Unpopular Food Likes/Dislikes: Table for One

[Shannon L.]

 

Probably a dumb question, but does your hate include white pepper?  It usually is a really fine grind and blends better with food so I can't taste "pepper", just a flavor boost.  I like that stuff - kinda iffy on the big black flakes like from a pepper mill.

Not a dumb question, but probably a dumb answer:  I don't know.  I've never made anything with white pepper and, since I can't really control what they put in dishes at restaurants, I have no idea if I've ever had it when I ate out, either. 

[Wings]

Not a dumb question, but probably a dumb answer:  I don't know.  I've never made anything with white pepper and, since I can't really control what they put in dishes at restaurants, I have no idea if I've ever had it when I ate out, either. 

 

It has a different taste slightly nutmeg-ish. 

[DeLurker]

Not a dumb question, but probably a dumb answer:  I don't know.  I've never made anything with white pepper and, since I can't really control what they put in dishes at restaurants, I have no idea if I've ever had it when I ate out, either.

It is used a lot in Asian cooking and I want to say Mexican where it is probably easy to miss with the other super aggressive ingredients.

[DeLurker]

Señor Cilantro is my arch nemesis!

[Minerette]

It is used a lot in Asian cooking and I want to say Mexican where it is probably easy to miss with the other super aggressive ingredients.

To me, white pepper is the flavor of Eastern European Jewish cooking.

[ramble]

I find red velvet cake to be a big fake disappointer & I'm in an area where it's common. It's not chocolate. It's like it wanted to it grow up & be chocolate but failed. What a waste of the chocolate possibilities. I do love cream cheese frosting however. I like it on spice cake, but not carrot cake. Weird but true.

However, I will not eat it if it has raisins in it. They are vile

Ugh yes! They disgust me. The texture alone makes me want to retch & then there's the taste. Seriously ick. I won't eat raisins in any thing or in any form. They are grapes ugly little cousin of shriveled nastiness.

[potatoradio]

 

I do love cream cheese frosting however. I like it on spice cake, but not carrot cake. Weird but true.

 

What other type of frosting would go well with carrot cake? A vanilla buttercream or icing? I'm curious - never seen a carrot cake without cream cheese frosting, but I've seen plenty with raisins and nuts and PINEAPPLE (blergh! Why?) that I pick around until I have a big pile of crumbs to go with my frosting.

 

Used to drive me crazy at office gatherings or parties where people would complain about the rich frosting and scrape it off. Gah! Isn't there a muffin available if you just want a cakey bite? Once, I was on the entertainment committee at work that was responsible for ordering monthly birthday cakes. When it was my turn, I specifically asked for extra balloon and flower frosting decorations and then heard people complaining that there was too much frosting and was reprimanded by the treasurer for the extra expense. A very dark day for the frosting passionate.

 

 

 

[ramble]

What other type of frosting would go well with carrot cake? A vanilla buttercream or icing? I'm curious - never seen a carrot cake without cream cheese frosting

I grew up having frosting on a cake only for birthdays, any other time my mom made cake the cake itself was deemed treat enough. So carrot cakes generally went unfrosted. They are far down on my list of cakes I like due to the omnipresent raisin issue. I don't like eating a cake I have to pick things out of or spit bites out. I guess because I like cream cheese frosting so much that eating it on a carrot cake feels like a waste to me. Yes, definitely weird. lol

[Shannon L.]

 

Used to drive me crazy at office gatherings or parties where people would complain about the rich frosting and scrape it off.

I'm kind of guilty of that.  I do like the frosting, but not too much, so I prefer the pieces that don't have the big balloons and flowers on them.  A thin layer on top and the frosting decoration around the bottom is about as thick as I can take it. 

 

 

When it was my turn, I specifically asked for extra balloon and flower frosting decorations and then heard people complaining that there was too much frosting and was reprimanded by the treasurer for the extra expense. A very dark day for the frosting passionate.

 

My husband is just like you.  If he sees me scraping off a big glob of it, he holds his piece out for me to plop it on. 

