We didn't have to eat things we didn't like growing up, but you did have to at least taste it. That's because my picky brother would routinely say he didn't like something my mother had never served before. He would claim he'd had it at our grandmother's in San Francisco, which was not the truth, so we'd all laugh at him.

Growing up, if you didn't eat dinner, supposedly you didn't qualify for dessert. So we'd ask what dessert was before dinner to see if it was worth eating the main course. It really didn't matter, because we'd wait a couple of hours and the ban would be lifted.

I'll eat anything put down before me and be grateful that it has been provided. Now, I'll be careful as I get down of the "high horse" and admit that I don't like and will avoid: balut, most insects and grubs, and rocky mountain oysters. Other things go into the "I tried it but why bother" category, like certain medicinal herb flavored liquors, shrimp heads, eyeballs, and pickled, heavily fermented fish. There are certainly more, but they fall into the truly exotic category (e.g., why risk fugu again?). I think I had more dislikes as a child, but as I traveled my palette expanded.

I look at everything mentioned in this thread and I can find only three things that I might avoid or eat less of -- durian (it's ok but it's so offensive to smell), the live squid (you really have to chew it well -- too much work for a regular meal. I'd try it, if offered), and too much blue cheese (to me, it can be like a crazy clown in a dish that drowns out the other flavors).

I had to google durian - never heard of it.

I don't like mushrooms and there is no reason for creme brulee to exist. I used to love ice cream but when I was pregnant with DS2 I couldn't stand the thought of it. He's 27 and I haven't had it since I was pregnant with him.

There are foods I prefer to avoid such as olives, and peas but they aren't usually served when we're out for dinner. I'm the grocery shopper and cook for the family so I only serve potatoes if I feel like spoiling my DH.

Not together, but I adore olives and creme brulee.

Linelle - you see I would call that food quirks. :)

Food quirks could be liking or disliking stuff.

I will eat almost anything and have tried a wide variety of foods from Fried Worms to Century eggs. Unfortunately, I have learned that I'm very intolerant of onion - - think lactose intolerance - - and it makes me a terrible dinner guest. I think the worst thing is that it's often invisible in foods and I won't die if I eat them, so I'm sure some of my friends think I just don't like onions. Even my husband didn't believe me until one memorable Indian wedding when he almost kicked me out of the car afterwards. Trust me, if I could tolerate them I would eat them by the bucketload because they're in all my favorite foods. There's nothing I love more than spicy tex mex or Indian.

I would not try durian again or Century egg as both to me fit in the category of extremely acquired taste. If there is one flavor I don't understand, it's ammonia flavor, common in long fermented things and things cooked in ashes. It's very foreign to my palate and it would take a lot of work for me to grow to enjoy it.

All the above examples don't seem quirky, but just a matter of likes or dislikes.

Quirky to me would be different. I have a friend who doesn't like chocolate and mint together. So cookies, candy etc. We were at another friends who had mixed cookies in a tin. She asked if there was ever chocolate mint in the because if so she wouldn't take a cookie.

When we looked at her for an explanation (thinking allergies) she simply said it's just how she feels.

Also, eating food in a certain rotation and never deviating is a bit quirky to me.

I do not like organ meats although my Mother could cook some good liver and onions when I was growing up and we ate it. Not a fan of veal but have enjoyed those little lamb chops on occasion. And I am not crazy about ham either but DH and the kids like it so we cook one at Easter or Christmas. I also make a turkey breast for me. Lunch meat and processed meats - No! A hot dog is as far as I'll go if it's the only food offered.

No black licorice, overripe bananas or things with artificial banana flavoring, exotic seafood (squid, shark, strong fish or anything with tentacles), and I am picky about where my oysters come from. Good shrimp is a favorite as is crab and lobster. Not a big fan of Brussels sprouts or cabbage but I will eat coleslaw now and then. Any other fruits and veggies are fine. I could eat fresh summer tomatoes all day.

Have eaten some game and prepared some but it's not my favorite. Pheasant and quail are good. Deer and elk and little harder to go with but I could eat it if offered. Anything else, especially if it's stringy or gamey and I would not enjoy it.

PS, for parents of picky eaters, take heart because I was the pickiest child as a kid and always had to prepare my own supper, and now I will eat almost literally anything.

