MSG is fine. It should be right up there with salt as a commonly used seasoning. It makes anything savory taste better, and it’s naturally-occurring in most of the foods that we already use to add...
MSG is fine. It should be right up there with salt as a commonly used seasoning. It makes anything savory taste better, and it’s naturally-occurring in most of the foods that we already use to add an umami kick to a dish. (Cheese, mushrooms, seaweed, tomatoes, peas, kimchi, and more)
I agree, MSG is fine. It seems that a lot of the opposition to MSG is rooted in racism. I have purchased some MSG, which comes mixed with salt. I've been experimenting with some foods, such as...
I agree, MSG is fine. It seems that a lot of the opposition to MSG is rooted in racism. I have purchased some MSG, which comes mixed with salt. I've been experimenting with some foods, such as beef and fried potatoes -- to be honest, it doesn't seem to improve things by a whole lot. It is not bad, though, and this is highly subjective as well. I guess I just like the taste of pure salt.
Probably my most unpopular opinion: I LIKE soggy fries. I don't hate crisp french fries, but to be honest... I kinda like the soggy ones more. I think this is some weird learned attachment from...
Probably my most unpopular opinion: I LIKE soggy fries. I don't hate crisp french fries, but to be honest... I kinda like the soggy ones more. I think this is some weird learned attachment from childhood because I preferred to fast food at home and associated the nice-ness of eating at home with soggy fries vs dining in at a rowdy restaurant. But hey, can't complain, crisp fries are only crisp for minutes after being cooked, but they live the rest of their lives soggy.
Not really unpopular: Hawaiian pizza bad. Sweet and savory is good, but this aint it.
Milk with coffee is bad for all coffee except cold brew and espresso. Drink filter coffee black!
Raspberries and blackberries are the only fruit that can be frozen and still taste good. Frozen blueberrys taste like water.
This isn't actually unpopular, just on the internet, but: McDonalds tastes good. I only eat it now when I travel, but not out of disgust. It tastes really good.
Spaghetti with red sauce tastes bad. Tomato dominates the flavor palate too much for me in that dish. Often pretty sour, and even with good tomatoes it's too far on the sweet/sour side.
re: Hawaiian pizza. I love, love, love pineapple on pizza. I even went through a period where I made pizza with pineapple as the main topping. re: Spaghetti with red sauce. Many people and places...
re: Hawaiian pizza. I love, love, love pineapple on pizza. I even went through a period where I made pizza with pineapple as the main topping.
re: Spaghetti with red sauce. Many people and places go too heavy on sauce, drowning out the pasta. In my opinion, good pasta begins with, well, good pasta that is the star of the show — and then the sauce only complements it. Bad pasta is the other way around: where the sauce tries to be really loud in order to cover up meh pasta.
Ham and pineapple does do the sweet/savory thing well, but IMO the problem is that on pizza pineapple is too sweet on its own and throws the balance too far off. The bigger problem is lots of...
Ham and pineapple does do the sweet/savory thing well, but IMO the problem is that on pizza pineapple is too sweet on its own and throws the balance too far off. The bigger problem is lots of takeout places charge an arm and a leg for toppings. DIY makes it way easier to make it good.
Balancing it with a strong heat adds a good balance to that sweetness. Adding some extra salt and savory helps too. My ideal hawaiian pizza also has bannana peppers, red onions, and siracha on it as well.
My issue with Hawaiian pizza is the ham and pineapple make it overly sweet. In our house "Hawaiian pizza" is pineapple an pepperoni. The spiciness of the pepperoni is what actually makes it a...
My issue with Hawaiian pizza is the ham and pineapple make it overly sweet. In our house "Hawaiian pizza" is pineapple an pepperoni. The spiciness of the pepperoni is what actually makes it a balanced pizza. I also add mushrooms to only my half because my better half doesn't like the texture of mushrooms.
I disagree here. I've run into quite a few people who are anti-pineapple because their only experience was with Hawaiian. You kind of mentioned this later on, but it makes a world of difference...
Ham and pineapple does do the sweet/savory thing well
I disagree here. I've run into quite a few people who are anti-pineapple because their only experience was with Hawaiian. You kind of mentioned this later on, but it makes a world of difference when you sub the ham for something saltier like pepperoni or bacon. I went through a decent stretch where my go-to pizza order was pepperoni, jalapeno, and pineapple and that helped me change a few minds. It does the salt, fat, acid, and heat thing much better than Hawaiian.
I think the pineapple is there more for the acidity than sweetness. Most BBQ chicken pizzas I've had are far sweeter from the sugared BBQ sauce than any Hawaiian pizza. I like Hawaiian pizza, but...
Not really unpopular: Hawaiian pizza bad. Sweet and savory is good, but this aint it.
I think the pineapple is there more for the acidity than sweetness. Most BBQ chicken pizzas I've had are far sweeter from the sugared BBQ sauce than any Hawaiian pizza. I like Hawaiian pizza, but I think they are strangely more popular in Canada. Growing up it was always one of the safe "tried and true" options available when lots of pizzas were ordered for large gatherings.
I do pineapple, ground beef, and banana peppers. Whenever I order in a resto, I get strange looks, but my wife tried it when we first started dating and is my biggest supporter on this combo
I do pineapple, ground beef, and banana peppers. Whenever I order in a resto, I get strange looks, but my wife tried it when we first started dating and is my biggest supporter on this combo
Bacon, pineapple, and black olives for me, with hot sauce (usually green jalapeño Tabasco) drizzled on it before each bite. It hits all the notes; Savory, Sweet, bitter, salty, spicy, and...
Bacon, pineapple, and black olives for me, with hot sauce (usually green jalapeño Tabasco) drizzled on it before each bite. It hits all the notes; Savory, Sweet, bitter, salty, spicy, and vinegary. Yum!
Fries: Burn the witch! I purposely overcook my fries when I make them at home so this is a hard read for me. Hawaii pizza: You're absolutely right Milk with coffee: I agree. Also for those of us...
Fries: Burn the witch! I purposely overcook my fries when I make them at home so this is a hard read for me.
Hawaii pizza: You're absolutely right
Milk with coffee: I agree. Also for those of us who drink a lot of coffee it helps to avoid binge drinking
Frozen fruit: As someone with a wife that makes excellent smoothies I have to disagree. My prime example would be pomegranate seeds.
McD: Actually I've just had some of the the same thoughts after avoiding it for a long time when craving junk food. I think it's the consistency that gets to me.
Spaghetti red sauce: Yes! I always felt it missed something. Although I've just been on vacation in Italy where I had some nice red sauce spaghetti I still agree with you.
Junk food afficianato here... when in America, here's an incomplete tier list of the big chains, when at least at their average: McDs for breakfast, though their coffee is trash. Wendy's and BK...
Junk food afficianato here... when in America, here's an incomplete tier list of the big chains, when at least at their average:
McDs for breakfast, though their coffee is trash.
Wendy's and BK roughly equivalent for burgers.
Popeyes for chicken.
Chic-fil-a for their sauce. Or if there's lines everywhere. They've perfected smoothing out busy drivethroughs.
Taco bell if you are inebriated, but especially if stoned. There's a reason taco bell will be open later than most others.
Funny, in Canada, they're the place to go to for coffee since they took over the old Tim Hortons supplier and now provide the nostalgic coffee Canadians remember Tim Hortons having growing up.
McDs for breakfast, though their coffee is trash.
Funny, in Canada, they're the place to go to for coffee since they took over the old Tim Hortons supplier and now provide the nostalgic coffee Canadians remember Tim Hortons having growing up.
Honestly, after making them myself for so long the fast food hamburgers are all just kind of gross. The meat is nearly flavorless and all the flavor comes from the toppings, which typically means...
Honestly, after making them myself for so long the fast food hamburgers are all just kind of gross. The meat is nearly flavorless and all the flavor comes from the toppings, which typically means that they are going to be swimming in sauce. A hamburger should still taste good even when plain.
I guess not all of the fast food restaurants are that bad though. Shake Shack is pretty good (though they basically don’t exist where I live). While I don’t like the restaurant overall, that is one good thing I can say about In-And-Out, though just barely. Whataburger might, but I’ve only had them once.
I honestly have no idea why everyone hates Arby’s. I can understand if you don’t like their roast beef, but it’s not as if that is the only option they offer.
My own personal experience has been much higher incidents of digestive issues after Arby's than even famed Taco Bell or others. The cause is unknown, but the memory remains.
My own personal experience has been much higher incidents of digestive issues after Arby's than even famed Taco Bell or others.
I'm not sure if you mean the same thing by soggy, but I really love limp french fries. Have you ever had Five Guys? I feel like they make the intentional version of the type of fry that I like....
I'm not sure if you mean the same thing by soggy, but I really love limp french fries. Have you ever had Five Guys? I feel like they make the intentional version of the type of fry that I like. They're so soft and kinda greasy and when they're so good.
I'm with you on McDonalds too. There's a reason they've been so successful. That shit might be a crime against my body but damn it if it isn't delicious.
As long as they're not cold, I eat soggy fries! I don't prefer them, but I don't despise them either. I hate pineapple along with most fruits, so the mere thought of having it on a pizza makes me...
As long as they're not cold, I eat soggy fries! I don't prefer them, but I don't despise them either. I hate pineapple along with most fruits, so the mere thought of having it on a pizza makes me recoil in terror. Don't drink coffee, never had. I don't get why someone voluntarily drinks something so bitter, my guess is that the caffeine rush has something to do with it. Along with other bitter things, there seems to be a generational factor as well, you kinda learn to like or tolerate some things because that means you're becoming an adult. And yeah, of course Mcdonald's tastes good! They wouldn't be so successful otherwise! I have reservations regarding some of their bread, it feels a bit undercooked to me. But I'll eat it anyway. I do love red sauce... it is mostly tomato and water, so yeah, it tastes like tomatoes, no way around it :P Some people add a little sugar to counter the acidity, but personally, I don't even taste it, so it makes no difference to me.
