Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
People Share What Dishes They Couldn’t Stand Until They Learned They Were Eating Them Prepared Incorrectly
While experts warn that eating habits play a crucial role in children and adolescents' physical and mental development and the impacts might last until adulthood, many people still struggle with maintaining a healthy relationship with food regardless of their age.
Think of a food you really can’t stand. For me it’s beetroots, their weirdly sweet taste is still something I genuinely struggle to enjoy, to say the least. And since I have no recollection of where this food aversion is coming from, the chances are it’s rooted in my childhood.
But what if it would be possible to make beetroots, or any other ingredient you genuinely cannot stand, tasty again? Well, people on this illuminating thread from the Cooking subreddit are sharing the moment that made them start to like a food they detested for years. Turns out, sometimes it’s all about learning to prepare it properly and being open-minded to new things.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Dam near everything. Parents struggled raising us, so didn’t get much variety and what we did get, was generally bland. Was always told to clean our plate and don’t get something if you’re not going to like it. So I never got to try new things because of the fear of not liking it and being punished severely. My now wife, changed that for me. I used to eat maybe at most a dozen different foods. It all started to change when I took her out for a date at Olive Garden and I was going to order a pizza because of how I was raised. She asked why and after much hesitation, I told her why. So she asked what I wanted to try; I said chicken Alfredo. She said to order it and if I don’t like it, she’ll eat it so it doesn’t go to waste, which satisfied my minds training that my parents put on me growing up. So when I tried it, it was the most dam delicious thing I had ever eaten and I demolished it. Soon after, she started inviting me over to her house where I found out she’s an excellent cook who makes almost everything from scratch. She started making me all sorts of foods to try and asking what I thought about them and what she could change to make it better. She changed me from eating a plain hotdog on a piece of white bread, to eating fajitas with Spanish rice and churros for dessert. She has filled 4 recipe boxes with recipes we both love, over our decade and half together. When we started having kids, I expressed that I didn’t want them to be limited and punished like I was as a kid, she of course had the same view and our kids eat almost all of the same things we do. I love her so much.
Mason Kronol 2 years ago
That food looks amazing! Chicken Alfredo is my comfort food. That looks light and healthy.
Paul C. 2 years ago (edited)
I was so lucky, I'm 68 and my mum and dad liked all varieties of food. In the early Sixties Indian and Chinese restaurants were far less prevalent in the UK but at the age of nine or ten I was used to visiting both. My Grandfather (mums dad) was an old school restaurateur of more traditional foods (steaks/fish) and was horrified when he learnt of our exotic tastes. It's so good today that delicious, for want of a better word, "foreign" food is so readily available.
Mam cymraeg 2 years ago
That is the sweetest nicest story I had a similar upbringing and I luckily met a similar man who's always happy to swap with me and helps me try new things with out any stress x
Dana Trahan 2 years ago
Sounds like you all have a beautiful life. I’m very happy all turned out well for you and family
“All kids have different preferences, and pickiness can be very common as children grow from infants to toddlers,” the pediatric dietitian and feeding expert Rachel Rothman, MS, RD, CLEC, who is also the owner of Nutrition in Bloom, told Bored Panda. In fact, it's developmentally a good sign, she argues, because “children are showing they have their own likes, autonomy, and independence.”
Having said that, Rothman confirmed that it can be very frustrating for parents. “Although preferences can vary, a common complaint I hear is children not wanting to eat vegetables or protein foods,” she said.
RELATED:
#2
I never hated broccoli, but I never loved it. Finally roasted it one day and was blown away by the amount of nutty flavor achieved with only salt, pepper, and olive oil. Will never eat steamed broccoli again.
Headless Roach 2 years ago
Broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts - they all get so flavourful in roasting with herbs. Add parmesan for a lavish finish
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago (edited)
Brussels Sprouts to me were like little sourballs from hell as we used to get those ones that were in those little square frozen packs. Mushy and tasted like devil's spit. One day while having dinner at a friend's place, she roasted them, added bacon, balsamic glaze, Parmesan cheese and toasted bread crumbs. I was in heaven! At one time I could say that there was literally no food I didn't like except sprouts but now... hey!
Load More Replies...
Phobrek 2 years ago
I love that you've fallen in love with broccoli, but steaming broccoli can be great. I steam broccoli like 2/3rds the way, then lightly fry it with a little olive oil, seasonings/herbs. Steaming can be v useful for various veggies. The smell of broccoli cooking this way (or roasting) is one of my fav all-time smells.
K- THULU 2 years ago
Oh, yesss...... Why people insist on boiling or steaming veggies, when a slow roast retains all the nutrients and the flavors....
Caro Caro 2 years ago
Roasted broccoli and cauliflower are great with cheese :)
Load More Replies...
BoredPandaSucks 2 years ago
the first time i ever ate roasted broccoli, i was astonished at how it transformed not only the flavor, but the entire experience of eating it.
Khall Khall 2 years ago
Salt, butter, slivers of fresh garlic, add broccoli, cook in frying pan until garlic is caramelized and broccoli is brown on one side and still almost crisp on the other. It is amazing.
#3
Brussel sprouts. When I was a kid the only time I ever saw them knocking about was at Christmas, and my aunties all steam them. I couldn't get my head around why anyone would want to eat one of these disgusting little balls of condensed fart.
Then I tried them again at a restaurant in Boston when I was 29, roasted with a side of malt vinegar aioli. It was one of those truly transformative moments in my life, they're now my favourite vegetable and I eat them more or less on a daily basis.
Marcellus II 2 years ago
To be fair, modern brussels sprouts are measurably different from those 20y ago. They've been bred to exclude the sulphur compounds that make them go 'bad' if you overcook them --- probably people still haven't learned how to cook them, there's just not much consequences to overcooking anymore.
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
maaaan roasted or grilled... even for just a little bit with salt and pepper. boyyyyyy me and my dad might smash the tray before they're even done cooking
JoJo Anisko 2 years ago
I love Brussels sprouts. Fave is roasted with olive oil, garlic cloves, Salt and pepper. But I also like them steamed, just not to mush. Sauteed with bacon ain't too shabby, either.
Hugh Cookson 2 years ago
This !! My late Mother used to put the Christmas Brussel Sprouts on to boil in about early November ( tee hee), whatever, they were always a vile pile of farty mushiness. I then trained to be a Chef in the late 70's / early 80' and if I'm honest Sprouts were always badly cooked. Then someone had the idea of maybe cooking them al Dente and adding flavours - Paprika, Curry, Bacon, Almonds, light Soy sauce, Sriracha sauce etc etc. I almost wet my pants the first time I tried Sprouts with Pancetta, Garlic and Parsley .... Imagination is the answer.
#4
Literally all Indian food. We had one Indian restaurant in the city I grew up in. It was buffet style and it was horrible. Every dish I tried was gross to me. Like “I can’t eat this” gross. Based on that I mistakenly believed all Indian food was bad. The first trip I went on when dating my wife, she took me to an Indian place. My heart sank but I put on a happy face and steeled my nerve because I knew I was going to have to fake enjoying a terrible meal. The things we do for love. I just copied her order because I had no clue what to get. Once I tasted it I was blown away, not only was it not horrible it was actually some of the most delicious food I had ever eaten. She started laughing at me because she said my face lit up when I tasted it. Now Indian food is one of the food loves of my life. I cook the dal makhani and chicken tikka masala for my one true love now, and we’ve been married over ten years. Thank goodness I didn’t let a negative attitude from a bad experience close my mind and poison all the wonderful future opportunities.
R Dennis 2 years ago
Korean for me... but I wasn't a child (20ish). Went with my (now) wife and we thought all kimchi tasted like actual garbage and the rest of the food was gross. Tried it somewhere else after over 20 years (thanks to Korean Englishman) and it is now our favorite cuisine - we even make several dishes at home and always have kimchi and gochujang in the fridge... I believe in trying things several times, but the first time was so bad I missed out for decades!
Laura Ford-Everett 2 years ago
i've just made my first korean dishes last night...sooo good...had to scale back on the spice tho! delicious! Too chicken to try making it but once you have the ingredients on hand so easy!
Load More Replies...
Fat Harry 2 years ago
I love, love, love Indian food. Still trying to get it just right though.
Very bored 2 years ago
I was doing that too until we had friends over from India (born and bred) and they showed us “Indian” fills a very big box and it has nothing to do with the restaurant classics.
Load More Replies...