Crl, I had a child in my preschool class who couldn't have red dye, either. I'd never heard of it before, but have since.

All, my DS#2 was a picky toddler. We finally appealed to his love of numbers and he had to eat as many bites of everything as he was old. By the time he was 5 he'd overcome the pickiness.

Not too picky. About the only things I won't eat are bananas. Pretty sure I could choke them down if I needed to be polite, but it's never come up. Plenty of other reasons for not having that slice of banana bread.

Not a big fan of black licorice. Not crazy about cooked carrots but will eat them as part of a dish. Don't really like the texture of natural casing hot dogs so usually opt for something else, but I'm sure I could work with it if it was the only option.

My DH is funny, claims to have a lot of things he doesn't like (chickpeas, olives, mushrooms, soup, beans, cauliflower) but will willingly eat those things, or even order dishes at a restaurant that have them (chicken marsala, pasta puttanesca).

I have one picky kid (4 years old) and one adventurous kid (1 year old). I will usually make a portion of the protein of dinner without sauce for my picky eater (plain chicken instead of chicken with curry sauce), but my 1 year old insists on getting her portion of curry sauce! 1 year old puts fist fulls of broccoli and asparagus in her mouth, 4 year old actually threw up when grandparents tried to bribe him to try a bite of spinach.

robo, you have my sympathy about onions, the ingredient that really is the heart of so many dishes.

I don't have time to read all of the above but I will later. I have quite a few "food issues" as my friends all know -- they know, for example, not to suggest going out to an Indian restaurant or anything else too "exotic" for me.

Things I don't even like to LOOK at: hummus, eggplant, sweet potatoes, guacamole, organ meats, raw seafood.

Thinks that scare me: casseroles that I haven't made myself; any sauces; dips that I can't identify; any sort of pureed soup. Any dish that combines meat and fruit. Grossss.

And red wine and chardonnay give me headaches so I won't even take a sip. Instant headache! Otherwise no actual allergies or reactions, just crazy aversions.

I don't think I'm really quirky over food but like anyone else, I have my dislikes. Really cracks me up all the "gross" comments here. Reminds me of a kid at the dinner table! LOL

I have been turned off of food a few times - such as a child I got sick after an egg-salad sandwich. I love egg salad, but I wouldn't eat it for years. A couple of years ago I tried TJ's cookie butter for the first time when a co-worker brought me a jar. I had several "samples" during the day. That night I came down with a vicious virus. I know the cookie butter had nothing to do with it, but I have yet to eat it (or even want it) again. So I think there are many associations that keep us from eating certain foods. It is sad to me that parents would force a child to eat something they don't like. I think it is very likely that would turn a person off certain foods. We always had to taste anything my mom cooked, but if we truly didn't like something, we were not made to eat it.

Tomatoes were something I didn't like as a child, but now I do. We always had a garden growing up and plenty of fresh veggies, so I don't really know why I didn't like them. Have always liked tomato sauces, ketchup, etc. Seafood is something I have never cared for and do not eat. I love most veggies and fruits. Do not like vinegar or things pickled.

It is sad to me that parents would force a child to eat something they
don't like. I think it is very likely that would turn a person off
certain foods.

Would have appreciated that sentiment when I was a kid, but in the end I think it served me well. Didn't kill me to eat things I didn't like and probably made me more accepting of variety.

My dad grew tomatoes too. I didn't start to appreciate them until he sprinkled a little sugar on a slice. Made it more palatable for me. Only ate them like that for a short time. Now I can't get enough. Even winter tomatoes turn into a magical taste treat when oven roasted.

I am not sure how much the way one is raised has to do with it, at least for some people. Some people have their own quirks or dislikes no matter what. The food I ate growing up was simply boring. My mother often worked 2 jobs, was not all that interested in food and has quite a few of her own quirks. I was itching to try a whole slew of new things as an adult.

Of my kids, the oldest 2 overcame some of their pickiness as they got older. Child #3 is autistic and he had some definite sensory issues but as he got older, it was simply mind over matter for him. One day he was sick, I told him that some people say that mushrooms boost the immune system. He took a bite, said it made him feel better and has eaten mushrooms ever since (gotta love the placebo effect). He eats most things now.

