Why do you dislike the foods you wont eat? (mushrooms, tomatoes, odor)

[blktoptrvl]

There is a thread gaining steam... Most disgusting food you ever tried. Good Subject.

But I wanted to add on - without hijacking that thread - and ask this...

[saibot]

The bottom line is taste. I think mushrooms taste awful. So do raw tomatoes, liver, and oatmeal. Texture definitely contributes, but in a lesser way. I would say oatmeal and mushrooms have a very unappealing texture, but I'm sure I could get over that if they tasted wonderful. I mean, I don't have a special aversion to "slimy" or "rubbery" foods.

Smell and appearance are not really major considerations for me.

Reputation, yes, for a few things, such as natto (Japanese fermented soybeans).

Then, there is the psychological barrier. I can't eat raw beef or raw fish. They don't look, smell, or feel particularly bad, and since I've never tasted them it can't be the taste. I know lots of people love them; they don't have a bad reputation. I just have a mental block against eating raw flesh.

[hellpaso]

I draw the line at cilantro. And that's due to its soapy taste and noxious odor.

[swgirl926]

I picked taste. But I have childhood memories associated with certain foods where I got sick or some other bad memory. A weird one for me is spaghetti, although I will eat other pastas.

A curious thing about smell though. This may sound crazy, but there are foods that smell like feet, B.O., farts, etc. But it smells good in the kitchen, but I've smelled similar smells in the public bathroom. For example, someone was microwaving meatloaf and it smelled like farts. But people are saying, mmmm. Never mind me, just a silly thought.

[wit-nit]

Food Allergy's.

[Chubby Checker]

The main reason dislike certain foods is because of the taste. Smell comes in a close second

[grampaTom]

taste and texture are by far the most important but temperature is important too. For example, I like some things warm or room temp (pudding for example) but won't eat them cold. And some drinks (esp milk) must be very cold to be palatable -- luke warm just won't cut it.

[Gorges]

There are very few foods that I won't eat, and those few are due to taste (licorice) and texture (gummie anything, raw oysters).

[Missy2U]

Texture is my biggie, followed closely by taste and smell.


I'm also very much like grampaTom in that temperature matters as well. I can't even swallow warm milk - but ice cold milk I have no problem with and very much enjoy.


ETA - I'd also be lying if I didn't say that look didn't play a part as well.

[Zymer]

Smell and taste...followed by, 'well that's just disgusting and I'm not even going to give it a chance'.

For me, things taste just exactly the way they smell, so if it smells bad, there is no way in hell that I'm going to eat it.

There are some things that just the thought of eating them turns me off- liver, kidneys, etc. (basically, any organ meats or offal). So, not going to eat them. Liver smells bad to me.

I can't stand the smell of seafood, most any kind of fish is right out. Parmesan cheese...don't even put it on the table, it smells like vomit and provokes me into adding to it.