Food dislikes-as guest, but will politely eat

[PamNY]

Wow, I'm staggered by the range of things on the dislike list. My aunt used to call me the "human garbage can" and now I know why. In my defense, I do know and value quality in food.

I don't eat meat, but otherwise I will try and likely enjoy anything. I haven't learned to like natto or Marmite, but you never know.

This is OT, but I am truly sickened by the smell of meat, though I try to be impeccably polite about it. I guess the only foods I dislike are foods I have to eat while smelling meat.

Pam

[Owlie]

Oh, forgot one big one: Dried fruit. I hate the texture. Also, why would you dehydrate a perfectly good grape/apricot/whatever? The juice is the best part!

[KnottedYet]

Being gluten-intolerant creates a royal pain in the butt if I go to someone's house for dinner. I mention my problem (and emphasize that it really isn't a big deal, I'm not gonna die if I eat gluten, I'll just be sick for a week) and offer to bring a dish to share. (no wheat, oats, barley, or rye)

Going to restaurants is surprisingly easy, as I can suggest a food style that I know is easy to manage (Thai, Japanese, Mexican, Pho') and if not, I can always get a plain salad and plain baked potato with a plain meat or fried egg.

Unfortunately, I cannot politely eat something with gluten. I have nightmares about it. I really don't like getting sick. But I can dance around the issue well!

[copperlegend]

I have some weird food allergies: bananas, peaches, mangoes and apples. I break out in hives and could potentially have trouble breathing. I carry an epi-pen. Thankfully, most of my close friends know this and will either call and double check or just avoid anything I might be allergic to (for instance just make a chocolate cake instead of a fruity dessert).

I just can't bring myself to eat fois gras or any other organs, chicken feet, anything overly gelatenous, tripe, etc. I would rather not eat fish that still looks like fish. New Years Eve dinner a few years ago had whole lake trout. My bf knew it would freak me out so what'd he do? he named 'my' fish Stanley, and made it 'talk'. I kinda moved it around the plate and made it look like i at least tried it. Also I will try to avoid veal or lamb. I don't like the taste OR the ethics behind it.

[Trek420]

I will eat most anything except eggs with runny yolks or liver. I have had some liver dishes with enough onions, mushrooms, and/or bacon on top .... that I ate it. Chicken liver is fine but not big on beef liver.

Runny yolks I have tolerated stirred into rice like Hawaiian Sausage and eggs when I ordered scrambled and they forgot, just mixed it in.

Other than that I'm easy. I don't like soda but that's easy to get water.

[crazycanuck]

Liver..ick...blech...black licorice..nya..Chai tea..blech
Tripe-still don't quite get why it's part of a Yum Cha..

I'll try pretty much anything . If I eat an indian/indonesian/thai dish, i prefer it really really mild!

Just give me yummy food

[colby]

Wow, so many different lists!! I'm a vegetarian but I eat fish (fish-atarian ), so all non-fishy meats are off the list.

Can't stand vinegary and/or mustardy things - mustard, horseradish, wasabi, Tabasco, that sauce they put on buffalo wings. Ketchup is okay, though, and I will do a vinaigrette or oil/vinegar with bread if it's good. Mustard is okay mixed in with some dishes - crab cakes, mac n cheese, potato salad, that kind of thing, but it can't be predominant or overbearing. Malt vinegar is the worst.

I don't like most baked fruit desserts (e.g. apple pie). I don't know what it is, it just doesn't seem right (texture maybe?). I love fruit otherwise. I can tolerate a good bananas foster. I can do sweet potatoes, even the sweet preparation and not just savory, but too sweet and I shut down just like the warm fruit dessert. Muffins aren't bad. Maybe it's just some fruits.

Artichokes are not on my list (too bitter?). I am adjusting to avocados gradually, have to be fresh or I won't eat them.

I'm trying to learn to love yogurt, but most yogurt just makes me make the Mr. Yuk face. I have been quoted saying "I pretend it's frosting, that works until it hits my mouth." (Stonyfield French Vanilla is it so far, or yogurt sauces)

Strong Tea, no. Black licorice, no. Not really a drinker, though I know the taste of a good red wine and a good champagne, and I will sample beer.

[crazycanuck]

Arielmoon, I would be in a panic if i had you over for dinner I'd be worried about getting it wrong & offending a dinner guest.

Would you give clueless folks like me recipes that we could make for you??

[papaver]

The only thing I refuse to eat is spicy stuff but that's just because my stomach can't handle it. Besides that, I'll eat just about everything... normal.

