Things you wish you could "Untaste"?

[Steve Green]

For me, there's been two things recently:

1. The "classic" Thanksgiving string bean/ mushroom soup/ fried onion casserole.

Somehow I've managed to get through my whole life up to now, never having tried this. Too bad my luck didn't hold out. I was at Costco the other day, and they were handing this stuff out as samples. I figured, "hey, how bad could it be?" I simply could not believe how horrid it was -- I actually had to grab a napkin and spit it out.

Now granted, I'm sure it's better if you use fresh string beans, scratch-made mushroom soup and homemade onion rings, but really, who does that anyway? Besides, for me at least, the flavor and texture combo is a huge fail, and wouldn't be much improved by fresh components. Amazing that this seems to be a popular dish.

2. Scotty's Butterscotch Soda (found at one of those old-timey soda and candy shoppes - in all fairness, my expectations were not high):

Words completely fail me in describing how utterly vile and disgusting this concoction really is. The closest it has come to a stick of butter, is the rendering of said stick on the bottle label. Speaking of things rendered, I'd sooner drink from a rancid fast-food grease-trap than sample this chemical abomination again. (In case that sounded ambivalent, I could add that the ink used to print the label would probably taste better than the soda.)

[mamachef]

Somewhat related: I had lunch at a soul food restaurant with a friend who suddenly got all maverick on me and ordered chitlins instead of his usual fried fish. Lunch was served, and we both looked at his plate, which appeared to be loaded with a gray, squiggly wet napkin. He went in and took a nice big bite; I tucked into my nummy nummy oxtails. His eyes widened, and he made a noise like "wooooo!"; carried his own plate to the bustub 'cause it's that kinda place, and sat there forlornly watching me eat 'til I felt bad and gave him some, but then what happened that was bad was, he said "woooo!" again and burped. Yes. He burped. And I swear to G*d I could taste it and I hope it never, ever happens again. I can't describe how bad that scene was.

[mkmccp]

Lifesavers Wint'OGreen lifesavers.. Gak. Anything wintergreen flavored or scented. I think it stems from boys using Skoal or Copenhagen snuff that apparently had that flavor added. The smell when the can was opened and then the disgusting spitting...now I'm nauseated. Blargh

[makeit_alice]

MARZIPAN (and almond extract in general, really)
and
ECHINACEA SYRUP.

[afridgetoofar]

Pickled herring. SO loves it, and insisted I try it. I took one teeny piece, and promptly fled for the bathroom. It just reminded me too much of the feel and smell of dissections in early science classes. I shudder at vinegary pickled meats that come packed in jars, they belong in a laboratory not my kitchen...

[geppetto]

Steak that tastes like liver. It has happened a few times and I am at the point where I have no desire to eat a steak, any steak.

No salmon either - don't want to taste it, smell it, be in the same room with it.

...not that big on cilantro too.

[Steve Green]

Very with you on the liver-y steak. I once asked a French chef what that was about, and he told me it was improper aging.

[mkmccp]

My spouse loves filet mignon. He has issues with fat so to him the lean relatively low effort required steaks are for him. Filet 9/10 times tastes liver-y to me. Bitter and funky. Gimme a ribeye!!!

[BuildingMyBento]

Dundas St., in Hong Kong. The odors around there should be barred entry.

Durian and panettone are present on the list too.

[Terrieltr]

This awful, awful generic cream soda. I was suspicious because it was pink, but thirsty enough to give it a shot. Tasted like cheap, stale bubblegum.

[davis_sq_pro]

Here's one that hasn't yet been mentioned:

Underripe Hachiya persimmon. Rips every bit of moisture from your mouth, and the sensation lingers, and lingers, and lingers. Disgusting.

Especially evil because a perfectly ripe Hachiya persimmon is an amazing thing to eat.

[vanderb]

My wife reminded me of one that I can't believe I forgot about. In Thailand about 12 years I grabed the last yoghurt in the fridge at breakfast and didn't really look at the label. Needless to say I can never and will never forget the taste of Lotus Nut, Mung bean and corn yoghurt... truly the most foul thing imaginable and especially at breakfast.

[mkmccp]

Wow.

[jmcarthur8]

That bit of pecan shell I chomped on the other day when I was nibbling on some wonderful fresh shelled pecans from a friend's tree.
It was so nasty, I ran and spit it into the kitchen sink, then had to go brush (and scrub) my teeth two or three times to get all the bitter bits out of my molars. And rinse and rinse. Bleah!

[bards4]

Oh, I have been there. Bleah is right! It's right up there with the bit of aluminum foil that stuck to the bottom of the pizza crust I once had...

