a severely wimpy tongue, so even medium salsa, or that nasty liquid cheese for "nachos" is too spicy for me.
Which really is annoying because I love so many foods that are traditionally hot spicy.
I feel like I'm missing out on how it really should taste, because I have to leave out or greatly reduce the spicy ingredient.

[linguafood]

I used to absolutely loathe spicy foods. But my Thai roommate just wouldn't have any of it and kept feeding me hot (and enhanced) ramen soup. At some point, I just got there. I think you can try to slowly and gradually get used to hot food.

Nowadays, I'm a chili head. Oh, and I totally LOVE cilantro, which I used to hate. Tastes can definitely change, especially if you are willing to 'work' on them...

[Passadumkeg]

How true, Lingua! As a kid I was one of the fussiest eaters, I've ever seen. The military and world travel cured that!

[linguafood]

Well, I wasn't ever a picky eater as a kid. Would pretty much try anything at least once (thanks, mom, for letting me order sweetbreads at the tender age of 12: LOVED em) -- and, QED with the hot food and cilantro, and oysters -- sometimes you have to try things more than once. I love it all now. In fact, I have a hard time coming up with something I don't like.

[Passadumkeg]

At home I was very picky. but my folks tried to broaden our horizons w/ trips into NYC. I can't believe that in 1960, +-, I ordered frog's legs and calf's brain at a French rest. I wish mom were still alive so I could ask her the name of the resto.

[linguafood]

I wonder if I'll ever get to eat calf's brains again. That kinda stopped after the whole BSE scandal in the UK. And it's not something you find in your regular supermarket. Not even Wegmans!

[scoutmom1973]

I've really enjoyed reading this thread! here's my list:
-Soft, runny cheeses -- just reminds me that cheese is rotted milk (love hard cheeses though)
-fresh tomatoes, even right from Grandma's garden
-anything spicy -- I've tried many times, but I can't handle foods that hurt
-black licorice
-green peppers, even though I love other bitter foods
-flavored coffees just taste like chemicals to me
-sweet pickles

[MandalayVA]

Olives (olive oil is fine though)
The vast majority of seafood
Liver. I don't care where it came from or how it's cooked, it smells like someone barfed in a heating duct.
Beets
Asparagus
Black licorice
Raw mushrooms
Raw cucumbers

[pantsless]

I don't like most pastries and frosting. I also don't like cauliflower even though I love broccoli. Many soda drinkers I know are willing to drink root beer, but I hate it.

[parliament]

I'll agree with you on snickers. In fact, I'm not big on most candy, unless it's lindt chocolate bars/truffles or haribo raspberries.

Other things I don't like:
-mayo
-mustard as a condiment (i can use it in cooking, but on hot dogs? no dice!)
-clam chowder and most other creamy, chunky soups -- the texture is so offputting.
-oysters
-most fish
-milk/eggs (can use in cooking, cannot consume on their own -- yuck!)
-dishes that go overboard on melted cheese. I like cheese and all, but if that's the only thing I'm going to taste, plus the texture of slimy, runny cheese... no.
-processed cheese products
-stuff with eight tons of butter in it. It seems to me like American "comfort food" seems to fall either into the "Holy butter, Batman!" or "Let's make this as cheesy and creamy as humanly possible" categories -- things I don't like at all.

[peanuttree]

it's one thing not to like certain things, it's another to refuse to try new things. You're not 5 anymore, you should understand that having a bad taste in your mouth for a few seconds isn't going to kill you. The only significant thing that can happen from trying a new food is getting a new food that you like and can/will eat from then on

[RetiredChef]

#1 anything to do with Coffee, even the smell is disgusting to me. I think I have a whacked out DNA strand in my body because it is a visceral reaction to the point of bile rising in my throat.
#2 Olives (OMG yuck) – olive oil is great though
#3 Black licorice
#4 Mustard as a condiment, just fine cooking with it or it being a flavoring component of a dish, but nothing ruins a sandwich, hot dog or hamburger faster than mustard.

[CorneliusSneedley]

I don't like green olives, ripe ones are fine.

