Redditor Complete-Sweet5222 wanted to discuss the menu, so they asked:
"What is the most overrated cuisine?"
I won't do french cuisine. No snails. No way.
That's just me.
Fancy Schmancy
Chrissy Teigen Cupcake GIF by Billboard Music AwardsGiphy"Fancy cupcakes. Every ‘designer’ cupcake I’ve had has been incredibly dry. I just don’t get why they charge $5-$10 per serving, but the quality of the cake is below a Walmart sheet cake."
ThoseArentCarrots
"I make cupcakes sometimes. Over baking and day old baked products tend to dry out. A lot of the fancy desserts take time to build, which means the cupcakes have been sitting out for a while."
Stinkerma
Shock
"Not really a cuisine per se, but ‘shock food.' You know those giant milkshakes with whole slices of cake and candy on top, or quadruple cheeseburgers with so much cheese it’s running everywhere. It’s just not practical/tasty and really only exists to get a cool picture."
viillanelles
"I made the mistake of getting one of those milkshakes exactly once. It was fun to get and then you realize you just paid 20 bucks for a normal milkshake and grocery store sheet cake."
ceigetank
Be Simple
"Complicated burgers. Some a good but others have far to much on to eat without disassembly or using a knife and fork."
MedicalUprising
"Also I hate when they have overly elaborate names. I want to verbally order a cheeseburger, not the ‘big wet sloppy double daddy burger.'"
Guava_
"I totally agree. I hate being embarrassed to order something. There used to be an ice cream shop that had funky names for sizes. I had to stop going because I could not stop giggling at having to say 'no, I don’t want a zinger, I would like a zooper.”
bakay138
Premiums...
"Our family has been restaurant investors for 40 years. High end French cuisine using offal or organ meats."
"These dishes are pushed because the costs of these types of meats are very low and produce a huge profit margin. Also, the lack of experience with guests cooking these types of dishes for themselves mean very few patrons complain about authenticity. Usually a chef will throw his/her twist in the menu."
"Most customers can tell the difference between a great pizza and a mediocre one. They'll remember a great steak - but a restaurant may be paying huge premiums to fly that Waygu in from Japan or for your Flintstone tomahawk. Whereas, a local butcher shop will gladly unload offal and such with glee due to low demand. You'd be surprised as to how little we paid for cow brains for example."
rayrayrayray
No Silver?
gold GIFGiphy"Gold-flaked cuisine."
bushbeanbuddy
"God, why did it take me so long to realize you were talking about literal flakes of gold? I read this three times and thought, 'What a weird way to describe fried food.'"
bygollyollie
Gold is meant to spend not eat.
Price Point
Excited Winnie The Pooh GIFGiphy"The most expensive dishes. 'Yeah, man these diamonds sautéed in truffle oil and emerald dust are good, but do you have a cheeseburger?'"
gmen_forever
For All...
“'Something for everyone' restaurants. Anywhere where the menu has a ridiculously extensive offering. If I’m flipping multiple pages and not even halfway, I just know everything is about to taste questionable."
low_power_mode
"Several of my local Mexican restaurants have 8-page menus. All the dishes use some combination of tortillas, cheese, peppers, onions, avocados, beans, chicken, and beef, it's just the proportions and presentation that differ from one to another!"
MatttheBruinsfan
Pork Scents
"No cuisine, but I am sick of the whole 'bacon life' meme. It was funny for a couple of decades, but enough already. Bacon 'flavored' anything is disgusting."
SirReal_Realities
"One time in college I ordered bacon flavored popcorn."
"When I popped it in the communal microwave it smelled so awful that we had to open all the windows and evacuate until it had aired out enough for us to Febreze the rest away. It tasted like death. A couple guys threatened to beat me up if I popped any more. Some things just don't need to be bacon flavored. Popcorn is one of them."
Waffle_Maestro
Portions
"Rather than pick on a specific nationality or style of cuisine I'll talk about presentation."
"Any restaurant where portion sizes get smaller as the price goes up is the very height of epicurean pretentiousness. Like if they actually serve you enough food to be satisfied, it might as well be McDonald's."
"I spent a lot of years working in restaurants, and the ironic thing is what's on your plate is by far the smallest expense in serving that plate to you. There's no reason for tiny portions other than pretentious do*chebaggery."
McFeely_Smackup
Shrimp Then?
"Lobster. It’s fine, it’s just not really worth it’s cost imo. I also like eating it in things rather than by itself. The lobster rolls I had in Maine were much better than lobster straight up."
babythrottlepop
Food should be more affordable.
Do you have and foodie quibbles you'd like to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
Curious to know about the types of food that are given more hype than they deserve, Redditor Faihus asked:
"What cuisine do you find highly overrated?"
Unfortunately, many Redditors misunderstood the assignment and named examples that were not a style or method of cooking that represents different countries or establishments.
Nevertheless, here we go.
It's crazy how marketing adds crazy value to edibles that are nothing out of the ordinary.