[sunshine842]

one of the few nice points about having now had all the mercury fillings in my teeth dug out and replaced with porcelain is that I don't get that spine-tingling cringe if I get a piece of foil in my mouth by accident.

(there better bet something good about spending that much time, money, and discomfort getting that done! it wasn't by choice -- necessary because after x years, mercury fillings start to work loose...so eventually you have to have it fixed.)

[suzigirl]

The inside membrane is worse if you can believe it

[jmcarthur8]

Suzi, maybe that's what it was! It felt like it was sucking all the moisture out of my mouth. All I know is I never want that experience again!

[suzigirl]

That's the insides. Bitter and sucks all the good taste from your mouth so that's all you can taste. Horrid stuff. It turned me off nuts for years until I was shown what it was. Now I am super picky with fresh shelled nuts

[Terrieltr]

The one time I got some of the shell lining, I swear my tongue tried to turn itself inside-out.

[tarilyn]

Utz Grandma's homecooked chips, or something to that effect. Potato chips cooked in lard. Ugh. The only potato chip purchase I really regret.

[mkmccp]

Here in Berks County Pa the lard cooked chips are considered by many to be the bees knees. I've tried them a few times only to regret it and spend a few hours trying to remove the lard slime from my tongue. Nope nope nope.

[fldhkybnva]

The wet scallops that I accidentally purchased this weekend. I am not much of a food taster and a creature of habit that doesn't like much deviation and so have not had many experiences with foods that I wish I could untaste. I am a routine scallop eater but went to a new store to buy scallops and met the most horrid taste. I still can't believe how revolting they were. The next day, I returned to my usual store to redeem the scallops and there was a little bit of convincing myself to actually cook them knowing that they would be delicious as expected.

[jbsiegel]

1. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich...I like each separately, just NOT together.
2. Swiss cheese
3. Beets
4. Turnips

[JMF]

I once researched an article about durian. I had tried durian ice cream and durian smoothies made from frozen durian (which is packed from durian that is just barely ripe) and liked it. So I bought a just barely ripe durian and a very ripe one. The barely ripe one was ok, the over ripe one was like diesel fuel, stinky feet, and vomit. I ate some peanuts and drank a beer to get the taste out of my mouth. Then a few minutes later it started repeating on me. The burps flavored of durian, beer, and peanuts were so bad that I actually got tears in my eyes. I can't stand the smell of peanuts to this day. Especially on someones breath after they eat them. I have actually told fellow passengers on airplanes that if they eat the peanuts, I'll be the one getting sick. Weirdly, I still like durian ice cream and smoothies, just not the ripe fruit. Oh, but I like peanut butter.

[Floridagirl]

I made the Alton Brown from scratch green bean casserole this Thanksgiving because the BF wanted it. I still thought it was gross. He liked it. I would rather have steamed green beans, I wish I could untaste oysters and any raw shellfish

[chefathome]

And I adore oysters and raw shellfish (except prawns). :)

[3MTA3]

Natto- Fermented soybeans, typically eaten for breakfast. My ex-sister in law (born/raised in Tokyo) was called the Natto Queen by her grandmother because she ate it 3 times a day. My older brother tried to eat it, couldn't do it. I tried to one-up on my brother...nope, no way. It tastes as foul as it smells. How far would you let something rot before you declare it delicious ?

[Sandwich_Sister]

Natto, Smells and taste like stinky feet. Yuck! One good thing I can say about it is that it does wonders for digestion.

[davis_sq_pro]

Natto mixed up with a raw egg, plus a bit of pickled radish or maybe some kimchi on the side... Best and smelliest breakfast ever :-)

[Scary Bill]

Andouillette sausage. Only had one bite, not knowing what it was, but it will remain a lifetime nightmare. I taste it every time I think of it.

[sunshine842]

French or Cajun?

[Scary Bill]

Andouille is Cajun, an absolute favourite of mine, and not at all like Andouillette, which is French.

http://unclestinky.wordpress.com/2008...

[sunshine842]

nope, you can have Andouille in France. The only significant difference between French andouille and French andouillette is in the diameter of the finished product -- I agree, it's nasty stuff, so I've never paid much attention to the regulations.

[Scary Bill]

Made me do some homework. French andouille is different from andouillette, though French andouille will use along with mostly pork meat, some intestine, and not found except as casing in Cajun andouille.

Also, there is no Cajun andouillette, per your original question.

