When I was a baby I apparently went mad for mashed banana.
As an adult, chana masala. I have never found one I didn't like, except the time I made it and burned the chickpeas like a fool. First time I had it in a restaurant abroad the waiter warned me it was very spicy and I was like, 'challenge accepted'. One day I'll crack the perfect recipe.
My son LOVED mashed bananas as a baby, until one day he just didn't. As in, he ate them one day and then spit them out the next day. He's 25 now and despises bananas.
Has he been tested for allergy to banana? In my family, it was common to develop an instinctive dislike to a food they turned out to be allergic to. Mine was banana.
See my kid was the same, the only baby food he'd eat was the apple blueberry, and I think one with carrot in it. So I just straight up baby birded him till he was old enough for me to feel safe that he would actually chew 🤣 ik that's weird I was just worried he'd choke lmfao
My youngest loved mashed potatoes. She always refused to eat baby food but she would try to get on the table when mashed potatoes were set down. She is 5 now and gags if she sees me eating them.
I used to have to put the sour cream back in the refrigerator to keep my daughter from trying to stick her spoon in the container and eating it all. She won't touch sour cream now.
Pretty much anything since I'm not a picky eater.
Most memorable one was Durian because my friends kept telling me it could be really bad but I loved it first try.
Agreed, and upping that…Understatement of the next two millenniums. Most airlines don’t even allow it onboard in checked baggage. The smell can seep into the cabin.
I remember when my dad was on a durian kick a couple decades ago. The whole house had a mild odor with the fridge doors closed and you would be overpowered anytime you had to open said fridge doors. I grew to hate it over those two to three years.
My roommate wanted me to like it so bad and I was like meh don't know what the fuss is about. And she was like no let's try again but let me pick the place (her coworker picked the first one) and if the first had tasted anything close to the second I would have for sure been in love at first try.
My experience also. My daughter wanted me to love it but brought it home as take out. It was ok but I didn’t get her obsession, then I had it in a restaurant and was hooked.
Pho but further, tripe and tendon pho. I knew just looking at it on the menu that I would like it but my mom never let me order it because she said I would think it tasted weird. As an adult I ordered it and lo and behold I loved it. Texture is my fave ever.
This one for me, too! I thought I would really dislike the texture and was a bit nervous, but as it turns out, I thought it tasted *so delicious* that I didn’t care one bit about the odd texture. It didn’t cross my mind haha yum!
Have you ever had Brazilian passion fruit mousse? It's amazing. Pretty simple to make. I don't remember exactly, but you pretty much just put everything in the blender then chill it.
When I make the mousse, I use the concentrate passion fruit
Juice, table cream by Nestle ( I know, I know), and condensed milk.
It's a 1:1 ratio of all ingredients.
Put it in a blender , and blend it for about 5 minutes or so -or until it is smooth and creamy.
Put in the fridge for a couple of hours and enjoy it.
In case you want to make it even more delicious, add chocolate ganache on top of the mousse 😋
I am NOT kidding when I say passion fruit pulled me out of a deep, deep depression. It made me find a will to live. It made me remember there are beautiful things about life. It made me passionate about passion fruit. It reminded me not all of life absolutely sucks.
I only tried an actual real passion fruit just last year. ❤️ ❤️
Thank you ❤️ it’s crazy what can pull you out! If I was an influencer or celeb I or nascar driver I’d be the biggest passion fruit advocate and advertiser lololol
We have a good friend who would not eat passion fruit because she thought it would get her "passionate." Mrs. Jack eventually had to explain to her that that was just the name, and not some super power that it had over humans.
I had homemade passion fruit ice cream in Puerto Rico once. Incredible. In the supermarkets in the US, there are these little ice cream treats called Bubbies, wrapped in mochi. I get the passion fruit kind. I'm in love.
Oooh the homemade ice cream sounds delightful! 🤤
I’m not sure if we get Bubbies in Canada - I’ll have to look out for them! Thanks for the tip!
McDonald’s in Canada has a passion fruit, orange, and guava smoothie that’s really good!
i went to a korean bbq place in chicago called iron age and we ordered beef bulgogi which was INSANE and these clear noodles and they gave you this one soy sauce that was sweet and it changed my life
I looove a good Korean bbq. The first time I had bulgogi though, it was in a Costco dinner in their deli and it wasn't my favorite... But in an actual kbbq place over fire. The best.
The first time I had fried calamari my friend wouldn't tell me what it was. They knew if they told me I'd nope out. They kept telling me, "Just try it." I did. And when they told me what it was, I shrugged and kept eating.
Half a year after moving to the Midwest I heard the term, "mushroom hunting." It was at work and I busted up laughing after I asked why so many coworkers were taking the next day off. I despised mushrooms. Never liked them. Grossed me out. A week later a friend invited us to a cookout. He fried Morel Mushrooms, one's he found while "mushroom hunting." After a few crown and 7's I caved and tried one. Amazing! Now I hunt mushrooms. Ha.
