# Foods you were told you'd hate but instead you love **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206 "2009-06-18T18:38:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/1 "2009-06-18T18:38:52Z")
Inspired by the Normal Foods You Loathe thread. Is there a food that everyone discouraged you from trying, or you just assumed it was gross due to popular opinion, but it turns out you love? Growing up, I always wanted to try anchovies, but everyone in my family told me that they were beyond disgusting and there was no way I’d like them. After being on my own for a few years, I decided to try them. I now consider an anchovy-free life to be no life at all. Last weekend I made a caesar salad for my family and was surprised to find out that my sister and my mother wanted the little fishies. No food is probably more universally despised than haggis. People hear the description and freak out. But one night (Rabbie Burns’s birthday) a friend boiled one up. I found it rather delicious. You? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/2 "2009-06-18T18:43:25Z")
Brussels sprouts. If they’re roasted or perfectly steamed, there’s nothing better with a rich meat dish. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/3 "2009-06-18T18:47:35Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > Brussels sprouts. If they’re roasted or perfectly steamed, there’s nothing better with a rich meat dish. Those too, though I sometimes find them too bitter. I could probably find a better recipe. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/4 "2009-06-18T18:50:29Z")
Licorice, though after bad experiences with ouzo and absinthe, my love’s dimmed a little. Beef tongue. It tastes like pot roast. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/5 "2009-06-18T19:10:46Z")
Anchovies are way up on my list. They’re especially useful as an ingredient where you don’t necessarily realize you’re eating anchovies. Caesar salad is a good example, and I make a pan sauce for fish that uses an anchovy for flavor. But… every now and then I just need a good anchovy pizza. Canned sardines are also better than everyone seems to think. Brussel sprouts are excellent if they’re cooked right. Okra is much maligned for no reason I can understand. Fried is best, but they’re good in soups too. I can’t quite get behind them as pickles, but I’m not a big pickle person in general. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/6 "2009-06-18T19:11:27Z")
Vegemite. I was told it was awful and I’d never like it. I have a 2.5 kg bucket of it in my kitchen that’s nearly empty. I need to re-order. that’s my 3rd bucket of the stuff in about 8 years. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/7 "2009-06-18T19:14:48Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > Okra is much maligned for no reason I can understand. Fried is best, but they’re good in soups too. I can’t quite get behind them as pickles, but I’m not a big pickle person in general. Cooked wrong, it has a similar consistency to snot. It’s also got a very woody, earthy flavor. I like it but can totally understand why most wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/8 "2009-06-18T19:15:34Z")
I wouldn’t go so far as to order it in buckets, but I didn’t loathe vegemite either. If someone brought some in I’d try a couple crackers with it on it again. Then I would have no desire to again for about another year 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mariposalabrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@mariposalabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mariposalabrown)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/9 "2009-06-18T19:25:05Z")
Sweetbreads. I can’t stand liver, but for some reason, pancreas is freaking delicious to me. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/10 "2009-06-18T19:27:09Z")
Well, nobody told me I wouldn’t like it but I am the only person I know outside of my immediate family that likes gefilte fish. People that know me and my picky ways are absolutely amazed that I would put such a vile thing in my mouth 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/11 "2009-06-18T19:34:51Z")
A lot of people think I’m crazy for liking pickled herring, but hey – I’m 1/4 Swedish. Once again, mom and sis love it. Dad thinks it’s revolting. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/12 "2009-06-18T19:46:49Z")
Sushi. Everybody in my family was all like “raw fish??? :eek:” when we first learned of sushi becoming popular in the US, back in the late 80’s ish. But then I had me some, and… wow. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/13 "2009-06-18T20:29:54Z")
STEAK! I still resent my vegetarian upbringing for depriving me of this lovely, lovely food. Sorry, cows. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/14 "2009-06-18T21:08:12Z")
When we were young, my father told us that we wouldn’t like cheesecake. It was too rich. Once I learned that didn’t apply, I tried other things that he didn’t like. Sushi and anchovies have both been mentioned. Although I like anchovies on the side more than I like them baked into a pizza. Is it a similar or an opposite strategy that Dad pretended to like squash, because it was good for us and Mom could grow it in the garden cheaply? I’m pretty sure that half of the reason for badmouthing cheesecake was that it was more expensive than other desserts. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-you-were-told-youd-hate-but-instead-you-love/500206/15 "2009-06-18T21:14:31Z")
Braunschweiger sammiches. My dad gave me my first bite of his sandwich when I was about 6 years old with the warning, “You’re not going to like it.” Been eating them ever since.