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

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

^^ I'm with your wife on this one. You don't like chocolate cake/ice cream? Or peaches and watermelons? What do you have against sweet, yummy food?

I know, I know. With the cake and ice cream, I'm just not a big chocolate fan. I like it alright in certain things and as long as it's not too much, but I'll take a yellow cake or vanilla ice cream over chocolate any day. With peaches, it's partially the flavor and partially the texture. Same thing with watermelon.

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

I think soup is one of my favorite things! Actually, I could just drink the broth out of most soups and not even eat the noodles, meat, veggies included! It's like concentrated flavor in a bowl! What's not to like?

Again, I think part of it is texture. There's nothing to chew, so it just doesn't seem very satisfying. And I don't want soggy vegetables. Even the few soups I do like -- mainly seafood and corn chowders -- I don't want as a meal. There fine as a side or course, but if that's all I've had, I'm still hungry.

[AnchorAlumna]

Broccoli (except when drowned in cheese).
Brussell sprouts.
Coffee (HUGE headache).
Sushi.
Most fish.
Raw oysters.
Kenny G.
Mariah Carey.
Harlequin novels.
Gossip Girls.
Family Man.
Any and all soap operas.

[DubaiSis]

I'm not a fan of chocolate cake or chocolate ice cream either. And yes, I've been called a communist more than once because of it.

It's good to not like something that's #1 not good for you and #2 totally addictive, right? I've known a lot of people who were simply not getting through the day without chocolate! I don't like the idea of being beholden to anything like that. I'm also no longer addicted to caffeine for pretty much that reason.

However, I am allergic to dairy (the list of foods I'm allergic to is WAY too long to list here), but I just have to have ice cream once in a great while. Of course, I'm doubled over in pain shortly thereafter, so it REALLY has to be a moment of weakness. But it happens. Lowfat helps.

[KSUViolet06]

Just thought of something else:

*Flavored water (VitaminWater or Propel or whatever). You can't be water and juice at the same time, please choose one.

[MidwayManiac]

Tatoos. Huge turn-off for me.

Homemade tatoos. Makes me really uncomfortable.

Pierced eyebrows.

Peas.

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

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!)

My parents raised me the same way. I wasn't allowed to reject a food until I had tried it at least once. I still approach new things that way. So you're definitely doing the right thing with your kids.

The trouble was, my parents would try to trick me into thinking I'd never tried a particular food, in order to get me to try it again, in the hopes that I would like it the second/third/twentieth time around. They did this with brussels sprouts...

Sunday evening: Mom has prepared brussels sprouts as the veggie for Sunday dinner.
Me: What's that?
Mom: Brussels sprouts.
Me: (wrinkles nose) Yuck.
Mom: Just try one. (puts one on my plate)
Me: (takes a bite, spits it out) YUCK!
Mom: At least you tried it.

The VERY NEXT Sunday evening: Mom again prepares brussels sprouts.
Me: I don't like brussels sprouts.
Dad: How do you know? You've never tried them.
Me: I tried them just last week!

Depending on what kind of mood my dad was in, I either got an "oh, you're right, ok, you're off the hook" or a "shut up and eat it" ... usually the latter.

</threadjack>

Oh, and I forgot earlier - I hate avocado. Can't stand guacamole. Won't eat California rolls. My favorite sushi restaurant puts avocado in more than half of their rolls, so my menu choices are somewhat limited. Fortunately, my husband and I are in agreement on this one.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I'll try anything once.

To be fair, everything I hate is something I've tried to like, lol. I just can't.

In regards to what I eat: Alot of people in this thread don't care for Thai or Chinese, and I like it alot. Same with Mexican. Love all veggies. Most meat (as long as it's not cold cuts or fish). Love pizza.

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

I also enjoy the Lakers, the Roots, and long walks on the beach, lol.

Well, you tried and that's what counts. Though I could rekindle our faux friendship over the Roots.