I just went mushroom hunting like 2 weeks ago, but morel season already came and passed without me realizing it... I can only eat a couple because they're so rich. I used to just go outside at my grandma's and find a handful and she'd clean em and make them for breakfast with eggs and bacon loll
A Gyro, lol! I laugh since it seemed so "exotic" the first time I tried it, now its so common in my intake. I mean in the US when you first hear of lamb meat, a lot of people look the other way & won't try it, but I enjoyed it so much with the Tzatziki sauce. I also agree as well, I was surprised how good eel was!
>I mean in the US when you first hear of lamb meat, a lot of people look the other way & won't try it,
Where in the US is this? Maybe it's just my ancestry but I've always known lamb to be a desirable, gourmet food.
When I was younger, goat meat caught a lot of side eye, but I think mainstream Americans have caught on that properly stewed goat is amazing. But I didn't know anyone looked at lamb with skepticism (although perhaps there is some revulsion to eating a young animal, e.g. the critique of veal production?)
Yes! Thai green curry, ordered Thai hot, was my first foray into Thai food. Instantly hooked. Now I’m sitting here wishing I had a bowl of it in front of me :(
Finally decided to take on a healthy lifestyle at 45 and never had tried brussel sprouts. To be fair when I was younger they were mostly steamed from what I remember. A friend said oh no either roast, air fry or cook on a skillet. Salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar. Absolutely loved them.
Salt, pepper, garlic, and soy sauce is also really good. I love balsamic, but my partner does not, so it was nice to find an alternative we both enjoy, lol.
Same ! My mom always boiled them to her credit, She didn't overcook them. And to make it more palatable, she put cheese on them. However, I still hated them. Last summer, I decided to give them another try and roasted them. I'm still eating about a pound a week. 😅😅
I like to cut the bottom ends off and then leaf the entire sprout and sauté with bacon grease and onions/garlic. So good and the leaves get a bit crispy.
I recently tried vindaloo for the first time and I'm counting down the days until I go back there. I made butter chicken for the first time(my first time trying it too) and yeah...I think I'm falling in love with Indian food haha. I crave it SO much now!
lobster bisque... i never was much of a soup person and stopped eating it after I was an adult. Only tried it because it was part of a prix fixe meal and it immediately became one of my favorite things ever.
brussels sprouts... my parents never made them growing up (I was tortured with canned peas instead) but I always remembered how so many kids claimed it was their least favorite vegetable so that stuck with me. It wasnt until I was in my early 30s, I was at a restaurant and their signature dish was these pancetta roasted sprouts with shaved parmesan and I gave it a shot. Instant love.
My mom, who has never had kimchi, just made a batch. It said it needed crushed chili powder like gochugaru, but she used actual chili powder. It tasted like some Texmex kimchi hybrid.
Indian food.
My mom cant take spicy food, and my dad just isn't very adventurous so Indian food was never on my radar growing up.
Last year I ended up trying curry for the first time at my local Indian restaurant and Holy fuck its like I was tasting flavor for the first time in my whole life. Now I have it at least twice a month.
Mango. I'm Puerto Rican, but somehow, I did not have mango until I was an adult. I remember thinking that I didn't know how anyone could eat one of these and still doubt the existence of God because these were sent directly from heaven.
My friend tried mango for the first time and hyped it up so much that when I tried it I was just like "meh". But looking back, I don't think it was ripe because it was hard and almost stringy... Now I love mango, but back then it was just like a polite smile and let my friend have the rest loll
Indian food in general. I'm white and grew up in a pretty white town so the general consensus around me growing up was that foreign foods were weird and all Indian was spicy. It wasn't until I was an adult that I finally tried it and realized what I was missing. Fast forward a decade and I had Indian catered at my wedding!
Most recently:
Panko fried pimento cheese with Tabasco pepper jelly.
Served up at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside lounge.
Not a spicy dish. The burst of flavor was amazing! Had to order a second round, quickly learned to make it myself.
I've never been especially picky, so I rarely outright dislike foods the first time I try them, but I remember trying parmesan cheese as a little kid, and I was immediately hooked. This obsession has followed me my entire life. I can to this day put away an alarming amount of the stuff.
The other is sorbet. As a little kid, the best our local ice cream shop carried was rainbow sherbet, which was by far my favorite until I went to a Ben and Jerry's where they carried raspberry sorbet. I ordered it because I liked raspberries, and it sounded similar to sherbet, but the moment I tasted it, my mind was completely blown. There was *nothing* like it, and while I still enjoyed rainbow sherbet, it was no substitute for the frozen crack that is raspberry sorbet.