[Kat]

The free sample today at Trader Joe's. Some type of Chai Tea flavored pastry. I popped the bite sized piece in my mouth and ran for the garbage can next to Customer Service to spit it out. The pastry was filled with an oozy liquid center that tasted like warm mustard mixed with lemon juice and cinnamon. It slid down the back of my throat and made me gag. Gross!

[Isolda]

Bacon-flavored jelly beans. Fake bacon flavor. They were so horrible we put them out at a church coffee hour as a joke, just to see if any kid actually liked them. The joke was on me, as I found myself cleaning up lots of spit out jelly beans from the floor.

[MysticYoYo]

Malta drink. I had a friend who looooved it. I tried it and almost puked it back up. Horrible. Horrible.

[suzigirl]

My dad had me try that. He asked if i liked molasses, which I do. That doesn't taste like molasses. Unless someone forgot that molasses is a form of sugar. That stuff isn't sweet. Or good for that matter. Yuk.

[EWSflash]

Epazote. I grew it once and for the life of me, I can't understand how or WHY anybody thought of adding it to food. It stinks and it tastes even worse. And then it self-sowed like a sonofabitch and kept coming up in various potted plants for years- we even moved once and it kept growing back to haunt me.

[Isolda]

But it can prevent the unpleasant after-effects of beans, if added to a pot while cooking. However, I agree that the unpleasant taste isn't worth it.

[PotatoHouse]

Potted meat and/or Vienna sausages (they are both the same thing, just different forms).

[vanderb]

Papaya, tastes like vomit to me, no matter where in the world I've tried it.

Green bell peppers, vile beyond belief... even the smell of them when they're being cut is too much.

[cacruden]

The green (non-ripe) papaya that is used (in Som Tam - Thai Papaya salad) is more of a blank slate taste, it takes on the taste of all the ingredients that it is mixed with (in this case pounded in). Ripe papaya I don't typically eat.

The taste comparison between Som Tam to papaya salad would be like comparing MacDonald's French Fries with salt and vinegar to mashed potatoes..... there is really nothing in common between the two. I cannot eat potatoes -- especially mashed.... but MacDonalds french fries do not taste like potatoes.....

[vanderb]

I hear you and probably should have clarified my papaya statement with "ripe" papaya. I do love som tam and I am aware it has papaya, just forgot about it in my rush to bash papaya... as I tend to do.

[chefj]

With you there. I think that the Enzymes that the Papaya produce must be very similar to the ones our Stomach produces. Some Cheeses are that way for me to.

[Isolda]

+1 on the papaya. Actually, +2 because my H agrees. Our daughter loves it, though, so people must taste it differently.

[Chefpaulo]

Green papaya salad, sea urchin, most flavored vodkas, Retsina, Southern Comfort (not unlike that abominable cherry cough syrup of early childhood) and multiple food experiences one day in the Gobi Desert (raw sheep's milk cheese, fermented mare's milk, rancid deep-fried dough nuggets - I really thought it was my last day on this planet.)
CP

[arashall]

Seriously, you don't like som tam?! I've used it as "introductory" Thai food for lots of folks, and never known anybody who didn't like it. Makes me miss our neighborhood som tam lady in Bangkok... The neighborhood som tam lady is also always the best source of local gossip :-)

[Chefpaulo]

Seriously....nope! And now you've met one. Been eating Thai since my student days when I visited Bangkok in February 1972 (an interesting time to be there.) Almost had to go by ambulance to the hospital due to Bird's Eye chili pepper overdose on my shrimp dish (not my asking) and then having Poopaya salad the next night. I now adore Thai, except for...
CP

[cacruden]

You can overdose on chilies :o Never thought that was possible. On any given day I could easily consume 15+ of them depending on what I order....Although I did get a lot in one Som Tam a few years ago before I could tell them in Thai..... my hand was telling them one thing, and my english another and they did not speak english. Both my sister and I were struggling a little on it, had to stop eating twice to let our mouths cool down. The lady running the stand was obviously shocked that farang could finish.... I usually order with about 4 Bird chili peppers in it, but this was way more than that. I will eat several different versions of it, and on average I would say probably average almost one Som Tam every two days - only problem is they are quite calorie rich for a salad. I still have been poisoned more times in Canada than here though, once here and twice in Canada.... got to remember no to satays early in the morning after sitting all evening long.... I needed protein and I did not give it much thought.

[HillJ]

Canned spinach--nasty!
Head cheese-meat & jelly...just don't work for me!

[chefathome]

How could I forget head cheese? My German grandma used to make it for us (how kind). I recall gagging and gagging. It just seems so very wrong.

[sunshine842]

on bread, with tart pickles and a glass of wine? Divine.

