Picky eater support group?
February 23, 2009 5:50 PM Subscribe
I'm a reverse food snob. I'm cocky about not liking certain foods. Am I hopeless?
Ok, not cocky, so much as newly confident. Here's the story: I went out to dinner with a couple friends recently, and had a few foods for the first time. One of these was mussels, which a former me wouldn't have touched, but the new open-minded me had to try at least once. I found them rather uninteresting, certainly not flavorful enough to compensate for being such hideously ugly things. The next day, stricken with a very upset stomach (I'll give the mussels the benefit of the doubt) and stuck inside my apartment, I had plenty of time to contemplate food related matters.
I realized that I just don't care for a variety of foods, but no longer feel self conscious about it. Take sushi. I've had cheap and expensive sushi, whimsical rolls and no-frills nigiri, but I've never been wowed by the flavors or textures. I hate to sound like a culinary philistine, but I just think fish tastes better cooked, and I think sushi rice is bland (gasp). I could care less if anyone else eats it, whether it's to be trendy or (preferably) because they truly love it. But I've come to accept that I just don't care for sushi, and I'm OK with that.
If I try something, give it genuine consideration, and decide it's not for me, that's cool, right? I know, it's a silly question - but it's hard to escape if you want to be a happenin' dude in the big city. I've never actually been verbally assaulted for my tastes, but it gets irritating having to explain why sometimes, not to mention deciding on restaurants to go to with friends.
Anyone out there have any stories about struggling with palate persecution? (Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go take my chickenless chicken nuggets out of the toaster oven.)
Ok, not cocky, so much as newly confident. Here's the story: I went out to dinner with a couple friends recently, and had a few foods for the first time. One of these was mussels, which a former me wouldn't have touched, but the new open-minded me had to try at least once. I found them rather uninteresting, certainly not flavorful enough to compensate for being such hideously ugly things. The next day, stricken with a very upset stomach (I'll give the mussels the benefit of the doubt) and stuck inside my apartment, I had plenty of time to contemplate food related matters.
I realized that I just don't care for a variety of foods, but no longer feel self conscious about it. Take sushi. I've had cheap and expensive sushi, whimsical rolls and no-frills nigiri, but I've never been wowed by the flavors or textures. I hate to sound like a culinary philistine, but I just think fish tastes better cooked, and I think sushi rice is bland (gasp). I could care less if anyone else eats it, whether it's to be trendy or (preferably) because they truly love it. But I've come to accept that I just don't care for sushi, and I'm OK with that.
If I try something, give it genuine consideration, and decide it's not for me, that's cool, right? I know, it's a silly question - but it's hard to escape if you want to be a happenin' dude in the big city. I've never actually been verbally assaulted for my tastes, but it gets irritating having to explain why sometimes, not to mention deciding on restaurants to go to with friends.
Anyone out there have any stories about struggling with palate persecution? (Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go take my chickenless chicken nuggets out of the toaster oven.)
This post was deleted for the following reason: a little on the chatty side, maybe refine as a real question? -- jessamyn
It's cool to like whatever you want to like.
For example: I don't like really this question because it's chatfilter.
posted by neroli at 5:56 PM on February 23, 2009 [4 favorites]
For example: I don't like really this question because it's chatfilter.
posted by neroli at 5:56 PM on February 23, 2009 [4 favorites]
I hate--*hate*--Indian food. My friends sometimes make fun of me for it (only in the "where do you want to eat?" "I don't really care" "then let's get Indian! hahahaha" way), but no one cares. I don't care. They don't care. People who are not crazy will not care. You should not care. Like what you like. Don't like what you don't like. Be open to trying things if you don't know whether or not you like them. Don't give people crap about what they like to eat, and don't take any crap from them regarding what you eat. Have a happy life, and don't ask chatty questions.
posted by phunniemee at 5:56 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by phunniemee at 5:56 PM on February 23, 2009
Hopelessly impolite, perhaps. No one says you must like every food but you must not make your feelings known to others as if one's taste buds are in competition. If your friends are also as rude, then choose not to match that behavior. (By the way, I hate fish tacos.) /chatfilter
posted by Dick Paris at 5:59 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by Dick Paris at 5:59 PM on February 23, 2009
you like what you like. There's nothing wrong or right about that. But if you make a big deal about it, whether you mean to or not, it comes across as annoyingly hipper-than-thou (you know that one smug guy who won't shut the hell up about how Slumdog Millionaire really wasn't that strong?). Just like if you make a big deal about your champagne tastes, it makes you look like a snobbish prick, or if you make a big deal about not eating X or Y or Z it makes you look like a picky jerk.
I like food; I like most every kind of food, actually. I believe I have an educated palate, but I have pretty wide-ranging tastes. I eat what I want to eat. I don't martyr myself over it or gloat. Because no one cares.
posted by peachfuzz at 6:02 PM on February 23, 2009
I like food; I like most every kind of food, actually. I believe I have an educated palate, but I have pretty wide-ranging tastes. I eat what I want to eat. I don't martyr myself over it or gloat. Because no one cares.
posted by peachfuzz at 6:02 PM on February 23, 2009
Response by poster: whoops, sorry about the miscategorization: I'm still a bit of a n00b. if it's possible to have this moved to chatfilter, mods please do so.
posted by fishtacos at 6:09 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by fishtacos at 6:09 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
If I try something, give it genuine consideration, and decide it's not for me, that's cool, right?