 

 

but I've seen plenty with raisins and nuts and PINEAPPLE

Pineapple? In a carrot cake?  ::shudder::

 

Personally, I've never had frosting as good as my mom's boiled frosting.  I haven't made it in years because my husband and kids are just "meh" on it.  But, I love it. I don't remember all of the ingredients--vanilla, light Karo syrup,....egg whites and sugar maybe?  I remember that you boil some of it, then, you very carefully stream it into the bowl with the other ingredients as you have the beater going.  It comes out really light and fluffy.  The only problem, is that it's not as good the next day.  Taste wise, it's about the same, but it's settled a lot and not as thick and airy.  So, I guess butter cream is better than nothing (but not too much of it  :)

[Bastet]

I do like the frosting, but not too much, so I prefer the pieces that don't have the big balloons and flowers on them.  A thin layer on top and the frosting decoration around the bottom is about as thick as I can take it.

 

Same here.  If it's a homemade cake and the baker is there, I won't scrape anything off, but I will try very hard to get a piece that doesn't have a bunch of stuff on it -- something from a section where it's just cake and a layer of frosting.

 

Unless it's cream cheese frosting, in which case I will just politely decline to take a piece at all.  I loathe cream cheese and not for anyone's feelings would I choke that down.

[Quof]

You people are talking crazy. Gimme a corner piece. With extra roses.

[mansonlamps]

Mmmm red cake with boiled frosting. A Mansonlamps family favorite. No extra on corners or roses though, just evenly frosted. Now I am hungry dammit!

[emma675]

I am the person in the room fighting Quof for a corner piece. As much frosting as possible, please.

[Wings]

Señor Cilantro is my arch nemesis!

 

 

It tastes like and electrical fire.  I am working on liking it.  

Thumbs down to red velvet cake.  It just taste sweet, there is no flavor.  I have never seen the recipe but you cannot convince me it has anything to do with chocolate. 

[Expat]

Chocolate!

 

Okay, so I don't hate it completely and I'll eat it occasionally (I do enjoy Nutella), but the way that it's treated like it's the answer to everything just kinda make me roll my eyes. I don't like how it's become the cliche go-to food for hormonal women. Like, it's just considered something that all women love along with like, diamonds and red roses. Personally, I don't like either of those things. Diamonds are one of the most overrated things ever and I like roses just not red ones.

 

I don't really eat cake either.

[WendyCR72]

Frosting whore here, be it chocolate, cream cheese, strawberry (yes, it exists!), lemon (see strawberry!), or butter cream. Mmm, butter cream. What I don't really like but seems to have become a "thing", at least for some supermarket cakes, is the whipped cream frosting.

 

It barely has any taste! So, to me, it doesn't count. I'll gladly fight @Quof for the extra roses and such provided they are not made of whipped cream!  :-)

[Mittengirl]

Oh, yes, there must be frosting flowers and balloons, etc on a cake. Made with real buttercream frosting. Lots and lots of it.

And carrot cake without pineapple is just wrong. Raisins are optional, but pecans are a must.

My list of dislikes do tend to earn me a picky eater label.

Peppers of any kind are a no-go for me. Red ones, green ones, hot ones, sweet ones, spicy ones, ground ones all are completely disgusting.

Non-lettuce salads are nasty in both taste and texture. I am referring to egg, ham, tuna, pasta, chicken, etc., types of salad.

Cold pizza. Just the thought makes me gag.

Raw tomatoes are also gag-worthy, especially when I see people bite into one like it is an apple.

Yogurt, both regular and Greek. It is both the taste and the texture. I find the texture of pudding off-putting as well. They both have a "sticky" mouth-feel that I despise. I am not bothered both sour cream, though.

I can't get past the smell of coffee to have ever tasted it as a drink. When I have tasted it as a food ingredient I do not care for it. I find it very bitter and burnt tasting.

[DeLurker]

Frosting whore here, be it chocolate, cream cheese, strawberry (yes, it exists!), lemon (see strawberry!), or butter cream. Mmm, butter cream. What I don't really like but seems to have become a "thing", at least for some supermarket cakes, is the whipped cream frosting.

 

It barely has any taste! So, to me, it doesn't count. I'll gladly fight @Quof for the extra roses and such provided they are not made of whipped cream!  :-)

I prefer that whipped cream frosting to the sugar & lard frosting.  And I'll gladly give you "frosting whores" (hee!) the corner pieces and roses, etc...

