Acquired Taste Foods

[XRay]

I need to concentrate on work more, but it is so mind numbingly boring. I need mental stimulation. Since we are talking about food in the boys thread, and it is getting near lunch, I figured I would make a thread about food.

Are there any acquired taste foods that you like, dislike, or indifferent too? What is considered acquired taste is also quite subjective, so if you are like one of the rare minority that hates the taste of bacon or something, you can share your journey too with how you learned to like it or maybe you still cannot stand it.

For me, I do not think mushrooms are considered an acquired taste for most, but I hate eating most of it. If you can find it in an Asian grocery store, most likely than not I would hate it. The worst mushroom by far is shitake mushroom because they are so common in Asian cooking. I have learned to tolerate it in small amounts and I usually just swallow it without chewing and try to control my urge to puke. So far, the only mushrooms I do not mind eating and actually like are portobello mushrooms.

I also hate bitter melons, but at least it does not induce me to puke.

I am indifferent to durian. While durian does smell different from most fruits, I would not say its scent is unpleasant. If durian was sweeter, I think I would eat it more often, but it just tastes a little too bland to me.

There is condiment in Chinese called "rotten/fermented" (I think that is how it is translated?) tofu that is considered an acquired taste I think? My parents were surprised when they first gave it to me as a kid and I liked it. It is a little pasty, slightly slimy, very salty, and sometimes spicy. I like the spicy kind. I usually mix it with white rice when I was kid because white rice sucks.

Plain natto by itself tastes pretty bland, but when you mix it with a little soy sauce, some mustard, raw egg, and top it with some Korean roasted seaweed, it tastes pretty good and it covers up the blandness of rice. The sliminess is a turn off for a lot of people, especially when they see the stringiness and are grossed out by it, but I find the stringiness amusing and fun.

I know a lot of people cannot feel satisfied without white rice, but that is like one of my most hated staples along with white bread. Both tastes super bland. I think the more I ate it the more I disliked it. I did not hate it as a kid, but I gradually got tired of its blandness and lack of texture, and I guess I stopped eating it plain altogether by around high school. If I do eat rice, it is mostly brown rice (taste slightly less bland, but it has a ton more texture), but if I have to eat white rice, I usually douse it in sauce or something. I tolerate white bread a little more since it is usually eaten as a sandwich or with condiment to spread over it or dip it in.

I guess raw meat is an acquired taste for most, especially sashimi and rare steaks. I guess I like the softness and juicyness.

I hate organs, liver, stomach, guts, etc. all of it. I do not think I will ever get used it. I give hearts a pass and I can eat them, but they still have that slight organ aftertaste and the meat is a lot tougher.

I guess coffee is an acquired taste too. I personally cannot really stand the bitterness, so I mix it with equal amounts of cream. At work, they have hot chocolate packets, so if I drink coffee at work, I pour the powder into the coffee-cream mix too.

Liquor was pretty easy for me to get accustomed too since I like the burning sensation that is similar to spicy foods. It took me a while to get used to beer though since there is not a flavor or texture for me to focus on besides the fizz. I like milder tasting beers like pilsners.

I think this was before I was born, but my mother used to hate sour cream and onion because it smelled awful to her. She eventually grew accustomed it and it is now her favorite potato chip flavor. I asked her why she always buy sour cream and onion when she buys chips, so that is how I got story.

My dad hates avacado. He compared it to eating raw lard. His facial expression when he first tried it was like he was eating crap.

[Johann]

Generally salty foods like bacon aren't really an acquired taste, most of that flavor is just salt and whatever other spices/seasonings/etc. Your body naturally craves that kind of salty flavor, especially if you consume a lot of it regularly. Going a while without salty foods can change the way you feel about them since you'll have fewer/weaker cravings. Most meats aren't particularly flavorful without those added seasonings too, so I think when people complain about stuff like meat alternatives (which can often taste identical), they're just uncomfortable with either how it looks, feels in their mouth, or that it's simply a new thing that they're expecting to have a radically different flavor.

Anchovies are a pretty powerful acquired taste for sure. They're extremely salty and oily and I recall thinking "I don't know how I feel about this" when I first had one, but I have no problem with them now. I know sushi is a thing people have to get used to too, but I think that's more because of the way it feels in your mouth and any association with raw meat being potentially dangerous.

