I just overheard a coworker saying “Oh, I would never try that in my life!”, in a discussion of food. (This was about consuming a steak cooked less than medium well). It made me wonder what life is like for those who refuse to try new food, especially those who refuse to try mundane things like fried shrimp.

Why limit yourself? It seems like such a closed-minded way to view food. Help me understand?

EDIT:

I wasn’t going to do this, but I’m tired of replying to people and will post this at the top.

The person that prompted this question is a close-minded piece of crap. He has no sensory issues, just a shitty mindset, with ignorance and prejudice on display with no shame. I have the pleasure of hearing his annoying shit every night.

The knee-jerk reactions I have received from people in this post have had me examine my own knee-jerk reactions, attributing malice to that which may be misunderstanding rather than bigotry or hatred. This is what I am taking away from this post. That even I should take a chill pill every now and again; it’s not all a tragedy.

I will not delete it, because there are some very thoughtful replies that explain different viewpoints, that people took time to type out. It would be disrespectful to them to do that.

Call me what you like. Don’t care. I will not be replying to any other replies.

  • shartgargle@lemmy.zip
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    2 months ago

    Brussels sprouts. “If you cook them ri” shut the fuck up right now. I’ve tried every single persons “right way” and they’re fucking disgusting. I’m never trying them again. Dog shit wrapped in bacon and dipped in bbq sauce is more likely to enter my mouth than another Brussels sprout ever again.

    Also asparagus… But that’s for a different reason. When I was a kid my stepdad at the time told me of a dream he had where he saw an asparagus growing out of his thigh so he flicked it and rubbed it around and started pulling on it and it kept going and going. Never touched the stuff since.

    • tal@lemmy.today
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      2 months ago

      Some people can taste certain chemicals in some vegetables much more strongly than other people and really don’t like them.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supertaster

      Supertasters are individuals whose sense of taste for certain flavors and foods is far more sensitive than the average person.[1] The term originated with experimental psychologist Linda Bartoshuk and is not the result of response bias or a scaling artifact but appears to have an anatomical or biological basis.

      Reports of variations in human taste perception date back to 1888.[5] The major advance in understanding human taste variation came in 1931 with the discovery of “taste-blindness” specifically for thiourea compounds, when Arthur L. Fox, a chemist at DuPont, discovered that some people found phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) bitter, while others found it tasteless.[6][7]

      Fox describes the event:

      Some time ago the author [Arthur L. Fox] had occasion to prepare a quantity of phenyl-thio-carbamide, and while placing it in a bottle the dust flew around in the air. Another occupant of the laboratory, Dr. C. R. Noller, complained of the bitter taste of the dust, but the author, who was much closer, observed no taste and so stated. He even tasted some of the crystals and assured Dr. Noller they were tasteless but Dr. Noller was equally certain it was the dust he tasted. He tried some of the crystals and found them extremely bitter.[8]

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylthiocarbamide

      Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), also known as phenylthiourea (PTU), is an organosulfur thiourea containing a phenyl ring.

      It has the unusual property that it either tastes very bitter or is virtually tasteless, depending on the genetic makeup of the taster. The ability to taste PTC is often treated as a dominant genetic trait, although inheritance and expression of this trait are somewhat more complex.[2][3]

      https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/12/04/brusselssprouts/

      At this point, you’re probably wondering what this has to do with brussels sprouts. Whilst the compounds PTC and PROP aren’t found in the vegetables, they both contain within their molecular structure a thiocyanate group (nitrogen, carbon and sulfur bonded in series) which is thought to be related to their bitter taste. This same group is also present in compounds called glucosinolates, which occur naturally in brussels sprouts, as well as broccoli, cabbage and kale (collectively known as cruciferous vegetables). The glucosinolates are thought to form part of the plant’s defence systems , for example against diseases and creatures that feed on the plant. Additionally, the breakdown products of glucosinolates, the isothiocyanates, also contain the thiocyanate group within their molecules.

      So why is this structural similarity significant? Well, there seems to be a strong association between the ability to detect the bitter taste of PTC and PROP and a sensitivity to the bitterness of these vegetables. Of course, it’s not the case that sensitivity to PTC and PROP automatically implies a dislike of cruciferous vegetables; other factors may also have an effect, such as a person’s particular flavour preferences. However, if you’re a brussels sprout hater, you can now suggest a potential chemical reason for your dislike if you’re ever berated for your perceived vegetable prejudice.

      • shartgargle@lemmy.zip
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        2 months ago

        Wow, that’s actually pretty fascinating, thanks! It is weird though, that I like broccoli, cabbage and kale.

        • funkajunk 🇨🇦@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Plant breeders have identified varieties that naturally produce lower levels of the compounds responsible for that strong bitter taste.

          So today’s Brussels sprouts tend to be:

          • noticeably less bitter
          • somewhat sweeter and nuttier
          • much easier to make delicious by roasting/browning
          • shartgargle@lemmy.zip
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            2 months ago

            That’s cool, but like an ex with issues, I’m happy they’re in a better place now, but I am better off with them out of my life.