I love food but I am no foodie. Food is here to sustain survival or to fill your feelings because you're unloved, I jest. I clearly have a complicated affair with the munchies. Who doesn't? And all of that drama begins at birth.
Think of it... before we can express ourselves properly we're being force-fed food we may loathe. So when we're kids, meals can be traumatizing. Some ingredients just do not mesh with your body chemicals. And that's ok. So parents stop force-feeding the gross.
Now as we age our palette refines and grows. So some of the food we hated we can learn to love or appreciate. But it takes time.
Redditor u/y_kama wanted to chat about the menu, so they asked:
What did you dislike to eat as a child, but now do you adore?
Liver. I will not ever eat liver. I had to say that. But I use to hate spices, any spices, even pepper, now I adore them. In fact the bland I was in love with makes me sad.
Bad Parents
Basketball Wives Ugh GIF by VH1
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"Most foods as prepared by my parents."
"I didn't appreciate my traditional dishes until I moved to America where my friends would beg me for portions of my meals."
I prefer Manicotti...
"I refused to eat lasagna as a kid because it looked gross. Then at a school camp there was nothing else on offer so I tried it and realised it's delicious and I was a freaking moron."
"Thank you sir, I thought I was the only freak disgusted by the look of lasagna as a kid. I pretty much went through the same process. I was sleeping over a friends house and his mom made lasagna for dinner. Would be kinda awkward to say I'm grossed out just looking at your mom's food. Had to chomp it up. Boy does that sh*t smack though."
- FoxyDrew
Be Brave on Fridays
"My parents would have pizza every Friday night, but I would always go to the restaurant next door and had a burger. I always forced my brother to go with me otherwise I wouldn't be able to go to another place. I remember being brave one day and trying pizza and it was just kind of okay. Now I love pizza."
THAT!!
"I clearly remember my dad trying to get me to try fudge at my grandpa's birthday party and definitely thinking grown ups were NOT going to trick me into eating that. I don't recall when I figured out it's just chocolate with extra sugar added... I just remember the giant gross looking dessert on the buffet table."
"I liked fudge somewhat when I was a kid, now I can't stand it. Waaaaaaaay too sweet for adult me."
- Wowtuck
Because of farts...
How-To Vegetables GIF by Food52
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"Beans. I only ate two beans through my whole life by the age of 10-11. Now I love them in burritos and stuff."
I kind of like beans. Not all beans, but most. Beans are also super healthy. And what psycho hates fudge?
Hot Hot Hot!
spicy bill hader GIF
Giphy
"Spicy food. Now I love it."
"Same here! For me, it probably wasn't until I was in my 20s or 30s when I started to really like heat."
Sub Capers
"Olives."
"Give me all the Kalamatas. I hated olives as a kid. Maybe because we only had the canned black ones at home. Then I tried some food with real olives and it blew my mind. And capers. I'll eat a spoonful of capers as a snack. I never salted my food when I was single. My now wife is a mad woman in the kitchen and should me how spices and salt can make things 100x better."
The Looms
"Tomatoes - now I've got 8 different heirloom varieties in my garden."
- kirkl3s
"I'm so surprised this isn't a more popular answer, tomatoes are one of the things where I just woke up one day and I was like "oh wait, maybe a slice of tomato on a burger would be amazing?!" It's one of the more fun things about getting older."
The Strangest Superstitions People Actually Observe | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
The world can be a superstitious place. If you've ever knocked on wood or thrown salt over your shoulder then you've run into one or two throughout your life...Getting Peppy
"Bell peppers. I didn't like them but I got one little piece of one in my sub sandwich once and didn't notice until I bit into it. I put them on almost everything now."
"I absolutely loathed bell peppers until I accidentally ordered something absolutely loaded with them at a Vietnamese restaurant with my labmates. I tried it out of a sense of shame or obligation, and was shocked to discover that it was basically candy in vegetable form. I have no clue what my mother does to bell peppers in order to convert them into butter, inedible pellets, but I now eat them regularly."
- jrhoffa
Fresh Please
Jim Carrey Asparagus GIF
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"Asparagus. My dad used to insist on canned vegetables for some ungodly reason and canned asparagus is rancid. However, as an adult, I was introduced to fresh asparagus and I absolutely love it."
- Keri2816
"cheese"
"Broccoli." ~ nhjuyt
"My mom would steam broccoli for about 7 years, approximately. The whole house smelled like freshly soiled butt cheeks. It was served with "cheese" sauce, but the only similarity it shared with cheese is that they (probably)could be purchased in the same store."
