# Food preferences that people think make them superior **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 12, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404 "2005-01-12T16:37:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/21 "2005-01-12T17:22:57Z")
Yeah, I’m a food snob, but I try not to be vocal about it. Flavor, not heat, is what I’m snobby about. What’s the point of eating wings so hot they burn at both ends? There was a thread not long ago about food, particularly sushi, not being an extreme sport. As to the OP, you got one your/you’re right, what happened to the rest of them? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/22 "2005-01-12T17:23:10Z")
Just a guess, but a lot of it seems to center around the idea that consuming something closer to the “essence” is better. Examples: Black coffee, dark chocolate and straight liquor are closer to the essences of those things than coffee with cream and sugar, milk chocolate, and mixed drinks. Why it is considered by some to be “better” I couldn’t say. That said, I like black coffee, unsweetened ice tea, straight liquor, dark chocolate, and hot wings. I prefer darker, more flavorful beers over Budweiser-style brews. When I smoked, I smoked Luckies or Camels. None of this made me think I was better than anyone else, just that my preferences ran towards more strongly flavored products. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/23 "2005-01-12T17:23:14Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > As long as people don’t put ketchup on their hot dogs, it’s all “live and let live.” 😛 I used to do that, until I discovered the gastrointestinal beauty that is sauerkraut and mustard ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/24 "2005-01-12T17:23:43Z")
Oh yeah I’m a food snob. But I only bitch about it behind people’s backs, so that’s okay. For example, my sister asked my dad to provide the wine for her wedding. He wasn’t sure whether to get red or white wine, so he compromised by buying mostly pink wine. We got our own wine for our wedding. He’s fairly clueless about food, but that’s okay: he’s got a few dishes he does well, and that’s what he serves when we visit. And if he wants to serve me raspberry-flavored coffee after dinner, I’ll drink it and thank him. But when he comes to my house, he’s getting my organic fair-trade non-adulterated Sumatra. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/25 "2005-01-12T17:27:26Z")
(Slight hijack) **badbadrubberpiggy** , where in Brighton? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/26 "2005-01-12T17:33:00Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Fair 'nough. I guess it’s cheaper when you can get it local. > > But to call it maple syrup, when it tastes nothing like maple syrup… that’s what gets my goat. > > _goes into Vermontian syrup-seisure_ My husband’s a die-hard 100% maple syrup eater from (uh-oh) Ohio. Doesn’t like Vermont maple syrup, because Ohio maple syrup is obviously superior! To be fair, he grew up in the middle of Ohio maple country, with the maple shed literally in the next yard over and maple festivals every year and whatnot. I suspect it’s more nostalgia than actual flavor. I humor him, and buy only Ohio maple syrup. (Do you know how hard it is to find Ohio maple syrup around here? You Vermonteers have certainly cornered the market!) Live and let eat, I say. But then we went to visit my grandmother. In Vermont. In the middle of her maple farm. WoooHooooo! - sparkage! Me. I’m even more plebian. I actually like Log Cabinesque syrups. It’s thicker, for one, so it sits on top of my pancakes instead of soaking in and leaving them all heavy and crumbly. People who judge others for their taste in foods really need to keep their eyes on their own plate, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/27 "2005-01-12T17:33:09Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > (Slight hijack) > > **badbadrubberpiggy** , where in Brighton? I’ll be giving away my secrets! Heh…near the Whole Foods, though I work in Boston ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/28 "2005-01-12T17:34:31Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > As long as people don’t put ketchup on their hot dogs, it’s all “live and let live.” 😛 We’re talking about food preferences, not crimes against humanity. Hanging is too good for people who put ketchup on their weiners. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/29 "2005-01-12T17:36:50Z")
More than anything, I’m a food snob towards people who won’t experiment. . .“I’m getting the lemon-pepper chicken. I know what I like. Why get anything else? I know I’ll like it.” They’re the bottom rung. I’ve met very few people with that attitude that I like in other regards. Still, in all honesty, I have a little contempt for people who like everything sweet. No, you don’t like chocolate. . .you like a brown chocolate-flavored sugar cube. No, you don’t like alcohol. . .you like an alcoholic fruit punch. As for people who don’t like and never eat hot foods. Sometimes, I just correlate it with being a little bit of “mama’s boy”. There’s pain, but with really hot stuff, there’s some endorphin release. So, I correlate an aversion to hot food with a “middle of the road” personality type. I might not think I’m better than them, but I’m not exactly drawn to them either. Beer – I’m a snob in both directions. People who won’t try “interesting” beer fall into “not experiment” category. People who won’t drink Bud from a pitcher in a plastic cup when they’re out with the gang come across as priggish. Swill a fuckin’ brewski, fop! “Pit voice” over. Somewhat “reasoned voice” follows. . . I guess the main point is this: I’ll eat mild wings and hot wings. You’ll only eat mild wings. Ergo, you have a less interesting diet than I. That doesn’t mean I’m superior, but that might indicate there are other aspects of your personality where you take a similar approach (movies, books, TV shows). And I’m not necessarily “drawn” to people who act that way. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/30 "2005-01-12T17:38:09Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > We’re talking about food preferences, not crimes against humanity. > > Hanging is too good for people who put ketchup on their weiners. It’s still okay if I put it on my tofu dog, right? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/31 "2005-01-12T17:40:28Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > True epicures eat vegemite. Or marmite. **Qadgop,** is that a regional spelling of marmot? 😉 I know some backwoodsy guys who eat marmot. My brother thinks I’m horribly uncultured because I use store-brand ready ground coffee. He buys unroasted beans from Sweet Maria’s. He roasts and grinds them himself. It’s good coffee, sure, but I don’t want to go through that much ritual in the morning before I’ve had a cup of coffee. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/32 "2005-01-12T17:40:31Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > I’ll be giving away my secrets! > Heh…near the Whole Foods, though I work in Boston Ah, my girlfriend used to shop there. Now she goes to the Omni on route 9. Much better. We live (in the same apartment building but not in the same apartment) on Comm Ave near the Circle. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/33 "2005-01-12T17:44:42Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > It’s still okay if I put it on my tofu dog, right? You, sir, are worse than Hitler. I suppose you eat that on a folded slice of Wheatberry bread, too. Nazi. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/34 "2005-01-12T17:50:43Z")
I’m a food snob. I married a food snob and we’re raising little food snobs. I don’t feel superior to people who think American cheese from the deli section of the grocery store is high falutin’ (individually wrapped singles is good enough for me), Heineken is exotic and sushi is gross (omg, raw fish!). No, siree. Not one bit. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/35 "2005-01-12T17:50:56Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > You, sir, are worse than Hitler. > > I suppose you eat that on a folded slice of Wheatberry bread, too. Nazi. Ach, nein! I buy special sprouted wheat buns, of course. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/36 "2005-01-12T17:51:30Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > As long as people don’t put ketchup on their hot dogs, it’s all “live and let live.” 😛 So I’m guessing you wouldn’t approve of my love of blackened hot dogs with ketchup and dill pickle relish? I’m a food snob’s nightmare, I tell you! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/37 "2005-01-12T18:05:57Z")
> [@yellowval](#): > > So I’m guessing you wouldn’t approve of my love of blackened hot dogs with ketchup and dill pickle relish? > > I’m a food snob’s nightmare, I tell you! Make it stop! Make it stoooooooooop! You have heard of this new invention called mustard, haven’t you? And not that yellow crap. Go brown. I am on a quest to find the perfect weenie. Topped with the perfect mustard. It’s one of my goals in life. I’ve found a close approximation at Top Dog in Rockport, MA. I just missed the closing of Willie’s Weiners in Jacksonville, FL. Someday I will go to Packo’s in Toledo (Yes, it’s a real place. Jamie Farr used to go there in his university days. And all the cast members of MASH have been there.) But I understand that I will never reach the Apex of Dogdom, the Pinnacle of Pork Pudding, the Nirvana of the Tube Steak, as long as I stay out of central Europe. I hear that the franks there are lined with gold and are served by God’s own angels. Some day I must book a plane flight and go there for lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/38 "2005-01-12T18:07:52Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Examples: > > If you drink light beer ala Miller or Budweiser you’re considered an idiot “Those taste like piss, give me a Bass Ale or Guiness, that’s what real men drink.” > > If you drink your coffee black, your somehow have an edge over those who use cream or sugar. > > If you get you buffalo wings mild, your just not as cool as those than get them blazin’ hot. > > Eat dark chocolate and your much more sophisticated than those eating that milk chocolate stuff. > > Drink a cosmopolitan, daquari, or pina colada and your a wuss. Drink some Jack Daniels and your a man. > > Are you a food snob?? Just from this list alone, I HATE beer, drink my coffee with loads of cream and sugar, love WHITE chocolate best, and like “foofy” drinks best. But I do take my wings spicy. I guess that makes me 1/5 cool? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/39 "2005-01-12T18:12:08Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I hear that the franks there are lined with gold and are served by God’s own angels. Some day I must book a plane flight and go there for lunch. You’ll probably need more than an hour. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404/40 "2005-01-12T18:13:52Z")
How did we get this far in this thread without mentioning the ultimate food snobs - vegetarians/vegans? It’s not just about preference and taste, it’s about **MORALITY**. (And processed cheese is not cheese. They should have a different name to avoid confusion, especially in restaurants where they pretend to be serving cheddar or swiss, but it’s not.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-preferences-that-people-think-make-them-superior/284404.md?page=3)