[Biciclista]

I warned my sons to watch how their girlfriends ate after each of them brought dates home who wouldn't eat right. One girlfriend came to my house for dinner and then ate nothing. (and then later, after she left my house she ate a box of cookies!). Another girl wouldn't eat good food because it was fattening. My son actually lived with her and her mother (who was the same way) for a while, and poor kid was starving. After all, it has been proven that pickiness is hereditary. Picky eaters bear picky eating children.

Taking mother's warnings to heart, both of my sons henceforth have brought home young women who like food. It's not a perfect system, for example, my new daughter in law is obsessed with bacon, but she'll try every veggie I serve and got excited when I bought some goat meat.
Everyone is entitled to a few dislikes (I don't like asparagus, thanks to a traumatic childhood experience with CANNED asparagus) and if someone tells me he's vegan and he's coming for dinner; I will make sure that at least rice or beans is on the table (in addition to lovely veggie dishes).
Reading this thread is mind blowing!

[Jolt]

Just thought of a few more things I don't like: mustard, ketchup, and fake cheese sauces (Cheez Whiz and the like--yuck!).

[shootingstar]

I warned my sons to watch how their girlfriends ate after each of them brought dates home who wouldn't eat right. One girlfriend came to my house for dinner and then ate nothing. (and then later, after she left my house she ate a box of cookies!). Another girl wouldn't eat good food because it was fattening. My son actually lived with her and her mother (who was the same way) for a while, and poor kid was starving. After all, it has been proven that pickiness is hereditary. Picky eaters bear picky eating children.

Taking mother's warnings to heart, both of my sons henceforth have brought home young women who like food. It's not a perfect system, for example, my new daughter in law is obsessed with bacon, but she'll try every veggie I serve and got excited when I bought some goat meat.
Everyone is entitled to a few dislikes (I don't like asparagus, thanks to a traumatic childhood experience with CANNED asparagus) and if someone tells me he's vegan and he's coming for dinner; I will make sure that at least rice or beans is on the table (in addition to lovely veggie dishes).
Reading this thread is mind blowing!

Generally speaking the spouses of siblings are pretty flexible. They each may have 2-3 types of foods they prefer not to have --like dearie who doesn't eat shrimp nor squid (triglycerides need control) and different levels of hot spicy tolerance, but overall potluck special occasion meals are opportunities for family members to cook and try dishes they normally don't have regularily.

Though there is junk food consumed at family events, they are food dishes that within our own extended family, people don't eat regularily. There is real appreciation and effort to prepare dishes that aren't overly rich/fattening nor too sugary. So no real need to "educate" an adult family member to be more health conscious or at least, semi-health conscious.


Jolt: I keep ketchup just for hamburger or hot dog..which i seem to have only 1-2 times annually. Seeing ketchup with scrambled eggs/omelet..on other plates just amazes me. Why cover up a lovely egg dish with that sugary stuff?

[Starfish]

Please don't feed me kidney pie, or put kidneys in the stew.

[GLC1968]

Reading this thread is mind blowing!

No kidding!

I have lots (and lots) of food do's and don'ts that I follow when I am free to make my own choices, but as a guest, I keep my mouth shut unless specifically asked.

[nscrbug]

Oh boy...I have a laundry list of "dislikes", but I'll try and keep it short & simple. My aversion to many of the foods on my list, stems from a "texture" thing. If I don't like the texture of it in my mouth, I simply won't eat it. Yeah, I'm a very picky eater. I blame my (morbidly obese) mom for a lot of it, as she wasn't a very good role model when it came to healthy eating habits. She NEVER ate veggies/fruits, so therefore never pushed me to eat them. I actually didn't taste my first banana until I was 25!!! I'm sure her horrid eating habits contributed to her early demise.

Absolutely will NOT touch:

Fish of ANY kind (can't stomach the smell of it)
Alcohol of ANY kind (I gag from the smell of it)
organ meats (nuff said)
lamb/veal (don't like the smell of it)
asparagus (slimey...ewwww!)
peas (bad childhood experience!)
citrus fruits (stringy texture)
mushrooms (slimey and gross...yuck!)
vinegar and vinegar-based sauces/dressings
brussel sprouts (blech!)
store-bought cream pies (ewwwww...yuck)
Corned beef (shudder)
sauerkraut (double shudder)
hotdogs (mystery meat)

Will "politely" eat/try, but would rather not:

Anything with mayo or Miracle Whip
honeydew or cantaloupe (not thrilled about the smooth texture)
dishes prepared with LOTS of onions and/or tomatoes (I'll pick 'em out)
deep-fried or overly greasy foods (wrecks havoc on my tummy)
white or refined breads (I'm a whole-grains gal)