Rob Williams 2 years ago
Myself, my ex girlfriend, and two of her three sons all loved curry. We would go out to the "curry mile" in Rusholme at least a couple of nights a week. The youngest had never eaten curry because he didn't like it but was happy enough if we brought him back pudding, chips, and peas. One night he went to the curry place with us and actually tried something. He loved it so much that he cried because of all the years of Indian deliciousness that he'd missed and couldn't get back!
Dawnieangel76 2 years ago
So many people I know love Curry, but the smell alone makes me so nauseated, I can't imagine putting it into my mouth.
Pumpkin Spice 2 years ago
I'm Indian and I doubt that was a real Indian restaurant! Indian food is awesome, so sad you had to go through that...
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
I don't understand the stigma about Indian food. Instead of shunning something just f*****g try it and let your taste buds decide. Not this person in particular since they gave it a chance at least, but there even still is people who just refuse to eat Indian food cuz "Its nasty" but they can't tell you why
JustJackie 2 years ago
I think it might be the spices, and honestly racism too.
Load More Replies...
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I didn't try Indian food until my late teens (as dad would never try it) and really didn't like it because there was too much heat from the chillies. I love the flavour of the spices, but don't want to blow my face off. Now I cook my own, including making my own curry paste from scratch, just leaving out some of the hotter chillies and love it. So much variety!
Xanther 2 years ago
I don't think I've ever had Indian food I haven't liked! All the flavors! Had a friend who was Indian when growing up, and man, you were stupid if you ever went to his house with a full stomach, even if it was just a 5 minute stop to pick him up on the way to the movies. There was always food, and it was always awesome! I'm lucky there's a couple Indian places around here - they're all superb!
Rothman explained that it can be related to texture, smell, flavor, or even a child just learning to express "no" to a parent or caregiver's request. “I find this is more common with vegetables because the taste can be somewhat unfamiliar (typically bitter where fruit is sweet) and the texture (especially of cooked vegetables) can feel mushy, or different than a food that's very smooth or crunchy,” the dietitian commented.
#5
Asparagus. All I’d had as a kid was the canned mushy weird-tasting kind and when I finally tried it grilled, it was an entirely different experience.
Ripley 2 years ago
I've never actually eaten tinned asparagus - I couldn't ever get past the smell. I was completely astonished at how delicious fresh asparagus is.
Daniel Atkins 2 years ago
The stuff in the can is the absolute worst fresh is best.
Load More Replies... Caro Caro 2 years ago (edited)
There's a farm nearby that has fresh white asparagus ... It's so good when cooked properly (no snot) and I make a mayo but with the eggwhite fluffy and some smoked salmon on the side. Fresh baguette and after ... you guessed it: cheese. Cold Riesling *drooling and grabbing calendar*
Load More Replies...
Suutashi 2 years ago
A bite of freshly picked, young asparagus is to die for. I used to eat it completely raw shortly after I picked it from the ground as a kid.
Mason Kronol 2 years ago
That's why I like beets. Raw and picked from the garden.
Load More Replies...
The Scout 2 years ago
As a German, I do have a special fondness for white asparagus - which is a kind of crazy mania here when it is in season. Fresh, of course. Asparagus is inciting riots here, brawls at the weekly market do occur when it is scarce. Served just with hollandaise or butter and a few potatoes. Oh yes, I long for the start of the asparagus season...
HelluvaHedgehogAlien 2 years ago
I eat asparagus with bbq sauce and grilled with mushrooms and melted cheese… yum
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
I love asparagus but canned twigs of mush never did it for me. Grilled asparagus with butter and black garlic... steamed then wrapped with thin slices of rare roast beef... Hollandaise sauce whatever... great eating! White asparagus too!
zak 2 years ago
Is asparagus the only food that reminds you that you ate it the next time you pee? 🤔
Pixie 2 years ago
Sometimes beets remind you too with colorful uhmm... restroom visits!! 😆
Load More Replies...
Mason Kronol 2 years ago
I first had asparagus from a can provided by my ex boyfriend. It would be another 15 years until I grilled some myself and it was delicious! I try to be more adventurous with trying new foods. My husband was traumatized by his moms terrible cooking so I have to lie about sour cream or some cheeses being in a recipe. I'm not a mayo fan but he won't even consider chicken salad even though I have been praised for my recipe,
#6
Cooked cabbage. The idea sounded terrible...until I starting experimenting with searing and roasting it, adding it to stir fries and soups. It's life-changing! Such a cheap and delicious vegetable!
Groaver Andout 2 years ago
I loved it as a kid but all grown up, I could fart the brown-spangled banner if I ate even a little of it.
RagDollLali 2 years ago
Yessss, so simple and delicious! Happy to know others appreciate it this way too!
Load More Replies...
Christmas love 2 years ago
I love cooking cabbage and then drizzling it with balsamic glaze….so delicious!
Laura Jackson 2 years ago
Pork roast, potatoes, and cabbage all cooked together served with a slab of cornbread with butter oozing out! My gosh, it's good!
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
Haluska! My wife is Hungarian and she'd make their version of fried cabbage and noodles that is to die for! A chef friend of mine also made a soup from chix stock, some small ham cubes, cabbage, carrots, celery, onions and a few spices and it was just awesome!
JoJo Anisko 2 years ago
Sauteed with bacon and onions, salt and pepper. I know many people prefer slightly undercooked, like stir-fry, but I want it very tender.
#7
Zucchini. My mother (who was a splendid cook in almost every other way) always cooked them to death and into an indistinguishable mash.
Zucchini fried in some oil for a short time are so tasty.
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
thats what I was gonna say... Nothin beats it grilled IMO
Load More Replies...
Mason Kronol 2 years ago
Whenever I make kabobs I use yellow squash and zucchini. The key to making good zucchini is to make sure the outside rind is cooked thoroughly. Sometimes I use a potato peeler and skin off some of the rind.
DuchessDegu 2 years ago
If you can, grow your own and harvest when they're still small (12-15cm), it's so tender and sweet you can eat it raw! Also the flowers are edible and delicious
Jilltdcatlady 2 years ago
I make a summer salad of baby zukes, baby cukes, tommy-toes and a mayo concoction dressing. Mmmmmm
Load More Replies... 
On the right side of the turf 1 year ago
I wonder why there's a name difference depending on region. In Scotland we call it a courgette
Christine Packard Didier 2 years ago
I didn't know I liked zucchini, unless it was my great grandmothers bread until a friend let me try a slice of grilled zucchini. Wow it was so good!
Georgina Lenna 2 years ago
battered,fried and sprinkled with grated cheese or grilled and served along balsamic cream
Claire Elise 2 years ago
Ngl, I love mushy zucchini. I'll cook it up in a little bit of onions and garlic and just eat it with salt and pepper: super delish
When a child doesn't "like" a new food, Rothman invites parents and caregivers to think about this in a few different ways. She happily shared some tips: “Remember that it often takes several exposures to a new food before a child will eat it. Just by offering new foods (without pressure to eat or try the food) the caregiver is exposing the child to a food, which can be extremely helpful.”
Moreover, Rothman reminds parents that it can take several steps before a child will eat a new food. “For example, a child may need to tolerate a new food on the plate, then smell or lick that food before they eat it.”
#8
Salmon and tuna. When I was a kid (SE Georgia US, 70s and 80s,) both were always from a can. And then I visited relatives in the Pacific Northwest, and ate fresh salmon. It was a revelation.
Laura Jackson 2 years ago
Teriyaki salmon with long grain and wild rice is one of my absolute favorites!😋
Powerful Katrinka 2 years ago
Oh gosh, me too! I eat it at least once a week.
Load More Replies... 
Upil 2 years ago
I used to feel unsafe and disgusted knowing that people eat salmon not cooked (i live in southeast asia where almost everything is cooked before consumed). Wife once asked me to eat raw salmon from a nearby sushi restaurant, and now i love the fresh taste so much at the same time alse feel unsafe, lol.
zak 2 years ago
I could eat blackened Cajun salmon every day and never complain. Or just pop a salmon filet on the grill and brush it with some Ken's Caesar dressing and top it with the thinnest lemon slices you can make. The dressing caramelizes nicely and if the lemon slices are thin enough they cook just right and taste amazing.
Boris Long-Johnson 2 years ago
Nope - it’s like eating flavoured rubbers, even from a restaurant.
#9
Tofu. If you do it right, it's the most delightful little flavor sponge. If not, it's a mushy and joyless mess.
Mad Dragon 2 years ago
I prepare it cubed and air-fried with a little sesame oil or baked with some garlic and chili oil!
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
Yes! Add a little gochujang or like you said, sesame oil and a bit of fresh garlic! I love it in hot and sour soup as well!
