Do you like or can you tolerate root beer? Odd question perhaps, but I once knew someone who vocally hated wintergreen-flavored mints, but who also loved A&W root beer (which uses wintergreen as a sassafras replacement). She said the difference was the creaminess.
Interesting, did not know that. No, I used to like root beer as a kid, but not since developing a more or less ‘adult’ palate.
I mean, I’ve tried some of the fancy ‘craft’ style bottle root beers that my kids sometimes got at restaurants when they were younger, and it wasn’t horrible, but not something I’d choose to drink a bottle of.
There are a lot of foods where we are getting a cheaper ingredient or synthetic version and I wonder if the originals were much better. Root beer, ginger ale and marshmallows come to mind.
I’ve wondered this for root beer (especially) and marshmallow as well.
Sassafras was discontinued as the main root beer flavoring because it contains a chemical called Safrole, which the FDA considers a poison in not very large quantities. I’d like to try sassafras sometime just to see how it tastes. I guess I could- it’s still sold as an herbal supplement.
Not sure why Althaea officinalis, or ‘marsh mallow’ was discontinued in marshmallows, but I’m guessing it was due to economic reasons once a process was perfected to make them in the same fluffy consistency with just glycerin and corn syrup.
Ginger ale, on the other hand, I’m pretty sure is mostly still flavored with real ginger root, though different brands vary widely in quality and amount of ginger used.
Absinthe is another one.
I’ve been in a few breweries that offer draft root beer and ginger ale made in house. The root beer is way better than any commercial product I’ve had. The ginger ale was indistinguishable from Canada Dry.
To the level of homeopathic amounts of ginger, yes.
I’ve had ginger beers/brews/ales of varying intensities. Some actually burn depending on the ginger to sugar ratio. IMHO too much sugar, regardless of the ginger content and other quality issues, renders the difference moot to most tastes.
As a cheapish and readily available option, try the Trader Joe’s Ginger Brew in the green bottles. It’s good, flavorful, not overpoweringly dry (which is another risk at the opposite end of the ginger ale spectrum) and makes a great mixer for ginger beer based drinks.
I really wanted to love rose water. Although it sounds so lovely, like what the angels drink, it tastes like soap.
The one exception I have discovered is paan masala ice cream. It has just the right amount of rose jam to give a little burst of fragrance without that soapy taste. It’s fun to eat.
Rosemary. Mom had tons of rosemary bushes, I came to hate the smell and taste
I don’t like wintergreen mints or gum or whatnot, but I do like drinks with wintergreen in them, like root beer and Moxie, for whatever reason. And I prefer spearmint to peppermint, but I generally like mint in a savory context and not a sweet one, and I just find peppermint too aggressive for that (I used to grow it until I realized I wanted spearmint for those things. And, yes, I said “used to.” Somehow, it did manage to die off in my garden after a couple of years, God knows how.)
Hmmm, I wonder if that’s because you’re able to distinguish between the different active ingredients in wintergreen (genus Gaultheria) and true mints (genus Mentha), rather than just tasting them all as “minty”:
Oh, yes. I hate passion fruit, too. People are always “well, you just haven’t had really fresh passionfruit”. Yes. Yes I have. In Venezuela.
I can only withstand cumin in practically microscopic amounts. If other people can taste it, it’s too much for me.
Turmeric is yummy if it has been toasted before use, but raw I can’t stand it.
Anything in the black licorice flavor family - fennel, anise, and so on - I simply cannot abide.
I was in my 30’s before I realized that rye bread is delicious; I just hate caraway seeds. I’ll never understand why anybdy would add that to perfectly good food.
There is no form of liver that I like. Don’t say “But MY pate …” No. I do not want to try it. Don’t sneak it into the gravy either, or you will ruin Thanksgiving for me.
And yes, I am constitutionally incapable of tasting whatever it is that you weirdos like about cilantro. It really does taste like soap. But coriander (seed of the same plant) is one of my favorites. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Hmmmmnn. Would you believe I don’t think of myself as a picky eater? ROFL! Looking at this list I may need to change that.
I’ve always hated liver (and its noxious smell) except for chicken livers in rumaki, but we had meal at a restaurant where Michael Voltaggio was head chef. There were two items on the menu (it was a tasting menu) that I was a little iffy on beforehand. Turns out they were my favorite things that night. The foie gras and the bone marrow.
I’ve never had the chance to try Michael’s food, but I’ve had Brian’s. I would eat licorice marinated liver in cilantro sauce if he cooked it, and not be surprised if I liked it. ROFL!
Brian made a chocolate dessert with ramps in it, and I thought he must have gone mad, but dang it was good!
That sort of thing is how I know I don’t like crab. I had some crab ravioli at Chez Panisse, and didn’t like them. (Nothing wrong with the food: my husband had no problem eating my portion.) I thought if their simple preparation with quality ingredients is displeasing to my palate, it’s probably my palate that’s the issue.
Cumin. Yuck.
I don’t like celery, although it has to be fairly obvious. I was disappointed the first time I had a bloody Mary and it tasted more of celery than tomato juice.
Beets have a compound called geosmin… which translates to dirt smell.
Don’t think this has been posted. Wasabi. Can’t stand it even in the smallest portions on anything.
I once ordered sushi and asked for no wasabi. The lady at countered scolded me “What kind of Japanese are you!”. This was decades ago and I can still hear her voice. And she wasn’t joking!
Just for the record, was it true wasabi, or the green horseradish sold as wasabi in the states? Since I know quite a few people who can’t stand horseradish. 
But yeah, it does suck to be told that you have to have something their way or you’re leper outcast unclean!