They tried it, they love it. You tried it, you don't.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

Wow - Dreamseeker and KSigkid are right - y'all are picky! It takes too much work to be that picky.

I'm thankful that my parents raised me to try something before claiming not to like it. I've met so many people who will say they don't like something when they've never even tried it. (Aside: This is something I refuse to let my kids get away with. If they haven't tried something, I won't let them tell me they don't like it. And they pretty much have to take one bite of everything on their plates. Mean Mommy, I know. But looking at this sampling of ultrapicky GCers, I'm reassured that I'm doing the right thing!)

Having said that, I don't much care for fish. I'll eat it if there aren't any other options, but I'll always eat something else if given the choice. Oh, and I don't like Horseradish.

Originally Posted by KSigkid

My parents (and my family in general) was always good about getting me to try new foods when I was a little kid. I was never able to just refuse something; I'd have to at least try a small helping. As a result, I liked some foods (clams are one example) that most little kids don't enjoy.

I think that made me a lot more open-minded about food as a teenager and adult.

My mom made me eat whatever she cooked including: liver, fish, creamed tuna on toast, sizzle steaks (don't think they make those awful things anymore), ratatouille, eggplant, brussel sprouts, peas, lima beans, asparagus, and beets. I hated all of them. With the veggies, I had to eat as many as I was old. So, when I was 10, I had to eat 10 lima beans, etc. (with beats, it was in pieces, so it wasn't 10 whole beats, more like 10 bites). Time after time, for years and years, she made me eat them. Til the day I die, I will never eat any of things again. They still make me wanna be sick when they touch my lips. Thankfully, I can't eat any veggies anymore so I have a good excuse. Liver? Ewwwwww, but I think the creamed tuna on toast was the absolute worst thing ever made in this world.

I have no problem with trying new things if they are things I can digest. I'll try seafoods I haven't had before. I'll try any dessert that's not coffee flavored. I'll try wild game like venison, rabbit, buffalo.. I've had alligator medallions and ostrich meat. No problem. But do NOT make me eat liver, fish, creamed tuna on toast, sizzle steaks, eggplant, ratatouille, brussel sprouts, peas, lima beans, asparagus, or beats! NO WAY!

Add chili to my list. Hate whole beans. (can't eat them now anyway, but it's the texture that's the problem) Hate green peppers (also can't eat them now, thank goodness).

[ASTalumna06]

I hate many things that have already been mentioned:
- Cheesecake
- Beer
- Coffee

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

*French toast. Yuck.

Thank you! I HATE french toast. Growing up, when my mom would make breakfast for my brother and I, she'd always have to make him french toast, and something else for me. That's all he'd eat, and I just couldn't. Sorry mom!

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Hookah and hookah bars. I don't know if this is just an Ohio thing or what, but alot of people love it and think it's so cool. It's gross.

Bachelorette parties involving strippers and penis-shaped EVERYTHING.

Hookah bars seem to be a big thing here in PA, also (I know, it's not exactly too far from Ohio). But yes, I don't understand it, either.

And the last bachelorette party I went to, all of the girls there signed this giant blow-up penis and surprised the bride with it. Otherwise, there was nothing else there like that. Nothing more was needed! I went to a strip club once in my life, and it was filled with CRAZY middle-aged women, and a handful of early-twenty-somethings who were basically just laughing. Blah.

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

*Friends & Seinfeld. I just don't think they're that great. My friends can watch them all day long. I can count the number of times I've sat down and watched it on one hand (usually with someone else who was hogging the TV).

::Knows every last word in every episode of Seinfeld::

Originally Posted by aephi alum

- Almost all legumes.
.

That just reminded me of this line from Seinfeld..

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I also surprisingly like crab and lobster even though I don't like fish.

Being from New England, I love seafood... but not all of it. I generally stay away from fish (except swordfish.. it's amazing!) Generally, I think it's the texture. As some people have already mentioned, I also have a weird thing with the texture of food. But that can go either way. I'll eat clam chowder and lobster bisque, but I hate seafood chowder. So ya never know.


And a few more to add:

- Krispy Kreme. I don't understand. I'll stick with Dunks.

- Outback Steakhouse. I even worked there and was able to try everything on the menu, and I hate it. The only thing I'll eat are the burgers. They're incredibly good, but everything else falls short for me.

- And my non-food complaint... The Notebook!! I didn't see what the big deal was. One of my roommates in college finally made me sit down and watch it, because I wasn't thrilled about seeing it in the first place. She was crying at the end. I basically asked, "Is that it?"

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Liver? Ewwwwww, but I think the creamed tuna on toast was the absolute worst thing ever made in this world.

I actually love liver. But leave off the onions, unless they're fried. Give me bacon and grits with liver.

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

- Krispy Kreme. I don't understand. I'll stick with Dunks.

Bless your heart.