Load More Replies...
Shay Tracy 2 years ago
same dude! Getting a tofu press was an absolute game-changer. I have pressed tofu as a protein a couple times a week now, but if I order it out somewhere and it's squishy- it still makes me gag.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
First time I ever had it, mum blended it up with banana and it was feral! Many years later I tried it at a Chinese restaurant and was hooked!
#10
Mustard. I hate American yellow mustard, it’s just gross to me. But one time my German step-grandfather let me try real stone-ground German mustard and I loved it.
Mason Kronol 2 years ago
I love all mustard. Even the American yellow. We went on the riverboat in Cincy and got the cheese snack. They served it with a spicy honey mustard and now I can't eat cheese and crackers without mustard. I currently have 4 different mustards in my pantry.
zak 2 years ago
If you're ever on a diet, mustard or salsa are the best condiments since they essentially have no calories. Personally, I love dipping a crispy French fry into some cold yellow mustard instead of ketchup
Fat Harry 2 years ago
American mustard does serve a purpose. I like it in hotdogs and burgers. English or French mustard for everything else, though.
gerard julien 2 years ago (edited)
there are dozens of different mustards in France ! the main ones : Moutarde à l’ancienne Moutarde de Bénichon Moutarde de Bourgogne Moutarde de Charroux Moutarde de Dijon Moutarde Fallot Moutarde de Gand Moutarde de Meaux Moutarde d’Orléans Moutarde picarde Moutardes diverses Moutarde violette de Brive, moutarde d'Alsace.
Load More Replies...
Ace 2 years ago (edited)
Mustards vary tremendously, and are often poorly imitated. In England Colmans make the classic, best (and very strong) English mustard, but when I was growing up they also made 'German' and 'French' which were horrible. Later in life became accustomed to proper Dijon mustard, and many others, all of which are great in their own way.
Marcellus II 2 years ago
Dijon/'French' mustard uses mostly canadian-grown seeds (brown mustard); 'English' mustard uses (cheaper) yellow mustard, a different species actually (and cheaper coincidentally). [There was a brown seeds shortage last year, Ukraine plus a bad Canadian harvest IIRC.]
Load More Replies... On the right side of the turf 1 year ago
Prymat Sarepska Mustard (Polish) is my favourite, especially the fiery one.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I hated both American and Hot English mustard. Was only 5 years ago that I tried wholegrain mustard and now I add it to everything.
#11
ITT: "It turns out that green vegetables are very good if you don't boil them into oblivion and if you cook them with a bit of fat."
It’s also very important to note that putting pressure on a child to eat a new food can often backfire, Rothman argues. “Instead, parents and caregivers can enjoy their food (and talk about their experience with the food) to help a child become more familiar. For example: ‘This broccoli tickles my tongue!’"
Last but not least, Rothman’s advice is to think about offering food in a different form. “Have a child that loves crunchy food but doesn't eat fruit? Try freeze-dried fruit.”
#12
Hamburgers! I grew up during the low fat craze and my mom would always buy the leanest cuts of meats. I had no idea why anyone liked hamburgers since the ones we had at home were so dry and dense. Later on I had some made with fattier meat and finally understood how delicious a good burger is.
New Everywhere 2 years ago
I'm afraid you're pointing me down a path that can only end in recovery
Load More Replies...
Vinita Talaulikar 2 years ago (edited)
We had burgers in a roof top restaurant in Galle, Sri Lanka. We were staying in the same hotel just opposite the Indian Ocean. Absolutely delightful and delicious burgers. Loved it...
#13
Tomatoes. I absolutely hated tomatoes until I ha had an actually ripe tomato from a garden instead of the s**t from the grocery store or a lot of restaurants.
I didn't realize for decades that tomatoes are usually sold and served before they are ready to be eaten.
Caro Caro 2 years ago
I end up eating the tomatoes from my garden while still outside. Warm and tasty, fresh and juicy.
Michele 2 years ago
My sister and I used to take the salt shaker out to the garden.
Load More Replies...
Hugh Cookson 2 years ago
Ah, got put off tomatoes as a child (probably 8 yo ) as my Dad - who was an engineer, used to like to take us on 'educational' days out, holidays and trips to places like Steelworks, Engineering workshops, a tour of the London sewers (which, btw, was fascinating) and so on. This particular time, he took us all (Mum, Dad, 4 boys) to a Sewerage treatment plant somewhere in Norfolk in probably June / July , which was interesting, but I noticed that there were a huge amount of Tomato plants around the edges of the settlement tanks (look it up), that were literally bending under the weight of the Tomatoes on them - so we picked about 10 lbs of fruit. It was on the drive back home that Dad decided to explain to us that as Tomato seeds don't get broken down in the gut, once the poo breaks down , the seed floats, drops over the edge of the settlement tank then takes root round the edge. 2 of my brothers and I didn't eat Tomatoes for 15 + years after that. Love them now.
BoredPandaSucks 2 years ago
i sort of agree. i like stuff made from tomatoes, marinara sauce, salsa, pico de gallo, etc. and occasionally some diced or sliced raw tomato on salad or a sandwich or burger, but just plain raw tomatoes without something else to balance the flavor or texture and i start to gag. even the really good one from the garden, but even so they are still way better than supermarket ones.
M O'Connell 2 years ago
Garden tomatoes can "afford" to be bred for flavor. Commercial tomatoes need to be bred to have determinate flowering (all the fruit ripens at once for ease of harvesting), vining growth habit (to maximize greenhouse space), thick skins (to facilitate mechanical handling), and long shelf-life.
Daniel Atkins 2 years ago
Most commercial tomatoes are picked green then exposed to a gas that makes them look ripe so they can survive shipping. If they are firm they are not ripe.
Load More Replies... On the right side of the turf 1 year ago (edited)
SMELL TEST - if it doesn't smell like a tomatoe it won't taste like a tomatoe
Very bored 2 years ago
I am gonna add to it. Season your tomatoes! A little salt and chives goes a long way
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
tomato's and potatoes I hated as a child, and still hate now. The smell of potatoes makes me gag and I can taste if there is a tomato seed on my sandwich from someone putting one on and peeling it off...... Not something I like about me, but it's there man
#14
Seafood, generally. So much of America, even on the coasts, our idea of “seafood” is just bland slivers of nameless whitefish, often breaded and deep fried. I live in freaking Maryland, and the amount of people I know from here that gag at the thought of eating seafood. And I mean, I would expect to gag too if I thought I was going to have eat some “fishy” tasting piece or not fresh fish.
But when you get introduced to truly FRESH seafood, and just how clean it taste? The sweetness. For me, the best seafood is as fresh as possible and cooked simply.
Amy E 2 years ago
Learned as an adult that scallops aren't supposed to be chewy like a rubber band!
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
1000% agree! Rubberizing ANY seafood... shrimp, scallops, oysters, lobster, mussels etc. is a culinary crime! LOL!
Load More Replies... GoGoPDX 2 years ago
Fresh seafood is on another level entirely. I grew up and live in the PNW where our seafood is usually pretty fresh, especially at the coast. But it still is nothing compared to the seafood I had when traveling in places like The Cook Islands, or the Cayes of Belize, or the little coastal towns in Mexico. You would eat fish, shrimp lobster, conch, and scallops that were literally caught an hour earlier. The difference even a day can make is crazy
Daniel Atkins 2 years ago
Yes, and they know how to cook it. Clam strips are supposed to be tender not chewy.
Load More Replies... Christos Arvanitis 2 years ago
I live in New England and I can assure you that our idea of seafood is not "bland slivers of nameless whitefish". That's utter nonsense.
Janey Considine 2 years ago
I grew up about a mile from the Gulf of Mexico and when we had seafood it was probably still swimming that morning. I'm really, really spoiled where fresh fish is concerned. My husband thought I didn't like seafood. Nope. It's because we live in a landlocked area. I just know better than to order seafood here.
BRUSSEL SPROUT PANDA 2 years ago
Maine changed my life. Also those local seafood dives are where to get the best seafood
JoMeBee 2 years ago
Also fro Maryland and will still gag at the thought of oysters in any shape or form. Mmm, solidified mucous, anyone?
GoGoPDX 2 years ago
I used to think that, until I went to New Orleans. I am so thankful I tried the char broiled oysters. I ended up ordering and eating them every day. They were so fresh and they just melted in your mouth. Nothing like the texture of the fried oysters or oyster shooters . If you are ever in that amazing city, please try them!
Load More Replies...
