Most of us can remember at least one food or meal that absolutely repulsed us as children.
But just the way we had to grow up, sometimes our palettes had some growing up to do, too.
Redditor leafypikmin asked:
"What are some foods that you used to hate, but love now?"
Kids and Greens Don't Mix
"I didn't like the standard 'Yuck!' kid's foods like broccoli, brussels sprouts, and asparagus."
"But I learned how to cook them myself and they are good! But also I am a less picky eater as an adult."
- just_minutes_ago
"Until I was like 20, raw broccoli would give me heartburn and an upset stomach for some reason. I ate so few vegetables, that anything green, that wasn't candy, introduced would be rejected by my body."
- bubblesort33
"I have recently developed a love for the smell of fresh leek. Where on earth did that come from?"
- ohonoops
"Peas. I don't know when things changed, but I love peas now."
- diegojones4
The Cooking Method Matters
"It's weird - my mom was a pretty good cook in general, but when it came to veggies, she always just steamed them for some reason and they were disgusting as a result. I more or less just wrote them off for like 20 years until I had a chance to try them made differently and was surprised to find how much I actually liked them."
- CQ1_GreenSmoke
"Coming here to say Brussel Sprouts. Once I had them prepared correctly they became my favorite vegetable."
- April_Morning_86
"I personally like Brussels sprouts steamed, then sautéed in a bit of sesame oil, and finally topped with a bit of balsamic glaze. It’s just so good (in my opinion)."
- JTAx1995
"I always hated cranberry sauce. Bought some actual cranberries and made homemade sauce. Much better. The sour part probably threw me off as a kid but now I love it."
- BuffaloInCahoots
"Brussels sprouts were the one for me. Mom was a good cook but would get frozen ones, boil them, and then put them in cheese sauce. We would eat what she put on our plates, but would not fight for them when we got seconds."
"I heard about frying them. So I got fresh ones, cut them in half, and fried up some bacon, then threw the Brussels sprouts away."
"No, seriously, I fried them in the bacon grease with some minced garlic, and while I don't love them, I like them enough to eat them on a more regular basis."
- Grapeape934
"Tomatoes, avocado, sweet potato, pumpkin, yams, squash, the list goes on and on. I found out once I lived on my own that I wasn't a picky eater. I just had parents who are terrible cooks."
- 2baverage
"My mother wasn’t a terrible cook, but she only had one way of making things and could not pivot to things and ways that taste better. I thought I hated asparagus; nope. I just hated it boiled until it was goop, I loved it seared and broiled with rosemary and thyme."
- theveryoldman0
"I never liked tomatoes but I would tolerate them on a sandwich. I mean why not... store bought tomatoes have no flavor anyway. But after I had a homegrown tomato I can hardly wait for each July to pick a ripe one for a BLT or a burger."
- zex_mysterion
"I went my entire childhood eating well-done steak and I never questioned it. When I was 19, in college, I decided to buy a small steak and cook it myself."
"I planned on cooking it until it was well done, but I accidentally dropped it onto the stove when flipping it over. There was a decent grey to it, so I decided to just eat it. That's when I found out that I love medium steak. Not medium rare, not medium well, just medium."
- Ok_Bag_9668
"Most vegetables. Growing up, everything was canned and boiled to death. Fresh and raw, roasted, or sautéed, were game changers."
- Fubai97b
Against the Grain
"Sour cream and cheesecake."
"I like cheesecake but sometimes when people make some it is so rich and sweet that it feels like a slap in the face. I can barely eat a few bites before I have to take it home and put it in the fridge to nibble on later."
- deaf_musiclover
"Cilantro. It used to taste like burnt plastic smelled to me."
"Mushrooms. They still basically taste the same to me, but I learned to appreciate it and now I love them."
"Sauerkraut. Mass-production sauerkraut is still gross, but fermented kraut is a whole different beast and tastes terrific."
"Probably something else, but that’s all I can think of now."
- felis_flatus
"I learned to like olives this year because of someone on Reddit. They said the way to teach yourself to like olives is the following: Put an olive in your mouth. Chew it and swallow it. Repeat. Repeat again. Now you like olives."
"And damned if it didn’t work. I have hated olives all my life. I’m 40 years old. Yesterday, I ordered a plate of marinated Castelvetrano olives as an appetizer at a pizzeria. They were delicious."
- nautilus_striven
"The first time I was pregnant (didn’t even know I was expecting), I was picking up something for dinner and I spotted a giant-sized jar of olives. (Normally, I was fairly indifferent to olives)."
"When my hubby got home, he found me sitting at the table with a soup bowl filled with olives, eating them with a spoon. He paused for a second, then walked to the cupboard, grabbed a bowl, and poured himself the same dinner. Never said a single word to suggest there was anything odd going on!"
"Soon after, we discovered why I was having such a strange craving, lol (laughing out loud)!"
"Also, my hubby is awesome!"
- magkrat123
It's funny how our interests, including our tastes, continue to adapt as we age. At least when it comes to food, we can try an item as many times as we want before we decide if it's a firm yes or no.