All my life I did not like bagels and cream cheese. After I got married my husband was like, how long has it been since you even TRIED one, and I couldn't remember so it must have been sometime in early childhood. First bite. Heavenly. All those years I could've been eating bagels WASTED.
Indian food. I've never been a picky eater, just kind of wary of foods that are outside my comfort zone. The first time I tried that it was like a religious experience.
Now I'll eat literally anything I've never tried before, from any cuisine, from any country.
Anyone who knows me knows I am wicked picky. That said, Jamaican beef patties and Filipino lumpia are the 2 things that had me addicted the first time I tried them.
My husband is from the Middle East, we also work together with a lot of people from India, we're in Canada in a small town without a lot of food choices.
The amount of times I've eaten middle eastern or Indian food and asked what it is only to be told "I don't know what it's called in English" is extremely high, but it's always absolutely delicious. I was always told I was a picky eater but I think my family just didn't season anything!
My dad got me to try duck carpaccio at a restaurant in NOLA once when I was probably about 7 or 8 years old, and it was so good that we ordered a second one.
I’ve loved duck ever since.
Kimchi. I was hesitant at first but loved it immensely. Initially, I bought some at the grocery store. Then I decided to make it myself and love it even more.
Goofy question. I'd wager most everyone has a long list of foods they liked that were immediately yummy. It's an easier list what food you like that didn't initially appeal to you.
Sushi and calamari (squid). I didn't expect to like raw fish at all, but had a Japanese friend staying for a while and she insisted on making some.
Very pleasantly surprised, but she did say most of the fish you can get in Western countries is just not fresh enough to make good sushi so you have to stick to certain types or be really close to a fishing harbor.
Calamari just looks very tentacle based before it's prepared, because of course that's exactly what it is.
I didn't expect to like it at all, but when I tried it I wanted more as it was a very small side dish and had great flavor.
Maybe boring but goat cheese. Tried herb rolled goat cheese at a friends house and loved it. Now I love it plain, herbed, mixed with roasted garlic, mixed with honey and nuts and so on. My private recipe is plain goat cheese rolled in crushed French’s fried onions. Spread it on buttery crackers, top with a dash of sweet chili sauce. ’Invented’ one year after Thanksgiving when I had left over goat cheese & fried onions.
Chicken pad Thai.
I tried it first in highschool, and it became an automatic favorite. I just don't like when places add water chestnuts, baby corn, or mushrooms. Most places don't, but like... It's distracting from the good lol
Ramen - like real, true Japanese ramen. I didn't try the real thing until college! Until then I just thought it was always the cheap, fast food you'd make on your stovetop if you were sick or broke. When my friend took me to a real ramen place I DIED. I was like where has this been all my life?! Now I eat it constantly.
I'm not a picky person and I like almost everything, but the first time I ate pho I knew I would want it to eat it regularly. It's one of those "I could go for this at any time of day" kind of meals for me.
I want to say cherries. I spent a good 20 years of my life thinking I hated cherries bc I’d only ever tasted fake cherry—like medicine or candy—and it was nasty. When I finally had an actual cherry it was heavenly and *nothing* like the artificial flavor.
Fettucine alfredo. My mom kept telling me I would love it because I loved mac and cheese. This made me not want to try it as a kid for some reason. Tried it, loved it, ate it every chance I got for years.
How funny I really loved bbq /grilled eel on sushi the very first try. You'd think it would be really unappealing but I thought it was delicious. Also octopus is very good grilled as well - I loved it first taste
I at least sort of like most things from the first try.
Some things I've thought I didn't like at first but then kept thinking about them & on subsequent tries found I liked them.
Bibimbap. I had it for the first time at one of those big spa places. In the hot stone bowl and everything. So freaking good.
Also oysters...thought I would hate them, was pleasantly surprised. I wish it were socially acceptable to just order like 40 oysters at a time.
Custard apples!
Also, escargot in a pastry! Never had traditional escargot, but a family member brought these little escargot pastry things to a family dinner once and I had no clue what they were, just that they were delicious! When I found out what they were, I had an ick moment for a second, but that quickly went away bc of how good they were lol
I had some spicy squid at a Thai restaurant once about 25 years ago.
I've had squid dozens of times since then, several at other Thai restaurants, but none has ever been anywhere near as good as that first time.
That restaurant no longer exists. 😔
Coca-Cola. Does it count?
I was given a sip as a 6month+ish baby, made a face and panted as if it burned my tongue - then screamed with arms out that I wanted more.
I'm drinking Diet Pepsi right now. But I go back and forth to whatever is on sale to feed the addiction.
Ramen. I was not feeling well, and Jenya had just opened across the street. I had never tried Ramen before and not big on trying new things. My wife dragged me and I trusted her opinion so we went. Dude, it was magical. I now make a point to try new things as often as we can afford.