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

As far as foods, I'm one of those people who love to try new foods and I'm all about ethnic restaurants. However, I had a boyfriend years ago from Australia who LOVED vegemite. So I'm all in - I love everything right? Man oh man, I can't even describe how foul vegemite is. It's made from yeast extract which in itself sounds disgusting, and I've since found out I'm allergic to yeast. So I guess there's no heartbreak that I won't be having vegemite ever again.

Thankfully I was raised by parents who said we didn't have to clean our plate, didn't have to like anything, but we did have to try and under no circumstance were we allowed to make faces or comments about anything anyone else was eating. It's the "ooooh, you're going to eat THAT?" that is just not cool.

I also don't get it about country music and techno. ESPECIALLY techno. I mean, maybe if you're in a bar because you can dance without thinking about the tempo of the music (since it's all the same) but why on earth would anyone actually BUY a techno CD? And seriously, why 2? They're all the same song!

Vegemite was the BIGGEST letdown ever. I went into it thinking it would taste like Nutella. boy, was i disappointed.

And the way you feel about techno, i feel about reggaeton. every song has the same beat in the background.

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

I have a similar problem with texture. Anything goopy, lumpy, mushy, slimy or rubbery makes me gag. All these years I thought it was a taste issue but I also have issues touching certain things with my hands, like food garbage, wet cat food, touching newspaper or ripped cardboard, foods like bananas, mushrooms... I had never heard of texture aversion until a few years ago and feel like a freak for it, but I have read that there are many people who have this type of situation.

I've got a texture thing too - pudding, tapioca, cottage cheese (which is gross to me anyway - how anyone eats it with fruit, blech), mussels, oysters (like mushrooms, like the flavor, hate the texture)...

and this isnt exactly "things other people like," but i cant stand wet feet (especially with flipflips on, or coming out of the pool or shower), and i hate the feeling of being covered in sand when you come out of the beach water - gross.

wet doorknobs/handles are nasty too. and sitting in a warm seat (from someone else's butt heat).

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

I also have issues touching certain things with my hands, like food garbage, wet cat food...

This reminded me of another thing.

I cannot stand wet paper at all. If I see newspaper, toilet paper, or paper towels in the road after it rains/in a sink/on a counter, I start to get sick. Same thing happens with paper on plates/in cups after people are done eating. I force all my friends to fold their used papers and place the corners underneath the plates.

OCD? Yes, but necessary.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Again, I think part of it is texture. There's nothing to chew, so it just doesn't seem very satisfying. And I don't want soggy vegetables. Even the few soups I do like -- mainly seafood and corn chowders -- I don't want as a meal. There fine as a side or course, but if that's all I've had, I'm still hungry.

I have a lot of friends who feel the same way. For most of them (at least the ones in New England), the only exception they'll make is for good New England clam chowder. Other than that, they avoid soup completely.

[DSTRen13]

I will try just about anything (except pork products - I don't eat pork at all). I am picky about meat - what kind it is, where it came from, and how well it's prepared - but I'll eat any style of cuisine, any kind of vegetable or fruit, any kind of grain, etc., at least once. May never try it again, though. (My husband is the opposite of me - he'll eat any kind of meat except pork or shellfish, regardless of where it came from or how well it's prepared, but he is picky as hell about vegetables, fruits, grains, and style of cuisine. Somehow or another, I've gotten the rep as being 'the picky one' ...)

[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.

[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.

[AGDee]

This thread really makes me wonder if things taste the same to people. I mean, do our taste buds function different to make us tolerate or not tolerate so many different flavors? Is it the way our brains process the stimulus from the taste buds? Sensation and perception was one of my favorite courses in grad school the first time around. It really made me wonder.. does red look the same to everybody? Or is my red someone else's blue but we've named it a certain thing. We have no way of knowing how others perceive the same things and there is no way to measure this. It's one of those things that can keep me awake at night if I think about it too hard. I had thought about it with colors before, but not with tastes. Must stop thinking.