"The mouth feel was akin to canned mushrooms, and tasted. Of some unworldly eldritch horror, like licking a wall of oozing eyeballs. I do not have fond memories of steamed broccoli." ~ venomoushealer
Pearls....
"Onions." ~ throwawaygrosso
"Pearls of the earth. I loved them even as a kid. My mom would pan-fry a steak sometimes and cook a bunch of onions and garlic in the pan too. They were generally reserved for my dad but he would give us the tiniest little bit of them and we would savor them like they were the best thing in the world." ~ tacknosaddle
Shroomed
"Mushrooms." ~ abbyrosaleen
"I was the same way until a friend talked me into trying a fried morel. I love fresh mushrooms of all forms now. I think the problem was, when I was growing up my folks always got the cheap stems and pieces in a can and I couldn't stand them. I still thank that friend for challenging me to try something different." ~ 1980pzx
Popeye Lied
popeye the sailor man GIF
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"Spinach." ~ Lord-AG
"We grew spinach and chard in our garden when I was growing up, so I always loved it. I didn't realize why everyone hated it until I tried some from a can. That stuff was awful." ~ thecookiemaker
"bad cooking"
"It took me a while to realize my parents weren't just bad cooks - they were barely "cooking" at all most of the time. If I think back to when I was a kid, a good 75% of our meals were pre-prepared to some degree, or else were "instant" box versions, or frozen versions made to heat up in the microwave that they didn't augment at all (like those microwaveable pouches of veggies)."
"And the parts that they did cook themselves were usually overdone and unseasoned. Obviously I'm sympathetic to the fact that anyone who relies on this stuff does so because they're strapped for time, which my parents certainly were, but man....I literally didn't like ANY homecooked meal besides spaghetti until I was about 18 years old." ~ isilluminated
Just give me jelly...
"I don't know about 'adore,' but I spent the first 38 years of my life thinking peanut butter was the crap of Satan. No idea what I didn't like about it. Couple years ago when I was doing an art stream, someone asked what foods I liked and whatnot, and peanut butter was mentioned."
"They challenged me to eat a spoonful of it on stream, and at the time, that was a big deal for me because I'd convinced myself it was the worst thing. I did it anyway, realized it was perfectly fine, and now, a couple years later, I have peanut butter pretty much every other day in some way or another."
"It's really weird how tastes can change. I was hopeful it would have happened with beer as well, but I still just hate it." ~ rxsheepxr
Dip in Ranch
"Nobody said celery because if you hate it, you hate it for life. F celery." ~ 14159265q
"I've never minded celery. That being said, I don't seek it out or buy it regularly. But if it's getting ignored on a veggie tray, I'll dip it in ranch and enjoy it. It's also a great ingredient for soups and can add juiciness and depth of flavor. Also, I've had really crappy, chewy celery in the past. I can understand hating celery based on only having bad celery." ~ HurtMyKnee_Granger
The Go-to...
"Brussels sprouts. My mom used to steam them from frozen (still gross imho). Now I roast fresh ones and they're my go-to veggie." ~ PopeAlexanderVII
"I never tried them when I was a kid, and only had them about a year or two ago. But, I still remember it as the quintessential food that kids don't like.I especially remember watching a cartoon with (I think) toys as main characters, and one of them had pretty much a phobia of them. So, when I tried it (I also roasted them), I was like "Wtf? Brussel sprouts are like the best vegetable ever!" ~ Hundvd7
Bougie...
String Cheese Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
Giphy
"Cheese. Hated it. Now I love it! Turns out I just hate Kraft singles and fake cheese. Apparently I'm a bougie cheese person." ~ Itwasntmeforreal
Not without pancakes...
"Real maple syrup. As a kid I only wanted the fake corn syrup stuff. My dad was always trying to get me to put the real stuff on my pancakes and I refused. Now it's one of my favorite things, pancakes with real maple syrup. Yum." ~ jbm72710
"When I was younger I thought I didn't like maple syrup. Turns out I only don't like the fake stuff, and real maple syrup is amazing." ~ quacks_echo
I could live off of asparagus. At ten I would've thrown out of a window. See how you grow.
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Ticket scalpers. How do you the audacity to say that's a job?
Actual burglars have more empathy.
Disrespectful
Out Of Office Summer GIF by Merge MansionGiphy"There are debt collectors who call relatives of the deceased to pay off their debts when they are not legally obligated to."
Top_Gun_2021
Shady. Shady.