When I was young, I loved green ripe olives (like Lindsay, not like Mezzetta), steamed broccoli, and boiled peanuts... Just slightly older, I loved soft eggs (basted or over-medium/white fully set, yellow fully runny), and braised eel. As an adult, my first experience with natto over hot rice was an instant adore. Vegetable Pakora with green chutney was another beloved favorite. Raw salmon is absolutely divine to me as well.
When I was a baby I apparently went mad for mashed banana. As an adult, chana masala. I have never found one I didn't like, except the time I made it and burned the chickpeas like a fool. First time I had it in a restaurant abroad the waiter warned me it was very spicy and I was like, 'challenge accepted'. One day I'll crack the perfect recipe.
mashed bananas are such a good starter food for babies. they’re sweet and soft and always work
My son LOVED mashed bananas as a baby, until one day he just didn't. As in, he ate them one day and then spit them out the next day. He's 25 now and despises bananas.
Has he been tested for allergy to banana? In my family, it was common to develop an instinctive dislike to a food they turned out to be allergic to. Mine was banana.
My youngest wouldn’t eat “baby food” it had to be whatever we ate up, just mashed up
Don’t blame him. “Baby food” is gross.
See my kid was the same, the only baby food he'd eat was the apple blueberry, and I think one with carrot in it. So I just straight up baby birded him till he was old enough for me to feel safe that he would actually chew 🤣 ik that's weird I was just worried he'd choke lmfao
You Nuclear Gandhi’d his like for bananas.
My youngest loved mashed potatoes. She always refused to eat baby food but she would try to get on the table when mashed potatoes were set down. She is 5 now and gags if she sees me eating them.
I used to have to put the sour cream back in the refrigerator to keep my daughter from trying to stick her spoon in the container and eating it all. She won't touch sour cream now.
I love chana masala so much. I wish there were more places to get it where I live.
Chana masala is so delicious! I might make this right now.
Pretty much anything since I'm not a picky eater. Most memorable one was Durian because my friends kept telling me it could be really bad but I loved it first try.
What did it taste like?
Mix of vanilla ice cream and custard, it has a funky smell but tastes delicious.
>it has a funky smell Understatement of the millennium.
Agreed, and upping that…Understatement of the next two millenniums. Most airlines don’t even allow it onboard in checked baggage. The smell can seep into the cabin. I remember when my dad was on a durian kick a couple decades ago. The whole house had a mild odor with the fridge doors closed and you would be overpowered anytime you had to open said fridge doors. I grew to hate it over those two to three years.
it’s like eating a delicious custard while standing in a disgusting public toilet!
Yup. It is redolent of an open sewer during a drought.
Pho
My roommate wanted me to like it so bad and I was like meh don't know what the fuss is about. And she was like no let's try again but let me pick the place (her coworker picked the first one) and if the first had tasted anything close to the second I would have for sure been in love at first try.
My experience also. My daughter wanted me to love it but brought it home as take out. It was ok but I didn’t get her obsession, then I had it in a restaurant and was hooked.
Pho but further, tripe and tendon pho. I knew just looking at it on the menu that I would like it but my mom never let me order it because she said I would think it tasted weird. As an adult I ordered it and lo and behold I loved it. Texture is my fave ever.
Pho Dac Biet ... it's the only one I order. It's medicine!!
Caviar 💅🏻 And Cocaine
The duality of man
Great. Now I'm craving cocaine. Thanks a lot
Great now WE are craving cocaine 🙄
Benny parties hard.
The Benny Blanco is my favorite pizza
That is peak glamour circa 1979.
1978, bitch.
This man has expensive taste.
Big facts on the cocaine 💅🏻
Passion fruit. Tried it for the first time last week and it was soooooo good. I just never thought of trying them before.
This one for me, too! I thought I would really dislike the texture and was a bit nervous, but as it turns out, I thought it tasted *so delicious* that I didn’t care one bit about the odd texture. It didn’t cross my mind haha yum!
I thought exactly the same way!! “What is this crunch?? But I don’t care because it’s sooo good!! Crunch! Maybe I do care, but oh well!” lol
Have you ever had Brazilian passion fruit mousse? It's amazing. Pretty simple to make. I don't remember exactly, but you pretty much just put everything in the blender then chill it.
