Am I the only one who is sometimes grossed out by what other people eat?

[Cub_Mistress]

@Roadfood

But, the point to keep in mind is that ketchup overwhelms all other tastes for you. If you agree with and accept that other people’s tastes are different from yours, how can you say what ketchup does to someone else’s taste buds? Maybe, in that person’s mouth, ketchup delightfully enhances the taste of the steak, and doesn’t overwhelm it all.

I guess I just don’t understand this idea of accepting differences in taste, but only up to a point. I don’t see how it can be quantified, so that a difference of “X” between your tastes and someone else’s is ok, but a difference of “2X” is just wrong. So that salting a steak is fine, but adding ketchup is wrong and/or an insult to the cook? Doesn’t make any sense to me.

Geez, we’ve got stories about people dictating what others are allowed to eat in their presence, others who can’t watch normal activities like drinking milk and eating hard-boiled eggs* and you are on my case because I choose to feed my guests something other than steak when I know they are ketchup-on-steak-eaters? I’m beginning to suspect you eat your steaks that way.

• just as examples, nothing personal, ladies.

[OpalCat]

I can totally see where you wouldn’t want to serve something expensive like steak when your guests are the type of people who would probably be just as happy with a burger and ketchup. I don’t see it as a judgment against them, simply a practical matter of “not worth it” in a financial and effort sense.

[Mosier]

@OpalCat

I know. I have Tourette’s Syndrome, which is very closely related to OCD. I see something gross and a chain of even-more-gross vivid imagery gets triggered in my head and I have to fight very, very hard to make it stop (it isn’t always possible.) Oh, and the “triggered imagery” is full sensory, not just visual. For example if I see someone spit on the sidewalk, my brain decides to vividly imagine exactly every sensation that would occur were I to lick that loogey off the sidewalk. Taste, texture, smell, everything. And it takes 100% of my full concentration to derail my brain into thinking of something else, if I even can. I can’t explain why certain foods trigger my brain to do this. Do some reading about Tourette’s Syndrome if you want to learn about how weird and frustrating it can be

Wow! That’s fascinating! I just tried to imagine what your scenario might have done to me if I couldn’t help but imagine it in complete detail, but the full-sensory thing just wont come up. It certainly does sound intensely frustrating to go through that all the time.

I guess the answer to your OP is that no, hardly anyone gets as squickish about stuff as you. Sorry.

[OpalCat]

I still gag over seeing someone step on a cockroach when I was in high school. (it made a popping sound that has stayed with me all these years.)

I’m 36 now.

I pretty much have to mentally play Monty Python sketches or something in my head to block stuff out, “la la la la la” style. It sucks A LOT.

[elfkin477]

The smell of [del]cooked[/del] microwaved fish and hazelnut coffee (separately of course, I can’t imagine using the coffee as a marinade) both turn my stomach. Other than that, I have to draw a firm line against tuna salad on raisin bread despite not having an offensive smell - civilized people just shouldn’t eat that in the company of others.

[Roadfood]

@Cub Mistress

Geez, we’ve got stories about people dictating what others are allowed to eat in their presence, others who can’t watch normal activities like drinking milk and eating hard-boiled eggs* and you are on my case because I choose to feed my guests something other than steak when I know they are ketchup-on-steak-eaters? I’m beginning to suspect you eat your steaks that way.

Sorry, didn’t mean to sound like I’m getting on your case, I just truly don’t understand. Personally, I hate ketchup on anything. I don’t use any kind of steak sauce. But I do like my steaks cooked medium-well. And it annoys me when someone is doing the cooking, asks me how I want my steak, and when I say “medium-well”, I get a response like, “Ok, but I really hate to RUIN a good steak that way.” Hello? It’s not ruined TO ME, it’s the way I like to eat my steak; why is that a problem for YOU? I’m not asking you to eat it, why are you applying YOUR tastes to ME?