I don’t see the need for all the carping. I agree that the food sensitivities of the “If I eat this, I’ll GAG” folks are likely imaginary, but so what? It’s no concern of mine how other people eat.
We all have foods that we just can’t stand. Fer instance, I loathe mayonnaise, because to me it tastes utterly disgusting. I would be pissed if people kept trying to get me to eat that mess, so I can understand how the OP and others with aversions to certain foods must feel in certain social situations if people around them insist that they should “just take a bite.” OTOH, it behooves the picky eaters to decline a dish with a polite “No, thank you” instead of “Get that garbage AWAY from me! Are you trying to POISON me?”
When I first met my wife’s mother, and ate a dinner she prepared, the first thing she said to me was, in her thick Honduran accent, “If joo don like dis chit don’t fuckin’ eat it. When I go to your house, if joo make me some chit I don’t like I tell joo straight up. I’m too fuckin’ old to eat chit I don’t like, so don’t joo eat chit joo don’t like in my house.”
I instantly loved her.
The bonus is I don’t think she’s made much that I didn’t absolutely love. But then I’m a big eater, and LOVE trying new things, or new twists on foods I’ve has before.
However, my wife, and my wife’s daughter are both very picky eaters. It’s frustrating at times, but anytime my wife has been at a meal she simply couldn’t eat, (She hates seafood, and once at a wedding, the appetizer was a delicious she-crab cake) she very politely eats around it, and pushes it off onto my plate when she gets a chance…which, is, of course, wonderful to me.
But it’d be nice to get her into a Sushi Bar, or a Thai Restaurant one day. Or god, please, something like Ethiopian. Babysteps, though. I’m working on her.
Unfortunately, our daughter (technically my step daughter) was too old when I met her, and had grown used to being treated as picky, so now that’s what she is. I dunno how long it’ll take me to get her out of her shell.
I agree pickiness can be frustrating, as everyone in my house is picky, and I am the polar opposite, but hardly worthy of the seeming anger the OP quoted. If someone can politely not eat something, I don’t see how they’re worthy of scorn. No adult should be expected to “Eat your greens and shut-up.” Wearing pickiness on your sleeve is pretty fucking annoying.
Although, on a recent “Newlyweds” Jessica Simpson was treated to a dinner (where she couldn’t pick anything put in front of her, which is just as fucking rude, IMHO) but she made a fucking spectacle about how gross everything was, making faces and being all rude about not liking it. But I hate that twat, so I’m biased.
Oh man, yumm. Though, I skip the quail egg part. I always get two, and save them for very last (Well, unless I get tamago, which is a great desert piece) eaten right after the eel. They are great.
Recently I got on a kick thinking I wanted some Caviar. I can’t afford real iranian or russian sturgeon, so I finally settled on some American black-whitefish. It was good, but after I ate it I realized that what I was REALLY craving was some massago. Mmmm. Man I haven’t had sushi in ages.
These people have just made an arbitrary decision that they won’t eat anything that comes from the water because somehow they think that makes them special.
I would ask again, if these food issues are genuine and not psychological then *why doesn’t it happen in third world countries?"
I think there’s something just very stunted and immature about deciding that you don’t like certain “textures.” Fucking grow up. Babies don’t like “textures.” Adults learn how to understand them.
Seafood does fall very squarely into a catogory for me. Sure there are different types, but the all have a powerful overtone that I taste with any kind of seafood. I don’t like the taste, to you, it’s retarded garbage. Very nice.
I don’t remember when I’ve been so flabbergasted by a Pit thread. Why the hell would anyone give two shits about anyone else’s eating habits or preferences – let alone get so foaming-at-the-mouth angry about it?
Saying shit like “just fucking eat it and shut the fuck up,” “I have an extremely low opinion of picky eaters,” and “people who special-order in restaurants are self-centerd twats who want to control the world” is just fucking bat shit insane.
How is my not eating certain things a ploy for attention? I just don’t eat them; I certainly never considered it a point of pride or something. Nor do I feel that I’m missing out on anything major. My life is quite complete without eating mushrooms or bananas, thank you. If that somehow offends you, I’d say you’re the one with the issues.