[potatoradio]

Oh, I'm totally understanding and appreciative when people decline frosting-heavy pieces of cake, or even specifically ask for a piece with just a little frosting - here in the "Midwest nice" offices, though, people would tend to take whatever the cake nazi served them (we had a receptionist who could not stand the thought of people cutting their own pieces and insisted on cutting the entire cake into perfect little two-inch squares) and they'd look sadly down at a fat frosting balloon and then leave it on their plate. I love frosting, but even I wouldn't ask a coworker if I could have their extra frosting. I was not, however, above sneaking back to the break room when cake nazi was called back to her desk to scrape off the balloons and flowers from other pieces of unserved cake. Really, cake in the office was supposed to be a good thing....

 

 

Cold pizza. Just the thought makes me gag.

 

Holy crap, I never thought I'd "meet" someone else who felt this way. Pizza is one leftover I can't stand, either cold (congealed, chilled, grease) or microwaved into rubber.

 

On a sort of related topic - am I weird for generally hating to eat with other people because the sounds of eating gross me out? Silverware clinking, OK. Swallowing, chewing, talking around a food bolus...so vile. I was at a lunch meeting yesterday (no cake) and I thought I was going to lose it - everyone clustered around a little table, chewing, trying to talk around their food, "mmmmmm-ing" as they ate...oh my god, I felt totally psycho, but that was one long arse hour of torture to me. But I am weird, so maybe it's just me.

Edited January 29, 2015 by potatoradio

[DeLurker]

I used to work with a group of people and we got along well, so most days we had lunch together.  It was a beautiful thing to know Frank would gladly eat the bleu cheese that came with my order (just ordered on the side since I knew it was going to be re-homed) or Tammi loved the black olives I hated.  Plus, it was reciprocal so I always got the avocado Frank did not eat or the extra crusty/crunchy roll that someone on a diet was going to pass on.

 

And office nazi's are the worst.  So much power tripping tied to the monthly Birthday celebration.

[DiamondDoll]

Sushi for me. I detest it. The taste and the texture are just plain wrong. I don't understand the obsession people have with it, like it's the best thing ever.

[Quof]

Our ancestors discovered fire so we could cook the fish. 

[ramble]

What I don't really like but seems to have become a "thing", at least for some supermarket cakes, is the whipped cream frosting.

*shudder* Fake lard from a 5 gallon bucket. It tastes like a rancid sugar alternative whipped into something to torture aliens & make them give up the mothership location. I've eaten it before because I'm "Midwest nice". (Ha!) Of course now that I'm gluten free I have a convenient excuse. My mom however will not eat the stuff. She is a cake fiend & loves almost all cake, frosted or unfrosted, but the fake lard whip stops her cold & she won't even touch the cake under it. My favorite frosting is probably a white chocolate I made once or a milk chocolate sour cream my mom makes. Although I love a good lemon glaze. Yum.

[Drogo]

I hate ham. Every Christmas at least two people send honey baked ones to my house and every Christmas I take them to the mission.

My husband is just like you. If he sees me scraping off a big glob of it, he holds his piece out for me to plop it on.

Yours is the type of marriage that lasts forever.

[Maharincess]

I seem to love what most of you all hate.

I LOVE tomatoes, I grow them and will pull one off the plant, grab the salt shaker and eat them raw.

I also love mayonnaise. Any time I order a burger or sandwich I get extra mayo. Love, love mushrooms. Raw in salad or in my sauces or pizza, I love them all.

I'm on a mission to gain at least 25 pounds this year, I'm hoping to get some good food ideas in this thread.

[Shannon L.]

 

Sushi for me. I detest it. The taste and the texture are just plain wrong. I don't understand the obsession people have with it, like it's the best thing ever.

I loved sushi from my very first taste.  I was so excited to share it with my fish-loving family when they came to visit that I spent a ton of money on a bunch of different types.  They took one bite and spit it out.  *sigh*

 

I don't mind whipped cream frosting if it's on a cake with strawberries in between the layers-but then, if you're going that route, then you might as well eat strawberry shortcake.  Which reminds me: 

 

While growing up strawberry shortcake was always strawberries mixed with sugar that had sat for a few hours so a nice, juicy, liquid forms, some sort of biscuit (we just used Bisquick) and homemade whipped cream.  I was shocked when I got to L. A. and people were serving, cut up strawberries over sponge cake with whipped cream from a can.  It's edible--not bad either--but it's not what i call strawberry shortcake.

