# Which of these foods/ingredients would you banish from humanity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140 "2011-11-07T04:56:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/41 "2011-11-07T14:24:24Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > I figured there’d be a lot of onion haters, but celery? really?! It’s sooo good, and performs miracles in soups. The taste is subtle eating it raw, but when the flavor has been distilled, my god, it adds so much savory flavor. > > I thought there’d be a larger margin for carrots, since they don’t add too much to recipes, and while a nice veggie on their own, there’s only a few desserts and sides that really benefit from them. I can live without carrot cake. > > Also, if the air smelled of carrots, I think I’d actually kind of find that somewhat pleasant (as opposed to garlic or onions, which are miracles of deliciousness, but they’re pungent and I’d rather be tasting them). > > Also… no one better fuck with my potatoes. You’ve been warned. This. > [@freckafree](#): > > I’m going with carrots. In soups and stews, parsnips can impart carroty sweetness, although I’ll miss the color. Not too sure about parsnip cake, but I’m not that big a fan of carrot cake anyway. Well, parsnips are ok, but I really would miss celery. Can’t we put mushrooms and bell peppers on the list, or zucchini, or eggplant, or okra? All of those are nasty [well actually I am allergic to mushrooms but as a cooking ingredient they are ok other than the allergy aspect but the rest are just nasty] ---
**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:** [November 7, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/42 "2011-11-07T15:18:08Z")
I’d miss celery least, but it would still be a shame. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/43 "2011-11-07T15:23:55Z")
Mosier, I think you and I are in trouble. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/44 "2011-11-07T15:39:05Z")
I love 'em all. I’m getting rid of fennel. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/45 "2011-11-07T15:47:01Z")
I buy a lot of celery, but almost never use it. It’s the number one thing that I throw out on a regular basis. It’s also the ingredient most liekly to be forgotten when I make stuffing, and I never really miss it until I open the drawer a week later and it’s all still there. Plus the smell thing. Carrots and celery both smell good, but carrots have actual nutritional value so I’d keep those. So, yeah, celery. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/46 "2011-11-07T16:02:03Z")
Off to the Cafe Society, from IMHO, where people are likely to stew about it. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/47 "2011-11-07T16:23:45Z")
Losing potatoes would be disastrous for humanity. Onions and garlic are used in so many dishes and food cultures that I can’t imagine living without them. That leaves carrots and celery, and celery is a bit less versatile than carrots so I went with that. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/48 "2011-11-07T16:26:39Z")
If forced to choose, it would be celery. I don’t like it cooked or raw. I do use it sometimes for flavor in soups and stuff, but always pick the stalk out before serving. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/49 "2011-11-07T16:43:02Z")
None of the above; but if you add beets and brussels sprouts, I’m a hater. ---
**Author:** ![Valerieblaise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@Valerieblaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valerieblaise)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/50 "2011-11-07T17:00:02Z")
These aliens are just mean. Onions and garlic are too important. I love carrot cake and my dogs go batshit insane over baby carrots. This means I’m choosing between potatoes and celery. I’m diabetic and potatoes are pretty much just empty carbs, so… bye bye, potatoes. This hurts me much less than it hurts you. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/51 "2011-11-07T17:04:50Z")
I struggle to see any point in celery whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/52 "2011-11-07T17:07:48Z")
Can’t they use the abomination that is tofu as fuel? ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/53 "2011-11-07T17:11:57Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > I picked potatoes, because if the atmosphere has to smell like something, it might as well be the least offensive smelling thing on the list. But if the air always smelled like frying potatoes, we would all be hungry all the time! I’ve tried making home fries from radishes or from cauliflower (low-carb diet), and they are not the same! ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/54 "2011-11-07T17:19:36Z")
Celery, of course. It’s nothing special. I don’t avoid it, and every now and then I’ll have raw celery with peanut butter, but it takes me a really long time to chew it down. I also question whether it even has a scent, so that clearly makes it the right choice to be banished. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/55 "2011-11-07T17:23:11Z")
Where’s the tomato option? Those slimy, squirmy, nausea-inducing bags of mostly tepid water, oh Lord how I loathe thee. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/56 "2011-11-07T17:37:58Z")
I could live without potatoes pretty easily. They are bland, carb-loaded and not a bog part of my diet. I often choose some other side over fries with my burgers. I rarely eat potato chips (I prefer corn-based salty snacks). I like mashed potatoes sometimes, but it wouldn’t kill me to lose them. So yeah, potatoes. My only qualm is that I like sweet potatoes. But hey, yams! So that food type is sort of covered. (Hmm. I would miss potato salad. I do love that stuff.) The other foods listed are too tasty to give up. The cornbread dressing my family makes just wouldn’t be the same without a little celery, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/57 "2011-11-07T18:10:42Z")
Went with carrots, there is just not much to them. Celery would be my second choice, but is used as a base in many rouxs, so got saved. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/58 "2011-11-07T18:11:28Z")
I’d have to get rid of carrots, I can get the nutrition from other sources, but everything is too central to my diet. Celery makes so many cooked items more savory that I’d have to keep it. For instance, when I make a stuffed squash (like acorn or butternut) and use a meat based stuffing, I add celery to it because it really amps up the flavor. As a child, I always hated cooked carrots, and coated them with ketchup in order to “clean my plate”. Nows my chance to end the tyranny! ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/59 "2011-11-07T18:30:07Z")
Celery, no question. Hate it raw and cooked, it’s tasteless. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140/60 "2011-11-07T18:40:35Z")
> [@Tapiotar](#): > > But if the air always smelled like frying potatoes, we would all be hungry all the time! I’ve tried making home fries from radishes or from cauliflower (low-carb diet), and they are not the same! try daikon - it is a form of radish that is blander than regular radish. jicama might work, i will have to give it a try. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-foods-ingredients-would-you-banish-from-humanity/602140.md?page=4)