Silly or not, myself, and many other people, do not like seafood. Liek it or not, it is a catagory of food. If it comes from the water, it’s seafood, plain and simple.
Shrimp? Have tried it, SEVERAL times, don’t like it.
Flounder? OK, never had that. Probably won’t like it.
Tuna? Tried it, don’t like it.
Crab? Tried it, don’t like it.
I have also tried salmon, trout, lobster, clams, oysters, scallops, and various other fish. SO maybe I have tried flounder and just don’t know it. And, with the odd exception of clam chowder, I hate all seafood. Don’t tell me I don’t, don’t etll me it’s not possible, cause it is, and I do.
And while no, they don’t all taste the same, they still, every one of them, have that “fishy” taste to them. That very discernable taste that every piece of seafood i have ever had has. Some things taste fishyier than others. Salmon, for example, is the worst I can recollect, while shellfish is the least (probably why I can eat clam chowder.)
Arbitrary? Where the hell are you coming up with this stuff. And why do you care?
If you must know It makes me feel like I missing out on something that other people really seem to enjoy. I wish I did like seafood. No it does not make me feel special.
I’d like to echo this sentiment. I don’t understand people dismissing entire classes of food either, but seriously, how could this possibly be a big deal? How is it possible to get angry over it?
If it’s psychological, so what? Doesn’t make it any less real to those people.
I personally can’t eat bananas. Completely psychological. I was forced to eat them every day as a kid whether I wanted to or not. Now I jam up every time I smell them. I’ve tried and tried and tried. Just ain’t gonna happen.
“Psychological” does not mean that it comes with an off switch. You should know better.
And kindly drop the “fucking babies” crap. Makes you sound like a jackass.
I think there are just some people who can eat anything, and some who find some things gross, and there’s a bit of a communication gap between them.
And there is a polite way to deal with not being able to eat something you’re being served. If you don’t like the dish, smile and say “No, thank you,” when offered it. If you don’t like a part of the dish, eat around it without making a big spectacle of yourself.
It’s rude to say, “I don’t like…” etc. when your host/ess confronts you with a dish, because it implies that s/he should be a short-order cook. It’s not rude to accept with pleasure and then not eat all of it, or to decline with thanks. It is polite for the host/ess not to notice what the guest hasn’t finished.
Look, if I’m starving I can undoubtedly skin a monkey and eat it. Would I be puking the whole time? Probably. But I could get enough sustenance to survive.
Just because people in Africa eat the food provided in order to stay alive it does not necessarily follow that they like it. Given the choice between maggots and meat I’ll take meat every time, but as an emergency source of food maggots do just fine. I’m fairly certain that even the most hungry African would agree with me.
I, fortunately, am in the position where I have alternatives, which allow me to eat the foods that don’t make me puke and disregard the rest. Make no mistake, though. In a true survival situation I’ll eat whatever I can find.
I try to avoid situations where my pickiness could be brought into the spotlight. In settings where I don’t have any choice about what food is being served, like a conference where a predetermined lunch is given to the attendees, I skip out on lunch. I don’t want to draw attention to my diet. Then again, if starting a thread in the Pit makes me an attention whore, I guess I’ll have share that label with thousands of other Dopers.
I’m definitely not rude, but I get VERY frustrated when people are persistent about trying to get me to eat something that I just can’t eat, or quizzing me in a condescending manner about what I like and don’t like. It would be rude if they did this to a vegetarian or someone on a Kosher diet so why should this be any different with a picky eater?
That’s okay, since I have a low opinion of you after you played the offenderati card on me a few months ago. I bet your opinion would be much different if it was someone else making this post. Surprising to hear such a comment from you, considering you’re Mister/Ms Multicultural Tolerance. Guess some things are less tolerable than others, huh? I’m sorry my picky eating offended you. Guess if it applies to soul food, it’s also racist, huh?
Tell you what … if we ever meet, and you start eating hardboiled or deviled eggs, instead of politely excusing myself, I’ll direct the vomit towards you.