Most fruits available to me are of the tropical variety. Tropical fruits are generally juicy, colorful, with a pungent flavor and smell. They also have complex textures. What I dislike about those...
Most fruits available to me are of the tropical variety. Tropical fruits are generally juicy, colorful, with a pungent flavor and smell. They also have complex textures. What I dislike about those fruits are basically all the same things others find appealing. That is not rational, their texture and flavor just feel utterly repulsive. Olives' texture does not offend me, but I find the flavor too pungent as well. Same for pickles.
I tolerate some non-tropical fruits which are drier and with a simpler texture, such as most nuts. I also like homemade tomato sauce, as long as there are no chunks of tomato.
I do like natural juices (both packaged and homemade) from some fruit which I detest in other forms, such as juices made from passion fruit or oranges, as long as there's no pulp.
Among the fruits I detest the most are bananas (smell and taste rotten regardless of their state of conservation), watermelon, mango, and guava. If someone eats any of those in front of me, I will quietly leave the room. That is how much I hate their sight and smell -- even the chewing sounds.
I tend to tolerate citric fruit to a greater extent, such as lemons and oranges. But only the juices, I will never suck on a fruit.
Eggs have to be cooked solid. I can kind of mentally wiggle around a yolk being liquidy if it's broken over something else; I mentally transmute it into a sauce and I can handle that. But even the...
Eggs have to be cooked solid. I can kind of mentally wiggle around a yolk being liquidy if it's broken over something else; I mentally transmute it into a sauce and I can handle that. But even the tiniest bit of wetness in the whites is enough to have me set aside the part of the meal that included that egg.
I'm the same way. If the yolk is going to break out, I need toast and some other element like bacon so I can treat it like a sauce. I rarely order anything other than scrambled in a 2 eggs...
I'm the same way. If the yolk is going to break out, I need toast and some other element like bacon so I can treat it like a sauce. I rarely order anything other than scrambled in a 2 eggs situation and the only reason I ever came around on yolk was because I had it on a really good sandwich or something.
I don't understand cereal. People despise soggy toast yet pour milk over crunchy hard bits of sugar bread. And then say it's not supposed to be soggy and you should just eat it quickly. Why pour...
I don't understand cereal. People despise soggy toast yet pour milk over crunchy hard bits of sugar bread. And then say it's not supposed to be soggy and you should just eat it quickly. Why pour milk on it then? Baffling.
Quite like oatmeal though.
Edit: doubly true of corn flakes, which becomes a disgusting slop akin to paper mache within a minute.
I agree with you but not every cereal gets soggy that fast. Corn Flakes is disgusting and becomes instantly mush as soon as it touches the milk, but those sugar coated cereal are very much...
I agree with you but not every cereal gets soggy that fast. Corn Flakes is disgusting and becomes instantly mush as soon as it touches the milk, but those sugar coated cereal are very much insulated by the sugar and will remain crunchy for enough time to be eaten. I like the combination of cold milk and a sweet crunch. But I treat it like dessert, eating something like that on a regular basis is a terrible idea.
Heh. Reading all this, I guess my unpopular food opinion is that I actually prefer bland, soggy cereal. As a result, Bran Flakes, Raisin Bran, Wheaties, and Shredded Wheat are amongst my favorites...
Heh. Reading all this, I guess my unpopular food opinion is that I actually prefer bland, soggy cereal.
As a result, Bran Flakes, Raisin Bran, Wheaties, and Shredded Wheat are amongst my favorites since they get soggy much quicker than other cereals. Special-K used to be my all-time favorite, but they changed their recipe a few years ago so it doesn't get soggy as quickly anymore... and unfortunately whatever they changed in their formula to accomplish that also makes it so there are rock hard little bits inside a lot of the flakes now. And I am still pretty upset about that. :(
I like most of those things too, though it’s less because they get soggy and more because I really like the bread-like flavor. Honestly one of my favorite cereals is Raisin Bran; it gives a lot of...
I like most of those things too, though it’s less because they get soggy and more because I really like the bread-like flavor. Honestly one of my favorite cereals is Raisin Bran; it gives a lot of flavor to the milk, and you can have it still be a little crunchy even when it’s soggy.
And as an added benefit all the fiber helps cure most digestive problems.
Nice one... along with the soggy fries this is spot on for me and makes me irrationally angry. Like Will you please stop? I don't care if you like it - Just stop-kind of angry.
Nice one... along with the soggy fries this is spot on for me and makes me irrationally angry. Like Will you please stop? I don't care if you like it - Just stop-kind of angry.
Wait, me liking soggy cereal makes you irrationally angry? If so, sorry but I unfortunately don't really have much of a choice, even if I wanted to change. I have serious digestive issues, and...
Wait, me liking soggy cereal makes you irrationally angry? If so, sorry but I unfortunately don't really have much of a choice, even if I wanted to change. I have serious digestive issues, and bland, soggy cereal is often one of the few things I can actually eat when I am having trouble keeping any other food down due to a flare up. Thankfully, I do actually enjoy it that way though (esp with sliced banana in it, which I can also have), so it's not a burden to eat.
Aww man I'm sorry about that. But cool you like it that way at least. It's just that an unpopular opinion and irrationally anger goes hand in hand sometimes.
Aww man I'm sorry about that. But cool you like it that way at least. It's just that an unpopular opinion and irrationally anger goes hand in hand sometimes.
No worries. And to be fair, you're not the first person to express that to me. One of my friends had nearly the same reaction when I admitted the same to him. He was thankfully equally as...
No worries. And to be fair, you're not the first person to express that to me. One of my friends had nearly the same reaction when I admitted the same to him. He was thankfully equally as understanding when I explained why I didn't have much choice in the matter though.
I feel you but congestion problems or not like what you like. It's all in good fun and these things are often great and funny conversation starters because people often realize how stupid it is to...
I feel you but congestion problems or not like what you like. It's all in good fun and these things are often great and funny conversation starters because people often realize how stupid it is to get riled up about something so benign and subjective.
True, some good can come of it, but it's rarely as fun for the person on the receiving end. And in the case of my friend, he genuinely did get strangely, over-the-top offended when I admitted...
True, some good can come of it, but it's rarely as fun for the person on the receiving end. And in the case of my friend, he genuinely did get strangely, over-the-top offended when I admitted that, until I explained myself. It's clear to me now that you're just playing into the 'outrage over trivial things' trope, for a laugh, so no worries. But it's hard to read tone over the internet, so at first I wasn't sure if you were doing that or being as serious as my friend seemed to be about it.
Went round to a friend's house for dinner. He had Huntington's disease and could no longer chew or digest food very well. His wife cooked but he made dessert and proudly asked me to guess what the...
Went round to a friend's house for dinner.
He had Huntington's disease and could no longer chew or digest food very well. His wife cooked but he made dessert and proudly asked me to guess what the special ingredient was. I couldn't guess but it turned out to be cornflakes.
I can't remember very well but I think the other ingredients included banana, blended strawberry and cream and before anyone complains it was good.
Will Keith Kellogg created the modern cereal as a way to improve the digestive functions of elderly patients, so it had to be somewhat soluble in order to be easily chewed. So you're absolutely...
Will Keith Kellogg created the modern cereal as a way to improve the digestive functions of elderly patients, so it had to be somewhat soluble in order to be easily chewed. So you're absolutely right, sogginess is an essential property of cereal, at least in the beginning. Nowadays, many cereals are basically desserts that are incrusted in sugar, among other stuff, which makes them much less permeable, at least for some time.
Try eating a few plain saltine crackers, for example. It absorbs your saliva leaving your mouth dry, some crumbs stick in your mouth while the rest clumps, and the result is hard to swallow...
Try eating a few plain saltine crackers, for example. It absorbs your saliva leaving your mouth dry, some crumbs stick in your mouth while the rest clumps, and the result is hard to swallow completely.
People like crunchy toast and they like crunchy cereal, but they don't like dry toast or cereal. The bread spread (butter, jam, etc.) and the cereal milk serve the same purpose; provide enough moisture to make it pleasant to eat, while also using the opportunity to add flavor.
The combination of sweet and sour is just not good. I like them separately but together they sort of cancel each other out and leaves you with a sad taste wasted potential. Real quality butter is...
The combination of sweet and sour is just not good. I like them separately but together they sort of cancel each other out and leaves you with a sad taste wasted potential.
Real quality butter is essential for almost everything in cooking or at least makes it infinitely better. It's unbelievable how much people around the world are missing out when where I'm coming from this is a given
I am going to put my reply to this thread here, since it is also about ketchup. Unsweetened ketchup is so much better than sweetened ketchup. Be careful when testing this though. A bunch of...
I am going to put my reply to this thread here, since it is also about ketchup.
Unsweetened ketchup is so much better than sweetened ketchup. Be careful when testing this though. A bunch of ketchups are “no sugar” or something similar. Then they use anything from artificial sugars to date juice to sweeten the ketchup. In my opinion, ketchup just doesn’t need to be sweetened. All it needs is tomatoes, vinegar, and some spices. It just doesn’t need to be sweetened. At my local stores, there are usually about 10 different ketchups, 8 of which are “no sugar”. Only one is actually unsweetened, and I always have to read the ingredients list to find out which.
For everyone in this thread: find a bottle of actually unsweetened ketchup and try it. You may like it.
Huh, now this is a new opinion to me. Do you actively dislike ketchup, or is it more of an ambivalence? I can totally understand not enjoying ketchup and preferring other, more interesting sauces.
Huh, now this is a new opinion to me. Do you actively dislike ketchup, or is it more of an ambivalence? I can totally understand not enjoying ketchup and preferring other, more interesting sauces.
I actively avoid ketchup, to the point of saying I don't like ketchup. But the truth is more that I don't like Heinz ketchup, which is extremely ubiquitous and all its closest competitors are...
