Many years ago, Albert Einstein stated that everything in this universe is relative. Of course, the great physicist did not mean such an ordinary thing as food, but still, if we talk about the scale of the Universe, then food also fits these criteria. Especially since Einstein was one hundred percent right about food - and here's why.

Have you ever felt like you hated certain foods as a child? Just imagine that your parents put a plate with something on the table for you, and you literally turn inside out just from the smell or appearance of this dish. It's quite possible that it happened.

And then, after many years or even decades, as adults, we go to a restaurant or visit someone, and we are offered the very same dish. Of course, we flatly refuse - after all, we know what unimaginable muck it is, but we are somehow persuaded... And then a real miracle happens: only after tasting, we suddenly realize how incredibly delicious this dish is!

The whole point, it turns out, is that our parents simply did not know how to cook - either in general, or this particular dish. For example, they did not add spices, oils, or, say, just overcooked it. But in fact, one has only to turn over the stove to a skilled chef, and it turns out that this is a real culinary masterpiece, and we desperately regret those years that we did not touch this masterpiece, sincerely believing it to be inedible and disgusting. Damn it, old Albert, how right you were!

A similar question was asked recently on the AskReddit community: "What food did you hate as a child because of the way it was prepared only to find out as an adult it was amazing when made correctly?" And you know what? It turns out that there are hundreds and thousands of people like us! At least right now, the original thread boasts over 2.1K upvotes and nearly 2.8K various comments, behind almost every one of which is a heartbreaking story of pure kitchen hatred and sudden epiphany.

Bored Panda has compiled for you a list of the most popular, original and interesting tales of the original thread, so now please feel free to scroll to the very end, mark your favorite submissions and be sure to share your own story if this happened to you as well. In the end, as the same Einstein said, "common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down in the mind before you reach eighteen."

More info: Reddit

#1

Steak

Steak My neighbor (he's 80+ now), told me a funny story relating to this.

He grew up in rural WV. When he was in his 20's, he was doing some odd job work in the city for a woman homeowner. At the end of a day of work, she offered to cook him dinner.

She asked "Do you like steak?"

He said "Yea I guess."

She said "How do you take it?"

He didn't understand what that meant.

She says "How would you like it done?"

He still didn't get it.

He says "Cooked?"

This is the day he learned of doneness for steak. The first time he'd heard of food being able to be "done" by request. He had never had any meat that wasn't fried to a crisp. He said his mother made everything the same way: Fry it or boil it down. She would put fat in the pan, and fry the meat.

He said this particular steak, and meal, was the best he'd ever had in his life. First time tasting properly cooked food.

davewtameloncamp , Ryosuke Hosoi Report

#2

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts Brussels Sprouts!

Apparently boiling the s**t out of something until they're mushy and watery is not great. Lightly grilled/broiled with some oil and seasoning and they're one of my favorite dishes.

indignantlyOtterish , Mackenzie Kosut Report

Ralph K.
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yikes. Tried them several times. Still hate them.

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#3

Veggies

Veggies Obviously wasn't a huge veggie fan until I started roasting veggies in the oven as an adult. Roasted carrots are so freaking good.

RomanRefrigerator , blueant808 Report

GirlFriday
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Learning how to roast vegetables was a game changer for me. I hated veggies growing up (mostly home-canned and boiled), but when I learned to roast fresh veggies, my world got a lot bigger.

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#4

Basically Everything

Basically Everything Basically everything. My mother was a good person who loved her family, but she couldn't cook for s**t. EVERYTHING was boiled until it was grey, and the meat was dried to holy hell and the vegetables had the consistency of pudding. Her ONLY move in the kitchen was to put a (not even cleaned of connective tissue) hunk of whatever animal we were desecrating tonight for dinner in a 350 degree oven, in a roasting pan with too much water. OFTEN FOR THREE OR MORE HOURS. It never one time occurred to her to try lowering the heat or the cooking time, but she always complained that "white meat is dry". Yeah, because you basically scorched the s**t out of it!

I fired her from cooking duties at 14 and it was the best move I ever made. I'm no Michelin star chef, but I'll make you happy at my table.

StoreBrandColaSucks , star5112 Report

Mabelbabel
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother was a vegetarian. She was also a bad cook, even of vegetarian meals, but she cooked meat dishes for us but had a limited repertoire. She used to boil sausages-she would peel the sausage casing off leaving the sausage meat crumbling to pieces, and boil it in water to cook the fat out. We ended up with a sort of grey soup with crumbled pork mince. Roast beef was always roasted/broiled until it was completely grey-no hint of pink to be seen. Then she's complain about the price of a roasting joint and about how it had shrunk down to absolutely nothing. Liver and onions we had once a week (for the iron). She would chop onions into chunks, then balance slabs of liver on top, pour over water and put it in the oven to bake-it was like eating carpet underlay. We started cooking for ourselves aged 10-12. I dread to think of the amount of money she had wasted until then because she refused to look at a cook book despite everything she made being virtually inedible.

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#5

Spinach

Spinach Spinach. My dad would only eat canned spinach that was then boiled. Found out later that fresh spinach is a wonderfully flavorful green and is best either crisp, or cooked until slightly wilted.