I don't like olive oil for a lot of cooking, it imparts too strong a flavor for me. I wince when I see people demo making Mexican food, and they break out the olive oil, for instance. I don't care how healthy you think it is, the flavor of olive oil absolutely ruins frijoles refritos, for example. Give me lard every time.

Also, there are sweet pickles, walnuts, and un-peeled carrots. The skin of the carrot imparts an unpleasant bitter taste to any dish it is in, to my palate, at least.

Then there are pears. It's a textural thing, here. I find them to be gritty.

Oh, and in many dishes I find bell peppers to be rather overpowering, and for hours after I eat them, they come back to haunt me, leaving my mouth tasting of peppers. Again.

Aside from Snickers, which I find to be cloyingly sweet, though. I like everything in the OP. :)

[sugarmeg]

i hate cinnamon, except for in the occasional savory application.
it has taken years for my family to learn or retain this fact about me, even though i've been substituting other spices for cinnamon in all the baked goods i've made for them over the years.
oddly, my 3 year old niece has just recently started adding cinnamon-laden foods to her "i don't like" list so maybe it runs in the family?

[firemyars]

Celery,
Sour cream,
Beets-the red kind. I don't know, or care how it's done.
Milk,
anything ranch=gross.
Sweets, and finally eggs. Animals. I don't eat them. That's it. I'm good after that.

[BamiaWruz]

Rice crispy squares/treats. I despise them, even though I remember my grandmother making them and everyone loved them, except me.

Don't like marshmallows so maybe that explains it, but I just don't see what others see in them. They think I'm weird.

[Passadumkeg]

A corn dog. I've never eaten one.

[BamiaWruz]

How do you know you don't like it then? Just curious.

I've never had one either.

[julesincoq]

I've never had one either. The whole idea of them is disgusting. I'm not a huge fan of weenies (though they always smell so good) and to take it and wrap it in corn meal (a texture I don't like) and then deep fry it?!! Nasty.

[piccola]

It's not corn meal, it's corn batter -- like a layer of corn bread around it. Much better than plain corn meal in this case.

[Passadumkeg]

I think it's the corn meal and deep fry. I like chili dogs and and kraut dogs. Something just doesn't connect. I'd prefer to consume the same calories from beer.

[FullPalate]

What an informative topic, it's remarkable that so many people find their food disagreeable.

I'm thankful I don't share this condition. Save for high standards in preparation and the occasional fear of bacterial contamination, I can't imagine any foods worth avoiding. Products like cheezewhiz, McDonald's, Twinkies, and Ranch Pringles are among the items passed off as "food" that I find completely inedible, but I would doubt anyone is fooled by such an obvious misnomer.

[Passadumkeg]

Ditto

[amatuerfoodie]

APPLESAUCE! (I get a lot of weird faces for that, but it's strange to me... I'm Chinese if it helps)
SODA! (i like gingerale every once in awhile, but people cannot believe it).
Pork bacon
Peanuts (but I like peanut butter... it's weird I know)
Ranch dressing
Excessive mayo
Oreos
Olives of any kind
Canned peas
Bananas (well I like banana bread but not whole bananas)
Raw broccoli, mushrooms
Most candy bars (snickers.. since I don't like peanuts, and all the others are just WAY too sweet for me)
Milk chocolate
Thick sickeningly sweet frosting

[weewah]

cooked:
peas
carrots
bell peppers
green beans.
Why do green beans and peppers get that strong, overpowering/nasty taste when they're cooked? The smell kills me. All of those vegetables are delicious raw and I would gag if I had to eat them cooked.
Balogna. ugh
I absolutely cannot stand processed 'cheeses'
Hate store bought guac, or hummus (which, where I grew up in the middle east, is pronounced HO-mus and American pronunciation has ticked me off for 20 years!). Those things must be made fresh to be good.
And how you people eat pineapple on a pizza is beyond me. I shudder.
Dang, I sound so negative!

[pikawicca]

Lived in the Middle East for 3 years and never heard HO-mus. The problem is that English does not have quite the sound as the first vowel in humus. It's certainly not "OH," however.