I actively avoid ketchup, to the point of saying I don't like ketchup. But the truth is more that I don't like Heinz ketchup, which is extremely ubiquitous and all its closest competitors are styled after it. Two problems:
It's extremely sweet and not very tomato tasting
It overpowers everything you put it on
I like fries, that's why I want to taste my fries. I dip in some Heinz ketchup and all I'm getting is Heinz ketchup. People refer to fries as a "ketchup delivery system" but that's exactly the thing that makes me avoid ketchup.
I've had house-made ketchup in many restaurants I've enjoyed, and I think ketchup is a great addition to many sauces or marinades. But by itself? I'll pass. I prefer any kind of vinegar on my fries, or aioli.
I pretty much agree with you. Sugary tomato just tastes very much wrong to me. And then there's ketchup's cousin barbecue sauce. When I was a kid I was OK with the sweet bottled stuff, but as an...
I pretty much agree with you. Sugary tomato just tastes very much wrong to me.
And then there's ketchup's cousin barbecue sauce. When I was a kid I was OK with the sweet bottled stuff, but as an adult those flavors are kind of a turn-off. While it's OK to use those as a base, the star of a good barbecue sauce should be the savory aspects; If you don't have at least five ingredients that are not found in ketchup, it's not worth my time. And if you give me a sauce with a mustard or vinegar base I'll probably like it more.
I feel the same about ketchup. Never eat it. Never crosses the threshold of my door. I have no problem with mustard (the stronger the better) or mayonnaise (must be high quality). I will cook my...
I feel the same about ketchup. Never eat it. Never crosses the threshold of my door. I have no problem with mustard (the stronger the better) or mayonnaise (must be high quality). I will cook my own tomato sauce from scratch if I need one, but no sugar tomato for me, thanks.
Pretty close to what /u/TheJorro said. Heinz is trash. House-made can be decent (and is perfectly acceptable in sauces / marinades), but in a solo-application, I'd almost always rather have a BBQ,...
Huh, now this is a new opinion to me. Do you actively dislike ketchup, or is it more of an ambivalence?
Pretty close to what /u/TheJorro said. Heinz is trash. House-made can be decent (and is perfectly acceptable in sauces / marinades), but in a solo-application, I'd almost always rather have a BBQ, hot sauce or aioli.
I don't like Heinz that much. It's too sweet and gelatinous. I prefer our local ketchups which are more liquid and savory, specially the spicy ones. And ketchup of any kind is something you put...
I don't like Heinz that much. It's too sweet and gelatinous. I prefer our local ketchups which are more liquid and savory, specially the spicy ones. And ketchup of any kind is something you put over sandwiches and fries, it should not be used as an ingredient in any food.
I enjoy non-alcoholic beer. I used to be a heavy drinker about 6 years ago on the weekends and decided to give a non-alcoholic one a try. The first one I opened, I knocked back like it was a...
I enjoy non-alcoholic beer. I used to be a heavy drinker about 6 years ago on the weekends and decided to give a non-alcoholic one a try.
The first one I opened, I knocked back like it was a regular old beer and I was me 6 years ago. Low and behold, I didn't get drunk (surprise) but it kind of made me feel, good? Like it took me back to that headspace when I was drinking and would be relaxed but without any alcohol. Like a strong placebo effect. Maybe one day if I keep drinking them, I can move away from that mindset of needing to chug a beer as quick as possible and just learn to sip on one and enjoy it.
Although I will say, I had one after a work out and it was incredible. Turns out non-alcoholic beer is a decent post-workout drink and some olympic athletes utilize it. To me it is so refreshing on a nice hot day and it gives me all the pleasure without any of the drunkeness. I love it.
I think most food is overseasoned. I grew up eating pretty plain stuff, but I never butter or season vegetables unless I have a recipe in mind, my meat may get a little salt and pepper, but if I...
I think most food is overseasoned. I grew up eating pretty plain stuff, but I never butter or season vegetables unless I have a recipe in mind, my meat may get a little salt and pepper, but if I go out anywhere, or anybody else cooks anything, I have a hard time tasting the base component of what should be a simple dish: Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, whatever. I'll see people sit down in a restaurant and dive for the salt and pepper before taking a bite, even.
There are dishes that make sense for it, but there are also a lot of buttered vegetables that just don't need it. Let the steak be a steak, or spinach be spinach, but also don't mess with that daal makhani until you've had a few spoonfuls.
I get the impression that some cultures, like in the US, tend to exaggerate not only in seasoning but also in size and complexity. Americans tend to think a dish must have 8 ingredients to be...
I get the impression that some cultures, like in the US, tend to exaggerate not only in seasoning but also in size and complexity. Americans tend to think a dish must have 8 ingredients to be good. In my culture, you treat a good meat with salt and pepper, that's it. Let that shrimp or expensive meat shine. Complex preparations are reserved for chicken as well as cheaper beef cuts.
I'm very conservative about food. I don't try new things. I know the things I like and the particular way I like them. I am, however, not happy about this. I have amazing cookware and I usually...
I'm very conservative about food. I don't try new things. I know the things I like and the particular way I like them. I am, however, not happy about this. I have amazing cookware and I usually cook the same or similar stuff over and over again. There are those rare times where I get the urge to try new things and sometimes I do, but then I revert right back to my routine. Rather than a utility, I want to treat food as something to experience and enjoy, but I rarely have the will and time to do so.
I'm the same, but I'm actually very happy about it and have no wish to change it from a culinary standpoint! If there was a switch in my brain to make me like fruit I might hit it just because, in...
I'm very conservative about food. I don't try new things. I know the things I like and the particular way I like them. I am, however, not happy about this
I'm the same, but I'm actually very happy about it and have no wish to change it from a culinary standpoint! If there was a switch in my brain to make me like fruit I might hit it just because, in my location, fruits are a very cheap and accessible way to achieve a healthy nutrition.
I have many unpopular food opinions and idiosyncrasies. 1. I mostly don't eat fruit I explained that in another comment, copied below: Click to view the hidden text Most fruits available to me are...
I have many unpopular food opinions and idiosyncrasies.
Most fruits available to me are of the tropical variety. Tropical fruits are generally juicy, colorful, with a pungent flavor and smell. They also have complex textures. What I dislike about those fruits are basically all the same things others find appealing. That is not rational, their texture and flavor just feel utterly repulsive. Olives' texture does not offend me, but I find the flavor too pungent as well. Same for pickles.
I tolerate some non-tropical fruits which are drier and with a simpler texture, such as most nuts. I also like homemade tomato sauce, as long as there are no chunks of tomato.
I do like natural juices (both packaged and homemade) from some fruit which I detest in other forms, such as juices made from passion fruit or oranges, as long as there's no pulp.
Among the fruits I detest the most are bananas (smell and taste rotten regardless of their state of conservation), watermelon, mango, and guava. If someone eats any of those in front of me, I will quietly leave the room. That is how much I hate their sight and smell -- even the chewing sounds.
I tend to tolerate citric fruit to a greater extent, such as lemons and oranges. But only the juices, I will never suck on a fruit.
2. Restaurant rules
This is more of a restaurant "tactics", but I have some rules that I follow.
In a new restaurant, always order the most simple foods. When you go there the second time, order something more complex, and so on. That is because simple dishes have a lower likelihood of being bad, so I'll gradually build confidence in a restaurant and will never have a bad meal.
Quality meat is very hard to mess up, followed by chicken, followed by fish. So that is the order of preference in which I usually order.
Order whatever the restaurant is specialized in. If you're in a pizzeria, order pizza. If you're at McDonald's, order a sandwich. If the pizza in KFC is shit, the fault is on you for ordering pizza at KFC.
Only complain about food or service after you got all your food, and don't order anything after that. There's a small but very real chance that a server or cook will spit or take a piss in your food otherwise. If a food is so bad you cannot eat it, politely let the waiter know that you're leaving without paying (this last option is only reserved for egregious unedible food. I only did that twice, one of them because there was a live worm "walking" on my pizza).
3. Food must be arranged on the plate in a particular manner
In general, my food items must be neatly separated on the plate. The beans go on one side, the rice is in the middle like the Chinese wall, meats and other stuff go on the other side. Two mushy or semi-liquid things must not be adjacent — for example, mashed potatoes must not touch gravy. I will mix the foods in my mouth, not on the plate.
4. No fusion or crazy innovations
Worcestershire sauce shall not touch Chinese food. Ketchup shall not touch a Chinese spring roll. Japanese food must not be eaten with a fork. Pizza must not be sweet. Highly inventive cooks are frustrated by my tastes. Just give me tradition on a plate.
5. I love rice, but it is not a main dish
Sorry, risotto lovers, but if you make me rice, I'll gladly eat it, and then I'll say "nice, now where's my dinner?"
6. Well done prime meat is a crime
Just wanted to put that out there.
7. Nutella is not that good
I don't like the taste of hazelnuts, it does not improve cocoa in the slightest.
8. If I like something, I'll eat it forever
I don't get sick of food I like, I'll gladly eat it every day. I don't fancy variation. I prefer 3 ice cream flavors and I'll eat them till the day I die.
9. I don't like chocolate ice-cream, but I do like chocolate
There, I said it.
10. I'm intolerant to some types of bitter
Even what some people consider mild. So, of course, I don't drink coffee, which to me tastes like punishment. Even chocolate that is graded with a low bitterness is unedible to me. Generations of people tried to train my palate, but I refuse the notion that I must enjoy bitterness to be a grown adult. I am an adult that likes caramel and marshmallow, deal with it!
I do enjoy some kinds of bitter, however, such as some beers, fried liver, and blue cheese.
I love your restaurant tactics, I had never considered the first 2 before. Also, "If the pizza in KFC is shit, the fault is on you for ordering pizza at KFC." got a full belly laugh.