[backformore]

Supermarket cakes, at least around here do not really have whipped cream or buttercream frosting. There is a huge difference between cakes from a good bakery and cakes from a supermarket. The main difference is real ingredients. Buttercream needs to be made with real butter, not hydrogenated oil. Whipped cream needs cream, not that weird stuff they whip that tastes like chemicals. Frosting is easy to make at home, but pretty decorated cakes are a lot of work. I'd rather have a small cake from a real bakery than a giant sheet cake from a supermarket.

(Good thing I checked my post before hitting send, my autocorrect thought I wanted butterflies on my cake)

[Drogo]

I hate anything "smoked."

[Lovecat]

[Cilantro]tastes like an electrical fire. I am working on liking it.

I've read that the dislike of cilantro is tied to one's genetics, so you can probably stop working on it ;)

Also, I just want to come out to all of you by admitting...I LOVE RAISINS. My little face lights up like its Christmas whenever I discover that something I'm about to eat has raisins in it! In fact, I think I'm going to go have some oatmeal right now--with plenty of plump, juicy, delicious raisins in it :)

Edited January 30, 2015 by Lovecat

[Wings]

I like everything.  There are only a few foods I don't care for and I cannot list them under "hate." I just choose not to cook them or order them.  

 

I love liver with onions and bacon, sushi, anchovies, oysters on the half shell, caviar, I could go on but you get it.  The thread title says LIKE and DISLIKE, I would love to hear what people like, too!    Especially unusual things. 

Edited January 30, 2015 by wings707

[Drogo]

I like ketchup sandwiches (gobsketchup between 2 slices of rye) and have since I was a little kid.  The Khaleesi has been "cooking" those for us since she was 3. 

 

I LOVE Rice A Roni.  Especially the Butter Herb flavor. 

[DeLurker]

 

I've read that the dislike of cilantro is tied to one's genetics, so you can probably stop working on it ;)

Hmmm...interesting. 

 

I don't like peppers (of any sort - the smell is overwhelming and if you cook with them, everything ends up tasting like peppers aka "ruined") and can't eat anything that is hot from peppers.  I actually like the heat you get from wasabi or Chinese hot mustard.  The people I have met who share my pepper aversion tend to be ok with wasabi/hot mustard heat and taste too.

Edited January 30, 2015 by DeLurker

[DeLurker]

I like ketchup sandwiches (gobsketchup between 2 slices of rye) and have since I was a little kid.  The Khaleesi has been "cooking" those for us since she was 3. 

 

I LOVE Rice A Roni.  Especially the Butter Herb flavor. 

When I was a kid I would go through phases where I needed to eat mustard sandwiches - nothing else on it.  I did not eat mustard otherwise and did not start using it regularly on sandwiches and such until mid 20s.

 

I add about a 1/4 cup of Mahatma brown rice to Rice-a-roni (any flavor) in the sauteeing stage.  You need to add a bit more water in when cooking it, but it mutes the intensity of the seasoning which comes out too salty for me.

[Wings]

Hmmm...interesting. 

 

I don't like peppers (of any sort - the smell is overwhelming and if you cook with them, everything ends up tasting like peppers aka "ruined") and can't eat anything that is hot from peppers.  I actually like the heat you get from wasabi or Chinese hot mustard.  The people I have met who share my pepper aversion tend to be ok with wasabi/hot mustard heat and taste too.

 

 

Though I like hot food I get the appeal of wasabi and Chinese mustard for those who generally do not like hot food.  The heat does not linger in your mouth or throat.  

 

Cooked green peppers are on my small list of foods I do not enjoy. 

[DeLurker]

 

small list of foods I do not enjoy

Enviable.  Being a picky eater from wayback, I can't get worked up if my kids don't care for something. 

[emma675]

 

When I was a kid I would go through phases where I needed to eat mustard sandwiches - nothing else on it.

I still love Ruffles potato chips dipped in yellow mustard.

[GaT]

I hate anything "smoked."

 

Oh gosh, I LOVE smoked stuff, especially things like trout or salmon

I've read that the dislike of cilantro is tied to one's genetics, so you can probably stop working on it ;)

 

It's something about the taste buds I think. I happen to like cilantro, but I know a lot of people think it tastes like soap. Thankfully, it tastes nothing like soap to me.