My youngest is truly picky. If I gave him the option of cereal, he would eat cereal or PBJ, he would eat those all the time. Since it is my job to keep him healthy and I think he needs more variety, he simply does not have the option. I will honor work arounds when possible. It is the salad I want him to eat, and if he does not want salad dressing that is fine (generally even healthier). He prefers to eat Brussel sprouts raw and so I set his aside before cooking the others. I never make any of them eat anything too spicy unless they want to. Other than that, they pretty much need to eat what is served, even if not a lot of it. One day he looked at his plate, I think it was a Thai chickpea curry dish and he considered it and piped up "Mom, I think I'll just starve." The little brat.

Maybe my "food quirk" is that picky/quirky eaters drive me crazy. I think that's a quirk! HA!

I can't think of any food that would make me sick or gag though I do have some preferences. But don't give me any liquid medicine. I will swallow the biggest pill going but gag on a teas. of liq medicine or prep.

When I was a little thing, I went through a phase of wanting nothing to eat but grilled cheese sandwiches. I was the firstborn child, and as is sometimes the case with the firstborn, every.little.thing seems monumental to a young mother. My mom was sick with worry that I refused to eat anything she put in front of me unless it was a grilled cheese sandwich. She finally took me to the pediatrician and asked him what to do. His very blunt response? "Feed her a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast, a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, and a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner. Pretty soon she won't be able to stand the sight of the ***damn things."

My mother did not heed his advice, and he would have been wrong anyway. A grilled cheese sandwich is still something I absolutely adore and occasionally crave, and always go to when I need comfort food.

I'll eat anything. Except grilled meat in restaurants. When I was pregnant, I became very sensitive to the taste of the black grill marks on meat (chicken, burgers, etc.) served in restaurants.

I can eat home-grilled meats, though. This leads me to believe that many restaurants NEVER clean their grills, or there is something on the meat or oil used that gives off the foul taste.

Otherwise, I really will eat anything. My palate is all-inclusive.

I don't like mayo but I can eat it if it's a small amount. I like almost all fruits and veggies. I don't like any organ meat and won't prepare or eat it. I do like pork, chicken, beef, (no veal) and a really good leg of lamb. However I am eating less meat than ever and could happily live off of roasted vegetables. I had roasted brussels sprouts for lunch one day and roasted cauliflower the next and ended up in horrible pain. I found out I have gall stones and I guess the amount of oil I used to roast the veggies did me in. I guess I will have to have surgery after I meet with the surgeon next month. I like shrimp, crab, lobster, and mild fish. I don't care for salmon, it just has a bit of an odd flavor though I can eat it if push comes to shove.

Being from Pennsylvania Dutch background I like a lot of Dutchy foods but the thought of pickled red beet eggs makes me want to barf. I hate red beets and I don't like hard boiled eggs so combining the two makes me sick. I also loathe the smell and taste of vinegar so three strikes against them.

I knew someone who would get violently ill if he ate cooked onions, even if he didn't know it was in his food, but raw was okay.

TR, I still fix myself a grilled cheese about once a week. With butter of course! I need to buy some tomato soup and crackers the next time I'm at the store. I haven't had that combo in years.

Skin on hot dogs and sausage is not okay. I'm so glad Eckrich makes skinless beef sausage now to go with my cabbage and new potato pan fry. Talk about comfort food!

I don't recall ever being forced to eat anything as a child. We just tried it, ate it because it was served, or not if we really didn't like it. We were a family of 5 & my Mom was an excellent & adventurous cook. She mainly prepared things my Dad liked which was almost anything except casseroles & spam. That was due to his service aboard ship in the Navy (WW-II era) when a 'casserole' was whatever food the cook had to put in it. He also liked his occasional can of sardines & crackers & would offer some to us kids. No takers there & he never pushed. He loved Gulf seafood though and we have him to thank for passing on that love, & his love of fishing & the water.

My DH is a meat and potatoes guy and for the life of me I cannot get him to eat much fish at all.

I was a really picky kid, and most of my food dislikes are holdovers from back then. Not everything has held over, though--I've learned to like lots of things as an adult that I disliked as a kid. Vegetables especially. Mom boiled all vegetables to death, and my feeling now is that it's small wonder I didn't like them. Prepared in different ways, they're fine.