"Australian Real Estate Agents. Laws don't seem to apply to them. Just as dodgy in sales and rentals alike. Never seen anything like it overseas."
snave_
"I'm in the US, it can vary state by state but my state is pretty strict on realtor laws. Some states require attorney review and there are definitely penalties for being reported for shady sh*t. It does require consumer reporting though."
ilostmytaco
Etransfer
"Where I live, tax info was leaked and now scammers are targeting low income individuals/families (people earning under 30,000 per year) with etransfer scams. I got one the other day that was an etransfer warning that 240$ 'a family member sent me' was about to expire."
SnowyInuk
"That’s disgusting. The scammers know what they’re doing, they know the harm they cause people and yet they don’t care."
surelysandwitch
Should be illegal...
"MLM managers. Not the low level idiots that get suckered into it, they suck too for trying to bring new people into that sh*tshow, but the people who create them know exactly what they are doing and are pretty much the only ones who profit off of it. Should be illegal. Pyramid schemes are illegal. None of them ever get the just desserts except occasionally by vigilantes I assume."
Wereno
I hate debt collectors. Yeah, you calling me one hundred times a week is going to miraculously make money appear.
Animals
Giphy"Paparazzi."
VictorBlimpmuscle
"I met Jack Gleeson (King Joffrey from Game of Thrones) at a bus stop in Dublin. Really nice guy but he said he quit acting due to people being nasty online and constant hounding from paparrazi. He's happier now but it sucks that he was pushed away from a career he was quite good at."
goobi94
Scumbags
"The pastors at mega churches whom ask their followers for money for private jets. Absolute scum to abuse others faith for your own greed."
ichancho
"Brian Tamaki is a greedy freaking pig, he takes advantage of so many people who are already struggling. Every time he’s in the local news (which btw is often) I get more and more pissed off at him and his wife. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Tamaki "
surelysandwitch
it’s a thing???
“'Dating Expert.' Sadly it’s a thing. It’s basically a self appointed title that requires no training or qualifications. What’s worse, is that I have a female friend who uses one. It’s very much a blind leading the blind situation."
Mean_Manufacturer_61
"Most of the self proclaimed “dating coaches” I know are women in their late 30s or early 40s who have never been married or had a longer relationship."
ipozgaj
EVIL
"Poachers. Especially big game poachers who purposefully hunt nearly extinct animals from species they know they are on the brink."
"I know there are poachers that come from rural villages who are trying to just put food on the table, which has my sympathy but poachers who come from money and hunt down animals minding their business in most shelters or restricted areas just to put a head on their wall as a trophy are absolutely heinous."
GetterdoneObiwan
I See It All
miss cleo fraud GIFGiphy"Psychic Mediums. Specifically those who prey on the grieving."
JamesDeadite
"I've always found it interesting how many magicians go after people like this. I think it's because they know what it takes to trick people for the art. The slight of hand and mentalism. And they abhor people who use these tactics for such sh*tty purposes."
34HoldOn
I want so bad to believe in psychics and mediums. What say we on that topic?
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For some odd reason I love the things burning. Anything, food, pots, pans. You name it. Weird.
Blow
fire burning GIFGiphy"Matches/candles on a birthday cake. I remember lighting matches as a kid purely to blow them out and inhale that sweet match-y smell."
semispooked
"guilty good"
"I work at a Chemical plant. We make a highly acidic product that is dark blue, viscus, highly corrosive, and smells exactly like Fruit Loops. It is incredibly disturbing."
Turin082
"Organic chemistry has many 'guilty good' smells. Thiophosgene (sulfur derivative of a chemical weapon used extensively in WW1) apparently smells like meat. Phosgene is used to make polycarbonate, thiophosgene is used to make some sulfur-containing molecules which eventually end up in therapeutic drugs."
HammerTh_1701
I can't huff it...
"Paint, specifically house paint. I love the smell. But anytime I hear that anyone is painting a room or their house, I volunteer. I just love sitting on the floor in a room that's been freshly painted, closing my eyes and just inhaling that slightly chemically, slightly creamy aroma."
Neowza
A Hint of French...
"A fish and chips shop burnt down as couple blocks from work a few years ago. The whole neighborhood smelled amazing for days. Just the slight hint of French fries. Nothing overpowering. It was so awesome. Until I found out someone was trapped in the fire and died."
stevey_frac
Drag
Drag Racing Vegas GIF by Don Schumacher RacingGiphy"Race fuel. Instantly puts me in a good mood as it reminds me of going to the drag races with my dad when I was young."
garfnodie
Fuel and matches get me too. And they sort of go together. Interesting.
