What Are the Factors That Affect Our Sense of Taste and Smell?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Evo
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around personal food aversions and preferences, highlighting a variety of foods that individuals refuse to eat due to their taste, smell, or texture. Participants express strong dislikes for items like white hominy corn, green lima beans, and mangos, often describing their experiences in vivid terms. Some mention cultural or ethical reasons for avoiding certain foods, such as primates and cetaceans. The conversation touches on the influence of childhood experiences on food preferences, with many noting how early exposure shapes their current tastes. There are also humorous exchanges about being picky eaters and the relationship between personal food choices and broader issues like hunger. Overall, the thread showcases a wide range of food experiences, from adventurous eaters willing to try anything to those with strict dietary limitations.
Evo
Staff Emeritus
Messages
24,029
Reaction score
3,323
I will not eat white hominy corn, it smells like dirty sneakers. Hominy grits, on the other hand, are heavenly.

I won't eat green lima beans, they taste and smell like wet cardborad, but white lima beans taste like butter.

I can't eat mangos. If you have ever gotten perfume in your mouth, that is exactly what it tastes like to me.

I've heard of people that say cilantro tastes like soap. I like cilantro.

Other people can't eat shrimp or lobster because the feeling in their mouth upsets them.

Which food will you not eat and why?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Evo said:
Which food will you not eat and why?

I won't eat primates and cetaceans (for obvious reasons). But I'm not sure if they'd be defined as food in the first place. Other than that, I guess I'll eat anthing that is considered "food." I've never eaten any food in my life that I would not eat again.
 
RetardedBastard said:
I won't eat primates and cetaceans (for obvious reasons). But I'm not sure if they'd be defined as food in the first place. Other than that, I guess I'll eat anthing that is considered "food." I've never eaten any food in my life that I would not eat again.
Have you ever eaten white hominy corn or green lima beans?
 
Evo said:
I will not eat white hominy corn, it smells like dirty sneakers. Hominy grits, on the other hand, are heavenly.

I won't eat green lima beans, they taste and smell like wet cardborad, but white lima beans taste like butter.

I can't eat mangos. If you have ever gotten perfume in your mouth, that is exactly what it tastes like to me.

I've heard of people that say cilantro tastes like soap. I like cilantro.

Other people can't eat shrimp or lobster because the feeling in their mouth upsets them.

Good god! Aren't we a picky eater! :)

There are starving children starving in Africa, dun'cha kno' ?!?
 
I cannot eat when all my food it touching, it has to be separate with spacing between different foods on my plate.

I cannot drink milk from two different cartons, like finish one of and then start another one in the same glass.

I won't eat anything with Kaffir lime or Soy Sauce in it as to me both taste fowl!

I'm not really fussy as that is about it really, the whole plate thing may seem a bit silly but I don't like it when it touches, I can mix afterwards but I don't like weird combinations.
 
Evo said:
Have you ever eaten white hominy corn or green lima beans?

Well, I've never heard the world "hominy" in my life before, so I can honestly say no to the first one. Green lima beans.. on the other hand... not the tastiest food I admit, but I wouldn't NOT eat it if it was sitting on my plate.
 
RetardedBastard said:
Good god! Aren't we a picky eater! :)

There are starving children starving in Africa, dun'cha kno' ?!?

Why is not eating certain food in any way related to starving children? Surely it means that there is less waste?
 
_Mayday_ said:
I cannot eat when all my food it touching, it has to be separate with spacing between different foods on my plate.

I cannot drink milk from two different cartons, like finish one of and then start another one in the same glass.

I won't eat anything with Kaffir lime or Soy Sauce in it as to me both taste fowl!

I'm not really fussy as that is about it really, the whole plate thing may seem a bit silly but I don't like it when it touches, I can mix afterwards but I don't like weird combinations.

Wow! Why are you so picky? It all ends up touching each other anyway.
 
I don't eat:
cucumber or zucchini=> has a green taste to me

durian=> never tried it but it smells like

sweet potato=> why eat this odd thing when you can eat normal potatos and sour cream :confused:

and I end up liking weird stuff that a lot of people don't like such as:

caviar: :approve: yum..
 
  • #10
There used to be a time when I would not eat mushrooms, I mean who wants to eat a fungus? Now I'll eat them on pizza at least. I still would rather not eat olives. They sort of remind me of really awful pickles. But again, on pizza it is acceptable. By themselves? No way!

After watching a few episodes of Andrew Zimmern I don't think there's much I wouldn't try. That said, I think I'd stay away from insects :)
 
  • #11
RetardedBastard said:
Wow! Why are you so picky? It all ends up touching each other anyway.

Dunno! I like it a certain way, and it isn't any extra work for anyone but myself!
 
  • #12
_Mayday_ said:
I won't eat anything with Kaffir lime or Soy Sauce in it as to me both taste fowl!

You must be referring to the salty soy sauce that comes in the bottle..I agree with you if your talking about that However, the good soy sauce is the type that is taken from the bottle and combined with sugar and spices that makes it quite tasty :-p
Now that's REAL soy sauce, not that darn salty stuff that comes straight out of the bottle.
 