I seem to have outgrown the pickiness--I'm actually a fairly adventurous eater as an adult, like many different cuisines, will try most things and rarely dislike them. But those childhood holdovers still trip me up.

I still don't like:

• Mint
• Bananas
• Coffee
• Beer (?!!!)
• Sweet and sour anything (got sick on sweet and sour pork at a Chinese restaurant when I was 10 or so)
• Most foods that mix sweet and savory, including PB&J (why ruin good PB by putting jelly on the sandwich?), ketchup, sweet salad dressings (poppy seed, raspberry vinaigrette), teriyaki sauce, etc.
• Pickled things
• Red sauces. I'll eat them, but once a year is about the right frequency for me.

It's rare that any of my dislikes causes an issue. It's easy enough to pass on beer, or banana bread, mint ice cream, etc., and many of the others I will eat if that's what's offered. Pickles are an exception. There was a work lunch where I ate chips, and apple and a cookie because they ordered 4 kinds of sandwiches and they all had pickles (you can pick the pickles off but the rest of the sandwich will have soaked up the pickle juice).

I was one of the kids who was forced to eat everything. Not just taste. Eat a full portion. I hated creamed corn (canned, of course), but I could get it down if I mixed it with my mashed potatoes. Sweet potatoes made me gag, but I can eat them now, a little. I think it was probably good for me, I'll eat most anything. The things that will never cross my lips is a short list:

* oysters

* moldy cheeses

* chicken livers

* anything that is still moving

I have a few things that I don't like, like olives, black licorice, organ meats, a few things I can't think of right now. But I will choke down most anything if I need to be polite. I eat vegetarian now for health reasons, but I would never refuse food from a host if they didn't know. Just because I don't eat it doesn't mean I don't like it!

DH won't eat fresh tomatoes. He spent a summer working in tomato packing sheds, and he said he saw more rotten tomatoes than anyone should have to see.

And speaking of picky, I had a coworker once who only ate green beans and potatoes as his veggies. He came trolling for food one time, and I said "I have some pretzels." He said "well I'm really hungry, I'll try one." Whaattt?? You're 32 years old and have never had a pretzel???? He was REALLY picky.

This is why we rarely entertain at our beach house any more. We love to have people here and always ask about food restrictions/dislikes before anyone gets here. We like to cook but usually stick to fairly mainstream foods. Last year, a friend confided to us that "Michael never eats rice" after we'd made a chicken and rice dish. Why didn't you tell us ahead of time? We've heard all sorts of quirky things, after we've asked, but not until they got here, about no green peppers, no peas, no cilantro. The worst is a friend who drinks only Pepsi, not Coke. He has about 10 things he can eat....chicken salad, but only from the deli. Only Jack Daniels, no Makers Mark or anything else. No salad, no tomatoes, only English peas, whatever they are. We love sharing our slice of paradise, but none of these folks get an invite back.

I'm so stinking picky. Well, not picky as much as I have some food aversions that nothing can make me over come them.

Celery. Just typing that word makes me gag. The smell is enough to make me get sick.

Shellfish of any sort-except lobster and crab, but only if they're in portions, or mixed in a dish. I cannot touch them if they're in the shell. Shrimp, especially make me gag. The thought of biting into a shrimp and biting the vein....ERK!

Green bananas. I can only eat speckled and brown, and only by breaking them up and peeling every string off. Again, that string thing.

Apricot skin or peach skin. Fuzzy + teeth-nope.

Black licorice, anise & fennel. Again, the smell.

Gin. Smell. Frankly anything that smells 'green', not citrusy green but that high green smell, even the smell of cucumbers is iffy. I definitely can't stand any beauty products with a cucumber smell. But I will eat cucumbers.

Zuchinni or yellow squash. Texture thing. But I love other squash.

Cauliflower, smell and texture.

Raw tomatoes. I can and do eat cooked tomatoes, tomato products, sun dried, I just can't stand raw tomatoes-they are a perfect description of that high green smell I can't abide.

I also don't care for much fresh water fish and I really, really hate salmon. And do not like sushi. Speaking of sushi-seaweed is gag worthy. Some people at work eat dried seaweed as a snack. I sit where I can't see them.

