Your top 10 most hated foods, with a twist

[Travelman6]

I am not sure where else I could post this, so my question is, what are your top 10 most hated foods?

So, I wanted to do a top 10 list of most disliked natural foods (because I can not stand most candy so if I included unnautral food, it would be candy like licorice), but lets leave our lists open to suggestion. So in other words if you see a food on someone elses list, suggest a way they can try which might make it good. Example: I used to HATE cauliflower with a passion, it was on my top 10 hated list. But someone suggested I saute it and add some curry, among other ingredigents. In that sense, I liked it! Or Celery with peanut butter (awful without PB and please don't put little chunks of celery in pasta sauces).

Any way,
10. Litchi - gross.
9. Brussels Sprouts
8. Certain types of pasta (but not the traditional types and I love Asian style or spaghetti, more like noodles I dislike)
7. Anchovies - Although I LOVE oysters
6. Corn on the cob - just gross on so many levels
5. Pears - one of the few fruits I dislike
4. Pickles
3. Plantain - shudders, just the look, no
2. Brocoli - feels like I am eating a tree, yuck.
1. Cucumber - The way that Newman reacts in the Chicken (Kenny Rodgers) episode is the way I react with cucumber. I can not stand it. If you drop one of these in a 10 gallon water jug, I feel the water is tainted. Curse anyone in a restaurant who adds this to a sandwich or anything. I will never like cucumber, yuck.

Over the years I have grown to like and even love eggplant, zuchini, carrots, beets and much more, if done right and in some of those cases, if combined with other things (raw carrot with hummus is nice for example) and even just raw peppers by themselves.

Any way, any advice on any of those 10?

 

[G0UCONN]

Liver

Steamed Broccoli

Beets

Cauliflower

Bologna

Liverwurst

 

[Dove]

@Travelman32 ...not sure how you have eaten brussel sprouts in the past but my wife and I went to The Stand in Branford (BBQ joint) and had some sprouts as a side. Amazing (I never had them before). Just drizzled in oil, seasoned and oven roasted. I love them now.

GO...look up buffalo cauliflower bites. Mmmmmm.

Drake's Devil Dogs
Kiwi
Liver
Summer squash
Olives
Duck
Chicken gizzards
Parsnips + turnips
Escargots (just an assumption)
Hostess Snowballs

 

[Stainmaster]

Mushrooms
Oranges/OJ
Butternut Squash
Chickpeas that aren't in falafel form
Fermented yeast products (Marmite/Vegemite)
Coconut
Canned fish
Bologna
Beets (good call G0UCONN), especially borscht
Tofu

 

[8893]

Organ meats; but have enjoyed pate, foie gras and sweet breads.

Beets, except they are good when roasted (check it out @G0UCONN and @Stairmaster , it gets rid of the nasty taste).

Anchovies, unless a little is minced in Caesar dressing.

Raw onions.

 

[August_West]

Beets, except they are good when roasted (check it out @G0UCONN and @Stairmaster , it gets rid of the nasty taste).

the are great pickled especially with Turnips.

Do you even middle eastern food, bro?

 

[August_West]

Peas I HATE peas
Eggplant in almost every form unless done by a true Italian Eggplant pro or in an expert Baba Ganoush. Eggplant made by a hack is disgusting.

 

[8893]

the are great pickled especially with Turnips.

Do you even middle eastern food, bro?

I hate turnips, too. Thanks for reminding me.

But yes, pickled beets are very good.

 

[8893]

Eggplant in almost every form unless done by a true Italian Eggplant pro or in an expert Baba Ganoush. Eggplant made by a hack is disgusting.

That's a texture thing with me. Same with red peppers. I hate either one of them squishy. And I hate Baba Ganoush. But I love thinly sliced, flash fried eggplant done by a pro. Good on pizza that way, too. Modern, Harry's and Grand Apizza all do a nice job with it.

 

[8893]

Peas I HATE peas

I love peas. Especially snow peas. Also good on pizza; Harry's has them as an option iirc. Good with shrimp on a white pie.

How about "early" peas, those sweet little ones in the can from Le Sueur? Used to love those as a kid.

 

[G0UCONN]

Good call on peas. Yes they suck too.

 

[Excalibur]

Coconut -- I don't understand why anyone likes this, particularly shaved coconut in any dessert. Just eat sawdust -- it's the same thing.
Eggplant -- Unless it's in baba ganoush, cut with enough citrus and garlic, there is nothing at all appetizing about it.
Cantaloupe -- just has an odd flavor to me. Never liked it.

And a specific one -- there are some people who put sugar or some other sweetener in their red sauce (marinara, meat sauce, whatever). Those people should be shot.