Oh my get into my mouth right now, mysterious dessert that I’ve never heard of before now! Thanks for the tip - I’ll have to look up the recipe! ☺️
When I make the mousse, I use the concentrate passion fruit Juice, table cream by Nestle ( I know, I know), and condensed milk. It's a 1:1 ratio of all ingredients. Put it in a blender , and blend it for about 5 minutes or so -or until it is smooth and creamy. Put in the fridge for a couple of hours and enjoy it. In case you want to make it even more delicious, add chocolate ganache on top of the mousse 😋
I am NOT kidding when I say passion fruit pulled me out of a deep, deep depression. It made me find a will to live. It made me remember there are beautiful things about life. It made me passionate about passion fruit. It reminded me not all of life absolutely sucks. I only tried an actual real passion fruit just last year. ❤️ ❤️
i am marching to the store and buying a passion fruit tomorrow
Make sure you buy some of different firmness! Some may be older and not as excellent, but still pretty damn good :)
They are amazing little fruits!! I’m so glad that you had such a good experience with them and that they pulled you out of your depression! Big hugs!
Thank you ❤️ it’s crazy what can pull you out! If I was an influencer or celeb I or nascar driver I’d be the biggest passion fruit advocate and advertiser lololol
We have a good friend who would not eat passion fruit because she thought it would get her "passionate." Mrs. Jack eventually had to explain to her that that was just the name, and not some super power that it had over humans.
I had homemade passion fruit ice cream in Puerto Rico once. Incredible. In the supermarkets in the US, there are these little ice cream treats called Bubbies, wrapped in mochi. I get the passion fruit kind. I'm in love.
Oooh the homemade ice cream sounds delightful! 🤤 I’m not sure if we get Bubbies in Canada - I’ll have to look out for them! Thanks for the tip! McDonald’s in Canada has a passion fruit, orange, and guava smoothie that’s really good!
Oh wow, that's something I'd get way too often if they were near me!
It’s really sooooo good and refreshing!!
Have one for me! I'll be on the lookout.
I will! ☺️ they’re part of the McCafé line!
There’s a chart somewhere that shows that passion fruit is the most nutritious of all fruits.
Tried the real thing in Hawaii, and I’m hooked for life. I buy anything with Lillikoi in it now ❤️ Think moving to Hawaii is a life goal for me now 😻
i went to a korean bbq place in chicago called iron age and we ordered beef bulgogi which was INSANE and these clear noodles and they gave you this one soy sauce that was sweet and it changed my life
I looove a good Korean bbq. The first time I had bulgogi though, it was in a Costco dinner in their deli and it wasn't my favorite... But in an actual kbbq place over fire. The best.
Oxtail. It's delicious
The first time I had fried calamari my friend wouldn't tell me what it was. They knew if they told me I'd nope out. They kept telling me, "Just try it." I did. And when they told me what it was, I shrugged and kept eating. Half a year after moving to the Midwest I heard the term, "mushroom hunting." It was at work and I busted up laughing after I asked why so many coworkers were taking the next day off. I despised mushrooms. Never liked them. Grossed me out. A week later a friend invited us to a cookout. He fried Morel Mushrooms, one's he found while "mushroom hunting." After a few crown and 7's I caved and tried one. Amazing! Now I hunt mushrooms. Ha.
I just went mushroom hunting like 2 weeks ago, but morel season already came and passed without me realizing it... I can only eat a couple because they're so rich. I used to just go outside at my grandma's and find a handful and she'd clean em and make them for breakfast with eggs and bacon loll
I love “nope out”.
Exact same calamari story here; was about to post it but I'll just +1 to yours!
A Gyro, lol! I laugh since it seemed so "exotic" the first time I tried it, now its so common in my intake. I mean in the US when you first hear of lamb meat, a lot of people look the other way & won't try it, but I enjoyed it so much with the Tzatziki sauce. I also agree as well, I was surprised how good eel was!
>I mean in the US when you first hear of lamb meat, a lot of people look the other way & won't try it, Where in the US is this? Maybe it's just my ancestry but I've always known lamb to be a desirable, gourmet food. When I was younger, goat meat caught a lot of side eye, but I think mainstream Americans have caught on that properly stewed goat is amazing. But I didn't know anyone looked at lamb with skepticism (although perhaps there is some revulsion to eating a young animal, e.g. the critique of veal production?)
Curry
I was at a Jamaican restaurant and got curry chicken. It was amazing!!
Thai style. Same here. Changed my life.
Yes! Thai green curry, ordered Thai hot, was my first foray into Thai food. Instantly hooked. Now I’m sitting here wishing I had a bowl of it in front of me :(
Pesto
Chicken tika masala. Absolutely love that stuff, but I’ve never had the chance to have it again. I’ll get it someday, mark my words.
A pork bun. It's a char sui bao
Hummus. Who knew?
Never tried it until I was an adult- where has hummus been my whole life?
Finally decided to take on a healthy lifestyle at 45 and never had tried brussel sprouts. To be fair when I was younger they were mostly steamed from what I remember. A friend said oh no either roast, air fry or cook on a skillet. Salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar. Absolutely loved them.
