Comments on: Are you guaranteed to be disgusted by 33% of the food on this list?

Question: Are you guaranteed to be disgusted by 33% of the food on this list?

billtron — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:15:41 -0800

I once heard something along the lines of there being three foods in the world all of which hardly anyone enjoys the taste, even though many people enjoy at least two. One of them was peanut butter. Another might have been Vegemite. Where might I have heard this possibly false factoid? Any idea what the three items were?

By: one_bean

one_bean — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:21:54 -0800

You might be thinking of the incompatible food triad. It is the theorem that no three foods exist, such that any combination of two of them work well together, but all three are disgusting.

By: wackybrit

wackybrit — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:22:58 -0800

It's almost certainly not what you're looking for, but the first thing I thought of was the incompatible food triad. This is more about blending of foods than personal likes and dislikes, however.

By: billtron

billtron — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:03:02 -0800

although that's a fascinating puzzle, it's not what I remember. any other guesses?

By: sarahkeebs

sarahkeebs — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:12:37 -0800

Not sure about the theory behind it, but in my experience there are a few foods which one either loves or hates and few people are indifferent to. The main contender is (black) licorice, especially black jelly beans. Also mushrooms, bananas, tuna, raisins, and cinnamon hearts seem to engender polarized responces. I've never noticed a 3/2 pattern though, but then, I've never looked.

By: JABof72

JABof72 — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:33:36 -0800

A friend told me that Marmite (British version of Vegemite) can ward off mosquitoes. After getting a whiff of the stuff upon opening the jar, I thought I'd temper it with some peanut butter. It almost made me give up peanut butter, it was that horrid. I managed to choke-down a spoonful by itself. It was worth it. Didn't get bit all summer.

By: wilful

wilful — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:30:25 -0800

jesus christ, mixing marmite with peanut butter, what on earth were you thinking?

Love my peanut butter, love my Vegemite, really want to know what #3 is to disprove the theorem.

By: Joh

Joh — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:36:09 -0800

I have happily eaten marmite and peanut butter sandwiches. Just go light on the marmite - its strong stuff! Curious what taste number three is. Since I like the current mentioned two ingredients, it must be something I hate, right? :) Liver?

By: JujuB

JujuB — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:58:54 -0800

Brussel sprouts? I happen to love them.

By: spec80

spec80 — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:08:43 -0800

It's probably durian. *BARF*

By: markr

markr — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:17:07 -0800

The correct way to eat durian is as ice-cream. A normal durian looks like shit, smells like shit and tastes like shit. Durian ice cream smells and tastes like shit, but it looks like ice-cream. A vast improvement.

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:48:37 -0800

I called this the "non-transitive property of food" as a kid.

We all know that if A=B, and B=C, then A=C.

Pretend that A=peanut butter
B=chocolate
C=mint

If that were true, because peanut butter pairs well with chocolate, and chocolate pairs well with mint, it stands to reason peanut butter pairs well with mint. No. Non-transitive.

By: The Monkey

The Monkey — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:35:33 -0800

I routinely make peanut butter & vegemite toast, it is delicious.

You accursed heathens.

By: thoughtless

thoughtless — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:18:11 -0800

I love the taste of all foods (I am the opposite of a supertaster) so would be extremely interested to know what this third food is, to see if I like it. And in a more question-answery vein, the list of problem foods in the supertaster link might be of use to you.

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:18:54 -0800

Perhaps it's a simple as the basic sweet-sour-salty triad? Any two work together, but all three together simply won't work? Though I am sure there are examples of some yummy foods with all three traits...

By: tomble

tomble — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:41:17 -0800

Durian is wonderful! I did once read a description likening the durian experience to eating custard in a sewer. Perhaps the other food is something like century eggs? Or one of the really appalling cheeses?

I think the reason a lot of people hate vegemite is because they open a jar for the first time, dip in a finger or spoon and taste a big lump of it. These people are lucky to survive.

The way to eat it is to spread a molecule thick layer onto toast or crumpets. I've never liked it much because I used to have an allergy to it, though these days that's gone and in minor doses it's quite pleasant.

By: 5MeoCMP

5MeoCMP — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 05:08:34 -0800

Anchovies. Got to be anchovies.

I love Vegemite, peanut butter (haven't tried them together yet though), brussel sprouts, olives, even durian. But anchovies can go take a hairy flying jump. Liquorice, cinnamon, cloves - yum. Tomatoes, potatoes (and potahtoes), eggplant, squid: foods of the gods. Anchovies: choking death from below.

Oh, and Thorzdad: sweet-salty-sour is just 3/4 of how to make a good Thai curry -- the only part missing is "hot", aka capsaicin (you makes your curry as hot as you need and then you tempers it with fish sauce (salty), then lime juice (sour) and palm sugar (sweet) -- mmm, hungry now).

By: fiercecupcake

fiercecupcake — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 05:58:02 -0800

The friends that I *love* to sit by at dinner parties (more for me!) all hate avocados, olives, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, and feta cheese -- all of which are on my list of favorite foods ever.

I know more than two of these people, and they hate everything on that list. Find me more so I can sit by them and eat everything they pick out of their salads.

By: Deathalicious

Deathalicious — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:31:52 -0800

I think if the answers so far show anything, it is that it is impossible to create any rule about what tastes or foods humans, as a rule, like or dislike.

By: Deathalicious

Deathalicious — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:36:27 -0800

thoughtless: "I love the taste of all foods."

Oh yes? Every had boiled goat stomach sausage?

By: meeshell

meeshell — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:52:03 -0800

I bet it was cilantro

By: JABof72

JABof72 — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:13:57 -0800

Thoughtless; have you ever tried ludefish?

By: spec80

spec80 — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:59:14 -0800

Thoughtless: ever had Balut?

By: Deathalicious

Deathalicious — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:29:31 -0800

Oh my gosh. Nearly forgot:

Ever had Faseekh or Melouha:

a semi-putrid form of salted and dried Grey Mullet

Emphasis on the putrid.

I actually liked it in small quantities. In large quantities it made me wonder who it was actually a food.

By: billtron

billtron — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:11:07 -0800

I'm surprised that what I thought I heard didn't ring a bell for anyone else. Oh well, maybe I dreamt it.

The one-upmanship that seems to have taken over this thread reminds me of a challenge between Gordon Ramsay and James May involving snake whiskey, bull penis and hakarl. I've had one of them, but I don't know if I particularly liked it.

The incompatible food triad made an appearance on kottke.org today.