 

I don't like peppers (of any sort - the smell is overwhelming and if you cook with them, everything ends up tasting like peppers aka "ruined") and can't eat anything that is hot from peppers.  

Hot peppers cooked in my food is OK, but I HATE bell peppers being cooked in my food. You're right about the taste, if you cook something with bell peppers, the only thing you'll taste is the peppers. Same thing for celery. I do like bell peppers & celery raw though.

[Drogo]

When I'm trying to put on lean muscle I eat a ton of grilled chicken but don't like to add salt - bell peppers are perfect for no-salt-flavor if you like them.  Which I do. 

 

But... I don't like guacamole.  Or avocado in any form. 

[GaT]

But... I don't like guacamole.  Or avocado in any form. 

I also love avocado & guacamole. Sometimes I go to Baja Fresh & order a large guacamole & eat it all myself for lunch :-)

[mlp]

I'd be interested to know what determines what people like and dislike.  I get having an aversion to something you've had a bad experience with but I don't think most dislikes are learned from experience or example.  I wonder if anyone has ever done a study about that. 

 

I like or at least am neutral about almost everything.  I don't care for ketchup or Miracle Whip but I wouldn't refuse to eat either one if someone served it to me.  My older daughter and my son are just like me.  My younger daughter decided at age 2 that she hated almost everything.  She didn't learn that from example.  She's now 45 y/o and she still won't touch many, many things.  The odd thing is that she loves a lot of foods that many people hate like raw clams and oysters but she won't eat a steak or anything that's been anywhere near a tomato.  I often wonder how that happens.

[GaT]

I'd be interested to know what determines what people like and dislike.  I get having an aversion to something you've had a bad experience with but I don't think most dislikes are learned from experience or example.  I wonder if anyone has ever done a study about that. 

 

 

I've wondered this many times myself, it's kind of like wondering what colors other people see, does red look the same to you & me? 

[Quof]

I don't like Caesar salad.   But I know why.

 

I haven't had Caesar salad since June 7, 1993.  It tasted funny going down, and I should have known better.......

 

edited to add:  And I refuse to eat in any restaurant in which Caesar is misspelled on the menu, even though I'm not eating it.

Edited January 30, 2015 by Quof

[harrie]

I don't like Caesar salad.   But I know why.

 

I haven't had Caesar salad since June 7, 1993.  It tasted funny going down, and I should have known better.......

 

edited to add:  And I refuse to eat in any restaurant in which Caesar is misspelled on the menu, even though I'm not eating it.

 

Bad egg? 

[Quof]

Can only assume so.  It was a new restaurant, I thought "oh, I guess I don't like their recipe."  More than 20 years later, they are still in business but I have never been back.

[mansonlamps]

I also love avocado & guacamole. Sometimes I go to Baja Fresh & order a large guacamole & eat it all myself for lunch :-)

I am so jealous, I LOOOVVVED Baja Fresh but they are no longer anywhere in Illinois. Their guacamole was way better than Chipotle and I adored the salsa bar.

[Wings]

Guacamole is one of the easiest things to make.  No need to mourn the passing of Baja Fresh!  

[mansonlamps]

Guacamole is one of the easiest things to make.  No need to mourn the passing of Baja Fresh!

Agreed, but there was so much more I liked about it....sob!

[harrie]

Can only assume so.  It was a new restaurant, I thought "oh, I guess I don't like their recipe."  More than 20 years later, they are still in business but I have never been back.

 

It's funny how you remember that stuff down to the date, and make sure never to return to the scene of the crime. I've run into a bad egg or two in baking; and they were so gross, never mind ruining whatever I was making at the time.  To this day, I float every egg I use, no matter what I'm using it/them for.

[DiamondDoll]

I loved sushi from my very first taste.  I was so excited to share it with my fish-loving family when they came to visit that I spent a ton of money on a bunch of different types.  They took one bite and spit it out.

I should probably like sushi. My mom is Finnish so I've been brought up eating lots of dodgy fish (red wine herring is probably the worst thing ever) but I just can't get over the texture.

[Sandman87]

I like shredded wheat and instant rice as dry snacks. Who needs peanuts or pretzels?

Guacamole is one of the easiest things to make. No need to mourn the passing of Baja Fresh!

And yet many eateries manage to screw it up, usually by adding tomato chunks or lemon juice.