“There are poor kids starving in Poland! Eat your vegetables!” Right, Mom. You have no right to tell me how my body should react if I eat something. Be lucky you can tolerate a wider diet.
I usually find something on a menu, if not many menu items, that I’ll eat. I’m frustrated becuase people think I should be able to eat EVERYTHING on the menu, with gusto, and like it. I’d like to … I really would, but I can’t. I’ll sometimes order an item and substitute one item. More than that, and I won’t bother; it’s too much trouble for those in the kitchen. If it’s a high-end restaurant where the menu item is considered “art” and the chef would probably take offense at a substitution, I just don’t bother - I find another menu item. Why should that bother you?
I’ll eat some fish that swim, but no fish that crawl. I just. don’t. like it. I’m pretty brave with just about everything else, except for brains and other weird animal body parts.
I have a brother in law who won’t eat food prepared by foreigners. I have no idea how this guy got to be 400 lbs, but he’s a complete food bigot. And he doesn’t like anything anyway.
He DOESN’T have gag reflex issues. He’s just picky and bigoted. He’s a pain in the ass that way.
I try to avoid situations where my pickiness could be brought into the spotlight. In settings where I don’t have any choice about what food is being served, like a conference where a prepared lunch is served to attendees, I skip out on lunch. I don’t want to draw attention to my diet. Then again, if starting a thread in the Pit makes me an attention whore, I guess I’ll have share that label with thousands of other Dopers.
I’m definitely not rude, but I get VERY frustrated when people are persistent about trying to get me to eat something that I just can’t eat, or quizzing me in a condescending manner about what I like and don’t like. It would be rude if they did this to a vegetarian or someone on a Kosher diet so why should this be any different with a picky eater?
That’s okay, since I have a low opinion of you after you played the offenderati card on me a few months ago. I bet your opinion would be much different if it was someone else making this post. Surprising to hear such a comment from you, considering you’re Mister/Ms Multicultural Tolerance. Guess some things are less tolerable than others, huh? I’m sorry my picky eating offended you. If it applies to soul food, I would assume that also makes me racist, huh? Wait, I shouldn’t ask … I already know the answer. Offenderatibrat is probably picturing me in a white robe and hood already.
Tell you what … if we ever meet, and you start eating hardboiled or deviled eggs, instead of politely excusing myself, I’ll direct the vomit towards you.
“There are poor kids starving in Poland! Eat your vegetables!” Right, Mom. You have no right to tell me how my body should react if I eat something. Be lucky you can tolerate a wider diet.
I usually find something on a menu, if not many menu items, that I’ll eat. I’m frustrated becuase people think I should be able to eat EVERYTHING on the menu, with gusto, and like it. I’d like to … I really would, but I can’t. I’ll sometimes order an item and substitute one item. More than that, and I won’t bother; it’s too much trouble for those in the kitchen. If it’s a high-end restaurant where the menu item is considered “art” and the chef would probably take offense at a substitution, I just don’t bother - I find another menu item. Why should that bother you?
Yes I’m sure the OP feels really special when they’re gagging on food.
And besides your personal experience do you have sites for this? Because if not I’ll throw in my experience with a Hispanic man I work with who (from his own words) comes from 'the ass end of the ass end of the poorest part of mexico" who only eats three dishes and turns white whenever he watches me eat a bacon cheeseburger. I’d say the average third world citizen doesn’t come into near as many different types of food as a person from an industrialized nation so while someone can get used to food X and has to eat that or die an American in order not to be a ‘picky’ eater has to get used to X, Y, XY, Z, ZX, and so on. And since when is psychological not ‘genuine’? If the OP eats some types of foods something in their mind triggers a gag reflex. Like…ummm every form of choking. Or do they have to get a fish bone caught in their throat every time for the gagging to be ‘genuine’?
Yeah and I hate those chronic fatigue fuckers. Why can’t they just get off their lazy asses and work? And those motherfucking diabetics real men can eat sugar without having to stick needles into their stomachs. Oh wait I am diabetic…
Hmm I see on preview most people made these points already…oh well you’re getting my post anyway just ignore it.