James King 1 year ago
"So much of America, even on the coasts, our idea of “seafood” is just bland slivers of nameless whitefish, often breaded and deep fried." I've spent significant time in every part of America except for the High Plains, and this is pretty much completely false.
#15
Mushrooms. Slimy cooked can mushrooms
Fat Harry 2 years ago
Can't stand them. Doesn't matter what sort, I just can't stand them. Horrible taste, horrible texture. Everything about them is wrong. I've tried and tried to get to like them, but no. Just yuck.
Load More Replies... GoGoPDX 2 years ago
I only like the basic ones you get at the store, and I only like them raw. I actually love the smell and flavor of cooked mushrooms, (all varieties) but it is definitely a texture issue with me. I will get dishes with them in the sauce or in soups, but will pick them out. That way I get the delicious flavor but don't actually eat them .
Mason Kronol 2 years ago
Canned mushrooms are completely different than fresh mushrooms. I love all mushrooms but many people hate the canned ones and never try fresh ones.
Thomas Ewing 2 years ago
Boil up some spaghetti noodles to your liking and pour a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup over it (instead of tomato sauce) and WOW! Steak dinner without the steak.
Rob Williams 2 years ago
Have to admit, never fancied tinned mushrooms. Don't know why, just don't like the idea. On the other hand, freshly sliced mushrooms flash fried with a bit of garlic and olive oil…delicious!
Sonja 2 years ago
I've been told I cook the best mushrooms ever, lightly sauteed and perfectly seasoned. I can't say if that's true because I can't eat them..the smell alone makes me sick. I can endure finely chopped mushrooms in soups or as part of a filling, mushroom powder to give an umami kick to sauces is fine too and I tolerate miniature mushrooms in a risotto but I'll never understand what people find on eating a dish with heaps of mushrooms and I definitely can't take a whole piece and eat it.
Similarly, trying new foods outside of mealtimes, when children (and adults) feel less pressure, can also be a game changer. “In this post, I talk about some ways to do that. That might mean getting kids in the kitchen or creating a food play activity,” Rothman said.
In her practice, Rothman emphasizes the importance of helping children develop a healthy relationship with food, and how this relationship carries into our adulthood.
#16
Scallops. I thought all scallops had the texture of rubber bands until I worked in fine dining and had the pleasure of tasting the menu. I tried the prosciutto wrapped scallop with a lemon caper beurre blanc and my life was changed FOREVER
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
before pancreatitis diagnosis, I never realized how damn good scallops can be
Donna Gettings Apperson 2 years ago
It's the taste of the scallop itself that I'm not a fan of. I cook them for others and they tell me they're delicious, but I've yet to have a bite of scallop (or salmon) that made me want a second bite.
MrsWelton 2 years ago
YES! (I've copied and pasted my comment from a post above...) SAME! Having been born and raised in the Upper Midwest, I discovered that NOBODY could cook scallops properly in that region, not even the high-end restaurant chefs. I moved to Nova Scotia ten years ago, where I FINALLY was able to have them done right...OMG, LIFE-CHANGING! Sooooo tasty!!
#17
This isn’t “prepared” per se, but I really didn’t like raw tomatoes until I went to Italy. My mom ordered this amazing looking caprese salad and the tomatoes looked so good I had to try it. That’s when I learned what real fresh tomatoes are supposed to taste like.
featherytoad 2 years ago
Tomatoes in the grocery store are shite. I stopped buying them. Those and strawberries. I was spoiled growing up. My father always had wonderful beefsteak and cherry tomatoes in his garden. I haven't had a decent tomato in 30 years.
Trond Øien 2 years ago (edited)
Had the same kind of experience with tomatoes in Spain. It was like Tomato 2.0.
Kate Jones 2 years ago
I found that there are things that I thought I hated until I had them cut or prepared a different way. I always thought I didn't like raw tomatoes, either, until I went to a local sandwich restaurant that slices them paper thin and puts a little salt on them. Like super, super thin. Almost shaved. Turns out I love them just like that. Sometimes I'll buy a big tomato and just slice it on my mandolin now and put a little salt on it and that's dinner. I'm really weird about how I like things cut. I don't like celery raw unless it's super julienned and uniform like match sticks. I'll only eat certain things if they're cut a certain way. It's some weird psychologically thing.
#18
Scrambled eggs! All my life I never knew I've been eating them overcooked as hell. Met an aspiring chef in uni and he cooked me scrambled eggs on toast the right way, I've never looked back.
Jcusack 2 years ago
This was the first thing my Mom taught me how to cook. My wife still asks me to make them for her because she doesn't understand why mine are so better. Trick is to cook until about 90% and put the pile on the plate and the residual heat will cook it to perfection. A lil S&P and down the hatch
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
lol I overcook mine on purpose because it's what I prefer.... I was damn near 27 when my mom finally asked me to make em less cooked cuz I always overcooked... Maaan Why not tell me that when I was like 12. I still prefer mine well done, but I coulda made the family a better breakfast
Jilltdcatlady 2 years ago
My mom was always worried about salmonella from eggs. Fried eggs were cooked "solid". Boiled eggs were cooked so long the yolk was green. It wasn't until I got married and my MIL taught me how to cook.
Lollipop Girl 2 years ago
My poor dad always scrambled badly, so usually one part was super salty and the other... bland
Thegoodboi 2 years ago
My mother makes the best scrambled eggs I've ever had. Haven't had a restaurant come close. Even when I was little, my friends would ask if my mom was going to make eggs in the morning. No idea how she does it and she won't tell..
#19
For me it was salad. As a kid, all the salads I was exposed to were iceberg lettuce with a wheel of watery cucumber, and a mealy wedge of tomato. The dressings were either industrially made or non-emulsified vinaigrettes that tasted like straight oil. It was a revelation the first time I had a quality salad! Now they’re almost all I eat. Eating brussels sprouts roasted was a similar experience
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
My Mom always said that iceberg lettuce tasted like cold paper! LOL! It's OK if you drizzle it with blue cheese and some balsamic drizzle but...
Load More Replies...
Ivy la Sangrienta 2 years ago
I love iceberg! I love the crunch! I can eat a whole head in one sitting.
MellonCollie 2 years ago
LOL, very possible, that description of salad sounds like what I had as a kid ... and I'm Dutch ... and I suppose that goes for you too! ;-)
Load More Replies... Cathy Comfort 2 years ago
Iceberg evil is not allowed in our kitchen. Hate that stuff. Baby greens or butter lettuce all the way, with homemade dressings. So easy and so much cheaper.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
Same. I make so many different types of salad that mum feels pressured to keep up with me, so hers have improved too!
“I have spoken to so many adults (myself included) where their relationship with food became negative, whether that was from getting told to diet at a young age, being forced to finish their plate before they could leave the table, or feeling shame around foods they were or weren't eating,” the dietitian explained.
This is why Rothman believes that a child's relationship with food is so important, and how we as parents and caregivers can shape this. “We have the power to help a child form a positive relationship with food, and that means not pressuring a child to eat, and keeping food positive and fun,” Rothman concluded.
#20
Beets. The first time I had roasted beets, it blew my mind. I also fell in love with pickled beets shortly afterwards.
troufaki13 2 years ago
Raw beets. Grate them with carrots and apple, add olive oil, vinegar and salt and it's one of the tastiest salads ever!
LK 2 years ago
This is the only way I enjoy beetroot. The smell as they are cooking turns my stomach, very violently. But raw, in salads, wonderful!
Load More Replies...
Ripley 2 years ago
Any proper burger made in Australia will have a slice of pickled (canned) beetroot on it.
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
Beets!! I love all beets pretty much except the Harvard style. Too sweet for me but fresh whole beets, pickled beets, beet salad... YUM!
Clover 2 years ago
I make Harvard Beets, and like them. The balance between sweet and sour can be adjusted to your liking.
Load More Replies...
Auntriarch 2 years ago
Boil up a small amount of orange juice with a smashed garlic clove until you have a glaze, pour it over cooked beetroot
Stymied Egan 2 years ago
I ate roasted beets for the first time a few years ago. I'd never eat beets, due to how my mother cooked them. Roasted beets were a revelation.
#21
Eggplant. I can’t stand it moist and chunky but when you slice it thin and dehydrate it with salt and grill it. Mein gott. So good.
Pixie 2 years ago
I love eggplant parm!! I haven't had it in a while, I think I need to change that.
Load More Replies... A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
Google "Baked Eggplant Rollatini" and you'll be very pleasantly surprised!
#22
Green beans. Canned green beans don’t even taste like food.
JoMeBee 2 years ago
Canned asparagus is even worse! My MIL heard I loved asparagus and served me the canned stuff. God was that awful to try to choke down...