Emerilion , Laurel F Report

and_a_touch_of_the_’tism
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Blanch spinach, toss with light seasoning and olive oil, and bake/fry/mix with pretty much anything.

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#6

Pork Chops And Steaks

Pork Chops And Steaks Pork chops and steaks were s**t until i realized they should not actually be prepared for use in the NHL. I love my mom dearly and for that, i must keep her out of the kitchen for her safety and that of the world.

PrivatePigpen , stu_spivack Report

#7

Vegetables

Vegetables Vegetables. All of them basically, my mom would boil them to sludge every time.

Cordolium102 , cristina.sanvito Report

Nilsen
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a separate corner of hell for people over-boiling vegetables

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#8

Pot Roast

Pot Roast Pot roast, I hated how dry and flavorless it was. I actually wrote an essay about it in my English class. The teacher showed it to my mom and she changed up her recipe lol

UninsuredToast , Whitney Report

Sans Serif
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Properly prepared, this is a divine winter dinner...

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#9

"Mayo"

"Mayo" "Mayo" Didn't realize there was a difference between Miracle Whip and Mayo and my Mom only bought Miracle Whip.

monstertots509 , Thomas Kohler Report

Nikki Sevven
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Miracle Whip: too sweet for savory dishes, not sweet enough for desserts.

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#10

Canned/Tinned Vegetables

Canned/Tinned Vegetables Daughter of depression era parents here: grew up with a lot of canned/tinned vegetables. Jesus, canned asparagus is tough, sinewy and slimy all at the same time. Freshly steamed with a pat of butter is amazing! Even now when I mention it's one of our favourites, my older relatives gasp and say "you buy it out of season?" like we're billionaires.

usexpatlurker , rainy city Report

just me
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My folks would over-steam asparagus so it would be mushy (still liked it, that's just how all veggies were cooked). Home Ec in high school and learning about 'crisp-tender' veggies changed my family's meals drastically.

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#11

Meatloaf

Meatloaf Meatloaf. My parents were in love with a specific **teriyaki** sauce they bought in 2 gallon jugs from Costco and drowned an otherwise plain lump of ground beef with and called that a teriyaki glazed meatloaf... it oughta be a crime.

Flash forward to my seasoned beef/pork mix with italian herbs, parmesan, and just the right amount of a sweet/spicy tomato glaze and it's just a different world we live in.

redkat85 , jeffreyw Report

Nikki Sevven
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I adore leftover cold meatloaf sandwiches with a sharp Cheddar and whole grain mustard.

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#12

Lasagna

Lasagna Turns out Lasagna is much better than nasty burnt Stouffers.

Kyser_ , Randolph Croft Report

#13

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes Mashed potatoes. My mom didn't belive in butter.

matchooooh , sousvideguy Report

GirlFriday
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was about 14 years old, I volunteered to bring mashed potatoes to Thanksgiving, and my mother thought I was crazy. I had eaten mashed potatoes at a friend's house and they were amazing. I asked her mom to teach me how she made them. Mrs. McCune used butter and cream. AMAZING. I guess because of growing up poor, milk, butter, and cream were tings too dear to be wasted in a dish like potatoes. The mashed potatoes were a hit and I was asked to make them every year after that. I have tweaked my recipe over the years, and I still asked to bring them to every single family gathering.

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#14

Spaghetti

Spaghetti Spaghetti.

Parents would always cook it untill it was mushy.

Al dente pasta is **amazing**

Seiren- , jeffreyw Report

lauralett50
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pasta of any kind is great , but should never be over cooked.

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#15

Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled Eggs Scrambled eggs. My mother always insisted they have to be “runny”, meaning an eggy puddle with tiny ‘curds’ of solid egg. It looked and tasted like vomit.
She takes it personally that I now cook them differently. Like, it *infuriates* her that I do it “the wrong way”.

BedevilledEgg , jules Report

Nikki Sevven
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't like them "runny," but they should be dry and congealed like that photo. Soft, still moist curds is the way.

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#16

Any Foods Without Spices Or Seasonings

Any Foods Without Spices Or Seasonings A lot of food. My parents were the typical white parents who didn't believe in spices or seasonings. Just throw a burger on the grill or make noodles, etc.

Grew and learned to cook on my own and my palate didn't know what to do with all the amazing flavors the world had to offer.

Xano74 , Marco Verch Professional Photographer Report

Squirrelly Panda
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bland food is like a monotone hum in the background, you can live with it, even ignore it, but it still makes life less than. Over spiced food is a loud horrible noise, so overwhelming you can't appreciate anything through it. Poorly spiced food you can hear the music but one or more discordant orover loud/soft notes ruin the experience. Properly spiced food can be anything from the softest mild music, each note supporting and bringing out the shy flavors that otherwise would be bland, to a spicy rock band to any music you can dream of, satisfying and fulfilling.