Just like the Movie...
Johnny Depp Drinking GIFGiphy"The water from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Mmm, bromine."
Stalkerslovemy
"This is one of my favorite scents of all time, and Disney is very aware that people enjoy it. Evidently it’s a lot harder to recreate than just adding bromine to water."
cash4panties
"black widow".
"There's a chicken wing restaurant near my house that has a challenge sauce called "black widow." The owner claims it to be around 500,000 scovilles. A few years back some buddies and I decided to try them, the sauce was a dark molasses color and smelled almost like a BBQ sauce, no hint of the danger that lurked at all. We each grabbed one wing and it went terribly. I don't know how something so spicy could smell so innocent."
Final-Chapter
Endless Weekend
"Hotel/rented rooms whenever you go on vacation. There's this particular smell that just says 'you are on vacation,' especially on a beach/swimming trips/out-of-the-town vacays."
Yummy_Llama
"Bath and Body Works has a plug-in scent called Endless Weekend that replicates that scent (to my humble nose)."
Exxcentrica
"oh no..."
"Someone you are attracted to's body odors. Anyone else who is slightly unhygienic smells repulsive."
Mini_gunslinger
"I remember back in high school a girl leaned over, sniffed me, told me that I smelled really good, and asked me what cologne I was wearing. I asked if she was joking, and she's like, no, you smell really good. When I told her I had just gotten done with gym class, she gets a small 'oh no...' look on her face and turns away. I think we both had a revelation that day."
user deleted
That Smell
Smell It Season 6 GIF by This Is UsGiphy"The smell inflatable things give off. I have no idea how to describe it, but it’s… nostalgic? to me."
crestfxllen
I do love the smell of plastics and inflatables. Ahh....
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It's hard to imagine how to go on without the lost object–whatever it may be–but over time, it becomes a distant memory and we move on.
That is until we magically find ourselves presented with this opportunity proposed by Redditor mikehotel288, who asked:
"You find yourself in a room with everything you’ve ever lost in your life. What do you look for first?"
There are necessities people cannot do without.
No More Dry Lips Ever Again
"Gonna be a lot of chapstick in that room."
– camefromxbox
There are things that bring us comfort and are irreplaceable.
Safety Blanket
"My baby blanket. It became tattered over the years—to the point where I couldn’t reasonably wash it anymore—so I had to throw it away a little while back."
"I have heavily regretted that decision. I was really attached to it (hence it being in tatters), but I really wish that I kept what was left of it instead of throwing it away. Just knowing that I’d still have it would be a huge comfort to me."
– Uearie
Sentimental Heirloom
"The pendant my dad had made for me with my grandmother’s engagement diamond. It was 2 carats. It disappeared from a Las Vegas hotel room 20 years ago. It was hidden deep in a suitcase where it would not have been easy to find. It was just GONE. Cops didn’t do anything. Didn’t even come to take my statement. Cleaning lady said she thought she saw an elderly man enter my room. The guy I was with was not sympathetic in the least. Entire situation was f**ked. I’m still so upset about it."
– MaritimeDisaster
Lone Shark
"My plastic shark toy I lost when I was 10. Ain't no f'king way it just VANISHED."
– Guilty_As_Charged__
Not everything lost is tangible.
Tick Tock
"The time I wasted."
– shinyfennec
It Holds Value
"My private key with 6 BTC in it."
– Significant_Mirror19
"I didn't lose one, but I'll check my room for yours just in case."
– Smodphan
Finding Purpose
"The reason I walked into the room."
– Lloyd_lyle
Lost Opportunity
"That one girl i spoke to on omegle lol"
– h-amishh
If only we get to reunite with those we've lost.
The Loved Family Member
"My grandpa."
– Splatty_boi_420
Grieving Parent
"My daughter. She’ll be in my brother’s arms. So I’ll find both things I care to look for."
– SeeTheFence
Missing Mom
"My mom. She died of cancer in 2017. She never got to meet my daughter. I miss the hell out of her and wish she was still part of my family’s life."
– X-Arkturis-X
The Animals That Come Into Our Lives
"My pets that have passed: especially my horse, Blue. It's been 4 years, but it feels like just yesterday."
– Baciandrio
While many of these scenarios are unlikely, the thread gave people an opportunity to reflect on the things that made a strong impression on their lives.
Sometimes, the memories of the things we've lost–whether they are random objects or sources of love–is all we have.
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