Sometimes when you’re anticipating a meal, everything seems decadent and you can’t wait to dive in.
Then you find out that whoever made the dish put something in it that you just can’t stomach. You’re definitely not alone in your foodie aversions and Redditors have ideas about their top 10 worst food ingredients
1. Artificial Sweeteners
Redditor @Recent-Day 2384 added this ingredient to our list, stating. “Splenda/stevia — really any alternate sugar or sweetener in that group. Bad time for my digestive system.”
These sugar substitutes are often to blame for that ‘fake sugar’ taste that stays behind even after you’ve finished a coffee or desert with Stevia, Splenda or Aspartame. While they can become a staple for anyone wanting something sweet who suffers from diabetes, for anyone craving real sugar, they can literally leave a bad aftertaste.
Some artificial sweeteners, including Aspartame, have been linked to many diseases, including Dementia and stroke. The diet soft drink industry is especially hard hit by this information as the levels of fake sugar or sugar substitutes in diet soda are exponentially high compared to other sugar substitute foods like cookies or syrups.
2. Fennel
User @ohlovely added fennel to our list as her ex was heavy handed with the popular spice. “Fennel. I had an ex who loved the stuff and would go real heavy handed with it whenever he could and I’d have to force myself to eat or else go hungry.”
This diverse vegetable is unique in that it produces no waste, if you know how to use it various layers. Raw or cooked, fennel can add intense flavor to several dishes on your menu, especially if you’re eating anything Italian. There are two types of fennel, vulgare — a flowering version that can be crushed down into ‘fennel pollen,’ and Florence fennel — which is where the popular fennel seed comes from.
That doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. With a slight anise or licorice flavor, fennel is a plant you really have to know to use it’s unique flavor pallete.
3. Black Licorice
@The_Pantless_Warrior said it plainly enough. “Black licorice.”
I was intrigued when I came across black licorice on this list of foods that can ruin any dish, until I started researching why someone who call it out.
Licorice is definitely an acquired taste and not everyone enjoys it. Outside it’s strong flavor, however, there are some serious health risks to consuming this notable candy.
Black licorice contains glycerrhizic acid, which is derived from the licorice root. This acid is dangerous, particularly for anyone with high blood pressure. This compound causes the body to hold onto excess salt and inflates water retention.
These two factors are extremely bad for anyone trying to manage hypertension. Black licorice has also been linked to cardiac arrest and abnormal heart rhythms and is believed to be responsible for the death of a 54 year-old man in Massachusettes.
While the man was consuming a serious excess of the favored candy — to the tune of one and a half bags every day for three weeks — if you suffer from any health related issues, it’s best to at least consult a physician before picking up a bag for yourself.
4. Cilantro
@KhaosElement swears that Cilantro is a hard-no. “I’ve got that cilantro thing. Turns everything into a big old plate of dish soap.”
This leafy garnish is part of the parsley family and comes from the coriander plant, coriander being the seeds and cilantro the leaf. For many, this dish addition is essential to the aesthetic of a meal, but for some it’s the one ingredient they don’t want to see, let alone taste, in their meal.
If you can stomach this leafy addition, however, you’ll reap some great health benefits. Cilantro can help reduce blood sugar levels, rids the body of heavy metals like aluminum and lead, reduces oxidative stress and anxiety, supports heart health and prevent urinary tract infections.
Cilantro has also been known to protect against colon cancer, digestive upset, cardiovascular disease, neurological inflammation, and food poisoning. It also has properties that help maintain normal, healthy menstrual function.
While cilantro might be a no-go ingredient for some, anyone who can incorporate it into their meals can reap the many health benefits of this Mediterranean based plant.
5. Capers
@TheMauveHand has a ‘visceral’ reaction to these edible flower buds.
“In the smallest quantities, used as a spice, I’m almost OK with them, but straight whole they literally make me dry heave. No idea why. There is no other food item I have even remotely the same reaction to, not even stuff I hate. With capers, it’s visceral.”
These lemony, immature flower buds from the caperbush come in many varieties and can be used as a focal point of a meal or a flavorful side note.
The smaller the bud, known as a French nonpereils hold the most flavor and are tender. Cultivated in areas like Italy, Spain Morroco and parts of Asia and Australia, this diverse flower is often pickled in brine, wine or salt to bring out it’s tangy flavor.