I've had an affinity for bitter tasting stuff for a long time, so black coffee, black tea, and hoppy beers were easy for me to get on board with. As a kid I loved sweet stuff, but during my early teen years I lost a taste for most sweet things aside from quality ice cream (especially coffee flavored) and dark chocolate.

And yeah, I can't stand mushrooms either. Tastes like cooked erasers.

[MacLovin]

hakarl

[Mell]

I live on a strict diet because of my health condition. I can't eat meat (except some fish), rice, some vegetables. I can only eat food made on steam or cooked without oil, fat or butter.

When I discovered my illness everything I ate was pretty tasteless but now I learned how to make my food tempering with only spices and herbs and those really give flavor to the food.

My favorite food is chesse and some cheeses I can eat, there is a cheese here named "Prato" and it's very tasty and handmade and goes with everything: a sandwich, pasta, wine (some wines I can drink but in very low quantities).

My daily meals are just salads wish fish and some fruits and I have to take a lot of vitamins pills to compensate the lack of it.

One time I was very sad and frustated because I was with my friends and when I go out I have to bring my own food and they were all eating Mcdonalds and I took a bite of a Big Mac and I almost dieded at the hospital but felt so good. I really miss red meat. -_-

[Karimlan]

@XRay: Funny that you don't like shiitakes. They impart a rather nutty flavor that goes well with most Chinese/Japanese meat/vegetable stir-fry dishes. But well, there really isn't an accounting for taste after all (in the literal and figurative sense of the word, apparently).

I've learned to eat bitter gourds on stir-fried vegetables, but for the life of me, I still don't eat okra. Not even on gumbo.

[XRay]

3 hours ago, Johann said:

so I think when people complain about stuff like meat alternatives (which can often taste identical), they're just uncomfortable with either how it looks, feels in their mouth, or that it's simply a new thing that they're expecting to have a radically different flavor.

Maybe my sense of taste is a little warped, but I love alt meat. They taste sooooooo good. When I was in Brooklyn, there was this hip grocery store down my block that serves healthy foods and their mock chicken drumstick tastes divine. They even put a wooden skewer in the middle to simulate the bone. In my opinion, it easily rivals fried chicken in how tasty it is. While it is not as juicy, it is still moist and tender, and super flavorful. Mock duck in Thai restaurants are also really good.

3 hours ago, Johann said:

Anchovies are a pretty powerful acquired taste for sure.

I had them in cans and they were not that bad, although I never had them fresh so maybe canning process makes them palatable.

3 hours ago, Joe Cool said:

hakarl

Looks interesting. I want to try some.

2 hours ago, Mell said:

One time I was very sad and frustated because I was with my friends and when I go out I have to bring my own food and they were all eating Mcdonalds and I took a bite of a Big Mac and I almost dieded at the hospital but felt so good. I really miss red meat. -_-

That sucks. If I was in your situation, I would have probably ate the whole burger though, I do not think I could have stopped myself after just one bite.

Do you have a favorite fish? I like pollock the most. It has a nice flavor and a firm but flaky and soft texture. I usually bake mine in the oven with vegetables.

Can you eat shellfish like shrimp and lobster? That might help break the monotony.

43 minutes ago, Karimlan said:

@XRay: Funny that you don't like shiitakes. They impart a rather nutty flavor that goes well with most Chinese/Japanese meat/vegetable stir-fry dishes. But well, there really isn't an accounting for taste after all (in the literal and figurative sense of the word, apparently).

I've learned to eat bitter gourds on stir-fried vegetables, but for the life of me, I still don't eat okra. Not even on gumbo.

I do not smell or taste any hint of nuttiness, all I experience is disgust. When I smell or taste it, I just want to puke. The dried ones are the worst, especially when my parents or my friends' parents reconstitute them in water and it stinks up the whole kitchen and half the house, so even though I am not eating it, I still fucking have go through the suffering.

It is very hard for me to get used to bitter foods. I can handle and enjoy beer fine now, but that took me drinking a can of beer almost every day over a few months to tolerate it.

I like okra. I guess I do not have an aversion to slimy foods like most people do. I find it a little fun to have the food swoosh around in my mouth faster than usual.

Edited August 20, 2018 by XRay

[Karimlan]

I found blutwurst (German blood sausage) off-putting at first, but here in the Philippines, we do have dinuguan (pork stewed in its blood, with aromatics and long chili peppers), so I guess I had nothing to complain about. It doesn't taste half as bad as haggis (which I really can't bring myself to eat).