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#17

Lasagna And Cheesecakes

Lasagna And Cheesecakes Lasagna and Cheesecakes.... my mom made both with cottage cheese to save money. Once I lived on my own I discovered ricotta and cream cheese.

v13 , Praveen Report

ILoveMySon
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Were you in the Midwest? My mother and many others did the same thing. What a difference when I moved to the East Coast.😊

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#18

Mac And Cheese

Mac And Cheese Mac and cheese. My mom only made the boxed stuff. I never knew anything different until I got married and my wife made some homemade for dinner. Game changer.

Magooose , Krista Report

ILoveMySon
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I only prepared home made macaroni and cheese for my son. He tried Kraft boxed at a friend's and preferred it! Devastated, I prepared mine for a chef friend who stated it was delicious. My son, now a fantastic cook, told me he liked boxed because it was a novelty!🤣

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#19

Risotto

Risotto Risotto

My mom just cooked the rice in water, then fried some ground beef without any flavoring and just combined the two with some frozen vegetables. I grew up thinking risotto would be the most tastless food ever..
Until a friend of mine showed me how he first fries the rice with butter and slowly adds consomme-wine mix to the rice and finishes with some pan-fried chicken and parmesan cheese. It blew my mind completely!

sensitivepistachenut , Mats Hagwall Report

Heidrance
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it sounds like what your mom made wasn't risotto, just boring fried rice....

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#20

Raw Tomatoes

Raw Tomatoes hated raw tomatoes

realized that all they were missing was salt, pepper, some toast and a lil mayo. Now I'm obsessed.

deckpumps_n_deldos , liz west Report

just me
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The type of tomato makes a big difference. Tomatoes from a grocery store (at least in my area) taste like if La Croix made tomatoes. Fresh from a garden is best, whatever type you get.

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#21

Cauliflower

Cauliflower Cauliflower! Turns out, I hated steamed or boiled cauliflower. I love love love it roasted. I liked most veggies growing up - except that one.

green_ubitqitea , Ella Olsson Report

Splash Bach
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same with broccoli. Boiled it's just passable, but roasted it's a delight

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#22

Peas

Peas. I only had the canned ones that taste like c**p, while fresh ones are green, tasty and sweet.

meiliraijow Report

Ephemeral Mochi
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think I've ever had fresh peas, only frozen. The frozen ones are pretty tasty but now I'm wondering what fresh peas are like.

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#23

Everything, Including A Tossed Salad

Everything, Including A Tossed Salad Everything. My mother could burn a tossed salad.

MrSpindles , HarshLight Report

#24

Cranberries

Cranberries I hated cranberries for most of my life because all I ever had was canned cranberry jelly. Then. A friend of mine had a friendsgiving and someone brought homemade cranberry sauce and it changed everything

bigirv10 , Andrew Yee Report

ItsJess
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Homemade cranberry sauce is delicious. I make it with pulpy OJ and it's almost like a chutney and so good.

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#25

BBQ

BBQ BBQ - didn’t realize how good BBQ could be until I moved to Texas. In Ohio, BBQ it meant smothering A1 sauce on bland meat.

Most mustard based stuff. Mustard on a McDonalds burger, disgusting. Mustard in a stew or on a properly prepared Chicago dog - awesome

Complex-Narwhal-9895 , Dan Hughes Report

Dan Holden
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn't start to appreciate mustard until I started tasting all the varieties that weren't the yellow mustard you'd put on a hot dog. I've since leaned to like yellow mustard as well in the right context.

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#26

Liver And Onions

Liver And Onions Liver and onions. Bear with me please lol. My mom was a great cook, made international recipes, the whole 9. But when she made liver and onions, you were eating a hockey puck. Cooked it to DEATH. Fast forward to pregnant me living with my sister in law who made it one night and OMG it was amazing, tender and flavorful, perfectly spiced. I miss it. I never got her recipe 😞

Ausgezeichnet63 , stu_spivack Report

Yeah, okay.
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can't get past that liver flavor. Ugh. My dad loves it so occasionally my mother would get fresh from the butcher calves liver, but it's still got that liver flavor. No thanks.

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#27

Any Salad

Any Salad Any salad. Turns out, I don't like vinaigrette. I don't know how everyone likes it, I must be the weird one.

LichPineapple , Stacy Spensley Report

#28

Hamburger

Hamburger Turns out the bun can make or break a hamburger. My mom used to always prepare them with these wheat buns, so I used to never like hamburgers. Took me a few years to realize they’re really really good with a more standard sesame, brioche, or potato bun. One of my favorite foods nowadays

Doppelfrio , Eva Rinaldi Report

#29

Mushrooms

Mushrooms Mushrooms.

My mom forced me to eat cream of mushroom soup one time and I threw up after eating it. For the longest time I associated mushrooms with that and so I avoided them until I got to college and discovered that they are actually really good.

-eDgAR- , bjaglin Report

JoJo Anisko
Community Member
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was in high school, a friend of my mother's introduced us to mushrooms floured and sauteed in generous amounts of butter until brown and crisp. So delicious.

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#30

Chili

Chili Chili— it was watery, bland and had very few beans and had spaghetti noodles in it (apparently that’s a southern US thing). It was a bowl of boring to me.

mellyjo77 , stu_spivack Report

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