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
Gawd, canned... Like sticks of green mush!
Load More Replies...
Mia Black 2 years ago
I like Green beans and canned green beans too - i actually like to eat them cold out of the can without something else
Pixie 2 years ago
I enjoy them right out if the can also lol!! I do agree with people who say that they are 100% different from fresh green beans (which are awesome). To me, they are like 2 totally different foods!! 😋
Load More Replies... Mason Kronol 2 years ago
I actually like canned green beans. Of course fresh is better but I love to mix canned green beans with white rice, canned white chicken and salsa for a low carb quick lunch.
LH25 2 years ago
I like them too. I do them either just heated up as a side, or mixed with rice and sliced chicken sausage.
Load More Replies... Laura Jackson 2 years ago
In a pinch if you don't have fresh or frozen add a bit of bacon grease or salt pork (fatback).
bottomless.abyss.of.bordem 2 years ago
Somebody REALLY downvoted cuz they disagree with your taste in vegetables?!? SHAME on that person.
Load More Replies...
Alan Christensen 2 years ago
The only way I would eat canned green beans was slathered in mayo.
Pixie 2 years ago
I have never heard of that combo!! I eat tomato with mayo, salt and pepper though!! (Fresh tomato that is.)
Load More Replies... Kate Jones 2 years ago
We grew up with only canned vegetables so I always just thought the only thing I liked was carrots. It's sad to say but it wasn't well into my adulthood that I finally tried some fresh veggies and realized the way my mom cooked them was not the way they were. I always thought spinach was the nastiest thing I'd ever seen. And while I still don't like hot spinach, I love spinach salads, or spinach on sandwiches, etc. I found that I actually love a lot of veggies frozen or just natural. It's boiling them that really ruins them. With the exception of carrots which is why I thought carrots were the only veg I liked. Bean sprouts are one of my fav things. I also didn't discover a lot of veggies until I was well into adulthood. I didn't have leeks or bok choy or any other 'fancy' vegetable. There were just certain things that were too fancy to my parents so we never had them.
Auntie Bear 2 years ago
I didn't know that green beans came in any other form but canned. Same with peas and whole kernel corn.
Celtic Pirate Queen 2 years ago
Fresh green beans lightly sauteed in olive oil and garlic, splashed with fresh lemon juice. Finally got my husband to eat them.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I'm the weird one of the family who actually loves tinned beans (I have a sweet tooth) but I also love fresh ones if they aren't over cooked.
Poppy 2 years ago
My mum used to force feed me green beans as a kid, I hated them because she boiled the c**p out of them. I had them as an adult in a Pho in a restaurant and I was blown away how crunchy, tasty and yummy they were. Mum served them to me as a mushy, limp stick of green sadness.
#23
Soups. All soups.
Growing up I only ever had Campbells and whatever it is that public school cafeterias get. Thought I hated soup. Then I got a cold and decided I'd make some chicken noodle from scratch, that's when everything changed.
In fact, I just made some Oxtail soup for the first time and its amazing!
Edit: For those curious I posted a text version of the recipe I used, which I copied from a 1986 cookbook titled "French Family Cooking" written by Francois Bernard. For some reason it wont let me paste in the recipe on this parent comment. As suggested by another user Ill post the full recipe alongside a glamour shot next time I heat up a bowl (lunch) in r/soup
K W 2 years ago
If I had to pick my favorite food category right now it would be homemade soup for sure.
Jilltdcatlady 2 years ago
My family calls home made soup "home made ugly soup". It starts as a tomato and broth base and then whatever can't escape goes into the pot. Leftovers, fresh veges, canned things, spices, meat if we have it. It's never the same flavor and never the same ingredients.
Load More Replies...
Thomas Ewing 2 years ago
The FINEST soup I've ever tasted was at a friend's house 35 years ago. What was in it? "A little of this and that; I don't remember." You could put Campbell's out of business with this soup and you DON'T remember?? I renamed it imagination soup and wish I could duplicate it. Brothy, clear, no tomatoes, bits of meat. Savory and scrumptious. Very homemade.
Daniel Atkins 2 years ago
Oh oxtail is the best slow cooked all day until the mat falls off the bone. Serve with cheese crackers.
WindySwede 2 years ago
Growing up i hated soup. First now I know well made soup taste really good! Like chicken and coconut milk soup, ginger etc!
LeeAnne B 2 years ago
I love soup. Except for tomato soup. Granted I've only tasted the instant powder version.
Lara Verne 2 years ago
Or soup noodles. Store bought soup noodles are slimy ness. But homemade are delicious.
#24
Definitely porkchops. My parents always brutally overcooked them cause they thought you'd get sick if you didn't. Tasted like hard pieces of ash. Then one time I attended a local pork producer benefit, with plenty of pork to go around.
The chops were actually amazing, and it completely changed my outlook on them. Juicy and full of flavor. I'd honestly take a good porkchop over steak any day now.
Megan Curl 2 years ago
That’s because when your patents cooked them, trichinosis was probably a real issue.
OhBlahDi OhBlahDa 2 years ago
Yeah - I still thoroughly cook pork because I'm afraid of tapeworms. Pigs are raised in the dirt where I'm from. Apparently that's no longer an issue in places where pigs are raised in rooms with floors.
Load More Replies... Thomas Ewing 2 years ago
I've yet to see a cookbook say this, but the best porkchops I've ever had were boiled before frying or baking. Much more tender and perfect. Strange, but true.
Grudge-holding Treefrog 2 years ago
My grandmother did this, but because she thought if you didn’t, it would make you fat
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I haven't had much pork, as my sister and dad hated it, so mum wouldn't cook it. I dream of having pork for Christmas dinner, but that's unlikely.
JoJo Anisko 2 years ago
I find pork chops too dry; give me a pork steak very lightly floured and with pepper and garlic
#25
Chicken. My mum never marinated it or put any seasonings so it was always very dry . I messed around with some marinades and have grilled chicken usually 2 times a week now
R Dennis 2 years ago
Jajaja! I am the opposite. I hated poultry in my youth because it was gross and juicy. I cook it that way now, but slice off some for myself and throw it back in the oven. I guess it's a texture thing. Even though I like everything else tender and juicy, something about poultry...
Pandasong! 2 years ago
Same! When I hear "oh that chicken is sooooo tender!" I'm not eating it, just TASTES raw for some reason, even if it's well cooked
Load More Replies...
Anon Anon 2 years ago
I also hated chicken (and turkey) all my youth. They used to taste rubbery and were always chewy, so I avoided chicken and turkey for some time when I was in my early 20s. I have since changed my mind. I love poultry. Turned out that my father was just a terrible cook by overcooking them :P
JustAChickenWing 2 years ago
My dad were one of those dad's who had to season it with any cooking spice/powder they saw. When I was 8 I saw all the spices in a bowl and was like "no I ain't eating that" and now, years later I will never look at those overpriced McDonald's nuggets that I thought were good ever again
Daniel Atkins 2 years ago
When I smoke a turkey or chicken i put the spices under the skin with onion pieces so that flavor goes into the meat instead of burning off.
#26
Sushi. I never experienced any of this growing up (the 90s, more rural area in Canada) until around 16 on a class trip in the city.
Had some s****y sushi and within a few hours I was sweating and vomiting. I couldn't even think about eating it ever again.
Until I was taken to a place on a date and I didn't want to be rude...so I tried it again. Whoa! I couldn't believe how fresh and delicious everything was.
Laura Jackson 2 years ago
I'll be downvoted into helI for this but I've finally got to admit it. I absolutely hate sushi. There, I said it and I will die (alone) on this hill! 😖
R Dennis 2 years ago
It's not to everyone's taste. If you have given it a fair try, you don't have to like it. People who have never tried it, but just call it "gross" are the ones that are exhausting.
Load More Replies...
D. Pitbull 2 years ago
I think.. I saw this phenomenon when I was out with friends from ... Kansas? Yeah... no ocean, no... fresh fish, really. I live in Canada, but not rural - Vancouver, westcoast - so the fish is pretty darned good here like... all the time. The look...of ... bewilderment and "whaaaat??" on their faces when they had any sort of fish (including sushi) here... It's like it broke their brains for a hot second.
LH25 2 years ago
My hubby thought he hated sushi until I took him to a place that did it right. Now he loves it. Not saying everyone who doesn't like it just hasn't tried the right kind, but for him that was the case. His mom asked how we could eat raw fish, I reminded her that she ate lutefisk
Lollipop Girl 2 years ago
Hmm, I loooove sushi, but I wouldn't eat it on a first date. Maybe because it's such a "controversial" food
Mason Kronol 2 years ago
I started eating sushi 5 years ago, mainly tuna. It's also a great way to get wasabi into your mouth. I love wasabi.