(call it fromage de tête -- it sounds so much more elegant.) :P

[chefathome]

That sounds vastly more elegant! :)

The way my grandma used to make it ensured there were many gristly chunks. The chunks of fat were enormous - hard to get down. The quivering mass was often served with pickled chicken feet - a lovely plate to behold for a child.

[EWSflash]

sourdough buckwheat pancakes. My mother's favorite, it was quite the gagger.

[mamachef]

Durian in ANY form.

[HillJ]

I have never had durian but something tells me it would immediately be placed on the short "untaste" list.

[mamachef]

Oh, everybody should taste it once, if only to be thankful that they don't ever have to do THAT again. :)

[majordanby]

i agree with you except for durian ice cream.

[anotherjennifer]

Yes. Yesyesyesyesyes. Worst thing I've ever eaten. BLECH! And the stink is every bit as bad as the taste.

There are a bunch of things that I eat that my husband hates the smell of and vice versa. Generally we just each live with it so as not to deprive the other, but for this, I told him that it was grounds for divorce if he ever brought it into the house again.

BLECH!!!!!

[chefj]

Nattō

[Lillipop]

Avocado why people like them is beyond me.It is like eating a mouth full of green fat.And any type of sushi......shudder:( Chinese five spice...again...shudder:(

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I love avocados! Guacamole!! I sold 150 in one week at work a few months ago.

[Veggo]

Baked trigger fish livers in all of their oil. But I was required to eat them as part of the ritual of becoming an 'hermano' in Cozumel years ago.

[sunshine842]

so long as you didn't have to clean the triggerfish -- dang those are some tough little mothers.

[Jambie]

On the menu of a mexican food restaurant I saw "pork rind taco." I wish I could re-think that decision. It was chewy like trying to eat a rubber band and the memory is not pleasant.

[Dax]

Chicharrones sometimes stewed in a chili verdi. Yeah, the wife almost threw up when she tried a bite of mine. It just tasted fatty to me (and I love pork rinds, but wet ones were ooogy).

[Sandwich_Sister]

I like Chicharrones,

and at a place around town they do Chicharrones nachos which are great, but don't box them up and take them home. They don't last very long before they get the oogy.

[Veggo]

I concur. I like my chicharrones ultra-crispy, not stewed. Bleech!

[Jambie]

I have to confess that my experience with pork rinds is limited to the deep fried kind that you find on the shelves of convenience stores but I was intrigued enough to try it. It was months ago and I still can't get over it.

[Sandwich_Sister]

Natto and I tried it twice! but it does really do amazing things for your digestion.

[echoclerk]

Campfire S'Mores
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S'more

Apparently americans love them - I tried one last year and thought it was pretty digusting. made me want to throw up. Worse than Cadbury Creme Eggs.

[lamb_da_calculus]

Hershey's and Capri Sun or milk and grapefruit. Both combinations taste uncannily like vomit.

[nikkib99]

Raw peanut. Gross - it's definitely not like an almond that can be eaten raw.

Chicken skin. Friends look at me funny when I buy those huge packs of chicken thighs, drumsticks, etc and use kitchen shears to get rid of the skin before repackaging in ziploc freezer bags.

[cacruden]

Chicken skin is sometimes sold seperately at street level here.... deep fried chicken skin snacks .... delicious....

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

An olive straight off the tree. =P

[sunshine842]

That one blew my mind...we were in Provence during the olive harvest, and one of the guys in our group picked a ripe olive from the tree in the garden of the house we were renting....He pulled a face and spit it out, then (in true foodie fashion) yelled "you guys have to taste this! Its awful!"

So we all charged over (and in true foodie fashion) grimaced and spit them out.

How anybody figured they could be made so darned tasty by brining and curing is beyond my comprehension...but I'm glad they did.

[suzigirl]

I am glad they did too

[Terrieltr]

I love that everyone rushed over to try it.

[EWSflash]

Oooooh- what a rude awakening.

[Novelli]

2 things immediately come to mind.

Back in the mid-90's I went to a Black Angus and was given a complimentary bowl of "Cowboy Spoonbread" to try out. ACK! It tasted like someone wolfed down a wet veggie omlette and then proceeded to regurgitate it into a bowl. FOUL!

DUBBEL ZOUT - Holy shit. Being a young kid in a candy store and plunking down my weekly allowance to buy a bag of this crazy exotic dutch candy I had never seen before...what the HELL was I thinking!!! Double salted black licorice...absolutely horrid! I was soooo mad at myself!

