# The exact psychology behind people being angered by others' food choices? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2019, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986 "2019-12-17T13:23:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/81 "2019-12-18T21:40:34Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > This!!! > > I have a coworker who I don’t like eating around because she’ll ask you what kind of cheese you’re eating. If it isn’t the kind of cheese you’d get in the speciality cheese section of the grocery store, watch out. And heaven forbid you admit to having an American cheese single on your sandwich. Her facial expression will immediately let you know that you should be utterly ashamed of yourself. > > Being a “foodie” is a point of pride for her. She sees it as a hobby. But that attitude is too much for me. It screams “I’m a big ole try hard. Point and laugh at me!” Ha! I _hate_ American cheese, but I’d never mock you for eating it. Good grief, I’d never even mention it. But don’t make me try to eat it! I _will_ throw it away. It’s what I did when I was four, and we were making a trip from California to Ohio to visit my mom’s family. We stopped by the side of the road, and my mom gave us white bread and American cheese sandwiches. I threw mine into the ditch by the side of the road. I didn’t get anything else to eat until dinnertime, and that was fine with me! ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/82 "2019-12-18T22:00:33Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I had a cadre of Militant Vegan Super-Models in one of my classes. Whenever a public figure died, they went to great lengths to lecture everyone on why they’d still be alive if they’d avoided meat (and eggs and leather, presumably). Even the guy who’d been hit by a truck… I bet it was a meat truck. Served him right. I actually enjoy the food snobbery discussions. They’re just so … pointless, it’s impossible to take them seriously. There are no ‘rankings’ for taste buds. Do food snobs ever wonder why their taste buds only let them enjoy rare steak, rather than the exquisite subtleties of deeply charred protein? Are they ever concerned they may be missing out? Why do they assume their taste buds are tuned to the ‘best’ settings? If you have weird tastes - cool. You’re one of the special ones. Stand out from the crowd. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/83 "2019-12-18T22:03:14Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Ha! I _hate_ American cheese, but I’d never mock you for eating it. Good grief, I’d never even mention it. But don’t make me try to eat it! I _will_ throw it away. It’s what I did when I was four, and we were making a trip from California to Ohio to visit my mom’s family. We stopped by the side of the road, and my mom gave us white bread and American cheese sandwiches. I threw mine into the ditch by the side of the road. I didn’t get anything else to eat until dinnertime, and that was fine with me! when you say “American cheese” do you mean that stuff that comes individually wrapped in plastic? I agree it is horrid. But have you ever had Kraft Deli Select or something similar. You might change your mind, maybe ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/84 "2019-12-18T22:43:39Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Yeah, that is one argument. However, in North America lamb isn’t terribly common and “shepherd’s pie” and “cottage pie” have in many ways become the same thing. Outside of North America many people still make the distinction and some don’t. > > Even so - not to many people have a meltdown over it. I remember looking this up for an argument here about ten years ago, and the origins of shepherd’s pie seem to suggest that it wasn’t necessarily originally made with lamb, but any kind of meat, and then later in the 20th century became being associated specifically with lamb in some circles. [According to Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd%27s_pie): > [@](#): > > The term cottage pie was in use by 1791, when the potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for the poor (cf. “cottage”, meaning a modest dwelling for rural workers). > > The term shepherd’s pie did not appear until 1854, and was initially used synonymously with cottage pie, regardless of whether the meat was beef or mutton.[ However, in the UK since the 20th century, the term shepherd’s pie is used only when the meat is lamb. > > In early cookery books, the dish was a means of using leftover roasted meat of any kind, and the pie dish was lined on the sides and bottom with mashed potato, as well as having a mashed potato crust on top Clearly, the meaning of shepherd’s pie has become more specific over time and regionally, where in the UK it almost always means lamb, but in the US where it could mean either, but is most often beef. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/85 "2019-12-18T22:55:47Z")
Shouldn’t shepherd’s pie be made with shepherds? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/86 "2019-12-18T23:11:33Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I remember looking this up for an argument here about ten years ago, and the origins of shepherd’s pie seem to suggest that it wasn’t necessarily originally made with lamb, but any kind of meat, and then later in the 20th century became being associated specifically with lamb in some circles. Well, yeah, it was originally a sort of peasant food. The folks who came up with it probably just whatever they had on hand without being particularly fussy. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/87 "2019-12-19T01:24:44Z")
My favorite was on the show _Chopped_, when a contestant started pulling pinbones out of a branzino with a pair of pliers and one of the judges went apeshit because according to him, she wasn’t “respecting the fish”. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/88 "2019-12-19T01:48:48Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > How many listeria cases do you see? I saw exactly one, listeria meningitis, on the very FIRST day of my residency! I expected to see that disease every other day, after that experience. Haven’t run across a case since, and that was back in 1983. So I don’t need to microwave my kitchen sink sponges, is that what we’re saying? ---