[BamiaWruz]

I've heard it pronounced Humm - s along wit many other ways which really isn't correct by foreigners, so I see where weewah is coming from.

And isn't it supposed to be hummus bi tahina, hummus is really just chickpeas.

I'd say it's H-Moss.

[mdzehnder]

I'm going to take a slightly different perspective from I think everyone so far here and state that I don't allow myself to not like things. Are there parameters this this? Certainly--it only applies to what as a chowhound I would refer to as real food--that is, its fine if I don't like velveeta cheese, or store-bought hummus, or processed/industrialized just about anything. Better if I don't in fact. But when it comes to a real food that for whatever reason I'm not inclined to like--be it ethnic or simply something that's outside of my experience--I don't allow myself to not like it. I assume, start from the the position, that if I don't like the food then there's nothing wrong with the food, there's something wrong with me. And I keep eating it until I like it. And you know what? It works. It took me almost 20 years, but I now thoroughly relish fresh spring asparagus. There are things that haven't worked yet--I'm still not the biggest fan of eggplant or mango--but I'll keep eating them, even if I never do grow to enjoy them. Why? Because they've been eaten by human beings for thousands of years. If it comes down to a choice between me or the food being right, I'm going to assume the food is right. To cease to eat it simply because I don't necessarily enjoy it would be an insult to human history.

[linguafood]

"To cease to eat it simply because I don't necessarily enjoy it would be an insult to human history"

I'd say even for chow standards, that's a bit over the top, no? human history?

[thew]

i don't undertand the division you make between "real" and "fake" food

and while i understand your stance, my policy traveling the globe has always been "taste first ask what it is after", i feel no shame or deficiency if i don;t eat something because i do not like it. Not everyone likes the same things. It would be ludicrous to assume you like exactly the same music, movies, or people i do; why should food be different?

what i will do is go back to foods i do not like to make sure the dislike is real and not habitual. i hadn't eaten calves liver, eg, since childhood, because i didn't like it. but i realized that not a few decades later it was silly to assume my taste for this one item might not have changed, when my taste in everything else has. so i went to place known to do it well, and ordered it. guess what? still didn't like it. and i'm ok with that.

there is no right or wrong here - neither you nor the food are wrong. indeed the food cannot be wrong. it isn't here for you, it's here for itself.

i can't speak for human history, but as an example of an actual human, with the actual ability to be affronted, I'm not in the least insulted by your not eating mango. relax. it's ok.

[mdzehnder]

Linguafood--yes, it was a bit hyperbolic intentionally to make a point, but I think the point is basically sound. That is, who am I, one insignificant speck in the vast gulf of human history, to judge something unacceptable when so many of my formers and betters have judged it acceptable?

thew--Do you mean you don't understand the difference between the two, or that you don't understand why I feel its ok to make that distinction? I definitely agree with your policy--taste first and ask after" but I guess my point was more that it often takes some time to grow to appreciate and like something, particularly if its fairly far outside your normal experience. So in your example (regarding the calves liver) I guess my point would be I applaud your approach, but rather than simply trying it once and saying, yes, I still don't like it, I would have tried it, say, once a week for a period of six months. If after that you STILL don't like it, then maybe you're onto something. And when I said me being wrong vs. the food being wrong, I really meant more, "the people in the past who have judged that food something worthy of being eaten" more than the food itself.

[stephanieh]

If you were to try something you didn't like once a week for six months, when would you find time to eat all the things you really love? Life's too short to eat that much food I don't like.

[Passadumkeg]

Spot on Md! If a culture cherishes a food, the must be something good about it. I'll have to eat more Chip Butees!

[thew]

sticking w/my example - i don't judge anyone badly for liking calves liver. i don't look down on cultures that relish it. no disrespect. just don't like it. and i'm ok with that....

[linguafood]

as someone who LOVES calf's liver, i can still say i would NOT try something i disliked weekly for 6 months. i trust my taste enough to make that decision after a month the latest. and as stephanieh said -- there are wahay too many things i could be eating/trying instead, to not waste my time and tastebuds on something i dislike. ymmv.