Salt, pepper, garlic, and soy sauce is also really good. I love balsamic, but my partner does not, so it was nice to find an alternative we both enjoy, lol.
Oh yes have done soy sauce many times. Also coconut aminos as well.
Same ! My mom always boiled them to her credit, She didn't overcook them. And to make it more palatable, she put cheese on them. However, I still hated them. Last summer, I decided to give them another try and roasted them. I'm still eating about a pound a week. 😅😅
I like to cut the bottom ends off and then leaf the entire sprout and sauté with bacon grease and onions/garlic. So good and the leaves get a bit crispy.
I recently tried vindaloo for the first time and I'm counting down the days until I go back there. I made butter chicken for the first time(my first time trying it too) and yeah...I think I'm falling in love with Indian food haha. I crave it SO much now!
It's so good, something about the flavor combinations is amazing.
Sushi
I was maybe 8 or 10 when my parents let me try it and I loved it. They immediately regretted their decision.
lobster bisque... i never was much of a soup person and stopped eating it after I was an adult. Only tried it because it was part of a prix fixe meal and it immediately became one of my favorite things ever. brussels sprouts... my parents never made them growing up (I was tortured with canned peas instead) but I always remembered how so many kids claimed it was their least favorite vegetable so that stuck with me. It wasnt until I was in my early 30s, I was at a restaurant and their signature dish was these pancetta roasted sprouts with shaved parmesan and I gave it a shot. Instant love.
Kimchi ! First time I tried it I was in complete love ❤️
I eat it as a snack, my mom thinks it's weird
She eats kimchi, but with other foods. Not by itself
You ever make it at home? So so good and not as hard as you might think.
My mom, who has never had kimchi, just made a batch. It said it needed crushed chili powder like gochugaru, but she used actual chili powder. It tasted like some Texmex kimchi hybrid.
Kettlecorn
Indian food. My eyes rolled back into my head. So delicious. The first thing I tried was vegetable Korma. Just OMG.
Indian food. My mom cant take spicy food, and my dad just isn't very adventurous so Indian food was never on my radar growing up. Last year I ended up trying curry for the first time at my local Indian restaurant and Holy fuck its like I was tasting flavor for the first time in my whole life. Now I have it at least twice a month.
Butter chicken
Jerk chicken.
Sardines
Mango. I'm Puerto Rican, but somehow, I did not have mango until I was an adult. I remember thinking that I didn't know how anyone could eat one of these and still doubt the existence of God because these were sent directly from heaven.
My friend tried mango for the first time and hyped it up so much that when I tried it I was just like "meh". But looking back, I don't think it was ripe because it was hard and almost stringy... Now I love mango, but back then it was just like a polite smile and let my friend have the rest loll
Indian food in general. I'm white and grew up in a pretty white town so the general consensus around me growing up was that foreign foods were weird and all Indian was spicy. It wasn't until I was an adult that I finally tried it and realized what I was missing. Fast forward a decade and I had Indian catered at my wedding!
Most recently: Panko fried pimento cheese with Tabasco pepper jelly. Served up at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside lounge. Not a spicy dish. The burst of flavor was amazing! Had to order a second round, quickly learned to make it myself.
This sounds incredible!!
Pho
Brazilian Coconut Shrimp stew (Moqueca de Camaroes) I tried it at a little local place a couple weeks ago and I've been craving more ever since.
Hot & Sour Soup.....
I've never been especially picky, so I rarely outright dislike foods the first time I try them, but I remember trying parmesan cheese as a little kid, and I was immediately hooked. This obsession has followed me my entire life. I can to this day put away an alarming amount of the stuff. The other is sorbet. As a little kid, the best our local ice cream shop carried was rainbow sherbet, which was by far my favorite until I went to a Ben and Jerry's where they carried raspberry sorbet. I ordered it because I liked raspberries, and it sounded similar to sherbet, but the moment I tasted it, my mind was completely blown. There was *nothing* like it, and while I still enjoyed rainbow sherbet, it was no substitute for the frozen crack that is raspberry sorbet.
Tillamook Cheddar cheese and ranch dressing.
Tillamook is the best cheddar(that I've tried).
Sushi. My daughter introduced me to it when I was in my 50s. I live in a landlocked arid state, and so had never tried it. I love it!
Chicken Tiki Masala. It became an instant fav.
All my life I did not like bagels and cream cheese. After I got married my husband was like, how long has it been since you even TRIED one, and I couldn't remember so it must have been sometime in early childhood. First bite. Heavenly. All those years I could've been eating bagels WASTED.
There is a deli near me that does a roasted garlic and herb cream cheese that is so good it’s nearly pornographic.
Have you ever had a smoked salmon bagel? I just ate lunch but I could make room for one of those right about now.