That's entirely cool. More for the people who do like it.
posted by pompomtom at 6:10 PM on February 23, 2009
That's entirely cool. More for the people who do like it.
posted by pompomtom at 6:10 PM on February 23, 2009
>if it's possible to have this moved to chatfilter
That's not quite what they meant.
posted by pompomtom at 6:11 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
That's not quite what they meant.
posted by pompomtom at 6:11 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Not hopeless, just annoying to your friends when you go out to eat together.
posted by mullingitover at 6:11 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by mullingitover at 6:11 PM on February 23, 2009
Anyone out there have any stories about struggling with palate persecution?
http://ask.metafilter.com/tags/vegan
posted by roger ackroyd at 6:12 PM on February 23, 2009
http://ask.metafilter.com/tags/vegan
posted by roger ackroyd at 6:12 PM on February 23, 2009
It's more cool the less you talk about it.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 6:12 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 6:12 PM on February 23, 2009
I live in New Mexico, land of red and/or green chile dumped on top of everything. And I can't handle (most) spicy foods - anything capsaicin-based sets my tongue alight and is just plain too painful to handle. Luckily, I've been able to order food with no chile at all, and nobody's ever asked me probing questions or looked at me funny. So - yeah, I'd say it's cool if you decide something's not for you. I've never had to pull this excuse out, but I'm prepared to claim I'm allergic if it comes to it.
posted by wanderingmind at 6:20 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by wanderingmind at 6:20 PM on February 23, 2009
It's one thing to outright refuse to try certain kinds of food because you assume there's no way you could like it. The "Sushi? RAW FISH? Disgusting! Who'd eat that?" response.
It's another thing to be willing to try all kinds of food but then discover that you don't like some of them. It's not that you think there's something wrong with sushi, you just don't appreciate it yourself.
The first type of response can be pretty annoying. But so long as you're willing to keep an open mind about different kinds of foods, and so long as you don't parade your preferences as somehow superior to the preferences as others, then there's nothing wrong with it. Heck, it's normal.
posted by Ms. Saint at 6:26 PM on February 23, 2009
It's another thing to be willing to try all kinds of food but then discover that you don't like some of them. It's not that you think there's something wrong with sushi, you just don't appreciate it yourself.
The first type of response can be pretty annoying. But so long as you're willing to keep an open mind about different kinds of foods, and so long as you don't parade your preferences as somehow superior to the preferences as others, then there's nothing wrong with it. Heck, it's normal.
posted by Ms. Saint at 6:26 PM on February 23, 2009
Bananas. Horrible gummy smelly things. But when I say I don't like them the standard response is "but they're full of potassium."
Don't care; don't like 'em; and I eat an otherwise balanced diet so I'm not potassium-deficient. My guess is that the banana industry very successfully sold the idea that bananas are one of the only sources of potassium.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:27 PM on February 23, 2009
Don't care; don't like 'em; and I eat an otherwise balanced diet so I'm not potassium-deficient. My guess is that the banana industry very successfully sold the idea that bananas are one of the only sources of potassium.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:27 PM on February 23, 2009
Yes, it's totally fine, but don't make a big deal about it. Say "I just don't care for (mussels/sushi/yams/whatever)" and leave it at that. It's not necessary to explain why you don't.
Try to be accommodating when you're choosing restaurants with friends. I'm a vegetarian, but I go to sushi restaurants with my friends and eat noodles or cucumber rolls or whatever I can find on the menu, because I'm there for the company first and the food second. Finally, remember that some acquired tastes might be worth acquiring, and maintain your open mind about revisiting foodstuffs you once rejected.
posted by fermion at 6:27 PM on February 23, 2009
Try to be accommodating when you're choosing restaurants with friends. I'm a vegetarian, but I go to sushi restaurants with my friends and eat noodles or cucumber rolls or whatever I can find on the menu, because I'm there for the company first and the food second. Finally, remember that some acquired tastes might be worth acquiring, and maintain your open mind about revisiting foodstuffs you once rejected.
posted by fermion at 6:27 PM on February 23, 2009
You're not a philistine, you're just a culinary conservative. You can rely on the history of political and/or economic conservatism in how you deal with the social aspects of your food choices.
I was an incorrigibly picky eater until I was in my 30s, now I eat pretty much everything. Seconding peachfuzz, nobody cares why you don't like something. It's like dissecting the TV show "According To Jim;" if it's so bad, then why elaborate?
"Gee fishtacos, that's fascinating. Tell us again your rather intelligent reasons for not liking eggplant, because I'm still having trouble getting my head around that one. It keeps me up at night!"
"Listen up everyone, he totally eviscerates HoHo's!"
posted by rhizome at 6:27 PM on February 23, 2009
I was an incorrigibly picky eater until I was in my 30s, now I eat pretty much everything. Seconding peachfuzz, nobody cares why you don't like something. It's like dissecting the TV show "According To Jim;" if it's so bad, then why elaborate?
"Gee fishtacos, that's fascinating. Tell us again your rather intelligent reasons for not liking eggplant, because I'm still having trouble getting my head around that one. It keeps me up at night!"
"Listen up everyone, he totally eviscerates HoHo's!"
posted by rhizome at 6:27 PM on February 23, 2009
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posted by fishtacos at 5:53 PM on February 23, 2009