Fancy Bake
"High-end cupcakes."
– redjack847
Cheap Bake
"Yeah. I would have to agree with that. It may be an unpopular opinion but I still love the Duncan Heinz or Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffin mix. Grew up on that stuff."
– redjack847
Store-Bought Reigns Supreme
"I fail to see what's wrong with a normal cupcake. Hell, even boxed cupcakes are super good. I would rather have 10 delicious boxes cupcakes than one mediocre, overpriced one."
– cbk00
Some people use condiments to enhance a flavor. Others prefer methods that induce an eye-roll.
Mineral Sprinkles
"Gold-flaked cuisine."
– bushbeanbuddy
Aesthetics First
"Gold leaf on food is bullsh*t. It does not add flavour, only makes it look gold and increases the price. If you want to sh*t good like a Lannister, it’s good for that. The instagram food trend is all about looks not taste."
– timesuck897
Snapworthy
"Social media-oriented cuisine, like those milkshakes where they spread chocolate outside the glass. The only point of doing that is looking better on Instagram since it objectively worsens the product"
– anon
Some establishments would do well serving just alcohol.
That, or patrons shouldn't expect much fro the menu at their local watering hole.
Barf-ood
"As an American, any 'American' restaurant eatery without a speciality. It’s all bar food that’s SLIGHTLY better than actual stereotypical bar food (Chili’s, Cheddars, Logan’s etc) Hell, actual bar food is probably better honestly."
– ShadowsCheckmate
Tall Order
"You don’t want an 18 dollar cheeseburger with onion rings and 'our house made barbecue sauce' that you have to unhinge your jaw to eat?"
– guanwho
Sticking To The Basics Is A +
"There’s so many 'brew houses' and 'bistros' where you cant get just a regular cheeseburger. They’ll have a first time chef trying to be fancy but if you can’t make a plain cheeseburger made with upscale ingredients taste really f'king good I guarantee you your bacon jam’d, house made ketchup’d, unripe off season tomato, 3/4 lb patty on a brioche that doesn’t hold together just doesn’t taste that good. And what do you mean you don’t have pickles? The acid is there for a reason. As a veteran of the business it drives me insane."
– pullonmynards
Finally, we were going somewhere with the assignment in reference to naming a cuisine.
Real Italian
"I want to say Italian, but sometimes my italian friend will make something for me and I will eat myself stupid so I think it's probably just americanized italian that I'm not into."
– KittyLord0824
We Need A Re-Introduction
"I told my Italian friend I didn't like Italian food and she almost fell off her chair. I think I've eaten too much domesticated Italian and need some re-centering...for her sake."
– Limelight1981
I can't say with absolute certainty which particular cuisine is overrated, but I can say which type of food is overrated.
Under that scenario, I can say smoothies sold in chain restaurants like Jamba Juice are overrated.
People seem to think that just because they're having a fruit smoothie, it does their bodies good.
Most smoothies are pretty much fruit juices, not actual fruit with fiber, and are loaded with tons of sugar.
They may taste delicious, but that's because all of the added sugars tantalize repeat customers.
Seeing so many locations selling smoothies, in general, makes me question the nutritional value of many of their menu options. But, that's just me.
Curious to hear about what strangers online came up with in their kitchens, Redditor Paiman55 asked:
"What weird food combinations do you really enjoy?"
You won't find these sandwiches and pizza on a menu anywhere.
Fruit And Cheese
"My mum has eaten jam and cheese sandwiches her entire life. No one else I've ever seen consume them."
"I asked her about it a few years ago, and she explained that a) jam isn't too dissimilar to a lot of chutneys, and the salty and sweet balances perfectly; b) I enjoy cheese with fruit in it, such as Wensleydale with cranberries, so the idea of 'fruit and cheese' as a combo isn't so strange in theory; and c) it's her sandwich, not mine, and I could f'k off."
Peanut Butter Pairs With...
"peanut butter/pickles sandwich."
– jayba21
"First time I saw my dad making a peanut butter / pickle sandwich I asked if he was pregnant. Then he made me try some. And now I eat them myself. And have spread the love to at least two friends who also enjoy them."
"Sh*t, sometimes I just take a spoonful of peanut butter and a fork to the pickle jar …"
Fusion Pie
"Kimchi and pizza. The acidity of the kimchi cuts through the pizza grease wonderfully. You can probably use anything pickled honestly."
Blue cheese is delicious by itself. But other than on salads, these Redditors thought the creamy dressing worked well on other dishes.
Blue Cheese Dressing Makes Everyone Delicious
"Microwave taquitos and blue cheese dressing. Yes, I know it's gross and yes, I am ashamed."
Perfect For A Snowy Christmas
"Gingerbread and blue cheese."
"ooh, I can actually imagine how amazing that tastes!"
If you think outside the box, salt might be a free-for-all flavor enhancer.
Seasoning Fruit
"Apparently salt on fruit is weird but it's something my family has always done."
"My mother only ever did it with Cantaloupe. It does draw out the the sweetness somehow."