I love your restaurant tactics, I had never considered the first 2 before. Also, "If the pizza in KFC is shit, the fault is on you for ordering pizza at KFC." got a full belly laugh.
Yeah... on rule 2, one might say that fish is easier than chicken and therefore more likely to be good. However, chicken is basically one thing from a culinary standpoint, while there are many...
Yeah... on rule 2, one might say that fish is easier than chicken and therefore more likely to be good. However, chicken is basically one thing from a culinary standpoint, while there are many different kinds of fish and each one requires different concerns. Also: even though chicken can be harder to make into something decent, it's way more popular than fish and because of that I trust it to be at least decent in most places. There are a few reasons for that:
First, the popularity of the dish means that a lot of people will be ordering it, and giving more input as a consequence.
Second, the cooks probably ate a lot of chicken their whole lives so they have a greater familiarity with it. It's a basic staple.
Third, because of the high turnover, it is probably fresher than a fish that may be ordered just a few times a week. The order of preference must be invertedfish-beef-chicken if you're at a seafood restaurant, of course.
This is also related to the "KFC pizza" rule... if you order something that is not the restaurant's specialty, there's a chance that your food was seating in the freezer for a long time before getting to your plate.
I used to think I hated coffee, but after years of drinking it I think I mostly hate light roasted coffee. Light roasts keep a lot of the sour, acidic notes which some people like but which just...
I used to think I hated coffee, but after years of drinking it I think I mostly hate light roasted coffee. Light roasts keep a lot of the sour, acidic notes which some people like but which just taste awful to me. On the other hand, a good bitter dark roast without those sour notes is pretty good to me now, especially with just a little whole milk.
I do get it, though. It took me a long time, and possibly some Stockholm syndrome, to get to where I actually enjoy drinking coffee rather than just tolerating it for the caffeine. And most drip brewed coffee still tastes like bitter piss.
Diced or sliced tomatoes are a wet and tasteless waste of a fruit. Tomato sauces, salsas and ketchups are fine to pretty good. Maybe I just like sugar?
Diced or sliced tomatoes are a wet and tasteless waste of a fruit. Tomato sauces, salsas and ketchups are fine to pretty good. Maybe I just like sugar?
It depends on the tomato and how fresh they are. And even then they usually need something else added to make the flavor wake up. I used to hate tomato. The thing that ended up changing my mind...
It depends on the tomato and how fresh they are.
And even then they usually need something else added to make the flavor wake up.
I used to hate tomato. The thing that ended up changing my mind was when I tried to make pick de gallo salsa on my own. It’s a really simple sauce and the main ingredient is generally the tomato.
The thing about pico is that if you eat it right after mixing it up, it’s amazingly bland. It’s like eating chunky veggie water. But if you wait an hour or two the salt will get absorbed into everything and that is when it tastes amazing.
Every time I hear this, I know the person has never had a good tomato. The people who say tomato tastes bad - fair enough. But the “watery, tasteless” people don’t realize they’ve been having the...
Every time I hear this, I know the person has never had a good tomato.
The people who say tomato tastes bad - fair enough. But the “watery, tasteless” people don’t realize they’ve been having the worst, mass-produced tomatoes history has ever produced. For these people I’ll usually go out and buy a decent tomato (ie an in-season San marzano), sprinkle with salt and let them taste both salted and unsalted. 100% of people have been converted.
By the way, expensive heirloom tomato does not necessarily mean delicious tomato.
So many cultivated fruits are shadows of their natural cousins. Wild blueberries are so much better than what you’ll get at most supermarkets. They traded taste for size. And now that I live...
So many cultivated fruits are shadows of their natural cousins. Wild blueberries are so much better than what you’ll get at most supermarkets. They traded taste for size. And now that I live somewhere where you can grow lemons I’ve realized how bad store-bought lemons are. Backyard lemons have 10x the juice of a store-bought lemon. And they just taste so much better.
I agree when we're talking about your stock standard red grocery store tomato, but for the 2 months every summer (August/September) the heirlooms fill the farmers market and the feast begins. I...
Diced or sliced tomatoes are a wet and tasteless waste of a fruit.
I agree when we're talking about your stock standard red grocery store tomato, but for the 2 months every summer (August/September) the heirlooms fill the farmers market and the feast begins. I think a ripe Cherokee Purple with a little crystal salt and pepper on top might be my favorite food. Maybe because I only get them in such a short window. But your average red Ramano tomato or whatever the generic round ones are can absolutely fuck off.
I don't think this is all that weird. Most tree nuts have a weird aftertaste to me. I don't hate them but I don't really seek them out. I'll eat most nuts in small quantities by themselves, but I...
I don't think this is all that weird. Most tree nuts have a weird aftertaste to me. I don't hate them but I don't really seek them out. I'll eat most nuts in small quantities by themselves, but I don't love having any kind of nut mixed in with food, either in a savory dish or in a salad, or really even in a dessert. Except pistachios. Pistachios are pretty good.
I dislike every type of melon I've ever tasted. They're almost all uniformly bland, and even the ones that aren't all still taste faintly of cucumber. And before you tell me I'm crazy, they're...
I dislike every type of melon I've ever tasted. They're almost all uniformly bland, and even the ones that aren't all still taste faintly of cucumber. And before you tell me I'm crazy, they're related, all part of the Cucurbit family. I've wondered before if I am more sensitive to some compound in this family than some people, because I have a special revulsion toward cucumber, which is the vilest tasting thing I can think of. I know people joke about cucumber tasting like water, which is the strangest thing because to me because it has a strong flavor that overrides pretty much anything it's in. I've had a salad at a restaurant before that I could tell they took the cucumber out of instead of making it to order just because of the lingering taste and smell of cucumber. I'm not a picky eater by any stretch of the imagination. I'll try pretty much anything, but I just loathe cucumber.
Hey, me too! I also hate all melons and cucumber. It has an awful taste for me. The only time I’ve been able to stomach cucumber was when it was very thinly sliced wrapped around a big glob of...
Hey, me too! I also hate all melons and cucumber. It has an awful taste for me. The only time I’ve been able to stomach cucumber was when it was very thinly sliced wrapped around a big glob of cream cheese.
Me three! Melons are 95% water, and 5% blurgh! People always look perplexed and confused when I refuse fresh water melon. It's like a Seinfeld skit. "Are you sure you don't want some? It's fresh!"...
Me three! Melons are 95% water, and 5% blurgh!
People always look perplexed and confused when I refuse fresh water melon.
It's like a Seinfeld skit.
"Are you sure you don't want some? It's fresh!"
"Yeah, I am not a fan of watermelon."
"You don't like fresh watermelon?"
"No, I don't like fresh watermelon."
"Oh.... Then how about a little slice? It's so delicious!"
Lol, I've never met another one of us in the wild. I genuinely think that it must be some kind of genetic thing like the people who taste cilantro differently, because most of the people I've told...
Lol, I've never met another one of us in the wild. I genuinely think that it must be some kind of genetic thing like the people who taste cilantro differently, because most of the people I've told think it's pretty odd and don't think that melons taste like cucumbers or really even that cucumbers taste like much of anything at all, but it's such a strong flavor/scent to me.
I've tolerated cucumbers marinated in vinegar before, which I guess is just halfway to a pickle. Also, I almost always love pickles, although I have had one or two that were a little too cucumber-y to me. For some reason I'm okay with tzatziki most of the time too. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I don't hate the flavor of cucumber, but I can absolutely understand why you wouldn't like it. Though it's sad you probably can't enjoy how refreshing a nice cucumber sandwich can be. Personally...
I don't hate the flavor of cucumber, but I can absolutely understand why you wouldn't like it. Though it's sad you probably can't enjoy how refreshing a nice cucumber sandwich can be. Personally speaking, I don't like how cucumbers are usually prepared. Every time I see them in Japanese cuisine, they're an absolute joy, but everywhere else they usually get prepared in ways that make me feel ill. Japanese picked cucumbers are going to make me feel happy, but just the smell of American/British pickles are enough to overwhelm my senses.
And the worst thing is cooked cucumbers. The exterior is always still crunchy but the interior has a horrible texture and it's never seasoned to make it pleasant for some reason.
On the other hand, I usually love melons. I even love the much maligned honeydew melons (though they aren't my favorite - cantaloupes / musk melons are). The only real problem I have with melons is that it's kind of a lottery how they will taste. Sometimes you get those super sweet ones and it's like hitting the jackpot, sometimes you get the ones that aren't sweet but still have a lot of melon flavor (which is cucumber-like, yes), and sometimes they just taste like water. You can make them a little bit better by adding a touch of salt, but it's not quite the same.
I hate garlic. Fuck garlic. Every fucking recipe, every restaurant dish in my country takes garlic, and I don't mean just a hint of garlic, whole chunks of garlic all over the thing. Garlic not...
I hate garlic. Fuck garlic. Every fucking recipe, every restaurant dish in my country takes garlic, and I don't mean just a hint of garlic, whole chunks of garlic all over the thing. Garlic not only makes everything taste like garlic, it makes everything you eat for the next two days also taste like garlic, no matter how well you scrub your teeth. I cook regularly, I know dozens of recipes and I never once needed garlic on anything to make it taste amazing. Onions, chives, leek, etc. are more than enough if I want a related flavor. To be clear, too much garlic also makes me feel sick to my stomach for a day or so.
And before anyone asks, yes, I hesitate to cross running water, don't go into people's houses uninvited and if you stake me through the heart I'll die. But let's not talk about that.
I'm pretty sure you can safely follow most recipes without the garlic and it will taste just fine. You can increase the amount of other ingredients to make up for it if you like.
I'm pretty sure you can safely follow most recipes without the garlic and it will taste just fine. You can increase the amount of other ingredients to make up for it if you like.
Chicken and turkey are excellent meats. Full stop. Chicken suffers from being mild by nature as well as horribly easy to raise well-textured but flavourless meat in factory contexts. However, it's...