#27
All legumes. Turns out beans don't HAVE to be a semi-crunchy, mealy nugget of death in otherwise delicious things. I'm still wary of the bigger varieties, but I have an ongoing love affair with lentils, chickpeas and cannelini beans now.
OhBlahDi OhBlahDa 2 years ago
LITERALLY a nugget of death! Beans that are not properly cooked contain a toxin!
Groaver Andout 2 years ago (edited)
Legumes, legumes, the musical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot. The more you toot, the better you feel. So let's have legumes with every meal.
#28
Not quite prepared, but I have a friend who is a farmer and has explained so much to me about how temperature, growing season, and variety affects the flavor of radishes. Once I was able to try some from him that he guaranteed would be delicious and not inedibly spicy, I couldn’t believe I had been missing out all these years!!
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
ohhh but the spiciness is great.. But a tad of salt and boooyyyy my breath will be smellin for days
Daniel Atkins 2 years ago
Yes the later in the year you plant it the hotter it is. this is making me want to start my garden.
Spinstapink 2 years ago
whenever we grow radishes in our garden, they end up tasting like dirt.
#29
Guacamole.
Absolutely hated it. But now that I'm in my 50's, I have it a couple times a week.
Noel Bovae 2 years ago
I didn't even know guacamole COULD be canned. If they're using real avocados, how does it not turn black while in the can? Or does it?
Load More Replies...
Celtic Pirate Queen 2 years ago
Hahaha. When I was pregnant with my youngest, I craved guacamole. I literally ate a small bowlful for breakfast every day. With a spoon.
RagDollLali 2 years ago
I'm going to assume that they're in their 50s and clearly not a homeowner yet /s
#30
Meat in general. My parents never ate a steak, pork chop or chicken breast that wasn't cooked to about 200°. I can still see the panic in my mother's face when she bit into a hamburger that was the vaguest shade of pink in the very center. I just assumed meats were always dry and tough, but you had to suffer through it for your protein.
Christmas love 2 years ago (edited)
Pork, steak and hamburger can safely be eaten with pink in the middle. Chicken absolutely not! Best way to keep chicken breasts juicy is to put some chicken stock in a pot, poke a few small holes in the breast and boil them for just a bit. Then take them out, cover them in bread crumbs or even plain and roast them. Juicy every time! If you’re cooking a whole chicken when it’s done cooking, take it out of the oven, flip it breast side down, cover with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. The juices will redistribute to the breasts.
Groaver Andout 2 years ago
Hamburger can not unless the chef has prepared the raw meat correctly.
Load More Replies...
Bryn 2 years ago
THANK YOU! It drives me nuts when I see pink on meat. It's why I don't eat anything other than chicken for the most part at restaurants. I don't trust people not to cook meat to the correct temperature (people are more likely to overcook chicken than any other meat).
Load More Replies...
Robert Beveridge 2 years ago
I'm amazed it took this long to find steak on this list, and in my case it's for the exact same reason. I avoided steak altogether until well into my thirties. Then I discovered medium rare.
M O'Connell 2 years ago
I believe my grandmother had one of those "how to be a housewife" books that had some advice like "cook everything to death to be sure you won't kill your husband and children."
Caiman 94920 2 years ago
My mom fried liver until it was hard like the sole of a shoe, so I knew that I hated liver. One of my best friends and I started a weekly lunch out and at a local French restaurant she ordered Liver and onions in a reduced red wine sauce. It smelled so good and she talked me into having a taste. I was shocked to have such a tender tasty bite with the cartelized onions...its now one of my favorite dinners
Ken Dobson 2 years ago
I was a Public Health Advisor at the USDA's Meat Safety agency. Here are experimentally derived guidelines: Mammals—beef, pork, lamb, venison, elk, etc.—can safely have some pink by cooking to an internal temperature of 145°F with a 3 minute rest, but only if the cut is "intact." If it is ground, cubed, or knife- or needle-tenderized, it must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. All birds, cook to 165°F and eat. Hotter than that is not safer, just drier. Use a tip-sensing instant-read thermometer. You can't trust color as an indication of doneness. These guidelines should guarantee safety while allowing for pork rarer than was recommended in the past. Beef, regrettably, will be medium-rare to medium, but no worse. I have to stress, do not eat pink hamburger! Beef is ground in huge lots, up to 50,000 pounds. If there is s___ smeared on one chunk, it gets spread throughout.
Cathy Comfort 2 years ago
Any meat purchased from a reputable grocer in American can be pink if it has reached the proper inner temp. Use a thermometer, and you'll be safe. Temperature, not color.
Jane Hower 2 years ago
Steak was always hard and tasteless at home (sorry mom) so opted for hamburger while she and dad 'enjoyed' their steaks. Then I found out they don't have to be cooked to death. YEAAA
#31
Parsnips. I only ever had them mashed, and parsnips have this astringent, lemony note that I just did not vibe with at all. Roasting them until caramelized and crispy on the edges is a game changer! So sweet and flavorful.
Lolly Gagger 2 years ago
Sorry someone downvoted you there - I fixed it for you. People: a downvote is not a dislike. Downvotes get people banned. Save downvotes for spammers.
Load More Replies...
#32
Salmon. It put me off all fish actually. I just remember it being really dry and full of bones. Turns out I like a salmon filet better than a steak and if you cook it until it’s only just cooked it’s amazing.
#33
Eggs. My mom would have to hide eggs in my food when I was a kid so I would eat them. Then I left home and tried eggs cooked by someone else. Life changing. (I still love you, Mom)
#34
Cauliflower. Always had it boiled or steamed and just couldn't even fathom enjoying it. It was like punishment to eat. A few years ago, tried pan roasting it with garlic and red pepper flakes. Now, it's literally one of my favorite foods. Cauliflower tacos, Zuni Cafe spicy broccoli and cauliflower pasta sauce, roasted with romesco, just about any Indian gobi dish. Roast your brassicas people! Except brussel sprouts, nothing can save those bastards.
K- THULU 2 years ago
Cauliflower, slow roasted with a little olive oil.... Then sprinkle with good Parmesan cheese.... Divine...
indiecognition 2 years ago
Pan roast brussel sprouts. America's Test Kitchen has an awesome recipe where you start them arranged cut side down on a cold nonstick pan ..cook til that side is caramelized, then flip and cook only 1 or 2 more mins. Salt, lemon juice, done. Bonus points if you have some parm.
Kate Jones 2 years ago (edited)
Do you know what my favorite version of cauliflower is? You'll probably laugh but it's in those jars of sweet mix pickles. There's usually cauliflower, little onions and sweet pickles. The cauliflower is so delicious and there's never enough, lol. I once bought an entire thing of sweet pickles and took out the pickles and put cauliflower in it and let it sit in the fridge for a while but...it wasn't the same. I wish the pickle companies would make just the cauliflower and onion mix, lol. I feel the same way about pimentos in green olives. I tried buying pimentos and throwing them in the jar with the olives and juice but they just don't taste the same.
Lara Verne 2 years ago
I hate cauliflower. We always has boiled one and even it's smell make me nauseous. I tried to enjoy it, many many different recipes, but nothing changed. I still hate it.
DragonflyGreen 2 years ago
Oh...roasted brussels sprouts, halved, tossed in oil, salt, pepper, and garlic, add a sprinkle of parm cheese at the end. Delicious little bastards.
#35
Mac and cheese. Grew up on kraft dinner which always seemed to have a random noodle or two in it that refused to cook and they made me gag every time I hit one. I assumed this was what the mac and cheese experience was until I had a nice home made one with fresh pasta, real cheese and a nice layer of buttery, crusty bread crumbs on top.
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
i prefer the boxed c**p... I know. I know, but sometimes it just happens
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
It's not too bad if you doll it up a bit!
Load More Replies...
the big dipper ️ 2 years ago (edited)
when i was younger, the only mac and cheese i knew was bright orange kraft. i always thought i didn't like it until one day, i made some actually homemade chili mac and cheese. it was amazing.
LH25 2 years ago
I've had both the homemade and the orange boxed stuff, and I like them both. Different experiences.
Load More Replies... Jilltdcatlady 2 years ago
Not knocking the good mac and cheese, but how is there always an undercooked noodle in the pot? Really with any type of pasta? Or am I just lucky?