I detest dark chocolate, and I'm just not a big chocolate fan. I do love Cadbury milk chocolate, tho! Oh, and I really, really, really HATE brownies.

I do love tangy, sour, and savory. I've been expanding my palate and I do love Thai, curries, Indian food, and of course, mexican food. Some Mediterranean stuff is coming into my repetoire, but so much is based on cucumbers and tomatoes, so I get picky on it. Do love some baba ganoush tho!

My DH will literally eat anything, as he actually was a 'starving child in China' before he escaped with his Aunt to Hong Kong, at 10 years old. We joke that he could beat anyone on 'Survivor' with regards to eating strange and disgusting things! So compared to DH, I seem like a really picky eater, but don't believe I am, compared to most other people.

I've never claimed to not like something I haven't at least tried eating. My only 'not likes' would be all seafood, (except fish) and organ meat. But I've never had a fruit, vegetable, bean or legume I didn't like. Seasoning makes all the difference if one has only tried something bland, or overcooked and mushy. I love all cheeses and other dairy products and all types of grains in the form of cereals and breads. I've sadly never yet, met a dessert I wouldn't eat, (and even love black licorice) though tapioca would be my last choice on the menu. Aside from not liking seafood and organ meat, I don't think I'm nearly as picky as DH thinks, lol!

Cottage cheese would far and away be first on my list. It's texture skeeves me out. I keep thinking - milk gone BAD.

Lemon meringue. Ketchup on eggs. Most deli meats - although I can deal with a good hard salami or a prosciutto. Licorice candy, but I do cook with small amounts of anise. Gummie bears, jelly beans, and that sort of candy, texture, and nowadays also too sweet. Raisins or most other dried fruits - too sweet for me.

Hazelnut anything. Can't get past its stench. This one is probably second on my list.

I like all veggies except for not being fond of carrots. But I'll eat them. I Love okra! Haven't ever tried durian, so can't say about that.

I love herbs and spices! I don't like fake sugar aftertaste, and while stevia is probably healthy, to me it tastes like old socks, not sweet at all.

On the other hand, i'm fine with organ meats! We grew up on heart, tongue and sweetbreads. (We also were exposed to that cottage cheese, so I don't know why that didn't take!)Oh, and I love seafood, cooked or raw. I don't want to try fugu or live Korean octopus due to the health hazards, and blue fin tuna tastes great but as it's endangered, it's off my list.

I read TRs childhood desire for nonstop grilled cheese. My thing as a kid was wanting peanut butter sandwiches to take to school every day. So, mom fixed them for me every school day for nearly 3 years, with or without jelly, with or without pats of butter. (On weekends and in the summer I didn't eat that.) One lunch day, suddenly my PB sandwich turned into a stinky nightmare; I threw it out, and to this day, I've never eaten another PB sandwich.

For decades I couldn't stand the smell - but I've come back to eating peanuts mainly because I love Thai food. A couple weeks ago I bought a small jar for an Asian recipe - and just a few days ago, I took a spoon and finished the jar straight up! It didn't smell bad, either.

Artemis, I get grossed out if I see someone put ketchup on their eggs, but, back in our what I call, "poor college days" a cheap and tasty meal was browned hamburger mixed with fried potatoes and scrambled eggs. I'd always put ketchup on it. Once in a blue moon I'll make it again, and I still love it. With ketchup.

I have an aversion to condiments, namely ketchup, mustard, and relish. I'll take my burgers and hotdogs plain, please. Pickles also put me over the edge. You know how they serve a big pickle slice with a sandwich in restaurants? Can't get it off my plate fast enough!

when my kids were young, i gave them pb and banana sandwiches and i would occasionally slice an apple and give them pb with that as a snack... just recently, i saw either in the paper or in a mag the suggestion for pb and sliced strawberry sandwiches-- don't know why i never thought of that! i will try it myself when the strawberrries get good in a couple of months!

nhbaskets -- that relish stuff -- awfully sicky-sweet! I do like real dill pickles, however.

oakley -- I could see having ketchup in a skillet containing eggs, if it was there for the hamburger portion of the meal... Without the burger, no. For the fried potatoes, no.