Chicken and turkey are excellent meats. Full stop.
Chicken suffers from being mild by nature as well as horribly easy to raise well-textured but flavourless meat in factory contexts. However, it's got a nice little sweetness by itself, is incredibly tolerant to bad cooking for a meat, and has great little nutty flavour when well raised.
Turkey is usually decried as dry, and...what else? I don't know where this perception of turkey as sub par stems from. The traditional herbs used in american turkey dinners? Sure, if you try to roast a whole 18 lbs turkey in one go, without a ton of attention and know-how, it'll be powder. Because you just stuck meat in the oven for 5 hours. When made in a sous vide, stewed, roasted in parts, properly seasoned and brined, turkey has a rather delicate texture and a natural flavour unlike anything else.
Both of these birds (in the US) suffer from the endless serving size fetishization and demand for low fat meat of our contemporary culture. A giant bird, that didn't take years to get that big, isn't going to taste great, and fat carries flavour. So you have these chickens and turkeys with enormous breasts, neglected legs and thighs, and because most home cooking is learned from family tradition, not a real understanding of thermodynamics, the only thoughts are "high and quick" or "low and slow", neither of which will compensate for the difference in each piece's mass with modern birds. For turkey, add in the desire for a picturesque whole bird for Thanksgiving, and you get whole generations who grow up only knowing it as either slimy cured lunchmeat or crumby roast.
Chicken and turkey are excellent meats... when correctly prepared, which generally takes greater effort, time, and knowledge than prime beef. I can easily prepare a prime beef cut in less than...
Chicken and turkey are excellent meats... when correctly prepared, which generally takes greater effort, time, and knowledge than prime beef. I can easily prepare a prime beef cut in less than five minutes with a combination of meat, salt, a pan, and fire. Birds are a different game entirely. I can do excellent beef with my eyes closed, it's a very forgiving protein. Birds kick my ass on a regular basis.
Clearly you've never eaten turkey at my mother's house, haha. I went 32 years thinking turkey was the annual burden to bear during the holidays. Then my brother in law took a turn at making the...
Turkey is usually decried as dry, and...what else? I don't know where this perception of turkey as sub par stems from.
Clearly you've never eaten turkey at my mother's house, haha. I went 32 years thinking turkey was the annual burden to bear during the holidays. Then my brother in law took a turn at making the turkey for Thanksgiving last year. It was amazing! Moist, flavorful, crisp in all the right places. And then he told me the rigamarole it took him to get it that good. I now appreciate a good turkey, but if I'm going to put in that much effort, I think I'll probably stick to duck. I am a convert though, turkey can be delicious.
Micrograins make me miserable. Like, emotionally. It's not a chemical imbalance or genetic thing, I just wind up feeling so disappointed that I circle back around to upset. Quinoa, couscous, pearl...
Micrograins make me miserable. Like, emotionally. It's not a chemical imbalance or genetic thing, I just wind up feeling so disappointed that I circle back around to upset.
Quinoa, couscous, pearl couscous. They look like I'll have something to (literally) chew on but instead it has the texture of inconsistent mush. I like rice, I even like full on mash or mush like mushy peas or mashed potatoes or squash, or anything else. But the weird middle ground these micrograins come into is like an uncanny valley for my mouth.
Huh, yeah for me it's the weirdly gritty texture of them. I want them to have a consistent, slightly firm texture like rice but it's almost like they're half too mushy and half not. But yeah I...
Huh, yeah for me it's the weirdly gritty texture of them. I want them to have a consistent, slightly firm texture like rice but it's almost like they're half too mushy and half not. But yeah I don't care for them as much as I would like and it's entirely mouthfeel I think.
Pickles, every single type of pickled cucumber, is an abomination upon the planet and once the foolishness of man has finally wiped humans from the earth there will be silent rejoicing from my...
Pickles, every single type of pickled cucumber, is an abomination upon the planet and once the foolishness of man has finally wiped humans from the earth there will be silent rejoicing from my listless wandering soul in the knowledge that pickles are also extinct. Pickles are unpalatable globs of mucous with zero redeeming quality and they make everything they touch taste like goddamn pickles.
And before anyone chimes in, because I've had this conversation a thousand times, yes I've tried those pickles. Those being whatever pickles you have in mind that you think will magically make me not despise pickles. Crunchy, sweet, sour, bread, butter, gherkins, dill, kool-aid. I've tried them all, they're all shit. I don't have a problem with most pickled things, but pickles themselves are just awful.
I'm sorry, I'm not trying to convince you of anything, just curious. I can't tell from your post how you feel about pickled vegetables that are not cucumbers?
I'm sorry, I'm not trying to convince you of anything, just curious. I can't tell from your post how you feel about pickled vegetables that are not cucumbers?
I don't understand Nutella. It's already too sweet for dessert so don't even think about bringing it out for breakfast. Kind of along the same lines, when making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich...
I don't understand Nutella. It's already too sweet for dessert so don't even think about bringing it out for breakfast.
Kind of along the same lines, when making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich my perfect ratio is 80-90% peanut butter and 10-20% jam (jelly is also just too sweet). My partner is the opposite and I'll never understand it.
Just had a slice with peanut and the other with jam. I can't really fathom those two things working well together. One day I'll try it. Also: Try low-sugar jams if you can find them. The one I...
Just had a slice with peanut and the other with jam. I can't really fathom those two things working well together. One day I'll try it.
Also: Try low-sugar jams if you can find them. The one I just had is 80% blueberries and no artificial sweeteners. This stuff actually tastes like fruit! If I can help it, I won't touch 60% fruit or lower again.
MSG is fine. It should be right up there with salt as a commonly used seasoning. It makes anything savory taste better, and it’s naturally-occurring in most of the foods that we already use to add an umami kick to a dish. (Cheese, mushrooms, seaweed, tomatoes, peas, kimchi, and more)
I agree, MSG is fine. It seems that a lot of the opposition to MSG is rooted in racism. I have purchased some MSG, which comes mixed with salt. I've been experimenting with some foods, such as beef and fried potatoes -- to be honest, it doesn't seem to improve things by a whole lot. It is not bad, though, and this is highly subjective as well. I guess I just like the taste of pure salt.
Probably my most unpopular opinion: I LIKE soggy fries. I don't hate crisp french fries, but to be honest... I kinda like the soggy ones more. I think this is some weird learned attachment from childhood because I preferred to fast food at home and associated the nice-ness of eating at home with soggy fries vs dining in at a rowdy restaurant. But hey, can't complain, crisp fries are only crisp for minutes after being cooked, but they live the rest of their lives soggy.
Not really unpopular: Hawaiian pizza bad. Sweet and savory is good, but this aint it.
Milk with coffee is bad for all coffee except cold brew and espresso. Drink filter coffee black!
Raspberries and blackberries are the only fruit that can be frozen and still taste good. Frozen blueberrys taste like water.
This isn't actually unpopular, just on the internet, but: McDonalds tastes good. I only eat it now when I travel, but not out of disgust. It tastes really good.
Spaghetti with red sauce tastes bad. Tomato dominates the flavor palate too much for me in that dish. Often pretty sour, and even with good tomatoes it's too far on the sweet/sour side.
re: Hawaiian pizza. I love, love, love pineapple on pizza. I even went through a period where I made pizza with pineapple as the main topping.
re: Spaghetti with red sauce. Many people and places go too heavy on sauce, drowning out the pasta. In my opinion, good pasta begins with, well, good pasta that is the star of the show — and then the sauce only complements it. Bad pasta is the other way around: where the sauce tries to be really loud in order to cover up meh pasta.
Ham and pineapple does do the sweet/savory thing well, but IMO the problem is that on pizza pineapple is too sweet on its own and throws the balance too far off. The bigger problem is lots of takeout places charge an arm and a leg for toppings. DIY makes it way easier to make it good.
Balancing it with a strong heat adds a good balance to that sweetness. Adding some extra salt and savory helps too. My ideal hawaiian pizza also has bannana peppers, red onions, and siracha on it as well.
My issue with Hawaiian pizza is the ham and pineapple make it overly sweet. In our house "Hawaiian pizza" is pineapple an pepperoni. The spiciness of the pepperoni is what actually makes it a balanced pizza. I also add mushrooms to only my half because my better half doesn't like the texture of mushrooms.
When I get vegan pizza at Mellow Mushroom, one of my go-tos is pineapple, spinach, and jerk tempeh.
I disagree here. I've run into quite a few people who are anti-pineapple because their only experience was with Hawaiian. You kind of mentioned this later on, but it makes a world of difference when you sub the ham for something saltier like pepperoni or bacon. I went through a decent stretch where my go-to pizza order was pepperoni, jalapeno, and pineapple and that helped me change a few minds. It does the salt, fat, acid, and heat thing much better than Hawaiian.
I think the pineapple is there more for the acidity than sweetness. Most BBQ chicken pizzas I've had are far sweeter from the sugared BBQ sauce than any Hawaiian pizza. I like Hawaiian pizza, but I think they are strangely more popular in Canada. Growing up it was always one of the safe "tried and true" options available when lots of pizzas were ordered for large gatherings.
My favorite way to have pineapple on pizza is with jalapeños. Sweet and spicy!
I do pineapple, ground beef, and banana peppers. Whenever I order in a resto, I get strange looks, but my wife tried it when we first started dating and is my biggest supporter on this combo
Bacon, pineapple, and black olives for me, with hot sauce (usually green jalapeño Tabasco) drizzled on it before each bite. It hits all the notes; Savory, Sweet, bitter, salty, spicy, and vinegary. Yum!
Dons brown lattice armor and green spiky helmet The Knights of Pineapple won't allow this insult to go unpunished!
Junk food afficianato here... when in America, here's an incomplete tier list of the big chains, when at least at their average:
Funny, in Canada, they're the place to go to for coffee since they took over the old Tim Hortons supplier and now provide the nostalgic coffee Canadians remember Tim Hortons having growing up.