Meanwhile, Dunkin' Donuts are on my "yuck" list.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I actually love liver. But leave off the onions, unless they're fried. Give me bacon and grits with liver.

lol gross. MysticCat, you like liver, but you don't like soup?

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Hookah bars seem to be a big thing here in PA, also (I know, it's not exactly too far from Ohio). But yes, I don't understand it, either.

I don't know if it's that I'm too old or too Southern, but I'm convinced that I've never heard of hookah bars for at least one of those reasons.

Runs off to google... ETA: So, it's exactly what it sounds like. What exactly is put in said hookahs? Tobacco? The I-swear-it's-not-pot-herbal mix someone on GC was talking about a few days ago?

ETA: Oh, and Dee, you should take a philosophy class. I love it when I have truly inquisitive people in my classes!

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

I don't know if it's that I'm too old or too Southern, but I'm convinced that I've never heard of hookah bars for at least one of those reasons.

Runs off to google... ETA: So, it's exactly what it sounds like. What exactly is put in said hookahs? Tobacco? The I-swear-it's-not-pot-herbal mix someone on GC was talking about a few days ago?

ETA: Oh, and Dee, you should take a philosophy class. I love it when I have truly inquisitive people in my classes!

Some people do put pot in hookahs, but that's not what it is designed for. It is designed for the smoking of flavored tobacco, similar to a standards pipe, except it is cooled by the water. They are a real big middle eastern thing, so any area with a large middle eastern or indian population will have them.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Generally, I think it's the texture. As some people have already mentioned, I also have a weird thing with the texture of food.

For me it's all about the texture. I hate things that are "mealy" like old apples and similar textures. Kiwi gets me, too, for whatever reason.

I also can't get over the texture of fish. Well, texture + smell. I love shellfish but I'm horribly allergic. I haven't had any in about 7 years, since my last trip to the hospital.

Onions are another "ick" for me - love the taste (I use onion powder in just about anything) but I can't handle the texture.

DS - Grits=oatmeal=cream of wheat. Gross!

I have a hard time eating wheat or whole grain bread. I'll do the pasta, but I can barely get behind that and end up boiling it for 2-3 times the length of time you're supposed to.

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

- Krispy Kreme. I don't understand. I'll stick with Dunks.

Tim Horton's or bust. I will have Dunkin Donuts if there is no Tim Horton's nearby. Well... if I *have* to have a doughnut and doughnut shop coffee. Otherwise, I'll pass.

Also, I hate brats. And sauerkraut. Something that smells that bad should not be consumed. Basically things that are cooked with beer = no thank you.

I'll just stand in the corner and drink the beer instead.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Yes, I'm sure that some people have a stronger sensitivity to sour or bitter, etc. I'm curious whether sweet, sour, etc. mean the same thing to everybody. I know what sweet tastes like to me. Does it taste like that to others too?

Well, if people have stronger sensitivity to salty, sweet, bitter or sour, it seems like that would effect how taste in total is perceived.

I know during my training as an OT in sensory integration, we learned a lot about textures (of foods even) and how they affect the central nervous system and, therefore, how people with autism react to them. Interesting stuff.

You can come to my house to see this in action. We had macaroni (real, not from a box) even though we know son won't touch it. Something about the texture is so off-puting to him. How specifically does it affect the nervous system?

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

lol gross. MysticCat, you like liver, but you don't like soup?

Nothin' gross about it. And I don't like liver, I love it. You cook bacon and then cook liver (dredged in seasoned flour with just a touch of basil) in a bit of the bacon grease. Wonderful!

And yes, liver has flavor and you can actually chew it. Soup is flavored water with soggy stuff in it, and after you eat it, you're still wondering where your meal is. There's nothing enticing, satisfying or tasty about it to me.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Well, if people have stronger sensitivity to salty, sweet, bitter or sour, it seems like that would effect how taste in total is perceived.

You can come to my house to see this in action. We had macaroni (real, not from a box) even though we know son won't touch it. Something about the texture is so off-puting to him. How specifically does it affect the nervous system?

Nothin' gross about it. And I don't like liver, I love it. You cook bacon and then cook liver (dredged in seasoned flour with just a touch of basil) in a bit of the bacon grease. Wonderful!

And yes, liver has flavor and you can actually chew it. Soup is flavored water with soggy stuff in it, and after you eat it, you're still wondering where your meal is. There's nothing enticing, satisfying or tasty about it to me.

o.k. you actually made liver sound good with your little recipe.

and lol lol at the bolded. Hilarious!

[dreamseeker]

Originally Posted by AGDee

(with beats, it was in pieces, so it wasn't 10 whole beats, more like 10 bites). Time after time, for years and years, she made me eat them. Til the day I die, I will never eat any of things again. They still make me wanna be sick when they touch my lips.

my parents tried to make me eat beets. i threw them up at the dinner table. they never tried again. it was partly on purpose, and partly unavoidable, if that is possible.