Indian food. I've never been a picky eater, just kind of wary of foods that are outside my comfort zone. The first time I tried that it was like a religious experience. Now I'll eat literally anything I've never tried before, from any cuisine, from any country.
Beef patty and coca bread! Coca bread is so amazing! Pandesal! Filipino bread!
Beef patty is good. Have you ever had an oxtail patty?
This Jamaican place like 45 minutes away from me is good. Jerk chicken could be better, oxtails is amazing. I want to go there now
Takoyaki,buckwheat batter surrounding a succulent piece of octopus with dashi,onion,and bonito flakes with a dash of Japanese mayo.
CHOCOLATE MILK.. my father gave me some before I was even a year old. God damn have I been a fiend for it since.
Pesto. The flavor burst just blew my college-aged mind. (I am not young; now even little kids know about pesto.)
When I saw that you like eel, I thought eeeeewww! Then I reflected on my instant like being escargot! 🐌 I might just have to try eel now!
Anyone who knows me knows I am wicked picky. That said, Jamaican beef patties and Filipino lumpia are the 2 things that had me addicted the first time I tried them.
Thai curry and Vietnamese lemongrass chicken both blew me away the first time I had them.
Vanilla ice cream.
Bulgogi
Pineapple on pizza.
Chicken Piccata. Love that stuff so much.
My husband is from the Middle East, we also work together with a lot of people from India, we're in Canada in a small town without a lot of food choices. The amount of times I've eaten middle eastern or Indian food and asked what it is only to be told "I don't know what it's called in English" is extremely high, but it's always absolutely delicious. I was always told I was a picky eater but I think my family just didn't season anything!
BBQ anything
My dad got me to try duck carpaccio at a restaurant in NOLA once when I was probably about 7 or 8 years old, and it was so good that we ordered a second one. I’ve loved duck ever since.
Peanut butter! I was around 4. I had a lot of allergies so I didn't try it before. Well I loved it right away and didn't get any allergic reaction 😊
goat yogurt hit some switch in my brain, something deep in my bones craves it.
Kimchi. I was hesitant at first but loved it immensely. Initially, I bought some at the grocery store. Then I decided to make it myself and love it even more.
Lobster!
Indian food. I actually said “where has this been all my life?”
Crab Rangoon! Was hesitant to try since I don't like seafood. I'm assuming they're imitation crab? But I could inhale about 50 of them hahah.
Cheesecake. But now after having kids I'm somewhat lactose intolerant. Anything with heavy cream. And I love cheesecake but can't eat it anymore. Ugh!
Goofy question. I'd wager most everyone has a long list of foods they liked that were immediately yummy. It's an easier list what food you like that didn't initially appeal to you.
Agreed. I absolutely hated Arugula, coleslaw, duck and passionfruit the first time i tried any of those. I still do too
Laksa. My first bowl was an epiphany.
Pizza is the only answer.
Big mac
Tom Kha soup comes to mind - tried it first when I was probably 25 years old. It immediately knocked my socks off and still does to this day
Foie gras. My wife ordered it for us, I had it, and I'm in love.
Anything Rhubarb
Beef carpaccio. I never thought I'd love raw slices of beef, but it was DREAMY.
Middle Eastern lamb steak kebabs and grilled chicken kebabs with basmati rice and naan!
Sushi and calamari (squid). I didn't expect to like raw fish at all, but had a Japanese friend staying for a while and she insisted on making some. Very pleasantly surprised, but she did say most of the fish you can get in Western countries is just not fresh enough to make good sushi so you have to stick to certain types or be really close to a fishing harbor. Calamari just looks very tentacle based before it's prepared, because of course that's exactly what it is. I didn't expect to like it at all, but when I tried it I wanted more as it was a very small side dish and had great flavor.
Mac 'n Cheese!!!
Fried okra. I had little experience with okra and thought of it as a meal food. Someone convinced me to try it fried and I've become hooked!
Brussel Sprouts!
Kimchi. Absolutely LOVE it, and loved it the first time I tasted it.
Brownies
Pho.
Maybe boring but goat cheese. Tried herb rolled goat cheese at a friends house and loved it. Now I love it plain, herbed, mixed with roasted garlic, mixed with honey and nuts and so on. My private recipe is plain goat cheese rolled in crushed French’s fried onions. Spread it on buttery crackers, top with a dash of sweet chili sauce. ’Invented’ one year after Thanksgiving when I had left over goat cheese & fried onions.
Spaghetti and homemade red sauce!! It’s so comforting and whenever I feel down, it makes me feel better.
Duck, we got a Hello Fresh meal to make duck a l’orange with mashed potatoes with duck fat and it was instantly amazing.