Honestly, after making them myself for so long the fast food hamburgers are all just kind of gross. The meat is nearly flavorless and all the flavor comes from the toppings, which typically means that they are going to be swimming in sauce. A hamburger should still taste good even when plain.
I guess not all of the fast food restaurants are that bad though. Shake Shack is pretty good (though they basically don’t exist where I live). While I don’t like the restaurant overall, that is one good thing I can say about In-And-Out, though just barely. Whataburger might, but I’ve only had them once.
I honestly have no idea why everyone hates Arby’s. I can understand if you don’t like their roast beef, but it’s not as if that is the only option they offer.
My own personal experience has been much higher incidents of digestive issues after Arby's than even famed Taco Bell or others.
The cause is unknown, but the memory remains.
I'm not sure if you mean the same thing by soggy, but I really love limp french fries. Have you ever had Five Guys? I feel like they make the intentional version of the type of fry that I like. They're so soft and kinda greasy and when they're so good.
I'm with you on McDonalds too. There's a reason they've been so successful. That shit might be a crime against my body but damn it if it isn't delicious.
As long as they're not cold, I eat soggy fries! I don't prefer them, but I don't despise them either. I hate pineapple along with most fruits, so the mere thought of having it on a pizza makes me recoil in terror. Don't drink coffee, never had. I don't get why someone voluntarily drinks something so bitter, my guess is that the caffeine rush has something to do with it. Along with other bitter things, there seems to be a generational factor as well, you kinda learn to like or tolerate some things because that means you're becoming an adult. And yeah, of course Mcdonald's tastes good! They wouldn't be so successful otherwise! I have reservations regarding some of their bread, it feels a bit undercooked to me. But I'll eat it anyway. I do love red sauce... it is mostly tomato and water, so yeah, it tastes like tomatoes, no way around it :P Some people add a little sugar to counter the acidity, but personally, I don't even taste it, so it makes no difference to me.
Out of curiosity, are there any particular shared traits you dislike in fruits? Which fruits do you like?
Most fruits available to me are of the tropical variety. Tropical fruits are generally juicy, colorful, with a pungent flavor and smell. They also have complex textures. What I dislike about those fruits are basically all the same things others find appealing. That is not rational, their texture and flavor just feel utterly repulsive. Olives' texture does not offend me, but I find the flavor too pungent as well. Same for pickles.
I tolerate some non-tropical fruits which are drier and with a simpler texture, such as most nuts. I also like homemade tomato sauce, as long as there are no chunks of tomato.
I do like natural juices (both packaged and homemade) from some fruit which I detest in other forms, such as juices made from passion fruit or oranges, as long as there's no pulp.
Among the fruits I detest the most are bananas (smell and taste rotten regardless of their state of conservation), watermelon, mango, and guava. If someone eats any of those in front of me, I will quietly leave the room. That is how much I hate their sight and smell -- even the chewing sounds.
I tend to tolerate citric fruit to a greater extent, such as lemons and oranges. But only the juices, I will never suck on a fruit.
Bizarro you opinions...
I like crunchy crispy fries with soggy fried fish.
I enjoy my fancy coffee french pressed then mixed with 1/3 milk 2/3 coffee.
I hate everything about your post, but I will focus on McDonald's. Your opinion is bad and you should feel bad.
Eggs have to be cooked solid. I can kind of mentally wiggle around a yolk being liquidy if it's broken over something else; I mentally transmute it into a sauce and I can handle that. But even the tiniest bit of wetness in the whites is enough to have me set aside the part of the meal that included that egg.
I'm the same way. If the yolk is going to break out, I need toast and some other element like bacon so I can treat it like a sauce. I rarely order anything other than scrambled in a 2 eggs situation and the only reason I ever came around on yolk was because I had it on a really good sandwich or something.
I don't understand cereal. People despise soggy toast yet pour milk over crunchy hard bits of sugar bread. And then say it's not supposed to be soggy and you should just eat it quickly. Why pour milk on it then? Baffling.
Quite like oatmeal though.
Edit: doubly true of corn flakes, which becomes a disgusting slop akin to paper mache within a minute.
I agree with you but not every cereal gets soggy that fast. Corn Flakes is disgusting and becomes instantly mush as soon as it touches the milk, but those sugar coated cereal are very much insulated by the sugar and will remain crunchy for enough time to be eaten. I like the combination of cold milk and a sweet crunch. But I treat it like dessert, eating something like that on a regular basis is a terrible idea.
Heh. Reading all this, I guess my unpopular food opinion is that I actually prefer bland, soggy cereal.
As a result, Bran Flakes, Raisin Bran, Wheaties, and Shredded Wheat are amongst my favorites since they get soggy much quicker than other cereals. Special-K used to be my all-time favorite, but they changed their recipe a few years ago so it doesn't get soggy as quickly anymore... and unfortunately whatever they changed in their formula to accomplish that also makes it so there are rock hard little bits inside a lot of the flakes now. And I am still pretty upset about that. :(
I like most of those things too, though it’s less because they get soggy and more because I really like the bread-like flavor. Honestly one of my favorite cereals is Raisin Bran; it gives a lot of flavor to the milk, and you can have it still be a little crunchy even when it’s soggy.
And as an added benefit all the fiber helps cure most digestive problems.
Nice one... along with the soggy fries this is spot on for me and makes me irrationally angry. Like Will you please stop? I don't care if you like it - Just stop-kind of angry.
Wait, me liking soggy cereal makes you irrationally angry? If so, sorry but I unfortunately don't really have much of a choice, even if I wanted to change. I have serious digestive issues, and bland, soggy cereal is often one of the few things I can actually eat when I am having trouble keeping any other food down due to a flare up. Thankfully, I do actually enjoy it that way though (esp with sliced banana in it, which I can also have), so it's not a burden to eat.
Aww man I'm sorry about that. But cool you like it that way at least. It's just that an unpopular opinion and irrationally anger goes hand in hand sometimes.
No worries. And to be fair, you're not the first person to express that to me. One of my friends had nearly the same reaction when I admitted the same to him. He was thankfully equally as understanding when I explained why I didn't have much choice in the matter though.
I feel you but congestion problems or not like what you like. It's all in good fun and these things are often great and funny conversation starters because people often realize how stupid it is to get riled up about something so benign and subjective.
True, some good can come of it, but it's rarely as fun for the person on the receiving end. And in the case of my friend, he genuinely did get strangely, over-the-top offended when I admitted that, until I explained myself. It's clear to me now that you're just playing into the 'outrage over trivial things' trope, for a laugh, so no worries. But it's hard to read tone over the internet, so at first I wasn't sure if you were doing that or being as serious as my friend seemed to be about it.
Went round to a friend's house for dinner.
He had Huntington's disease and could no longer chew or digest food very well. His wife cooked but he made dessert and proudly asked me to guess what the special ingredient was. I couldn't guess but it turned out to be cornflakes.
I can't remember very well but I think the other ingredients included banana, blended strawberry and cream and before anyone complains it was good.
That’s because cereal is supposed to be at least partly soggy and anyone who says otherwise is blatantly lying.
Will Keith Kellogg created the modern cereal as a way to improve the digestive functions of elderly patients, so it had to be somewhat soluble in order to be easily chewed. So you're absolutely right, sogginess is an essential property of cereal, at least in the beginning. Nowadays, many cereals are basically desserts that are incrusted in sugar, among other stuff, which makes them much less permeable, at least for some time.
I hate soggy cereal, so eat it fast.
I rarely eat cereal, but when I do, I eat it without milk.
Try eating a few plain saltine crackers, for example. It absorbs your saliva leaving your mouth dry, some crumbs stick in your mouth while the rest clumps, and the result is hard to swallow completely.
People like crunchy toast and they like crunchy cereal, but they don't like dry toast or cereal. The bread spread (butter, jam, etc.) and the cereal milk serve the same purpose; provide enough moisture to make it pleasant to eat, while also using the opportunity to add flavor.
Try grape nuts. They're like chewing coarse sand.
The combination of sweet and sour is just not good. I like them separately but together they sort of cancel each other out and leaves you with a sad taste wasted potential.
Real quality butter is essential for almost everything in cooking or at least makes it infinitely better. It's unbelievable how much people around the world are missing out when where I'm coming from this is a given
I hope this isn't an unpopular opinion, because it's just a fact. (Or a quality oil, such as quality extra virgin olive oil.)
I dislike ~ 99% of Ketchups, and the rest are just bad BBQ (or hot) sauce :)
I am going to put my reply to this thread here, since it is also about ketchup.
Unsweetened ketchup is so much better than sweetened ketchup. Be careful when testing this though. A bunch of ketchups are “no sugar” or something similar. Then they use anything from artificial sugars to date juice to sweeten the ketchup. In my opinion, ketchup just doesn’t need to be sweetened. All it needs is tomatoes, vinegar, and some spices. It just doesn’t need to be sweetened. At my local stores, there are usually about 10 different ketchups, 8 of which are “no sugar”. Only one is actually unsweetened, and I always have to read the ingredients list to find out which.
For everyone in this thread: find a bottle of actually unsweetened ketchup and try it. You may like it.
I found a brand of unsweetened ketchup for the first time earlier this year, it's amazing. There is no need for sugar in ketchup.
Good suggestion!
Huh, now this is a new opinion to me. Do you actively dislike ketchup, or is it more of an ambivalence? I can totally understand not enjoying ketchup and preferring other, more interesting sauces.
I actively avoid ketchup, to the point of saying I don't like ketchup. But the truth is more that I don't like Heinz ketchup, which is extremely ubiquitous and all its closest competitors are styled after it. Two problems:
I like fries, that's why I want to taste my fries. I dip in some Heinz ketchup and all I'm getting is Heinz ketchup. People refer to fries as a "ketchup delivery system" but that's exactly the thing that makes me avoid ketchup.