**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:** [December 19, 2019, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/89 "2019-12-19T01:57:29Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > So I don’t need to microwave my kitchen sink sponges, is that what we’re saying? Well, I don’t microwave mine, and I’m aware of how deadly listeria can be. But whatever floats your sponge. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/90 "2019-12-19T02:10:43Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Well, I don’t microwave mine, and I’m aware of how deadly listeria can be. But whatever floats your sponge. Well, this is actually a great relief. Somehow I got the understanding that those things were just shot through with listeria. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/91 "2019-12-19T02:22:11Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > when you say “American cheese” do you mean that stuff that comes individually wrapped in plastic? I agree it is horrid. But have you ever had Kraft Deli Select or something similar. You might change your mind, maybe Yeah, but I’m so old American cheese wasn’t individually wrapped then. 😛 Never had the Deli Select, but there are other cheeses I like a lot, so I’m not sure I’m feeling any need to try it. Is it truly, awesomely great? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/92 "2019-12-19T02:26:37Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Shouldn’t shepherd’s pie be made with shepherds? Let’s not even ask **running coach** what Girl Scout Cookies are made of. And BTW, it never occurred to me to microwave my kitchen sponges. Why should I? I never eat them. What I DO eat is pizza with the little pieces of ham and pineapples, which I know by the name “Hawaiian Pizza”. So sue me. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/93 "2019-12-19T02:50:36Z")
A few years ago Disney caught some flak when they released Tiana’s healthy gumbo recipe. This was a gumbo recipe without roux that incorporated kale and quinoa. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/94 "2019-12-19T03:07:04Z")
Back off on the yellow mustard. A real Chicago dog requires yellow mustard, preferably Plochman’s. And American cheese does NOT mean individually wrapped sliceS of Cheese Food. Go to a deli and get them to cut you some good white American cheese. Makes the best grilled cheese sandwich, tuna melt, and cheeseburger. If you’re not one of those “fancy people.” ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/95 "2019-12-19T07:01:47Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > What I DO eat is pizza with the little pieces of ham and pineapples, which I know by the name “Hawaiian Pizza”. So sue me. Hmm… ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/96 "2019-12-19T08:26:50Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I remember looking this up for an argument here about ten years ago… I recall that, because I was the one who started that long-ago thread. Hard to believe it was that long ago. Anyway, if anybody’s interested–and you might be, because no matter what you call it, there are some great recipes there–here’s the link: [Shepherd’s Pie/Cottage Pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=587261) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/97 "2019-12-19T09:19:26Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > I have never gotten angry at anyone for eating anything. I have been annoyed when restaurants decide to get cute with concepts like ‘fusion’ and ‘deconstructed’ and the next thing you know your ‘Philly Cheesteak Sandwich’ is served as 4 purple cubes with a side of pineapple chutney. …mmmmm… my mouth is watering… Wait a sec, this is _blood!_ ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/98 "2019-12-19T09:48:45Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Yeah, but I’m so old American cheese wasn’t individually wrapped then. 😛 > > Never had the Deli Select, but there are other cheeses I like a lot, so I’m not sure I’m feeling any need to try it. Is it truly, awesomely great? It’s pretty close to mild cheddar. This is not the thread where I’m going to argue _anything_ is awesomely great because everyone has different tastes. I’ve said it before: there is a real cheese called American cheese. It is just as much cheese as swiss or mozzarella or sharp cheddar. You can buy it in a block in the deli. You can buy it as “deluxe” single slices that typically are NOT individually wrapped. Real cheese will stay sliced even when the slices are next to each other. (You can get pre-sliced other types of cheeses, too, and no one argues those aren’t real cheeses). “Singles” that are individually wrapped are to be viewed with suspicion. The label might say they are cheese product, which is a cheese flavored extrusion that _needs_ to be individually wrapped because if they aren’t they will melt into each other at room temperature and basically un-slice themselves into a solid mass. The infamous “government cheese” of the Reagan era was actual American cheese, you’d get it in 5 pound blocks. It wasn’t fake or substandard, but I can understand why someone who might have more or less lived on it for a while might no longer care for it. Most people are familiar with these two in the form of Kraft “Deli Deluxe” slices for the real cheese and regular (and less expensive) individually wrapped Kraft “Singles” which are not (they’re cheese “product”). If you’re the sort the always chooses the cheapest alternative then all you know are the Singles and that’s what you think is American cheese, but it’s not. Velveeta is another big one for the cheese product. On the other hand, if you’re making a cheese sauce or dip then starting with cheese product might actually work better because it’s going to melt better and into a more consistent thing. All of which is probably too much time on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2019, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/99 "2019-12-19T12:49:58Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I’ve said it before: there is a real cheese called American cheese. It is just as much cheese as swiss or mozzarella or sharp cheddar. There is a distinction between American and those other cheeses, though. The American cheese (like the deli kind), while still a cheese, is what is known as a “process[ed] cheese”, so it can be a blend of various cheeses (though it can be a single kind) and other ingredients that alter the cheese’s texture and meltability. The Kraft singles in the plastic are “process cheese food,” which only have to be at least 51% cheese. Yes, it is cheese, but it is a little bit different from your examples" > [@](#): > > Where American cheese (or “Pasteurized Process American Cheese,” as the FDA likes to call it\*) differs is that once the cheese is made (and yes, American cheese starts with real, honest-to-goodness cheese), it is blended with a few other ingredients to alter its texture and flavor. The exact details of these subsequent processes are what determines the labeling on the package, and those can be as simple as blending it with another cheese or as complex as melting it with additional whey, milk proteins, and emulsifying salts. This is what allows American cheese to melt without breaking or turning greasy the way a traditional cheese does. [From here](https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/07/whats-really-in-american-cheese.html). Heck, I like the stuff fine, even the stuff in the plastic. A nostalgic Wonder bread grilled cheese is not complete without Kraft singles! ---
**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:** [December 19, 2019, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/100 "2019-12-19T12:57:11Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Never had the Deli Select, but there are other cheeses I like a lot, so I’m not sure I’m feeling any need to try it. Is it truly, awesomely great? As an insufferable cheese snob, my answer to this would be **no**. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986.md?page=6)