 

[August_West]

Coconut -- I don't understand why anyone likes this, particularly shaved coconut in any dessert. Just eat sawdust -- it's the same thing.
Eggplant -- Unless it's in baba ganoush, cut with enough citrus and garlic, there is nothing at all appetizing about it.
Cantaloupe -- just has an odd flavor to me. Never liked it.

And a specific one -- there are some people who put sugar or some other sweetener in their red sauce (marinara, meat sauce, whatever). Those people should be shot.

My wife ( who got her sauce recipe from her Italian grandmother) makes a sauce tgat is altogether too acidic . I cut I t with a little brown sugar one time and it really made it a decent sauce. And make her do it now if she is using that recipe

 

[Husky25]

9. Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Spouts are good sauted (or baked; oven-roast as mentioned above) in olive oil and garlic, finished with grated Pecorino Romano, and panchetta...use any hard cheese (Parmasan or Asiago) and/or bacon if you need a substitute. Also, I've never really met an eggplant fry I haven't liked.

Can't stand cauliflower and I've had it prepared multiple different ways.

Eel is a texture thing. Same with anchovies, unless they are emulsified in a dressing.

At the end of the day though, it's green peppers for the win.

 

[Excalibur]

What about the recipe would make it acidic (other than using poor quality tomatoes)? I suppose you could be like Vinnie in Goodfellas just put too many onions in the sauce . . .

Said another way, is the issue with the ingredients vs. the recipe itself?

 

[Dove]

At the end of the day though, it's green peppers for the win.

I have all but eliminated green peppers from my recipes. I go with reds, yellows and/or jalapenos all day. I do make a chili that requires a diced green pepper and I am good with that.

 

[storrsroars]

Peas I HATE peas
Eggplant in almost every form unless done by a true Italian Eggplant pro or in an expert Baba Ganoush. Eggplant made by a hack is disgusting.

My exposure to peas as a child was in Swanson TV dinners. They were disgusting. It took me until my 40s to stop picking the peas out of samosas. Still can't eat them on their own.

Eggplant is one of the few vegetables popular on all six continents. Myriad of ways to make it, and all can be excellent. I consider myself a pro with it and I now prefer brushing with oil and baking to flash frying for parmigiana. Better texture. Trickiest eggplant application is stir-fry. Much room for error and basically a squishy greaseball.

Do you even Imam Biyaldi?

Hated brussels sprouts for years. In quick succession had a delicious cole slaw made with them, then had them roasted in a pomegranate vinegar. Not my favorite veg, but now acceptable.

Still can't do cauliflower. The smell is atrocious. And who's kidding who with cauliflower pizza crusts. Awful. I can suffer through raw cauliflower given enough dip.

Lima beans. Just no.

Black licorice. Although I can do ouzo, anisette, pernod and the like.

With very few exceptions (i.e. Morocco dishes, pies), I do not like cooked fruit. Too sweet, lousy texture. Don't even talk to me about pineapple on pizza.

Pumpkin beer. Pumpkin in pretty much anything, although I make a mean pumpkin bread.

EDIT: tip o' the cap to @Excalibur. Coconut. You can't hide it. No matter what form it's in, it still tastes like coconut. Stop putting in my food and stop trying to convince me it's good or healthy. It's a non-starter.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Interesting and different thread.

1. Onions (uncooked or large if cooked). Liquified in a sauce is ok. They literally make me ill.
2. Brussel Sprouts
3. Mustard (not sure it's a natural food)
4. Cauliflower (as @storrsroars says, it's the smell. I've had it with butter and cheese as "mashed potato substitute" and couldn't eat it
5. Dill pickles
7. Liver
8. Anchovies or sardines
9. Green bell peppers
10. lima beens. Texture thing. Like eating wet flower with a yucky taste

I am sure I am missing something. Ohh. I missed Mushrooms. That would be about #3

 

[Chin Diesel]

Ten foods I don't eat.

1. Onions
2. Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
3. Sauerkraut
4. Bologna
5. Salami
6. Beets
7. Anything with aspertame
8. Thousand Island Dressing
9. Coconuts
10. Meatloaf

Mayonnaise is weird since it's oil, egg, vinegar and a few spices. I eat all of them individually but the smell, texture and visual is gross. May be I need to grow in to it. I didn't start eating sour cream until I was 40.

Onions in any form of any flavor. I realize probably 90% of the sauces I eat at restaurants have onions in them. But I'd I see onions called out on a menu I ask for without and I'll eat around them any time I can.

As a kid my dad made meatloaf once and put a fried egg in the middle. He sliced through the load and it looked like an eyeball starting at me. Haven't touched it since.