[Cherylptw]

Coconut; can't stand it but oddly enough I adore coconut milk in dishes like Jerk and I do keep coconut on hand to make coconut pie or cake for OTHER people. Tripe....nope, can't handle it. And when I was 15, I got toasted on Southern Comfort and got drunkingly sick, throwing up. To this day, I still remember every horribe moment and I can still taste the sweet mess. I never drank it again and it's been over 30 years.

[laskiblue]

I'm with you on the Southern Comfort for the same reason, and let me add sloe gin to that list. I can feel my throat tightening up just typing about them. Urgh.

[suzigirl]

Goldschlager for me.

[pinehurst]

Oh absolutely on the Southern Comfort. What in the wide, wide world of sports is that stuff supposed to be?! One of my friends dotes on the stuff and he urged me to try it over ice to wean me from my usual scotch. Oh, helllllllllll no.

Add to that, the flavored vodkas on the market, like "Whipped cream" and "Cotton candy". Um no.

[bards4]

Hehe - loved the Blazing Saddles reference. :o)

[KrumTx]

Ha! One of my favorite sayings

[Island]

Thanks for the reminder of a bad underage drinking eposode. Mine was a bottle of premixed screwdrivers. Couldn't even stand to look at OJ for about 2 years.
Sloe gin, agree that's vile. Tastes like cough syrup.

[cacruden]

Personally, I don't think there is ANYTHING I would want to untaste. Only by tasting can we find out what we like and do not like. Untasting something is akin to deleting that experience, which means you are deleting knowledge.... never a good thing.

[pippimac]

True cacruden: now I know I'll never, ever eat natto again!

[sunshine842]

This. Well-said.

[Fydeaux]

Meatloaf-everybody's that I tried 'just to be nice' before I finally slammed the door on ever trying it again.
Yogurt-ALL yogurt. I dont care. More for you.
Diet Moxie
Blackjack gum

Of course, this is just regarding items normally considered as a food of some kind. Items like cough syrup, barium, and Subway subs; it goes without saying.

[jw615]

Oh, cough syrup.

I get croup a lot (yes, I know, its a baby disease) and end up on prescription cough syrup.

The first time that an ER doc gave me cheritussin, it tasted so bad that I actually cried.

Have gotten mostly used to it by now, but have also moved on to tussionex, which is conveniently sweet like candy.

[sisterfunkhaus]

Ever tried a hot toddie? Much better flavor and great for a cough.

[sunshine842]

absolutely true! (a shot of the hard liquor of your choice - usually whiskey or rum, the juice of a lemon, and a generous spoonful of honey in a great big mug, and fill with boiling water. ) Tasty, soothing, and lets you sleep.

My dad used to give us a spoonful of blackberry brandy if we were out of cough medicine. To this day I can't drink blackberry brandy, because to me it's cough medicine.

[cacruden]

I remember Brandy, juice of a lemon, and some honey for a cold.... but don't remember the hot water :o

[sunshine842]

(you've got to have hot something to get to a hot toddy!)

[foodieX2]

My own tea smoked duck. It was recipe from Gourmet-mid to late 90's?and done mostly in a wok. I am sure I did it wrong but it was the WORST. Nasty-bitter, unpleasant burnt smoke taste and the texture and color? God awful. And whats worse I spent some serious time on that damn thing!

[gembellina]

I wish I had never eaten calves' brain. I managed to finish the plate but it kind of creeps me out still. And the smell of rotting chicken when I opened a packet haunts me to this day. I don't think I will ever forget the stench of death. It's making me feel queasy just remembering!

[mcap]

Gefilte fish. Small mushy fish balls suspended in a jar of a vile "broth", eaten cold.

Just a full-on experience of awful awfulness

[arashall]

Dried seaweed that a Thai friend insisted I try because it was a delicious snack. In the back seat of a taxi, driving through Bangkok, wiping my tongue off with a napkin!!! Like licking the bottom of an aquarium. That was 10 years ago, and I cannot even walk past the packages in a store without being yucked out to this day.

[sunshine842]

cue scene of Tom Hanks wiping the beluga caviar off his tongue in "Big".

[arashall]

LOL! Ha! I had forgotten that. Pretty much my exact reaction.

[rockandroller1]

sushi. seriously. I've eaten it 3 different times at "the best" places around and it's just the most vile thing I've ever put in my mouth.I cannot grasp the popularity of it.

[baseballfan]

I don't like it either although I have tried to. I love it when people say to me "oh you just haven't tried the right type or the right restaurant." I have tried all types multiple times from excellent restaurants all over the country and I still think it sucks.

I'm with you. I just don't get it.