  • #13
_Mayday_ said:
Why is not eating certain food in any way related to starving children? Surely it means that there is less waste?

OK, I admit it, I just wanted to say dun'cha kno' ! There, happy? :)
 
  • #14
I cannot eat processed foods. Sorry. The very concept of canned soups, hamburger helper, Twinkies, etc is so foreign to the way I was raised. I have severe reactions to MSG and all of its aliases so I can't eat any of that crap anyway, but I have never been drawn to that food anyway. My mother and my grandmother taught me how to cook real food, and I have done so all my life (even as a college student).

As for individual (healthy) foods, I dislike bland crap like eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, etc. I will cheerfully throw together tomatoes, chilies, meats, garlic, cheeses, etc, and other zesty stuff to make great meals, but I can't tolerate "blah".
 
  • #15
I won't eat anything that some idiot says is supposed to be good for me.
Give me a chainsaw and a cow; fire is optional. I'll eat potatoes because I have enough Irish blood that they're honourary meat.
 
  • #16
Mororvia said:
After watching a few episodes of Andrew Zimmern I don't think there's much I wouldn't try. That said, I think I'd stay away from insects :)
I *LOVE* Andrew Zimmern! He has a new show on tonight about Iceland, I can't wait!

I am dying for a "bake and shark" after watching that Trinidad episode. He said it was one of his favorite top 10 foods of all times, ever, seriously, ever. You know it had to be good.
 
  • #17
Seafood.

Food that's smaller than its supposed to be.

Yoghurt with fruit in it (has an awful texture).

Mushrooms.

Anything with gravy on or excess sauce.

Sausages.

Frozen pizza.

I used to be worse and wouldn't eat pasta, rice, salads or mince, but I can now. :smile:
 
  • #18
Am I the only one in this entire thread that isn't a picky eater?
 
  • #19
RetardedBastard said:
Am I the only one in this entire thread that isn't a picky eater?

Perhaps that's the origin of your name? :-p
 
  • #20
- Brussels sprouts (though I think that likely goes without saying)
- sweet & sour coconut soup
- anything served in a stainless steel dish with stainless steel utensils - such as Swiss Chalet ice cream (eeeeee - it curls my toes just thinking about contact between the two)
 
  • #21
Danger said:
Perhaps that's the origin of your name? :-p

touché! :approve:
 
  • #22
RetardedBastard said:
touché! :approve:

The way I see it is that my ancestors spent billions of years to get me to the top of the food chain. I choose to honour them by remaining there.
 
  • #23
Sugar snap peas
peas
okra
acorn squash
lima beans
brussel sprouts
green beans
raw onions
 
  • #24
I eat everything and am always on the lookout for something I haven't had yet. But I cannot eat onions and keep them down.
 
  • #25
There are foods I'm not fond of, and wouldn't make for myself, but in terms of things I won't eat at all, can't think of much. I mean, if I visit someone and they serve things I'm not fond of, I can still usually pretend to like it enough to eat it. The only thing I can't choke down at all is beef liver. Not sure if I could eat insects either, but maybe if I convinced myself they were just tiny shrimp or something, I could do it (and if starving, I'm sure I could manage). My bigger problem is being unable to decide what to eat because everything sounds good when I go out. I'm so slow to choose a meal.
 
  • #26
I love thinly sliced calves liver smothered with caramelized onions and bacon.

Kosher chicken liver pate. :!)

I will (and have) eaten anything put in front of me at least once. I love snails, frogs, all types of animal innards, anything out of the water, anything that flies in the air or walks on the land. Although I have seen some things eaten on the tv shows Wildman, Survivorman, and Mark and Ollie, living with the Mek, that I would only eat as a last resort to starvation, I still say green lima beans and white hominy are among the foulest things on earth.
 
  • #27
I hate liver but I loooove liverwurst.

(I know, I don't get it either...)
 
  • #28
I despise olives with ever fibre of my being, they disgust me. Not a big fan of sweet potatoes either.
 
  • #29
Almost everything discussed so far sounds good, and rather pedestrian to boot. I'll pass on "delicacies" and "aphrodisiacs" from countries that revel in non-pedestrian fare: Stuff like fish eyes, sea cucumber, duck brains, and various unmentionable body parts.
 
  • #30
turbo-1 said:
I cannot eat processed foods. Sorry. The very concept of canned soups, hamburger helper, Twinkies, etc is so foreign to the way I was raised. I have severe reactions to MSG and all of its aliases so I can't eat any of that crap anyway, but I have never been drawn to that food anyway. My mother and my grandmother taught me how to cook real food, and I have done so all my life (even as a college student).

As for individual (healthy) foods, I dislike bland crap like eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, etc. I will cheerfully throw together tomatoes, chilies, meats, garlic, cheeses, etc, and other zesty stuff to make great meals, but I can't tolerate "blah".

I AGREE!

I want to be andew zimmer and try all those weirdo foods, they look great to me. I like eating odd ball things, like vegtables, caviar, tripe, egg plant, etc etc.

I want to try that broiled sheeps head arildno posted. That looks bad ass.

I think the reason why I would try lots of these 'weird' foods is because I am tired of the regular stuff for so many years.
 
