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I've come across a few foods that appear to be heavily acquired tastes, and if you did not get used to it as a kid, it is very difficult to change your tastes.
by shard 6y ago
I've come across a few foods that appear to be heavily acquired tastes, and if you did not get used to it as a kid, it is very difficult to change your tastes. Licorice is definitely one for me, it makes me feel like I am eating tree sap. Others include perilla leaves (called sesame leaves in Korean cuisine) and cilantro (people who are not used to it says it tastes like soap).
- pivo 6y ago> cilantro (people who are not used to it says it tastes like soap) The soap taste of cilantro is attributed to genetics: https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap-to-some-people https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-cilantro-taste-lik...
- eridan2 6y agoalso the bitter brussel sprout: https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/nov/01/brussel-sprout-gene https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/nov/01/brussel...
- colordrops 6y agoSpeaking of Koreans, when I lived in Beijing, we used to call cilantro "Korean Kryptonite". It's in many Chinese dishes but the many Koreans that lived in Beijing hated it with a passion.
- aYsY4dDQ2NrcNzA 6y agoThere are some great YouTube videos of people around the world trying foods from different countries for the first time. Watching people gag on American staples like root beer is a lot of fun.
- pengaru 6y agoSomething I've discovered is one way to acquire a taste for things you want to like eating is to narrow your diet substantially to where that thing forms a substantial component of your sustenance. Obviously this isn't a great idea if that thing is a junk food snack or the like, but if it's a nutritious healthy kind of thing you just don't enjoy yet, in my experience this method acquires an appreciation and even craving for it within a few months. It's as if the body learns this is the stuff of survival that's in season now.
- DanBC 6y agoI found it interesting that the coriander thing is genetic: https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap-to-some-people https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-cilantro-taste-lik... > However, some people find cilantro revolting, including, famously, the chef Julia Child. Of course some of this dislike may come down to simple preference, but for those cilantro-haters for whom the plant tastes like soap, the issue is genetic. These people have a variation in a group of olfactory-receptor genes that allows them to strongly perceive the soapy-flavored aldehydes in cilantro leaves.
- elbear 6y agoTo me coriander reminds me of the smell of a bug. So it took quite some time to get used to it, but now I like it, especially in things like Pho Bo.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]