What Will You NEVER Eat Again?

[lapin d'or]

Tofu,

perhaps I just don't know how to cook it but it has always seemed totally yuk and pointless.

Semolina pudding as served at school is another texture horror I cannot forgive.

Lapin

[MikeHartnett]

Wow! Even the good stuff, Mike?

Maybe I've never had the pleasure of smelling the good stuff, but I've had such an instinctive revulsion toward the smell of canned tuna, it'd be pretty difficult to convince me it would be much different. Blech. Tuna.

[MikeHartnett]

Tofu,

perhaps I just don't know how to cook it but it has always seemed totally yuk and pointless.

No! Not pointless! Delicious and texturally pleasing! Tofu is one of the best examples of why Asian cuisines have a whole dimension that isn't typically present in Western foods: the use of varying textures to provide interest apart from the flavors.

[Chris Amirault]

Part of what I find so interesting about this topic is speculating on the question: quality, culture, or physiology? I'm certain that, for me, the chicken sashimi was a cultural thing: I have no aversion to the texture or to raw meat or fish. But, man, was I schooled in the dangers of undercooked chicken as a kid.

I think that if I ate it many times, I could undo that, but it's a deep reaction, I'll tell you.

Edited January 26, 2011 by Chris Amirault
ET clarify -- CA (log)

[TimS]

Chitlins for me as well. Smelled like sh!t. Tasted like what I imagine sh!t must taste like.

[Darienne]

Pesto? PESTO?

My goodness: why?

I'm with Chris. What is there in pesto not to like? Oil? Cheese? Nuts? Garlic? Basil? Or the many varieties which exist?

Is it the texture? The taste? Have you had it homemade? Store-bought?

Fresh pasta tossed with only pesto? Heaven on earth!

[ermintrude]

Another vote for Chitlins, had them once as a kid, never again

[annabelle]

Re: Pesto. I think it comes from the "pesto on everything" phase of the late 80's-early 90's. Not just a little pesto, GLOBS of pesto. Yes, I have made it and I grow several types of basil each year. It's probably the institutional memory and those oogy pine nuts.

[technophile50]

I sometimes add a litte bit of hungarian wax pepper to pesto to give it some zip. You want to aim towards subtle, not fiery.

[Muffinzz]

I can't even look at those squishy "circus peanut" candies without a wave of nausea passing over me. I love marshmallow, but those things are just evil. Also, fish sticks, which is weird, because I'll eat filet-o-fish at Mickey D's, and real fish. The smell of them is enough to put me off.

[harrysnapperorgans]

one of my nightmare foods are oysters - never again! I also don't really like pesto, I detest blue cheese, sour cream and other products that remind me highly of rotten milk.

And canned olives, in that ghastly brine . . . but I like olive oil and even extra virgin olive oil.

[LBNoble]

liver, beets, chickpeas, bell peppers-not totally ruling out sweet potatoes or winter squash, although I've never had any that I've liked...

[OnigiriFB]

I third or fourth uni. Just the texture. Like mushy....s'not. Love oysters though and slimy foods. Even natto as long as frozen (not as smelly) with mustard and stuff.

[ElsieD]

Eel. And that horrible Kraft "parmesan" cheese that comes in that green can. I worked in a place where the receptionist always seemed to microwave a frozen fish lunch. Then she would sprinkle that "cheese" on it and zap it some more. The gag factor was really high.

[annabelle]

Ech. Sounds like one of my son's college roommates. The guy lived on frozen shrimp and noodles that he nuked in the microwave. understandably, the other roommates referred to him as Fish.

[tmjst]

Balut. Even if I drink as much beer beforehand as I did the first time, as long as there's one unpickled neuron left to fire, I'll turn down the balut.

[Doodad]

Those rice/gelatin cakes in the Korean grocery store. They looked so pretty and sounded good. No, they were colored tire rubber with a hint of flavor. Not disgusting, just pointless and not sweet.

[alex james]

Lambs brains. The shape and particularly the texture. Ugh. I'm still traumatised and it was nearly 30 years ago.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Coffee or coffee-flavored anything.

Just not my thing, thank you very much.

[gingerfreak]

Sad to say, but nothing cooked in the restaurant I'm currently working at (and hopefully not much longer). I'll eat toast, that's about it.

[pastrygirl]

Natto, although I recall having some dried/toasted natto once that I'd eat again. It's not the flavor, it's the viscosity. I may give durian one more try, ideally not as a surprise at breakfast like last time

There are two particular things that every time I eat them I vow to try to remember how disappointing they are and not eat them again. Not because they are disgusting in taste or texture, but because they are simply not worth eating and make me sad. Those are cupcake-store cupcakes and conveyor belt sushi from Blue C (local chain, not all kaiten sushi is bad, but this is). I had both back to back the other day, the disappointing cupcake was an effort to erase the memory of the disappointing sushi. It failed.

[plum tart]

Warm goat's milk - straight from the goat. I read about how delicious it was in Heidi as a child and thought it would be wonderful to try. Well I gagged and couldn't drink it. So much for food descriptions in literature. I still can't face but now I avoid the opportunity. Goat cheese is fine.

Also, powdered milk, condensed milk, any Kraft ersatz powdered cheese and regretfully UNI. I have tried to be a sophisticated eater but no, my stomach churns at the mere sight of UNI!

Also that hair moss that is served for Chinese New Year. It looks like a man's hairpiece on the serving dish and has the texture of a brillo pad.

I have also not taken to fresh broad beans in the way Alice Waters would approve. I have grown them myself, and peeled them and eaten them raw and cooked and while they are fine, they don't inspire the ecstasies that I have read in menus and cookbooks.

I will eat pretty much everything else.

[Cragganmore17]

Limburger cheese. I managed to choke it down, fists clenched, but it was painful. Afterward the smell lingered on my breath and on my fingers no matter how much mouthwash or handsoap. I was actually worried it would never go away.

[toolprincess]

Chitlins, baby octopus sushi, licorice anything. Cream of wheat - although I don't generally have texture issues I can't tolerate this - I like polenta, oatmeal, grits but not cream of wheat. weird I know.

I haven't ruled out smoked oysters although I did not enjoy them when I tried them - perhaps I ate too many? I kept trying to really enjoy them.

I also haven't ruled out raspberries. I know raspberries - so pretty. I WANT to like them but I just don't care for the flavor. I keep trying them hoping I'll suddenly LOVE them.

Also I don't tolerate much grape flavored food (candies, popsicles, juices, etc) due to a car sick episode from when I was 6!

The list of foods that others find disgusting that I will happily gobble down is a large one... I don't generally have texture issues and I like a bit of bitterness (such as brussels sprouts).

[Kouign Aman]

Did I forget to mention watermelon? never. ever. nor anything w that scent.

toolprincess's grape episode reminded me.