It's taken me a while to get in to many of the spiced lunch meats like cappicola. Still don't like Salami, Spam or bologna but Taylor Pork Roll is fine.

The mayo dislike also takes out potato or macaroni salad.

As for Brussels sprouts definitely concur with sautee in bacon fat.

 

[August_West]

Surprising the amount of dislike for onions ITT.

I can eat an onion like an apple Raw. But I prefer them carmelized .

Which no one knows how to do properly.

If your onion isn’t in the pan at least 45 minutes you are sweating them not carmelizing

 

[August_West]

EDIT: tip o' the cap to @Excalibur. Coconut. You can't hide it. No matter what form it's in, it still tastes like coconut. Stop putting in my food and stop trying to convince me it's good or healthy. It's a non-starter.

Coconut is fantastic in deserts.
Love coconut cream pie.

Hate pretty much all cakes but coconut cake is awesome

Thai coconut curry soup from York noodle house in New Haven is one of my favorite inexpensive bites ever.


Coconut has some great uses.

 

[storrsroars]

As a kid my dad made meatloaf once and put a fried egg in the middle. He sliced through the load and it looked like an eyeball starting at me. Haven't touched it since.

"If meatloaf isn't food fit for the gods, then pity the poor gods." - Craig Claiborne

I'd sue your dad for depriving you of one of the most versatile and delicious ways to cook ground beef. It's so adaptable to whatever you have around, I could go years and never repeat a recipe.

 

[storrsroars]

Coconut has some great uses.

I can count to one: curry.

 

[Stainmaster]

I can count to one: curry.

Coconut milk ≠ "coconut," for all intents and purposes.

 

[August_West]

Coconut milk ≠ "coconut," for all intents and purposes.

It’s like a superstar.

You got water
You got milk
You got cream
You got food stuff

 

[Dogdeacon]

Wow, I had no idea how picky so many are. Did you all grow up on chicken nuggets & pizza or old school with forced spinach & other kid hated veggies?

For me:
1. Water chestnuts - worthless texture and no taste whatsoever I think we made a mistake thinking this is food
2. Sour cream flavored potato chips
3. BBQ flavored potato chips
That’s it

 

[8893]

I like coconut in most forms.

York Street Noodle House is one of the best values in New Haven.

There is no food in the country that has had a better awakening in the past decade than Brussels sprouts. Went from one of the most maligned and feared to one of the best. Apparently no one knew how to cook them until now. I've had them lots of tasty ways since I got hip to them, but the best remains the way they do them at Bistro Mediterranean in East Haven (also in Westbrook): julienned with a sunchoke (or something like that) dressing and shaved black truffles, served over a fried risotto cake.

Buffalo cauliflower is decent, as is the cheesy cauliflower thing my wife makes at Thanksgiving, with pancetta too. I've also had some cauliflower "rice" dishes that were pretty good.

The only good use I have ever seen for a green bell pepper is a classic Italian stuffed pepper, which seems to roast the nasty out of them.

 

[Mano]

Wow, I had no idea how picky so many are. Did you all grow up on chicken nuggets & pizza or old school with forced spinach & other kid hated veggies?

For me:
1. Water chestnuts - worthless texture and no taste whatsoever I think we made a mistake thinking this is food
2. Sour cream flavored potato chips
3. BBQ flavored potato chips
That’s it

You gotta remember DD, some of these guys are so old they didn’t have a lot of these things available to them until after their formative years, lol. I’m kidding, kind of.

Onions are probably my favorite vegetable. Raw, cooked, volcanoed, all good.

Brussels sprouts halved, cooked in bacon fat with shallots and finished with a dollop of whole grain mustard and a squeeze of lemon with the bacon crumbled over the top. Damn.

About the only thing I dislike is Tofu and peeps or other marshmallowy type things.

 

[Fishy]

1) Pasta
2) Meatballs
3) Veal
4) Oranges
5) Anything cranberry-related
6) Corn on the cob, off the cob, popped or creamed.
7) Cabbage
8) Any kind of cooked tomatoes
9) Corned beef
10) Cooked vegetables

I don’t care what you think about pasta. I don’t like it.

 

[Chin Diesel]

A few other quirks.

Green Bell Peppers- Not a fan of them, would never put them in any recipe on my own, work around them when added to dishes by others. Have no problem with red bell peppers. Actually like most peppers but not green bell peppers.

Aoli- putting spices in to mayonnaise still makes it mayonnaise.

Brussel sprouts- Not that I'd expect any Yankees to do this, but they are phenomenal in a crawfish boil.

Dijon mustards- I'm okay with whole grain and browns, no to Dijon.