Associated with many Mediterranean dishes, it can add robust flavor, much like a green olive to any meal. That doesn’t mean they’re for everybody. Knowing how to use capers goes a long way in using them in ways that make your dishes pop.
6. Parsnips
@saffity describe a time when their mother tried to trick them about parsnips and mashed potatoes.
“Parsnips!!!! I can’t stand them, never could. Mother once tried to show me that I was being silly and wouldn’t notice the difference… she mashed them and told me it was potatoes.
Then I wouldn’t touch mashed potatoes for a month or so because I didn’t trust her. Huge backfire.”
These cream-colored parsley family root vegetables are often mistaken for white carrots, but one taste and you’d know instinctively that they’re anything but carrots. Often roasted, boiled, fried or steamed, they have a unique flavor that most people either love or hate. Cultivated heavily in Eurasia, these root veggies are a cold-weather staple in parts of Europe and America, and are considered an essential part of a Sunday roast in much of Great Britain.
Offering a nutty, sweet flavor, these diverse veggies were used to make sweetener before sugarcane became available. When roasted, they are often sweeter than carrots and are best if peeled before cooking. If you find yourself with a slew of large parsnips on your hands, cut them lengthwise and remove the ‘woody’ core before cooking.
And if you find that parsnips turn your stomach, you’re in good company as many people find their distinct flavor a bit too much to handle.
7. Black or Green Olives
@evildarkcow thinks they may have the pallete of a child. “I might just have the palate of a child, but I really hate olives. No amount of sauce or seasoning covers them up enough for me.”
8. Eggplant
@zipzap1 gets ill just thinking about the slimy texture of this vegetable. “Eggplant. I’m a little sick now just thinking about that warm and slimy “vegetable” slithering around in my food.”
While most Americans are probably familiar with the shiny, dark purple, tear-drop nature of eggplant, there are several other varieties of this ‘meaty’ vegetables. Other varieties include:
- Epic — teardrop-shaped with purple-black skin
- Black bell — pear-shaped with glossy black skin
- Ghostbuster — long, white, oval
- Ichiban — long, thin, purple
- Slim Jim — thin, bright purple
- Easter egg — small, oval that’s colored white, orange, yellow, or green
All eggplant varieties have a meaty texture that turns almost creamy when you cook it, and that’s exactly why most people who cringe at the idea of eating eggplant can’t handle it. The texture is just something that doesn’t sit well.
Admittedly the only way I’ve ever found I could handle eggplant was in eggplant parmesean, which is harder to cook than the chicken version, but worth the effort, especially if you’re vegan or vegetarian.
9. Water Chestnuts
@EvolvedGamingPS4 called it when they labeled water chestnuts for this list, all because of their texture.
As a child, whenever my older brother came home from college, he’d always want stir-fry. My mother would oblige and always, her stir-fry would have these nasty textured, virtually flavorless water chestnuts. Since then I’ve never eaten them and will pick them out of any meal that has them as an ingredient.
Despite the many health benefits, like B6, riboflavin, copper, potassium and manganese content, a lot of people just can’t stomach them. The fact that they are good for blood pressure issues, cancer prevention, weight loss and digestive health; these are a give or take sort of ingredient and for the most part, people can take them anytime they want.
10. Star Anise
Redditor @oromis had an easy answer. “Star Anise.”
While often confused with anise, the two spices are not related. Still, it’s star-like seed pod can be bought and used whole or the seeds can be extracted and ground down into a powder for use.
Star anise is gaining popularity as an antimicrobial and pharmacological benefit and can offer antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties.
With a flavor close to that of anise or fennel, the licorice flavor pairs well in many Indian, Mediterranean, Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. It can be used whole in a soup or broth for a warm punch of flavor or as a powder in many deserts and ‘comfort’ foods.
If it’s your first time using star anise, a little goes a long ways, so start small and add to taste depending on the dish you’re creating.
And should you find that the licorice notes of flavor aren’t for you, you’re definitely not alone.
To Each His Own
When it comes to cooking and enjoying a meal, lots of ingredients can be culled and completely tossed out based on personal taste. In cases like these, it’s all about personal perspective and what flavors and textures you prefer.
While I’m a big advocate of trying new dishes, I’m not an advocate of ‘choking something down’ to save face. Depending on the culture, obviously, you may eat more of a dish than you’d prefer, but if you’re making a new creation yourself, test it out, experiment and chuck what doesn’t work for you.
This article is produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
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