#36
Lasagna my mother, bless her heart, is a terrible cook, and every time I had it the pasta was so overcooked the top layer dried out until it was back to the texture of dry pasta. one day I we had supper with some family friends and they served lasagna, and IU was dreading it. then I tried it and exclaimed 'its not hard!' I cant imagine how mortified my mother was but it was the beginning of a lovely relationship with the almighty comfort food
#37
Mashed potatoes! My mom made dry, lumpy mashed potatoes when I was young, thick enough and bland enough to make me gag! HELLO BUTTER!
Laura Jackson 2 years ago
I whip my potatoes with butter and evaporated milk after boiling in salted water. Season to taste while whipping and they're to die for. My old neighbors in Colorado have paid for me to send them a 5lb batch from North Carolina. Ex husband wanted me to teach new wife how to make them. I didn't, there's no hope for a woman that put a 2lb pot roast in a crock pot on high for 30 hours. My son claims it was broth by then🤣🤣🤣
Hugh Cookson 2 years ago
Wow, 30 hours vs a 2 lb pot roast - whatever the meat it was definitely something by then ; broth was not the word I thought of .... Well and truly brothed I reckon.
Load More Replies... Alan Christensen 2 years ago
On the other hand, I hate mashed potatoes so "creamy" they're like soup. Give 'em to me lumpy — but still with lots of butter.
Sonja 2 years ago
Do not whip your potatoes, invest in a potato press. Then try this: brown a nice chunk of butter on low heat for beurre noisette, then add whole milk and nutmeg and let it simmer a little. Cut your potatoes in small pieces and cook in salt water. When they're done, put through the press and add the butter-milk mixture. Just slightly stirr in with a spatula until all is incorporated. Sprinkle with chives and roasted onions. It's divine. Fluffy and heavenly. Whipping makes it smeary and gives it a very unpleasant texture, but pressed potatoes are fluffy and nice.
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
Irish butter and heavy cream with a bit of sour cream, salt and pepper.
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
my parents used to feed to me when I was an infant as a joke for the family (a few times) because I hated them so much and would make a terrible face.... Hate them to this day. Even the smell.
#38
Cole slaw and sloppy joes. Being from the Midwest, any kind of loose meat sandwich with or without cole slaw is pretty common. It's usually store bought and tastes pretty awful. I started making sloppy joes from scratch using ground turkey, along with cole slaw with fresh cut red and green cabbage and apple cider vinegar instead of mayo (yuck). I serve them together on a brioche bun. It's such a good, easy weeknight dinner and feels (and tastes) so much more grown up and healthy.
Phillip Hart 2 years ago
This is the way. Shun the mayo-based slaw, embrace the tangy apple goodness
Load More Replies... #39
Most Hispanic foods. I had just had the American iced versions, which I hate. When I moved to El Paso, a buddy of mine from Mexico drove me to some of the most out of the way obscure places to eat. The food was absolutely amazing! When we both got stationed in Germany, we grilled every weekend, alternating. He had never had proper southern style food before, so we shared a bunch of different recipes with each other. I actually miss that dude.
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
I don't understand why people can't seem to comprehend that our american commercialized s**t from many cultures is not actually from those many cultures
#40
Coffee. Instant is garbage. Honestly most American drip coffee is as well. A good solid cappuccino in Italy showed me my misgivings.
Ripley 2 years ago
A cappuccino in Italy is a breakfast drink - if you asked for one in the afternoon you'd probably get an odd look.
ibyishimo 2 years ago
Have done this, and yes, you do get an odd look. Sometimes you're the idiot.
Load More Replies... indiecognition 2 years ago
Bad versions of most things usually aren't very good. Except pizza.
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
Even better if you grind your own beans. Instant coffee is terrible.
Kate Jones 2 years ago
This is one of those things... sometimes you're so used to a certain lower quality and then when you have higher quality sometimes you don't like it because it just tastes so different. My family grew up with instant coffee. I thought I didn't like coffee for the longest time and then this little shop near me started selling this iced coffee made with really high end, coffee that was ground to order and it was one of the best things I ever had. Now I have to stop myself from blowing my budget on getting this 6 dollar coffee every day of my life. But I had my mom try it and she was like...nope. She likes her Instant coffee.
Pumpkin Spice 2 years ago
Wait I'm not in my latte form. C**p. Everybody leave-
Load More Replies... #41
Thai Food - especially Pad Thai and coconut curries. There was a big trend of generic Thai joints in the 90s and it turned me off to Thai food in general. Tried a more authentic place about 8 years ago and was blown away. So many flavors and textures that were completely absent from what I'd had in the past.
Charlie the Cat 2 years ago
I want to like Thai food, but everything seems to have lemongrass in it. I just can't get with that flavour.
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
I can definately see that. Lemongrass can be really powerful. My issue with Thai is coconut. Not a fan and ALOT of their dishes have it. So I feel your pain. Like the other flavors I can tell I would like. It's just that ONE thing
Load More Replies... JoJo Anisko 2 years ago
I may have been Thai in a previous incarnation, because I love That food.
#42
Basically any vegetable. We only ate canned veggies growing up because they are cheap, last forever, and easy to cook up. The only veggies I ate were corn, hominy, and green beans. I still rely on frozen veggies for some dinners, but these days I buy a lot more fresh produce.
#43
Onions. Here in the UK people put onions in *f*****g everything*. And they're always these huge chunks of practically raw onion. I've recently started using shallots in my cooking, finely diced, and fried off so they become soft and brown and amount of depth of flavour it gives and no noticeable texture? It's divine
Jilltdcatlady 2 years ago
I HATE onions too. And will until I die. My mother had a low sense of taste so an onion you could smell from outside was mild to medium. And she put them in everything!! Eggs, gravy, sandwiches, EVERYTHING! Even a Christmas cheeseball that was mixed with dried fruit.
Pumpkin Spice 2 years ago
Me: This savory dish is missing something. I wonder what...Also me: O N I O N *sprinkles onions into pot like that Salt Bae meme*
BasedWang12.7 2 years ago
cebollitas grilled with some lime and salt ooooweeeeee. They're even good straight outta the dirt
#44
Cooked carrots. Apparently the only time I ate them cooked and not raw was when my parents would take the canned carrots and peas combination and heat that up instead of cooking fresh carrots. I just did not like them canned, but fresh they are great when cooked.
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
Sauteed in butter, a touch of honey, brown sugar and cinnamon.
JoJo Anisko 2 years ago
Mince into small cubes, like 1/8", sauteing in butter with thyme and lemon until tender. When they are cut that small, only takes minutes.
Lara Verne 2 years ago
My granmother boiled carrots in soup. I always liked fresh carrot, but boiled carrot is crime :D
#45
Yams!!!! The only time I saw sweet potatoes was in that thanksgiving dish topped with a layer of marshmallow. Sweets are not my favorite, so I avoided it every year. Then I got a job in a fancy food place where we made roasted them with fresh garlic and herbs and it was the best thing ever!!
Laura Jackson 2 years ago
I've always wondered who looked at a sweet potato and thought: marshmallows... These things need marshmallows!🤔
ConstantConstance 2 years ago
I've never understood why Americans add marshmallows to perfectly good sweet potatoes?
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
Roasted sweet potatoes served up with cinnamon / sugar butter!
Sturgeon 2 years ago
Hope never to try sweet potatoes and marshmallow. Shortly after the Second World War my mother and her family were given a tin if sweetcorn. This was very exotic - they had never heard of it before. They took their cue from the "sweet" and served it with custard. Much the same I think.
#46
Pimento Cheese. I wanted to like it, and tried it every few years from childhood until my 40's. Then while at a restaurant at the Biltmore Estate I noticed they had pimento cheese. I commented to the waitress that I always thought it looked good, but had never liked it. She insisted I try it, and it was fabulous! Apparently, I'm just a pimento cheese snob.
#47
Hummus - Finally had it at a lebanese restaurant in edgeware road and never looked back since. It’s incredible. Only took 20+years to realise how awesome it is.
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
Sabra is pretty good but home made or at a good eatery is the best. My wife could swan dive into a vat and eat her way to the bottom if it's good stuff! LOL!
#48
Pork loin. My dad would always come home with some huge monstrosity of a pork loin, slap the plastic packaging and go "I got us a little porker!" while my mom and I sighed. He was so damn excited to dry that thing out to tough, bland, off-white chunks every time. They're pretty good, really.
bottomless.abyss.of.bordem 2 years ago
Low and slow in the crockpot til it breaks apart. Add a can of cream of mushroom or use it to make your own gravy. Serve over rice, potatoes, or quinoa. Yum!