I don't mind anchovies either, as we have dried fish of all sizes here, and a fermented paste made of fish or shrimp known as bagoong (if the Singaporeans and Malays have belachan, bagoong would be the closest thing to it) which goes well with soupy dishes and unripe mangoes even(!).

[Ronnie]

I'm more partial to salty foods. Sweet or creamy foods make me a little nauseous if I have too much of it. I prefer meat, chips, crackers, fried food. All the salt lol. Fortunately I drink plenty of water and I don't overeat those foods.

I'm a picky eater whether it's because of the taste or the texture. I love flan but I hate beans. They're both mushy but flans texture is more consistent and the flavor is great. Beans are all grainy and have a weird taste for me.

[Mell]

On 20/08/2018 at 6:48 PM, XRay said:

That sucks. If I was in your situation, I would have probably ate the whole burger though, I do not think I could have stopped myself after just one bite.

Do you have a favorite fish? I like pollock the most. It has a nice flavor and a firm but flaky and soft texture. I usually bake mine in the oven with vegetables.

Can you eat shellfish like shrimp and lobster? That might help break the monotony.

 

2

I can't eat those. My favorite fish is called "Tilápia" here where I live. It's very juicy e healthy.

[Karimlan]

Mouthbreeder/mouthbrood, as some folks call it. We got that here in PH too. Best lightly seasoned and fried, with a relish of salt, tomatoes, and onions.

I don't eat offal much, but I have found a liking for grilled chicken hearts (grilled yakitori-style with a savory sweet glaze).

[MacLovin]

i hate olives.

[XRay]

On 8/20/2018 at 3:17 PM, Ronnie said:

Sweet or creamy foods make me a little nauseous if I have too much of it

Same with me. I cannot eat cake with too much cream/frosting on it.

On 8/22/2018 at 5:20 AM, Mell said:

I can't eat those. My favorite fish is called "Tilápia" here where I live. It's very juicy e healthy.

Not sure if it is the same as the tilapia here in the States, but the ones here taste a little like canned tuna.

On 8/22/2018 at 9:31 AM, Karimlan said:

Mouthbreeder

That sounds like a stripper name. Ha!

Do you mean mouthbrooder? Seems interesting.

11 hours ago, Joe Cool said:

i hate olives.

Do you hate olives by itself or do you hate it even when eaten with other foods? A lot of people I know are fine with olives as long as it is on a pizza or sandwich where their strong flavor is balanced out by other ingredients.

Edited August 25, 2018 by XRay

[eclipse]

On 8/22/2018 at 2:20 AM, Mell said:

I can't eat those. My favorite fish is called "Tilápia" here where I live. It's very juicy e healthy.

If it's the fish I'm thinking of, it's delicious.

I'm kinda like you, but somewhat in reverse.  Meat is one of the few things I can eat, but most fish are out for me (too much oil).  I'd love to know why my body rejects so many things, but so far, the only thing that's landed me in the hospital are allergies to my meds.

Before my body went haywire, I liked cow's tongue and bittermelon (but not at the same time).

[badatfireemblem]

Milk.

I used to adore milk as a child, so much so that it made me sick and the doctors told my parents to limit the amount I had. I'm almost certainly lactose intolerant now, but not only that, I just really can't drink it any more. It makes me gag : (

I do love things with milk in, but I mostly avoid those now anyway. (It's not hard when my sister is vegan).

Other than that I don't like any mushrooms (apart from these tiny ones I ate in Japan) tomatoes and meats.

[Dragoncat]

I'm a picky eater. That's all.

But I tried some beer once and hated it and my mom said it was an "acquired taste", so...yeah.

[Mell]

On 25/08/2018 at 8:17 PM, eclipse said:

If it's the fish I'm thinking of, it's delicious.

I'm kinda like you, but somewhat in reverse.  Meat is one of the few things I can eat, but most fish are out for me (too much oil).  I'd love to know why my body rejects so many things, but so far, the only thing that's landed me in the hospital are allergies to my meds.

Before my body went haywire, I liked cow's tongue and bittermelon (but not at the same time).

