For years I had an extreme hatred of both cheese and mustard. I don't know why I disliked them; I just know that the presence of either could send me spiraling into a total meltdown. I remember one particularly ugly scene that involved a trip to Burger King with my grandparents and a mistake with our order that ended with me receiving a cheeseburger with mustard (the horror!), rather than a plain hamburger. After scraping off the cheese and mustard, my grandmother tried to convince me that the burger was exactly the same as what I had ordered. Um, no. I was not having it (there may have been some subsequent crying and whining involved). Oddly enough, although I thought I hated cheese, I loved macaroni & cheese (because that delicious gooey orange stuff obviously was not the same as those offensive slices).
Tables & tables of glorious cheese at the Great American Cheese Collection warehouse tasting
Today, I am a lover of all things cheese. I'm the one who seeks out cheese festivals, brings home some of the stinkiest cheeses (on purpose!), and actively records my cheese tastings & opinions (FYI this is awesome). Although I don't exhibit quite the same level of enthusiasm for mustard, I would wager that I probably have a bit more mustard love that the average American - I usually have anywhere between 5-10 different types on hand, including the classic yellow, various jars filled with grainy brown versions from Maille, and several specialty versions (Wisconsin Wilderness Cranberry Mustard & Fox Mustard are both amaaazing!)
Today's Lunchtime Poll: Are there any foods that you hated when you were younger that you love (or at least tolerate) now? Was there a reason for your hatred or was it just one of those random childhood quirks?
When I was 7 or so, my grandmother took me to a huge egg "factory" in Iowa with endless rows of chickens crammed into cages, and eggs would roll out the cage down a shoot. Grandma thought it was AWESOME. I never ate an egg again until just a few years ago, the first time I saw a package called "cage free - our chickens see sunlight". The smell of that factory and the disgusting conditions...{{shudder}}. My grandma was really sorry she took me that day, I can tell ya!
ReplyDeletePeas. Also mushrooms. I actively avoided both for years, only to discover one day that I didn't hate them at all...I actually liked them both!
ReplyDeleteExcept for canned versions of either. Those still freak me out. As do most canned vegetables. Yuck.
Bananas. I still cannot eat them. My mom thought they were perfect toddler food....ugh! I also hated pizza until I went to Italy and had it there.
ReplyDeleteInteresting question. I had to really think about it. My palate is obviously more extensive as an adult because I've tried many more things but those few foods I couldn't tolerate as a child are still on the yuck list. I never liked licorice/anise flavors and I never liked the texture of mushrooms. And I still won't eat either. I did hate tomatoes as a kid and, although I don't really like them now, I've learned to tolerate them in certain dishes.
ReplyDeletespinach and mushrooms. I refused to eat either for a long time. I'm still particular about how/what they are in, but I'll eat them.
ReplyDeleteI have found that most of the foods I hated as a child were a result of not being prepared properly. Brussels sprouts are a great example. My Dad only bout the frozen kind in the cardboard package and never salted them. They were mushy and disgusting. As an adult my husband made fresh ones for me steamed with garlic, salt, and butter. They are now one of my favorite veggies!
ReplyDeleteOne odd food quirk that I have though is that I hate olives but love olive oil.
Avocados. I hated them as a kid, and then I was shipped off to live with relatives for a month in Puerto Rico, where they had two avocado trees in their backyard, so it was a regular staple on the table for every meal. Every meal!
ReplyDeleteI finally decided to try them (they typically eat it sliced with a bit of salt and pepper) and pretty soon I couldn't get enough. I will eat them plain or put them on anything, and then of course there's guacamole. Yum. Now I'm craving avocados. :)
Lima beans. They made my head shake and they still do!
ReplyDelete@Sandra: Ah, that's terrible! I totally would have eschewed eggs too! I actually became a vegetarian after living in WI for a few years - I saw far too many sad/questionable/scary animal things when I was there. Those farm & factory visits can really have a negative effect!
ReplyDelete@Stephie: Canned mushrooms are definitely freaky! They're so slimy & have a weird smell - they're nothing like the fresh ones.