#49
Something here in Norway we call Lutefisk. Usually a Christmas food. It's basically dried fish(cod usually) that's left in water for a while, then put into water that's like, salty or something idk. Then watered out again. After all that you put it into the oven and if made correctly is delicious, but my dad tried making it once when I was a kid and it came out of the oven looking like a bunch of half melted jelly on a plate
Hugh Cookson 2 years ago
Could be worse, he might have tried you on the hardcore Surstromming ...... I've tried it twice, the second time by accident (and I was very, very drunk), the first time I had to throw my clothes away as I opened the tin on a table in front of me, not under water. I would try to explain the smell but it's beyond horrible. Tastes ok though funnily enough ...
Kate Jones 2 years ago
This just makes me think of the movie, Drop Dead Gorgeous. "It's good with lots of butter."
#50
Eel. Good eel is so damn tasty. Bad eel is bleh.
A Bobcat From Philly 2 years ago
I always tried to find the eel sauce they use for eel sushi but I'm guessing they just made their own. I love eel!
Powerful Katrinka 2 years ago
Roasted eel! Grilled eel! I love 'em all... except pickled eel. There isn't enough malt vinegar in the world to make them palatable.
#51
Beef brisket. Moved to Texas and people were bragging about beef brisket. Went to several locales and it was either dry or shoe leather. Or both. Until I went to Black's in Austin, Texas. Then I understood.
#52
Truffles. Up until my late 20's I'd tried various truffle oils and some preserved black truffles, and it was all "meh, this tastes kinda bad, I don't get the big deal about truffles". Then I went to the fanciest restaurant I've ever been to for my grandpa's 80th and had fresh black truffle grated over my side salad. I totally get the big deal now - fresh truffle is indescribably good - pure umami but with a real freshness too, none of the mustiness that the preserved/infused stuff gets.
#53
Boba Tea! I had only had the cheap kind, and I never liked the texture of the boba. Recently I went to a place that handmakes their boba and they’re stored in brown sugar syrup. The texture is amazing and it’s now my absolute favorite drink.
Pumpkin Spice 2 years ago
Boba is awesome! If I hadn't been Pumpkin Spice, I would've been a good matcha boba...
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I have never tried bobba tea, but I imagine I would dislike it as much as corn chowder, since it's all smooth except for the small lumps.
#54
Shrimp. My step dad is a great cook so now that I've had nicely done shrimp I don't understand why he only ate the frozen shrimp, thawed & cold, dipped in cocktail sauce. My mind was blown when we went to a nicer restaurant in town & my husband ordered us fried shrimp with a side of chopped veggies & a sweet/hot dipping sauce. We love shrimp & make it so many different ways now! I feel like Forrest Gump 😅
Tinderella 2 years ago
They’re probably talking about pan frying not battered and deep fried
Load More Replies... #55
Lobster. As a kid we spent two weeks every year on an Island where our family were lobster fisherman. It was always boiled or pickled so I never took a liking for it, we had fresh fish as an alternative so I chose that. I had it as a Tempura years later and cooked other ways and now love it. Obviously many people like it boiled but it's not to my liking, the same with prawns.
JoJo Anisko 2 years ago
Cut up raw lobster meat bite sized. Saute with chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Finish with lemon or lime juice, serve over angel hair pasta.
#56
Kale. A friend would make kale chips and burn those suckers into oblivion to the point where they were just char. No seasoning, nothing. I have now had properly prepared kale chips and other uses of kale in salads and such. It is very delicious when done right.
What do you think ?
Jennifer Germain 2 years ago
I hated steak, only reason was my mom would overcook everything, fry in butter then in the oven till shoe leather, same with my ex had to be well done. My husband made me a steak medium rare over oak fire... OMG I LOVE steak
Ray Heap 2 years ago
As a kid I thought spaghetti came in cans, was neon orange and you could practice spelling. First time I tried „real“ spaghetti I did not recognize it as food. Thankfully that is yard ago and now I am called: „The Pasta Masta!“
Melissa TO 2 years ago
My husbands family would put ketchup on pasta. Blech!
Load More Replies...
VodkaInMySweetTea 2 years ago
Fish. We were poor and could only get the very cheapest types (sooooo fishy smelling - in the worst way - and not deboned). Plus, my mother grew up in a culture where everything was drenched in butter. She knew that wasn't healthy but never learned to replace the flavor. So the fish was steamed with absolutely no seasoning. For 20 years I thought all seafood was smelly, tasteless, full of bones, and inedible. Part of why I became full vegetarian at 15 - I had an excuse to not eat her fish. Now I live near the seaside and eat a wide variety of amazing seafood regularly. It's my favorite food!
MustardLemon 2 years ago
This post showed me that I am so lucky. My parents raised me eating all kinds of foods. As I was looking through this list, I realized I like everything on here. So thank you Mom and Dad!
DonS 2 years ago
In my case, it was seafood in general and more recently sushis! On the seafood side, I grew up in a family that didn't ate seafood at all so I never developed a taste for it until I meet my girlfriend (now fiancee) 5 years ago. She prepared lobster one time and it was delicious! Then got a taste of well prepared scallop at a nice restaurant... delicious again! I eat almost every kind of seafood now. With sushi, I got sick 3 times out of 3 previously (the restaurant where they came from was suspicious). Then, my GF brought me to a all-you-eat sushi restaurant and tastes some of them and it was the best thing ever! Now, I can't wait to eat more of them.
Pieter LeGrande 2 years ago
As a kid we visited grandma every Sunday for dinner. Generally a roast and everything delicious, except spinach. Always boiled with no flavouring until it turned to green sludge. Us kids always ate it first so all the good flavours would drown out the taste.
René Sauer 2 years ago
For me I would say Iced Tea. In Germany you find at least two varieties (Lemon and Peach) from even the cheapest store brands. As a kid I always drank peach because it was sweeter. Now I rather prefer the lemon
Jennifer Germain 2 years ago
I hated steak, only reason was my mom would overcook everything, fry in butter then in the oven till shoe leather, same with my ex had to be well done. My husband made me a steak medium rare over oak fire... OMG I LOVE steak
Ray Heap 2 years ago
As a kid I thought spaghetti came in cans, was neon orange and you could practice spelling. First time I tried „real“ spaghetti I did not recognize it as food. Thankfully that is yard ago and now I am called: „The Pasta Masta!“
Melissa TO 2 years ago
My husbands family would put ketchup on pasta. Blech!
Load More Replies... VodkaInMySweetTea 2 years ago
Fish. We were poor and could only get the very cheapest types (sooooo fishy smelling - in the worst way - and not deboned). Plus, my mother grew up in a culture where everything was drenched in butter. She knew that wasn't healthy but never learned to replace the flavor. So the fish was steamed with absolutely no seasoning. For 20 years I thought all seafood was smelly, tasteless, full of bones, and inedible. Part of why I became full vegetarian at 15 - I had an excuse to not eat her fish. Now I live near the seaside and eat a wide variety of amazing seafood regularly. It's my favorite food!
MustardLemon 2 years ago
This post showed me that I am so lucky. My parents raised me eating all kinds of foods. As I was looking through this list, I realized I like everything on here. So thank you Mom and Dad!
DonS 2 years ago
In my case, it was seafood in general and more recently sushis! On the seafood side, I grew up in a family that didn't ate seafood at all so I never developed a taste for it until I meet my girlfriend (now fiancee) 5 years ago. She prepared lobster one time and it was delicious! Then got a taste of well prepared scallop at a nice restaurant... delicious again! I eat almost every kind of seafood now. With sushi, I got sick 3 times out of 3 previously (the restaurant where they came from was suspicious). Then, my GF brought me to a all-you-eat sushi restaurant and tastes some of them and it was the best thing ever! Now, I can't wait to eat more of them.
Pieter LeGrande 2 years ago
As a kid we visited grandma every Sunday for dinner. Generally a roast and everything delicious, except spinach. Always boiled with no flavouring until it turned to green sludge. Us kids always ate it first so all the good flavours would drown out the taste.
René Sauer 2 years ago
For me I would say Iced Tea. In Germany you find at least two varieties (Lemon and Peach) from even the cheapest store brands. As a kid I always drank peach because it was sweeter. Now I rather prefer the lemon
You May Like These Are The Things You Might Not Have Known About Washing Your Fruits And Veggies 46 Cooking Mistakes That Make Professional Chefs Cringe 30 Food Hacks That People Discovered And Couldn’t Go Back After
Ieva Pečiulytė
Gabija Palšytė
Justinas Keturka
Related on Bored Panda