I've had house-made ketchup in many restaurants I've enjoyed, and I think ketchup is a great addition to many sauces or marinades. But by itself? I'll pass. I prefer any kind of vinegar on my fries, or aioli.
I pretty much agree with you. Sugary tomato just tastes very much wrong to me.
And then there's ketchup's cousin barbecue sauce. When I was a kid I was OK with the sweet bottled stuff, but as an adult those flavors are kind of a turn-off. While it's OK to use those as a base, the star of a good barbecue sauce should be the savory aspects; If you don't have at least five ingredients that are not found in ketchup, it's not worth my time. And if you give me a sauce with a mustard or vinegar base I'll probably like it more.
I feel the same about ketchup. Never eat it. Never crosses the threshold of my door. I have no problem with mustard (the stronger the better) or mayonnaise (must be high quality). I will cook my own tomato sauce from scratch if I need one, but no sugar tomato for me, thanks.
Pretty close to what /u/TheJorro said. Heinz is trash. House-made can be decent (and is perfectly acceptable in sauces / marinades), but in a solo-application, I'd almost always rather have a BBQ, hot sauce or aioli.
I don't like Heinz that much. It's too sweet and gelatinous. I prefer our local ketchups which are more liquid and savory, specially the spicy ones. And ketchup of any kind is something you put over sandwiches and fries, it should not be used as an ingredient in any food.
I enjoy non-alcoholic beer. I used to be a heavy drinker about 6 years ago on the weekends and decided to give a non-alcoholic one a try.
The first one I opened, I knocked back like it was a regular old beer and I was me 6 years ago. Low and behold, I didn't get drunk (surprise) but it kind of made me feel, good? Like it took me back to that headspace when I was drinking and would be relaxed but without any alcohol. Like a strong placebo effect. Maybe one day if I keep drinking them, I can move away from that mindset of needing to chug a beer as quick as possible and just learn to sip on one and enjoy it.
Although I will say, I had one after a work out and it was incredible. Turns out non-alcoholic beer is a decent post-workout drink and some olympic athletes utilize it. To me it is so refreshing on a nice hot day and it gives me all the pleasure without any of the drunkeness. I love it.
I think most food is overseasoned. I grew up eating pretty plain stuff, but I never butter or season vegetables unless I have a recipe in mind, my meat may get a little salt and pepper, but if I go out anywhere, or anybody else cooks anything, I have a hard time tasting the base component of what should be a simple dish: Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, whatever. I'll see people sit down in a restaurant and dive for the salt and pepper before taking a bite, even.
There are dishes that make sense for it, but there are also a lot of buttered vegetables that just don't need it. Let the steak be a steak, or spinach be spinach, but also don't mess with that daal makhani until you've had a few spoonfuls.
I get the impression that some cultures, like in the US, tend to exaggerate not only in seasoning but also in size and complexity. Americans tend to think a dish must have 8 ingredients to be good. In my culture, you treat a good meat with salt and pepper, that's it. Let that shrimp or expensive meat shine. Complex preparations are reserved for chicken as well as cheaper beef cuts.
I'm very conservative about food. I don't try new things. I know the things I like and the particular way I like them. I am, however, not happy about this. I have amazing cookware and I usually cook the same or similar stuff over and over again. There are those rare times where I get the urge to try new things and sometimes I do, but then I revert right back to my routine. Rather than a utility, I want to treat food as something to experience and enjoy, but I rarely have the will and time to do so.
I'm the same, but I'm actually very happy about it and have no wish to change it from a culinary standpoint! If there was a switch in my brain to make me like fruit I might hit it just because, in my location, fruits are a very cheap and accessible way to achieve a healthy nutrition.
I have many unpopular food opinions and idiosyncrasies.
1. I mostly don't eat fruit
I explained that in another comment, copied below:
Click to view the hidden text
Most fruits available to me are of the tropical variety. Tropical fruits are generally juicy, colorful, with a pungent flavor and smell. They also have complex textures. What I dislike about those fruits are basically all the same things others find appealing. That is not rational, their texture and flavor just feel utterly repulsive. Olives' texture does not offend me, but I find the flavor too pungent as well. Same for pickles.
I tolerate some non-tropical fruits which are drier and with a simpler texture, such as most nuts. I also like homemade tomato sauce, as long as there are no chunks of tomato.
I do like natural juices (both packaged and homemade) from some fruit which I detest in other forms, such as juices made from passion fruit or oranges, as long as there's no pulp.
Among the fruits I detest the most are bananas (smell and taste rotten regardless of their state of conservation), watermelon, mango, and guava. If someone eats any of those in front of me, I will quietly leave the room. That is how much I hate their sight and smell -- even the chewing sounds.
I tend to tolerate citric fruit to a greater extent, such as lemons and oranges. But only the juices, I will never suck on a fruit.
2. Restaurant rules
This is more of a restaurant "tactics", but I have some rules that I follow.
In a new restaurant, always order the most simple foods. When you go there the second time, order something more complex, and so on. That is because simple dishes have a lower likelihood of being bad, so I'll gradually build confidence in a restaurant and will never have a bad meal.
Quality meat is very hard to mess up, followed by chicken, followed by fish. So that is the order of preference in which I usually order.
Order whatever the restaurant is specialized in. If you're in a pizzeria, order pizza. If you're at McDonald's, order a sandwich. If the pizza in KFC is shit, the fault is on you for ordering pizza at KFC.
Only complain about food or service after you got all your food, and don't order anything after that. There's a small but very real chance that a server or cook will spit or take a piss in your food otherwise. If a food is so bad you cannot eat it, politely let the waiter know that you're leaving without paying (this last option is only reserved for egregious unedible food. I only did that twice, one of them because there was a live worm "walking" on my pizza).
3. Food must be arranged on the plate in a particular manner
In general, my food items must be neatly separated on the plate. The beans go on one side, the rice is in the middle like the Chinese wall, meats and other stuff go on the other side. Two mushy or semi-liquid things must not be adjacent — for example, mashed potatoes must not touch gravy. I will mix the foods in my mouth, not on the plate.
4. No fusion or crazy innovations
Worcestershire sauce shall not touch Chinese food. Ketchup shall not touch a Chinese spring roll. Japanese food must not be eaten with a fork. Pizza must not be sweet. Highly inventive cooks are frustrated by my tastes. Just give me tradition on a plate.
5. I love rice, but it is not a main dish
Sorry, risotto lovers, but if you make me rice, I'll gladly eat it, and then I'll say "nice, now where's my dinner?"
6. Well done prime meat is a crime
Just wanted to put that out there.
7. Nutella is not that good
I don't like the taste of hazelnuts, it does not improve cocoa in the slightest.
8. If I like something, I'll eat it forever
I don't get sick of food I like, I'll gladly eat it every day. I don't fancy variation. I prefer 3 ice cream flavors and I'll eat them till the day I die.
9. I don't like chocolate ice-cream, but I do like chocolate
There, I said it.
10. I'm intolerant to some types of bitter
Even what some people consider mild. So, of course, I don't drink coffee, which to me tastes like punishment. Even chocolate that is graded with a low bitterness is unedible to me. Generations of people tried to train my palate, but I refuse the notion that I must enjoy bitterness to be a grown adult. I am an adult that likes caramel and marshmallow, deal with it!
I do enjoy some kinds of bitter, however, such as some beers, fried liver, and blue cheese.
I love your restaurant tactics, I had never considered the first 2 before. Also, "If the pizza in KFC is shit, the fault is on you for ordering pizza at KFC." got a full belly laugh.
Yeah... on rule 2, one might say that fish is easier than chicken and therefore more likely to be good. However, chicken is basically one thing from a culinary standpoint, while there are many different kinds of fish and each one requires different concerns. Also: even though chicken can be harder to make into something decent, it's way more popular than fish and because of that I trust it to be at least decent in most places. There are a few reasons for that:
invertedfish-beef-chicken if you're at a seafood restaurant, of course.This is also related to the "KFC pizza" rule... if you order something that is not the restaurant's specialty, there's a chance that your food was seating in the freezer for a long time before getting to your plate.
I used to think I hated coffee, but after years of drinking it I think I mostly hate light roasted coffee. Light roasts keep a lot of the sour, acidic notes which some people like but which just taste awful to me. On the other hand, a good bitter dark roast without those sour notes is pretty good to me now, especially with just a little whole milk.
I do get it, though. It took me a long time, and possibly some Stockholm syndrome, to get to where I actually enjoy drinking coffee rather than just tolerating it for the caffeine. And most drip brewed coffee still tastes like bitter piss.
Diced or sliced tomatoes are a wet and tasteless waste of a fruit. Tomato sauces, salsas and ketchups are fine to pretty good. Maybe I just like sugar?
It depends on the tomato and how fresh they are.
And even then they usually need something else added to make the flavor wake up.
I used to hate tomato. The thing that ended up changing my mind was when I tried to make pick de gallo salsa on my own. It’s a really simple sauce and the main ingredient is generally the tomato.
The thing about pico is that if you eat it right after mixing it up, it’s amazingly bland. It’s like eating chunky veggie water. But if you wait an hour or two the salt will get absorbed into everything and that is when it tastes amazing.
Every time I hear this, I know the person has never had a good tomato.
The people who say tomato tastes bad - fair enough. But the “watery, tasteless” people don’t realize they’ve been having the worst, mass-produced tomatoes history has ever produced. For these people I’ll usually go out and buy a decent tomato (ie an in-season San marzano), sprinkle with salt and let them taste both salted and unsalted. 100% of people have been converted.
By the way, expensive heirloom tomato does not necessarily mean delicious tomato.
So many cultivated fruits are shadows of their natural cousins. Wild blueberries are so much better than what you’ll get at most supermarkets. They traded taste for size. And now that I live somewhere where you can grow lemons I’ve realized how bad store-bought lemons are. Backyard lemons have 10x the juice of a store-bought lemon. And they just taste so much better.