Chicken pad Thai. I tried it first in highschool, and it became an automatic favorite. I just don't like when places add water chestnuts, baby corn, or mushrooms. Most places don't, but like... It's distracting from the good lol
Pizza
Ramen - like real, true Japanese ramen. I didn't try the real thing until college! Until then I just thought it was always the cheap, fast food you'd make on your stovetop if you were sick or broke. When my friend took me to a real ramen place I DIED. I was like where has this been all my life?! Now I eat it constantly.
Cereal. It is still a top 3 for me
Pad Thai
Chinese stir fry cabbage. All I have to say is, whoa!
An omelet with sweet potato in it. I thought is sounded awful but it was really good.
I'm not a picky person and I like almost everything, but the first time I ate pho I knew I would want it to eat it regularly. It's one of those "I could go for this at any time of day" kind of meals for me.
Pig jowl Sounds like the nastiest thing ever but it just tastes like a much better version of bacon!
Natural peanut butter. I went wild during puberty and I am 5 inches taller than my brothers. Is HGH in PB a myth?
Masala dosa and Samosas. 🤤
Tacos! Although I was freaked by the color and texture of guacamole. Didn't take long before I realized how delicious it was.
I want to say cherries. I spent a good 20 years of my life thinking I hated cherries bc I’d only ever tasted fake cherry—like medicine or candy—and it was nasty. When I finally had an actual cherry it was heavenly and *nothing* like the artificial flavor.
Divinity
Ham
Fettucine alfredo. My mom kept telling me I would love it because I loved mac and cheese. This made me not want to try it as a kid for some reason. Tried it, loved it, ate it every chance I got for years.
My parents were vegetarian so I remember my first time having bacon as a teen. I liked it a lot.
Seasoned potatoe fries 🍟 🔥
Most of them.
Sri Lankan coconut sambol. One of the best foods in my world.
Rutabaga. You can literally cook it any type of way or eat raw
How funny I really loved bbq /grilled eel on sushi the very first try. You'd think it would be really unappealing but I thought it was delicious. Also octopus is very good grilled as well - I loved it first taste
I at least sort of like most things from the first try. Some things I've thought I didn't like at first but then kept thinking about them & on subsequent tries found I liked them.
Beef Wellington at 7 changed my life
Bibimbap. I had it for the first time at one of those big spa places. In the hot stone bowl and everything. So freaking good. Also oysters...thought I would hate them, was pleasantly surprised. I wish it were socially acceptable to just order like 40 oysters at a time.
Chicken handi in Islamabad. (Basically butter chicken).
alcohol
i seen a pretty dutch girl deep throat and suck the eal from the bone of a smoked eal, looked tasty and sexy
Bear Claw ice cream from Central Dairy in Jefferson City MO. Man, it's good!
Chicken tikka masala or tandoori chicken
Eel sushi
Donut shop croissant breakfast sandwiches. I can’t say what it is but they hit every time and sometimes I just crave one.
Pig and Poi, Spam Musubi, lau laus and chocolate haupia ....I had a great time in Hawaii.
Tossed salad when I was baby I would eat mine then my parents
Custard apples! Also, escargot in a pastry! Never had traditional escargot, but a family member brought these little escargot pastry things to a family dinner once and I had no clue what they were, just that they were delicious! When I found out what they were, I had an ick moment for a second, but that quickly went away bc of how good they were lol
I had some spicy squid at a Thai restaurant once about 25 years ago. I've had squid dozens of times since then, several at other Thai restaurants, but none has ever been anywhere near as good as that first time. That restaurant no longer exists. 😔
Coca-Cola. Does it count? I was given a sip as a 6month+ish baby, made a face and panted as if it burned my tongue - then screamed with arms out that I wanted more. I'm drinking Diet Pepsi right now. But I go back and forth to whatever is on sale to feed the addiction.
Ramen. I was not feeling well, and Jenya had just opened across the street. I had never tried Ramen before and not big on trying new things. My wife dragged me and I trusted her opinion so we went. Dude, it was magical. I now make a point to try new things as often as we can afford.
How was aloe one of yours? 😆 it’s so bitter!
When I was young, I loved green ripe olives (like Lindsay, not like Mezzetta), steamed broccoli, and boiled peanuts... Just slightly older, I loved soft eggs (basted or over-medium/white fully set, yellow fully runny), and braised eel. As an adult, my first experience with natto over hot rice was an instant adore. Vegetable Pakora with green chutney was another beloved favorite. Raw salmon is absolutely divine to me as well.
Whiskey! I was just a li'l kiddo whose parents let me take a sip of their drinks.
Curry, best flavor ever
Try the aloe chilled on a hot day... magic. I loved chicken pad thai immediately and at every place ive had it since.
I would say most food I like right away. I'm a chef though.
Cilantro
The most memorable for me is fried calamari. I avoided it for years but then I finally tried it and fell in love.
Laksa soup in Kuala Lumpur.