[rockandroller1]

+1

[suzigirl]

+2. Blech. I can eat the cooked if I must but no raw,thanks

[sisterfunkhaus]

The only raw sushi I have likes was sea snail. Otherwise, the texture skeeves me out. I love cooked rolls though.

[EWSflash]

Wow, I don't really see how, since I like it so much, but you did give it a fair shot, at least.

[zitronenmadchen]

+3. I keep trying sushi and the taste and texture keep making me gag. The smell is pretty bad too.

Also I wish I had never eaten that raw peanut. Blech.

[charles_sills]

of all the different sushis i have tried. i havent liked any of them. its the sushi itself i dont care for (the vinegared rice)

[mudcat]

I enjoyed sushi when homeported in Japan, particularly, the dollar size baby abalone. Had it once in the States, never again.

[Bryan Pepperseed]

Licorice, peppermint, and coconut.

[Island]

Licorice, peppermint and coconut?? OMG those are 3 of my favorites. Trade you some cilantro, cumin and capers for them. Those are 3 I wish I never tasted.

There's a lot of stuff I've never tasted because they smell too repulsive to get near my mouth, 3 of those would be balogna, hot dogs and liver. Ugh.

[Bryan Pepperseed]

Not a big fan of cumin or capers, but I'll take the cilantro. If you throw in some hot dogs and baloney we might have a deal.

[majordanby]

some bad blood sausage. might as well just give me dried blood from a a few days old rotting carcass.

[plasticanimal]

rotten peanut

[KSlink]

Boy does this bring back some nasty memories......the first had to be some vile tasting cough syrup my grandmother forced down my throat (by holding my nose) when I had a cold as a child. There was no such thing as "cherry flavored" back in the early 60's......it and whatever I'd had for dinner that night made a reappearance on the kitchen floor about 10 minutes later.....

Fast forward 40 years and my chef/employer gave me a taste of some sort of incredibly funky blue cheese that the sales rep was trying to get us to carry in our case--I was astounded at how quickly my system shut down screeching POISON to every nerve and cell in my body. It never made it past my throat before nature took over and expelled it....embarrassing for sure!!!

[jujuthomas]

oh, KSlink - we used to have to take Marax cough syrup. I *think* it was supposed to be banana flavored. to this day I can still taste that horrid taste! We would do anything, ANYTHING to avoid taking that stuff!

[chefathome]

Insipid canned spinach from my childhood. Mom would open the can, heat up the contents and drizzle witih white vinegar. Not exactly inspired or tasty. Pretty slippery, too...

[suzigirl]

I eat it this way to this day but i have switched to apple cider vinegar

[chefathome]

Really? Perhaps it has improved over the past 30 years. I'm game to give it another go, especially with apple cider vinegar. I've never enjoyed canned beans, peas, carrots or spinach just as I have found them tinny. They just do not compare with fresh to me. If I had a choice I would definitely not choose canned. :-(

[Will Owen]

Corn, beans, tomatoes and sauerkraut are about it for good canned vegetables, I think, although the canned asparagus that an early poster was dissing is something I learned early to enjoy in the proper context: chilled, drained and dried, then plated with a little mayonnaise. I've also had it as an hors d'oeuvres item laid diagonally across a trimmed thin slice of good white bread, again with mayonnaise, and the bread folded up point to point. All the rage for fancy summer parties in Nashville 20-some years ago.

[chefathome]

Canned corn and tomatoes are used regularly at our house and sauerkraut occasionally. We do purchase pickled asparagus from time to time. Other than that I just do not enjoy canned vegetables, soups, and so on.

[mudcat]

I like asparagus fresh or canned, particularly, the canned blanched asparagus that are also impossible to find in my area. I do not care for the anemic looking asparagus that are almost as thin as spaghetti.

[suzigirl]

Its still the same as it was. I just still like it.

[bards4]

One Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly...

[jmcarthur8]

Oh, you just reminded me about the Bertie Bott's Jelly Beans that my son brought home. I tried a sardine one, but he couldn't talk me into trying the booger flavored one. Or the earwax one.

And I do agree about the wet buttered popcorn Jelly Belly. And I don't even have food texture issues.

[sunshine842]

I read all the Harry Potter books, so hubby bought Bertie Bott's Jelly Beans for my stocking one Christmas.

I laughed myself silly at "booger" and "vomit", thinking "oh, it's just a nasty-looking fruit flavor - they'd never REALLy make that flavor."

Uh. Yeah, they did. I mastered all current records for spitting a half-chewed jelly bean across the room into a wastebasket.

