I’ve mentioned previously that I have a few – ahem – issues when it comes to certain foods. I was discussing this the other day and trying to ‘rationalise’ my aversions (as you do!). And in case you were wondering, the conversation in question centred around tomato juice which, quite frankly, terrifies me!
“My food foibles can be divided into categories,” I explained.
Stuff that looks like it did when it was alive
I don’t like shellfish… in fact any meat still on the bone or in a shell puts me off. I’m a rabid carnivore so it’s not a humanitarian thing… just the ick factor.
Messy stuff you eat with your fingers
Yet another reason I don’t like meat on bones and the like. The notion of picking up a lobster or chicken leg and gnawing at it really freaks me out. Plus I HATE having dirty hands. On rare occasions I have eaten with my fingers I’m prone to need to wash/wipe them after each mouthful which makes for very cumbersome dining!
Stuff that creeps me out
- Obviously the tomato juice falls into this category. My niece loved tomato juice as a kid and it took all of my willpower not to look at that habit as something akin to vampire/cult blood drinking and just a step up from microwaving kittens (*think I read about that in a book once, not something I came up with myself. I promise!).
- Mushrooms and other plant-like food – like lettuce, bok choy, kale and other bits of grass should also remain in the ground where they’re meant to live. They should not grace my plate. Mushrooms are just kinda dirty to me and well…ummm… creepy. As for the green leafy stuff. Why? Is all I ask.
- Broccoli and cauliflower also feature in this category. I’ve said it before but will mention it again that both remind me of the human brain and I almost gag at the concept. And the fact that I found this broccoli picture below (compliments of merlinace.com), and Halloween pictures of cauliflower oozing red food colouring during my Google searches are evidence that IT’S NOT JUST ME who feels this way!
Of course I don’t really eat fruit and there’s a myriad of other veges I don’t like, but that’ll do for now. You know… just in case you were thinking of inviting me over for dinner. 😉
Do you have food foibles?
Are they stranger than mine?
June 7, 2013
So I guess tripe, liver, kidney and sweet bread are out of the question.
I’d never noticed the similarity between broccoli, cauliflower and the brain before but I swear I’ll never look at a cruciferous vegetable the same way again. That’s freaky!
June 7, 2013
Char, when I was looking for pics I almost gagged at the ‘brain’ pics which is why I went with the cartoon one. BUT if you google cauliflower and brain have a look at what comes up.
Oh and as for offal… Guess that fits into the creepy category and… I just threw up in my mouth a little!
😉
June 7, 2013
Haha I’m actually pretty easy going about food. I will try most things, although when I was in China I definitely couldn’t handle most of the local cuisine. I felt like they ate everything from fried bugs to sea cucumbers and various animal feet and organs. Ick!
June 7, 2013
I haven’t been to China but do recall a lot of interesting foods when I travelled in Asia… again – mostly stuff that looked like it did when it was alive!
June 7, 2013
I’ll eat most veggies. When I was little I’d gag on brussel sprouts & broad beans- these days I love broad beans & can tolerate the sprouts when they’re sautéed with wine, shallots & pancetta. I think it’s cos my Mum always cooked all form of life, colour & texture out of everything. I can’t bear offal (it’s about the smell), okra (it’s the slime) & I’m not big on eggplant. Oh, and I can’t stomach a lot of red meat these days. Oh and…no, that’ll do!
June 7, 2013
I find eggplant a bit creepy too… not sure what it is about it.
Meat however… yummm… although if I’m in any way reminded it was once alive I can’t ‘go’ there! (Like I said, the ‘ick’ thing more than an ethical or moral thing!)
June 8, 2013
I hate having dirty fingers too! I love ribs but they are just too messy to eat!
June 8, 2013
Glad it’s not just me Lisa!!!
June 8, 2013
Oh dear, Deb. That must make it a little difficult for you when eating out – especially if you’re invited to someone’s house or if there’s a set menu at a function.
Like most kids, I had many foods I turned up my nose at when I was young. Luckily, when I grew up, I discovered how delicious many of those things are – especially if cooked properly. God, when I was a kid, so many things were boiled to a tasteless, pulpy mess. Ugh.
I’m still learning to like some things. For instance, I was over 40 before I would eat porridge. Or anchovies. Cottage cheese is still not my favourite thing, but if it’s prepared certain ways, I’ll eat it.
There ARE things that are off-limits though. I will not eat offal. I know well that it’s a mental block (I’ve learned that you can get used to anything if you keep trying it), but like you say, it’s the ICK factor. And whilst I love meat, I hate handling it raw. I cut up bulk chicken breast portions for freezing with a look of distaste throughout the whole process. If I whine enough, my husband does it for me. Messy fingers don’t bother me though – meat on bones is one of my favourite things. Lamb cutlets, chicken wings, yum, yum.
We all have our “things”, but luckily for me – and my health – mine are few.
June 9, 2013
Kerryn I’m actually the same with raw meat. I love eating meat, but hate handling it. I buy it in pieces so I don’t have to (ie. precut chicken breast, scotch fillet steaks etc).
June 8, 2013
Debbie, you have too much imagination! 🙂 Now that you mention it, I admit that cauliflower is very brain-like. Don’t some people like eating brains too (and I don’t mean zombies).
What would happen if I decided to order cauliflower in a restaurant and would it eat it slowly in front of you – with my bare fingers? With a knowing look in my eye of course! 🙂
June 9, 2013
I would be seriously creeped-out Satu… I used to even have a problem with someone eating meat off the bone around me! There’s something too carnivorous about it! 😉
June 9, 2013
I think organ meats are creepy and I have a particular aversion to pate. eeewwwww.
June 9, 2013
I’m amazingly ok with pate Liz but I suspect if I thought too much about it or knew how it was made, I might not be. Ignorance sometimes really is bliss!
June 16, 2013
Oh my Deb this is the funniest post ever! I’ve just had the biggest laugh and made my husband read this. I will never again be able to look at cauliflower or broccoli without thinking of the human brain!
And I was LITERALLY drinking tomato juice as I read this post and now I can’t finish the glass. I rarely drink tom juice but I have been feeling like it all day so I just went and got some! Now your foibles are becoming mine!
I think my other main one is any goat related product. I also don’t like lamb. Every time I eat it I have to repeatedly say ‘this tastes like goat’! It really does don’t you think? How can two different animals taste the same?
I also think that in general I like food more than people. And that is surely it’s only foible?
June 17, 2013
I’m okay with lamb.. but know the feeling. I’m a huge carnivore but the ‘visual’ for me is the problem and once something is stuck in my head I can’t ‘unsee’ or ‘unperceive’ it. If that makes sense. When I was a kid I saw a dead cow in some stage of slaughter while at my grandparents. I couldn’t eat meat that entire holiday!
June 16, 2013
I meant to write – its own foible!