I have to take like 4 different kinds of medicine and still, I can't eat everything. Even thou I live on a strict diet I have to take some precautions. I ate cow's tongue once, nothing happened but I didn't like it. My palate is somewhat messed up so I can't feel the flavor of some foods and others I feel too much. Although I like it, I cant barely eat spicy food.

 

[eclipse]

12 hours ago, Mell said:

I have to take like 4 different kinds of medicine and still, I can't eat everything. Even thou I live on a strict diet I have to take some precautions. I ate cow's tongue once, nothing happened but I didn't like it. My palate is somewhat messed up so I can't feel the flavor of some foods and others I feel too much. Although I like it, I cant barely eat spicy food.

 

Ouch.  Good luck with that!  Cow's tongue has an odd texture, so I can see why it would be off-putting.  I ate it with a liberal helping of soy sauce.

[Ottservia]

Well being a guy who can’t smell my tastebuds are all sorts of whacko. Well because of that I tend to gravitate towards anything particularly sweet or salty because I can actually taste it. So for me I usually don’t/do like foods mostly due to texture and stuff like that.

Like I don’t particularly like stuff like cheese,  potatoes, or peanut butter. It’s just that they’re a little too “much” and just overwhelm my mouth with weird gooeyness. Usually when I eat that stuff I need something else to balance it. 

sushi was something I never really liked as a kid probably in part because I’m allergic to fish but I’m starting to aquire a small fondness for it.

I also hated spicy food in my childhood but now the stuff is actually pretty good now that I have the tolerance.

On 8/20/2018 at 2:04 PM, XRay said:

I hate organs, liver, stomach, guts, etc. all of it. I do not think I will ever get used it. I give hearts a pass and I can eat them, but they still have that slight organ aftertaste and the meat is a lot tougher.

While I may agree with you on liver, I love me some beef tripe nice and chewy especially at dim sum stuff tastes great. I’ve also had and enjoyed pig intestine. I guess I just have a thing for that mushy-chewy stuff. *shrugs*

I also enjoy eating chicken feet as weird as that sounds. Though the amount of weird stuff you’ll find in dim sum is actually pretty good if you give it a shot. But what do I know.

[XRay]

41 minutes ago, Otts486 said:

While I may agree with you on liver, I love me some beef tripe nice and chewy especially at dim sum stuff tastes great. I’ve also had and enjoyed pig intestine. I guess I just have a thing for that mushy-chewy stuff. *shrugs*

I also enjoy eating chicken feet as weird as that sounds. Though the amount of weird stuff you’ll find in dim sum is actually pretty good if you give it a shot. But what do I know.

Ate all the gross dishes in dim sum before and I did not like any of it. I cannot do tripe. Pork/beef organ stew is gross. Intestine dishes just plain stink. Chicken feet texture is weird; it is basically like eating skin on bones, without the meat in between. If they put shiitake mushrooms in anything, especially shumai and spring rolls, I would throw up.

If I have to accompany my parents to dim sum restaurants, I stick with the normal stuff like shrimp dumplings, dumplings with broth in it, daikon hash browns (they are not hash browns, but that is the closest thing I can think of), rice noodle/lasagna doused in soy sauce, etc. I avoid shumai and spring rolls unless I know there are no shiitake mushrooms in them. Sometimes I avoid the dim sums altogether and just order sauteed flat noodles with beef.

 

[MacLovin]

47 minutes ago, XRay said:

Ate all the gross dishes in dim sum before and I did not like any of it. I cannot do tripe. Pork/beef organ stew is gross. Intestine dishes just plain stink. Chicken feet texture is weird; it is basically like eating skin on bones, without the meat in between. If they put shiitake mushrooms in anything, especially shumai and spring rolls, I would throw up.

If I have to accompany my parents to dim sum restaurants, I stick with the normal stuff like shrimp dumplings, dumplings with broth in it, daikon hash browns (they are not hash browns, but that is the closest thing I can think of), rice noodle/lasagna doused in soy sauce, etc. I avoid shumai and spring rolls unless I know there are no shiitake mushrooms in them. Sometimes I avoid the dim sums altogether and just order sauteed flat noodles with beef.

 

i don't blame you for not liking tripe.

hmn, have you tried mincemeat pie?

[XRay]

10 minutes ago, Joe Cool said:

i don't blame you for not liking tripe.

hmn, have you tried mincemeat pie?

Nope. Sounds tasty though.