Last edited:
  • #31
gravenewworld said:
Sugar snap peas
peas
okra
acorn squash
lima beans
brussel sprouts
green beans
raw onions


AhAHha you could steam all of those and give it to me in a big plate. YUMMMM. I LOVE brussel sprouts.
 
  • #32
Evo said:
I love thinly sliced calves liver smothered with caramelized onions and bacon.

Kosher chicken liver pate. :!)

I will (and have) eaten anything put in front of me at least once. I love snails, frogs, all types of animal innards, anything out of the water, anything that flies in the air or walks on the land. Although I have seen some things eaten on the tv shows Wildman, Survivorman, and Mark and Ollie, living with the Mek, that I would only eat as a last resort to starvation, I still say green lima beans and white hominy are among the foulest things on earth.
OK, you have redeemed yourself, if you will just renounce eggplant.
 
  • #33
I think all foods can taste good if they're put in the hands of the good cook. Though, I will not eat liver of any kind, cantaloupes, or meats from different animals cooked together. I won't eat food prepared by a person who looks unhygienic (fat lady with arteries popping out from the cafeteria, pimply teen who works at a fast food chain, etc.).
 
  • #34
I will try anything. And I will very likely LOVE it.

Bussel sprouts? Heavenly.

Lima beans? I swear, food of the GODS. I used to buy a bag of frozen lima beans at the end of finals and treat myself to a huge bowl of them!

I won't eat beets. My aunt Bernice-- she was my favorite aunt -- slapped me at a family reunion because I wouldn't eat them (my family is...odd), but it's one of my favorite memories of her! So I don't eat beets to honor (rebel against?) her.

Calves liver...the chocolate of meat.

OK, I won't eat goose liver pate...I'm sure I would love it but the cruelty to the goose is something I can't stomach :rolleyes: .
 
  • #35
lisab said:
Bussel sprouts? Heavenly.
Alien from Planet Earth.
 
  • #36
lisab said:
Calves liver...the chocolate of meat.

 
  • #37
sweet potatoes! BARF!
 
  • #38
Number2Pencil said:
sweet potatoes! BARF!

What about yams? They taste similar to me.

(I love them both!)
 
  • #39
Nope..I overate on yams when I was 4 or 5 years old...haven't touched em since! even the sight makes me nautious
 
  • #40
Our childhood experiences are so influential on how we perceive food.
 
  • #41
I really think that's true. One of my brothers was never exposed to many varieties of baby food when he was a young'un (financial troubles with my parents)...and he is definently the pickiest eater I've ever known...he'd be dead if there wasn't cheese pizza, pickles, and grilled cheese sandwiches
 
  • #42
I can't stand okra. Period.

I don't care for raw tomatoes. I can stand them in small pieces as part of a salad or chili, or as a slice in a sandwich, although I prefer to order my hamburgers, cheeseburgers, etc. without tomato if possible. When I get a large chunk of tomato in a salad, I let my wife take it. On the other hand, tomato sauce on spaghetti, pizza, etc., is fine with me. So is ketchup.
 
  • #43
lisab said:
Our childhood experiences are so influential on how we perceive food.

Probably in a complex way. During early childhood my son was an extreme picky eater. it seemed even that he was to happy to starve rather than eat. It required very inventive games to trick him into eating something. Every bite he took was a major victory. Nowadays he eats about anything.
 
  • #44
Number2Pencil said:
I really think that's true. One of my brothers was never exposed to many varieties of baby food when he was a young'un (financial troubles with my parents)...and he is definently the pickiest eater I've ever known...he'd be dead if there wasn't cheese pizza, pickles, and grilled cheese sandwiches
Man, you youngsters have it good. We never got cheese pizza-, pickle- or grilled cheese-flavoured baby food when I was young...
 
  • #45
I had some pickled okra the other day and i thought it was great. I was hungry though. Whoever said cantelope is crazy. Good cantelope is one of the best tasting of all the fruits/melons. Goose liver pate with truffles is the best waste of $50 I can think of. All that being said, I don't like bananas.
 
  • #46
:smile: I don't know why but I was scrolling down the page and saw the title as
"what fools won't you eat" ":smile:
and I was like this is a new but familiar post title and then I read it again.
 
  • #47
I ate a bug once. I don't know what kind it was. It just flew in my mouth, so I ate it. The head was kind of cruchy and tart.
 
  • #48
Huckleberry said:
I ate a bug once. I don't know what kind it was. It just flew in my mouth, so I ate it. The head was kind of cruchy and tart.
:rolleyes: Most people's reaction would be to spit it out. :biggrin:
 
  • #49
Evo said:
:rolleyes: Most people's reaction would be to spit it out. :biggrin:
I was going to do that, but there's starving children in Africa dontchaknow.
 
  • #50
The only foods I have ever had trouble eating have been crustaceans. I'm not fond of most seafood besides fish, but crustaceans I dislike a lot. I still eat those crab rangoon things that come as sides for chinese take out, but only because I hate to see anything go to waste.
 

Similar threads

What Have I Learned From Chain E-mails?
Replies
3
Views
3K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top