I thought of another "food" I steer far away from: instant oatmeal. Maybe if they just ground rolled oats up, they'd be fine, but there's all these weird tastes and added sweeteners going on in the examples I've ever mistakenly tried. What a waste of good oats!!!

It's crazy how we all have our idiosyncrasies, and why! I personally love everything MizGG hates~I can't imagine a blt w/o the 't'. I eat very little red meat, and will NEVER eat lamb, veal, or any organ meat, but when I was younger, loved fried chicken livers. Love seafood, just not oysters or anything with a slimy texture. I like ice cream, but would rather have a piece of cake or pie. I think it's the cold factor. I drink water ar room temp, no ice. Same with ginger ale. I also don't care for spicy food/sauces which make my nose run! ;)

Patty, I also prefer water at room temp, no ice. And yet I like my whiskey on the rocks.

Pie > cake > ice cream.

Hmm. Since my first pregnancy I've had an aversion to chunks of garlic and red peppers. I dislike bitter melon, chili powder, licorice, whole chickpeas, olives and celery (though the last few are tolerable if cut into tiny pieces and mixed with other stuff). Used to hate papaya, persimmons, kiwi fruit, and Brussels sprouts but in the past decade have had some tasty dishes with these so I am keeping an open mind ;-)

Hate hate hate hate hate hate hate chicken wings. And why will I fight anybody for chicken legs but will pay to get turkey legs off my plate????

Bossy, when I was little, I would only eat chicken wings. I will eat yours, but only if they're roasted crispy.

Oaktown, I would die without chickpeas and olives. Not canned olives, but the good kind.

I will happily share...

I love olives too. I never knew what I was missing, growing up eating the black olives in a can. So gross!

I love a good roast, but it has to be a chuck roast because of the taste and tenderness. Years ago DH made a roast beef sandwich for me and I almost gagged looking at it because it had mayo, pickle relish, and s&p. I took a bite & was hooked. it's the pickle relish that makes it. Now I sometimes make roast for sandwiches only. Love them in the summer with layered dip, which I could eat everyday.

One Christmas someone cooked a crown roast. I was so excited because I'd never had one before. When I saw all the fat on it after taken out of the oven, I almost got sick. lol. Thankfully a turkey was also there.

Oakley, re: the crown roast fat- that's what popovers are for!

I like pickles, kosher dill, but not those sweet bread and butter pickles. No sweet pickle relish.

Mimi, what's a popover?

Linelle, I always keep a jar of B&B pickles here. I eat them with my lunch so I can have that sweet taste. I remember eating those big dill pickles as a kid, but now? No way.

Pickles....funny, but I don't like the sour dill pickles, but I love the garlicky kosher dills. Clausens are probably one of my favorites but there are some good hot ones too that I like ('Wickles Pickles' are a local fave). And for you okra lovers, how about that pickled okra with a bit of a peppery kick!? Yummy, and especially with a good martini!

Don't especially care much for sweet pickles or relish, but I can't eat a hot dog without a big pile of relish on it. Go figure that one.

OutsidePlaying, I love okra so much ... fried, pickled, stewed, all of it. I try to always keep a jar of pickled okra on hand.

It's easy to grow here -- I used to pick it, slice it up with my fresh picked jalapeños, roll in a bit of cornmeal, and saute it. Mmmm.

When I first met my NY'er husband, he'd never had okra, and was hesitant. Now it's one of his favorite foods. :)

And pickles, yum. Especially bread and butter ones. Love!

MizGG, I was like your husband, except my husband cooked a batch for me and I've been hooked ever since. He grows quite a bit of it. The first time I picked it I learned a hard lesson. Wear gloves. lol

I won't touch picked okra though. Never had it, and I'll never taste it.

Outside, a grilled hotdog can only be eaten with pickle relish! That's something else I learned to like not too long ago.

Ha! I don't even like hot dogs much but if I have to eat one you'd better make sure there is relish! And a little mustard.

I grow okra also. So good to go out and pick it fresh.

Hot dogs need yellow mustard (only use for it), sauerkraut and sautéed onions. Actually, what they really need is a live ballgame to watch while eating. Play ball!!!

[Spellcheck didn't like sauté without the accent.]