I finally threw the box away because I didn't want to screw up and get one of those nasty things again.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I worked at the Jelly Belly Candy Co when they started making them for the first time. They could only do the sardine, and vomit after the tours had finished. The sardine has actual fish oil in them, and can't say what the vomit has =)

[sunshine842]

Truly? I don't actually want to know.

One of the worst jobs in the world would be the taste tester for those production runs. Because somebody spent a lot of time and money figuring out the flavor components of vomit, boogers, and anchovies.

I still get a little queasy thinking about it.

Blergh.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Herm, the owner, said that he never would have thought they could make money with flavors like those, but they did. CAP candy ,who we made them for, would place orders for 1,000,000 boxes at a time.

Very Cherry was unseated as the fave after 11 years when buttered popcorn came out. Don't know what the curent fave is since I left California in 05.

[sunshine842]

The first time I tried buttered popcorn jelly beans, a customer offered me some from the jar on his desk. "Tell me what flavor they are" -- and because of the utter disconnect between the flavor and the texture, I was stumped. Once he told me, it was very clear -- but it was a funny look at how texture connects us to certain flavors.

[bards4]

Ugh... buttered popcorn. Must be a favorite because people are buying it in droves to torture their friends...

[suzigirl]

Exactly. Those things are gross

[jbsiegel]

I **hate** those things!

[Isolda]

I'm guessing it was ground up papaya or really crappy parmesan cheese.

[akq]

Yup. Friend and I bought them at the HP movie years ago thinking the same thing. Opened them in the theater and almost screamed at the horrible SARDINE flavor jellybean I had in my mouth. So gross.

[EWSflash]

Pity you tossed them before you tried the Black Pepper- i's one of my all-time favorites. I wish they'd put it into general circulation.
I couldn't handle the vomit ones, either, but then I'm phobic about it anyway.

[jmcarthur8]

Ditto on the green bean casserole! DH made one a few years ago so the family could try it. He got to eat the whole pan himself.
Another would be some halibut from Publix that I fixed for dinner last year. It tasted like ammonia, and we had to throw it out. I took my receipt to the store and told them about it- they were kind enough to refund my $11.00.

[suzigirl]

Gleefully giggling aloud to the second part of your post. That being said I do love green bean casserole. Sorry.
Plus one on Goldendog and goat cheese. Horrid stuff. But other stinky cheeses are just fine.
Whipped cream, especially coolwhip
waterchesnuts. Texture.
Cotton candy. Got super sick on it at a carnival

[Will Owen]

Mine was goat cheese too, but not the sharp kind - it was that Norwegian gjetost, a sticky brown substance that a friend of mine insisted I try because she adored it. As we did share most tastes in food I trusted her. Gak!! It didn't taste of goat cheese, it tasted of GOAT. Raw, greasy, fresh-from-the-pen old billy goat. Luckily we were outside or I'd have had to spit it on the floor; I apologized, but told her it tasted vile to me, and please don't do that again. We stayed friends anyway, but I had that fetid taste in my mouth for a week, no matter what I ate, drank or smoked.

Any other goat or sheep cheese I've got no problem with, and several of them a big favorites - Manchego, pecorino, chevre - but that Norwegian stuff will never pass these lips again. And if by accident it does it'll be a quick two-way trip.

[NE_Wombat]

Gjetost is what immediately came to mind upon seeing the title of this thread.

[Isolda]

It's weird, but I love goat cheese and actual goat (disclaimer: I've only had it curried and heavily spiced, but it was great!); however, I hated gjetost. Also dislike many, but not all sheep cheeses, although I love lamb (my favorite meat, hands down).

[Goldendog]

Goat cheese. 30+ years ago a Hickory Farms kiosk at a mall was giving out tastes of a goat cheddar. The stuff was sharp and/or ripe beyond belief. I think it took days to get rid of the aftertaste. Ever since I will not touch any cheese made from goats or sheep but I adore every variety of cheese if made from cows milk.

[chefathome]

Undercooked deep-fried pork ribs that caused me serious food poisoning. I was hospitalized it was so horrid. That was about 20 years ago when I was very young and I can STILL taste those darned ribs. Thankfully the incident did not turn me off pork but I have not had them deep fried to this day (which is a good thing!).

[JudiAU]

Uni that was not quite perfect. Perfect uni is sublime. Not perfect uni is horrid.

[Rodzilla]

agreed!

[melpy]

You took the words out of my mouth. Gag!

[lcool]

Just can't........the things over the years with either MiracleWhip or CoolWhip as a key or distinct ingredient.So far all Jello brand concoctions.

