Acquired tastes

[BadRabbit]

Caviar is always said to be an acquired taste. It took me years before I could eat it without making a face, and even today, I can't eat it straight, it has to be with creme fraische, butter or some other rich fatty ingredient to balance out the saltiness.

I have always loved caviar but I question why anyone would teach themselves to like it. It's ridiculously expensive and very seldomly used except in the highest priced restaurants. Even in the Michelin starred restaurants it is easily avoided (unless sitting at a chef's table or at a Prix Fixe dinner with no options). I wish I hated caviar.

[Kouign Aman]

I taught myself to like fresh tomatoes and strawberries.

Same as feeding a baby new things, it was via repeated exposure.

Everytime one showed up in a meal, I gagged it down.

Eventually I just choked it down, and slowly I began to like them.

It took about 1 year for the berries and about 3 years for the tomatoes.

[roosterchef21]

Lamb brains. That smell after blanching them really turns my gut.

[Emily_R]

I am so impressed with those of you who have forced yourself to overcome... As of right now, I detest ketchup, and mustard will actually make me gag. I really wish I liked them both, but I don't wish it enough to face my gag reflex day after day...

[dcarch]

There is something funny about the fact that the Chinese used to feed their truffles to pigs. They can't stand the awful look and muddy smell.

Now they export them for good money.

dcarch

[Susie Q]

Licorice. I still hate the sweet kind, but I've developed a fondness for the unsweetened, bitter Italian kind.

Cheese. I used to hate cheese as a kid with the exception of Jack cheese and blue cheese. I can't get enough of cheese now, and the stinkier the better. Morbier comes to mind. There is always pimento cheese in the ice box!

I still can't eat dried seaweed.

Edited August 3, 2010 by Susie Q (log)

[LizD518]

Fish Sauce. The first bottle I ever bought was a really thick variety, and really, really strong smelling (even for fish sauce - maybe I got a bad batch?) I was dubious, but I figured that so many other people rave about, it can't be as bad as I think, right? I made a recipe for some sort of dipping sauce that was almost pure fish sauce, with a bit of garlic & ginger, lime & cilantro I believe. Dipped my summer rolls into it...and spit them right back out!! It was horrible.

Since then I have switched to a different brand witch is clear and not so strong-smelling. I like to make fried rice and pad thai with it, but I still prefer a soy sauce base for something like dipping sauces. The fish sauce is a bit too overwhelming.

I definitely started to develop a love for bitter flavors when I was in college. I started drinking coffee and because I had to be "cool" it had to be black coffee. That helped push my acceptance of bitter flavors. Now, I actually prefer cafe au lait when drinking coffee, or a bit of half & half if I have no choice. No sugar though. And I love bitter beers - IPA styles are my favorite. Any brown ale or scotch ales are waaaay too sweet for me. Most stouts, except for Guinness are too sweet for me too, although it is also a "textural" thing with Guinness since I only like it if is on tap - no bottles or cans.