Creamy, Savory Delight
"Salt on ice cream. Especially single flavor. Brings out so many different nuances."
Milk with cereal is so early 80s and 90s.
Milk 'N Pop
"If you want weird, try mixing some milk with some diet coke, it turns into this tea like substance, my family member used to like drinking that when I was a kid and I used to like it too, now I cant stand it."
Try At Your Own Risk
"Alright. I'll confess. Ramen noodles and warm milk."
"I know. I know. I get it. It's f'king nasty. I understand. My mom used to put milk in Campbells chicken soup I when I was a kid, and when I evolved into Broke College Student I started making my own milky chicken soup out of bouillon and bulk ramen noodles. I started cutting corners by simmering the bouillon cube in the milk while the noodles boiled in their own pot. I thought it would amplify the flavor, but I honestly just lost the ability to give a f'k somewhere in there."
"Then one day, when I was deliriously sick and just struggling to survive, I forgot the bouillon part and just flopped a bunch of ramen noodles into a bowl of warm milk. Wasn't actually all that bad. It's become a kind of comfort food when I'm feeling low."
"Don't try it for yourself though. It's a fondness born out of early 20's suffering and is Not worth it."
gross gag GIF by Anime Crimes DivisionGiphyCrisps And Ice Cream
"Plain Potato chips and Vanilla Ice Cream is oddly good together. Also when I was in Army basic training I would put Peanut Butter on Pancakes because it was easier and faster than putting syrup on them."
– mrkaylor
When I was a kid, I tried a homemade dressing I thought was gross while visiting my parents' friends house.
Because I was taught to eat whatever was placed in front of me at the dinner table served by any host, I had no choice but to oblige.
The dressing on the cabbage was a mixture of Hellman's mayonnaise and soy sauce. I was used to having those condiments individually, not together.
But when I reluctantly tried it, I braced myself, expecting the worst. I was actually pleasantly surprised how much I really enjoyed it.
Milk and ramen, however, is something I would never try, no matter how well my parents disciplined me to eat whatever was served. I have my limits.
But it's not as simple as that.
Nowadays, there are people with dietary restrictions that need to be addressed before a person goes to a restaurant or confirms a dinner party invitation. It could literally be a matter of life or death.
Preparing a menu has never been so easy. But if diners aren't allergic to a specific food item, and they just don't like it, catering to their palates can be a headache.
We all have that one thing we would like to avoid eating at all costs – even if we don't break out into hives or go into anaphylaxis.
Curious to hear about food others find unpalatable, Redditor Suffeign asked:
"What's one food everyone seems to love but you find repulsive?"
These gummy edibles are not necessarily a delight for everyone.
It's Jiggly
"Jello. I've hated it since i was a kid. My aunt won't let me forget that i once threw her fruity jello concoction out the window when i was 8."
Scared Jurassic Park GIF by VidiotsGiphyIt's Tapioca Balls
"I'm so sorry but I can't eat boba😬 my friends really like it but I can't seem to bring my self to like it or to tell them I don't like it."
– icarusun
It's Food For Thought
"The mere thought of sucking the brains out of a crayfish makes me want to puke."
They are cultivated for consumption, but these plant-based foods may never grow on some people.
It Stalks
"Celery."
"Never in my life have I been eating something and thought to myself 'what this could really use is crunchy, stringy water.'"
– Hrekires
It's Wormy
"Bean sprouts. When I was a teen my mother got on a kick and they were in EVERYTHING for years. She heard they were healthful so we'd find them in omelets, burgers, salads, breads, etc. They tasted like dirt worms. To this day I can't eat them."
It's Tropical
"Papaya."
"It smells live vomit to me, and I have no clue why."
Whether it comes in a bottle or oozes from packets, these properties just don't go down easy.
It's Evil
"My husband calls Mayo 'the devil's sperm.'"
"There was a time if I accidentally ate Mayo I'd involuntarily puke."
It's Fermented
"Kombucha. Yes please, I'd like a glass of over fermented vinegar, how refreshing."
It's Infused
"Flavored water(s)- tastes like it's made in the same room as the flavor but nothing else. Plain water is so much better."
"I always think of it like a fruit sneezed in the same room as water and didn't cover it's mouth."
It's For Brunch
"Bloody Marys... who wakes up and thinks, mmm can't wait to have a tall glass of iced ketchup today!?"
So, for the longest time, I was repulsed by the smell of Nattō.
Nattō is a traditional Japanese breakfast dish consisting of fermented soybeans that have been compared to old Brie cheese. It smells awful.
But after reading up on how it is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, I forced myself to acquire a taste for Nattō. It took a while.
But now, I actually enjoy eating it. Two to three times a week, I whip up the slimy beans into a stringy frenzy – as instructed – and empty it from the styrofoam container onto a small bowl of rice and use the spicy mustard packet that comes with it.
And I feel energized and healthy from eating it.
I never thought I would call Nattō "delicious" but here we are.