I agree when we're talking about your stock standard red grocery store tomato, but for the 2 months every summer (August/September) the heirlooms fill the farmers market and the feast begins. I think a ripe Cherokee Purple with a little crystal salt and pepper on top might be my favorite food. Maybe because I only get them in such a short window. But your average red Ramano tomato or whatever the generic round ones are can absolutely fuck off.
Sliced tomatoes don't taste like much. It really shines in greater concentration.
I hate nuts. Which is wildly unpopular. People get weirdly antagonistic when I tell them this.
Why would anyone care so much about nuts? What's going on? lol
People are nuts about nuts?
I don't think this is all that weird. Most tree nuts have a weird aftertaste to me. I don't hate them but I don't really seek them out. I'll eat most nuts in small quantities by themselves, but I don't love having any kind of nut mixed in with food, either in a savory dish or in a salad, or really even in a dessert. Except pistachios. Pistachios are pretty good.
Do you feel the same way about Peanuts?
Peanuts are the worst. I had a bad experience with Peanuts as a child, but I don't like to talk about it.
I dislike every type of melon I've ever tasted. They're almost all uniformly bland, and even the ones that aren't all still taste faintly of cucumber. And before you tell me I'm crazy, they're related, all part of the Cucurbit family. I've wondered before if I am more sensitive to some compound in this family than some people, because I have a special revulsion toward cucumber, which is the vilest tasting thing I can think of. I know people joke about cucumber tasting like water, which is the strangest thing because to me because it has a strong flavor that overrides pretty much anything it's in. I've had a salad at a restaurant before that I could tell they took the cucumber out of instead of making it to order just because of the lingering taste and smell of cucumber. I'm not a picky eater by any stretch of the imagination. I'll try pretty much anything, but I just loathe cucumber.
Hey, me too! I also hate all melons and cucumber. It has an awful taste for me. The only time I’ve been able to stomach cucumber was when it was very thinly sliced wrapped around a big glob of cream cheese.
Me three! Melons are 95% water, and 5% blurgh!
People always look perplexed and confused when I refuse fresh water melon.
It's like a Seinfeld skit.
"Are you sure you don't want some? It's fresh!"
"Yeah, I am not a fan of watermelon."
"You don't like fresh watermelon?"
"No, I don't like fresh watermelon."
"Oh.... Then how about a little slice? It's so delicious!"
Queue quizzical look.
Lol, I've never met another one of us in the wild. I genuinely think that it must be some kind of genetic thing like the people who taste cilantro differently, because most of the people I've told think it's pretty odd and don't think that melons taste like cucumbers or really even that cucumbers taste like much of anything at all, but it's such a strong flavor/scent to me.
I've tolerated cucumbers marinated in vinegar before, which I guess is just halfway to a pickle. Also, I almost always love pickles, although I have had one or two that were a little too cucumber-y to me. For some reason I'm okay with tzatziki most of the time too. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I don't hate the flavor of cucumber, but I can absolutely understand why you wouldn't like it. Though it's sad you probably can't enjoy how refreshing a nice cucumber sandwich can be. Personally speaking, I don't like how cucumbers are usually prepared. Every time I see them in Japanese cuisine, they're an absolute joy, but everywhere else they usually get prepared in ways that make me feel ill. Japanese picked cucumbers are going to make me feel happy, but just the smell of American/British pickles are enough to overwhelm my senses.
And the worst thing is cooked cucumbers. The exterior is always still crunchy but the interior has a horrible texture and it's never seasoned to make it pleasant for some reason.
On the other hand, I usually love melons. I even love the much maligned honeydew melons (though they aren't my favorite - cantaloupes / musk melons are). The only real problem I have with melons is that it's kind of a lottery how they will taste. Sometimes you get those super sweet ones and it's like hitting the jackpot, sometimes you get the ones that aren't sweet but still have a lot of melon flavor (which is cucumber-like, yes), and sometimes they just taste like water. You can make them a little bit better by adding a touch of salt, but it's not quite the same.
I also love pickled cucumbers! Especially the extra vinegary ones. I always forget they’re cucumbers, haha.
I think I just really like vinegar and garlic and salt and stuff, lol. I love almost anything pickled.
I hate garlic. Fuck garlic. Every fucking recipe, every restaurant dish in my country takes garlic, and I don't mean just a hint of garlic, whole chunks of garlic all over the thing. Garlic not only makes everything taste like garlic, it makes everything you eat for the next two days also taste like garlic, no matter how well you scrub your teeth. I cook regularly, I know dozens of recipes and I never once needed garlic on anything to make it taste amazing. Onions, chives, leek, etc. are more than enough if I want a related flavor. To be clear, too much garlic also makes me feel sick to my stomach for a day or so.
And before anyone asks, yes, I hesitate to cross running water, don't go into people's houses uninvited and if you stake me through the heart I'll die. But let's not talk about that.
To be fair just about everyone has that in common. 'Tis a weakness we all share.
I'm pretty sure you can safely follow most recipes without the garlic and it will taste just fine. You can increase the amount of other ingredients to make up for it if you like.
I do!
Chocolate and mint should never be mixed. It's like toothpaste and orange juice. Thin mints, mint chip ice cream, Yorks, Andes: all gross.
Chicken and turkey are excellent meats. Full stop.
Chicken suffers from being mild by nature as well as horribly easy to raise well-textured but flavourless meat in factory contexts. However, it's got a nice little sweetness by itself, is incredibly tolerant to bad cooking for a meat, and has great little nutty flavour when well raised.
Turkey is usually decried as dry, and...what else? I don't know where this perception of turkey as sub par stems from. The traditional herbs used in american turkey dinners? Sure, if you try to roast a whole 18 lbs turkey in one go, without a ton of attention and know-how, it'll be powder. Because you just stuck meat in the oven for 5 hours. When made in a sous vide, stewed, roasted in parts, properly seasoned and brined, turkey has a rather delicate texture and a natural flavour unlike anything else.
Both of these birds (in the US) suffer from the endless serving size fetishization and demand for low fat meat of our contemporary culture. A giant bird, that didn't take years to get that big, isn't going to taste great, and fat carries flavour. So you have these chickens and turkeys with enormous breasts, neglected legs and thighs, and because most home cooking is learned from family tradition, not a real understanding of thermodynamics, the only thoughts are "high and quick" or "low and slow", neither of which will compensate for the difference in each piece's mass with modern birds. For turkey, add in the desire for a picturesque whole bird for Thanksgiving, and you get whole generations who grow up only knowing it as either slimy cured lunchmeat or crumby roast.
Chicken and turkey are excellent meats... when correctly prepared, which generally takes greater effort, time, and knowledge than prime beef. I can easily prepare a prime beef cut in less than five minutes with a combination of meat, salt, a pan, and fire. Birds are a different game entirely. I can do excellent beef with my eyes closed, it's a very forgiving protein. Birds kick my ass on a regular basis.Clearly you've never eaten turkey at my mother's house, haha. I went 32 years thinking turkey was the annual burden to bear during the holidays. Then my brother in law took a turn at making the turkey for Thanksgiving last year. It was amazing! Moist, flavorful, crisp in all the right places. And then he told me the rigamarole it took him to get it that good. I now appreciate a good turkey, but if I'm going to put in that much effort, I think I'll probably stick to duck. I am a convert though, turkey can be delicious.
In my house, A1 steak sauce belongs on mashed potatoes. Not gravy.
Pasta completely drenched in lemon juice and nothing else is also delicious.
Micrograins make me miserable. Like, emotionally. It's not a chemical imbalance or genetic thing, I just wind up feeling so disappointed that I circle back around to upset.
Quinoa, couscous, pearl couscous. They look like I'll have something to (literally) chew on but instead it has the texture of inconsistent mush. I like rice, I even like full on mash or mush like mushy peas or mashed potatoes or squash, or anything else. But the weird middle ground these micrograins come into is like an uncanny valley for my mouth.
Huh, yeah for me it's the weirdly gritty texture of them. I want them to have a consistent, slightly firm texture like rice but it's almost like they're half too mushy and half not. But yeah I don't care for them as much as I would like and it's entirely mouthfeel I think.
Pickles, every single type of pickled cucumber, is an abomination upon the planet and once the foolishness of man has finally wiped humans from the earth there will be silent rejoicing from my listless wandering soul in the knowledge that pickles are also extinct. Pickles are unpalatable globs of mucous with zero redeeming quality and they make everything they touch taste like goddamn pickles.
And before anyone chimes in, because I've had this conversation a thousand times, yes I've tried those pickles. Those being whatever pickles you have in mind that you think will magically make me not despise pickles. Crunchy, sweet, sour, bread, butter, gherkins, dill, kool-aid. I've tried them all, they're all shit. I don't have a problem with most pickled things, but pickles themselves are just awful.
Maybe its the zjierbness? https://youtu.be/QHjRQwEQjJI
I'm sorry, I'm not trying to convince you of anything, just curious. I can't tell from your post how you feel about pickled vegetables that are not cucumbers?
I like other pickled vegetables just fine. Just not pickles or things with pickles in them.
I don't understand Nutella. It's already too sweet for dessert so don't even think about bringing it out for breakfast.
Kind of along the same lines, when making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich my perfect ratio is 80-90% peanut butter and 10-20% jam (jelly is also just too sweet). My partner is the opposite and I'll never understand it.
Just had a slice with peanut and the other with jam. I can't really fathom those two things working well together. One day I'll try it.
Also: Try low-sugar jams if you can find them. The one I just had is 80% blueberries and no artificial sweeteners. This stuff actually tastes like fruit! If I can help it, I won't touch 60% fruit or lower again.
compote -- 2T sugar to 1lb fruit.. 3T of orange juice or another good citrus and 2T corn starch. Cook it all down and live the good life :)