AND a cheese that had been wrapped and aged in tobacco leaves,I still shudder

[Isolda]

Tobacco leaves? Are you serious? That sounds very emperor's new clothes to me. Aren't they poisonous? I know that if you grow them, you can't grow anything else in the same place for years.

[sunshine842]

you don't eat the tobacco leaves - they impart flavor (good or bad, depending) into the cheese.

[lcool]

Verona,Italy,many of the small producers of Amarone and Ripassa wines also make tiny batches of cheese.One they consider very special,rare and rarely brought out is the one wrapped in tobacco leaves.I'll pass.I simply loath the foliage on all nightshades even the tomatoes,eggplant and others I grow.Getting past the feel and smell of the plant is only for the fruit.The foliage,toxic,not very,in what quantity on which plant may matter but the old wives tale a tomato leaf will kill you is just that,an old wives tale,exaggeration.
The flavor? not much of a change from without,the smell? to me god awful,it's just a stinky nightshade and maybe the only cheese I don't eat.

[baseballfan]

Cilantro first and foremost. I rarely eat Mexican food in restaurants because even if I ask for it to be left off, somehow it never is.

A vile disgusting turkey burger that they were sampling at Costco. Somehow soft and wet yet overcooked with a weird wet dog smell. I spit it out but the memory perserveres.

[suzigirl]

Sounds like Costco got two thumbs down so far. You and OP Steve

[baseballfan]

You never know until you try. I do find it pays to try because it keeps you from making a mistake. I currently have a gross of corndogs that I thought my kids woul love but it turns out not so much. Now I try to pawn them off on unsuspecting neighbor children and have eevn resorted to occasionally givign them to the dog. He gives them 2 paws up.

[suzigirl]

Well sweetie, the dog licks his butt so two paws up doesn't say much I love corndogs though. What brand and does your refined palate like them or not?I just got a Costco and want try them.

[baseballfan]

LOL!! They are the Wienerschitzel brand. I am not a corndog aficianado so I haven't tried them. I am located in So Cal and they have been in Costco since the summer.

[sunshine842]

man, it took me about 6 rounds of that particular brand of insanity to wise up.

You're at Costco, doing the shopping, the kids ask if they can have a sample...OH MAN, this is GREAT, Mom! Can we GET SOME OF THESE?

So you add the box/bag/carton to your cart.

You get home, make them the Greatest Snack Ever, and they refuse to eat it. Ever.

*sigh* -- another lunch of stuff you didn't really care for, but you're eating it to keep from pitching it.

I was a slow learner, but I eventually wised up.

To be fair, I've also bought quite a bit of stuff at Costco that I wasn't sure would be worth the price and having a big-ass bag of...but the samples were enough to decide yes or no.

[baseballfan]

I think we have all gone down that road. One particular incident comes to mind. About 10 years ago, my 2 boys sampled a peach/apricot preserve on crackers that they thought was the best thing ever. I was skeptical as it was about a gallon of this stuff but they swore up and down they would eat it for breakfast, on pb&j's etc. I gave in and bought it and on day 2 they decided it wasn't very good after all and refused to eat any more.

I fed as much as I could to my husband before he started to complain and I didn't like it. Thankfully it came in a cool glass jar so I dumped out the preserve and it now houses cotton balls in my bathroom.

I think of that now if I am on the fence and I usually try to not to repeat my mistakes.

[LindaWhit]

Cilantro. Absolutely.

[jujuthomas]

I realized this past week. I don't mind cilantro, but I don't like fresh parsley! I was eating some herb-roasted veggies from the salad bar at work and they tasted awful. they were covered in parsley.

[mudcat]

I cannot stand cilantro also. Taste like plastic to me. I am a parsley person. Like my Grandfather, I often keep a sprig tucked behind my ear for good luck when working in the garden and around the house.

[pinehurst]

Canned asparagus. For years---years!--as a child I thought that this was how asparagus tasted...slimy and sulfurous.

Now I love asparagus and often eat a handful of spears raw, while prepping.

[lcool]

My mom had it around for snacking,no one else would go near it.It smelled vile,foul and I never have tasted it.Just thinking about it equals gag.Never understood why when we had fresh asparagus in season.

[KrumTx]

My mom would serve this cold, topped with thousand island dressing.

[pinehurst]

I love Thousand Island Dressing, but there isn't enough of it in the world for canned asparagus. I would not, could not, anywhere.

[KrumTx]

My mom was an awful cook, needless to say, so we ate out at least 5 nights a week. So sad! Us kids would sneak all we could to our Weimaraner during meals at home. Poor dog!