I just overheard a coworker saying “Oh, I would never try that in my life!”, in a discussion of food. (This was about consuming a steak cooked less than medium well). It made me wonder what life is like for those who refuse to try new food, especially those who refuse to try mundane things like fried shrimp.
Why limit yourself? It seems like such a closed-minded way to view food. Help me understand?
I’m a picky eater, but it’s mostly because of texture-related issues. (However, I am also picky about flavors.) Wrong textures make me want to gag. I don’t actually gag, because I’ve learned to suppress it.
I have no problem trying new things. I just often immediately hate the new things. However, I will try it again after enough time had passed. Sometimes, it will be prepared differently enough to be appetizing. Other times, I will start to like a flavor that I once hated. I have never had my texture preferences change.
Which texture do I hate? I call it the “wrong kind of mushy.” It’s hard to explain, because I do like some mushy foods. Mashed, baked, or boiled potatoes? Almost always gag inducing. Oatmeal? Wonderful. Hiding small amount of wrong mushy foods among foods with a better texture sometimes helps, but only if I like the flavor despite the mush.
Edit to add: I hate onions with a burning passion. Every way except powdered. Onions induce the strongest gag reflex, and many people think I’m weird for hating onions. I’ve come to hate the flavor of (anything but powdered) onion by association, so I often can’t eat foods that once had onion in them even after being completely removed.
I know exactly what you mean by “wrong kind of mushy.” I hated mashed potatoes as a kid. I like them as an adult but it took a while for me to like them.
This is literally all you can do. People have very little control over what they like (be that food, music, movies, books, whatever) all anyone can do is be willing to try new things, and occasionally retry, the things they don’t like.
I will eat pretty much anything, but strongly dislike carrots for their taste and oatmeal for its texture. I haven’t have any occasion to retry oatmeal but I retry carrots pretty frequently.
Boiled potatoes shouldn’t be mushy. If you boil potatoes to mush, then you mash them. Mashed potatoes.
Boiled potatoes should be relatively firm. Closer to an apple than a banana.
Source: Irish
You’re right, the texture is different, but I hate both. I also hate fried potatoes unless they are fried very crispy.
Interestingly, I like peeled, raw potatoes. (Just because I don’t like mashed potatoes doesn’t mean I won’t make them for others on occasion.)
Wow, I don’t often come across other folks with both similar limitations and curiosity! (Except a reversal on the potato vs oatmeal textures)
Especially the onion thing, it’s crazy the gag reflex can be so strong, or that we can tell so easily that onion has once touched something. I find shallots particularly unbearable! (Though I do get sad because while I can’t stand onions, I can also taste the notes I assume most people can, and can tell how good they would be in certain contexts, like a perfect burger or as a bbq side. I want to know what that experience is like 😰)
We do sound similar. I love onion powder and add it to most things when I cook. I can tell why people like onions, I just hate them. I do kinda wish I could stand regular onions as well. But yeah, something about them lingers in food and just taints it.
Also, I only like oatmeal when I make it. Most other oatmeal is gross. I use the rolled oats, and I don’t cook it particularly long. Raw oats are edible, actually, so you don’t have to worry about undercooking. Might be worth a try if you want to like oatmeal. Cheers.