Some people just aren't going to like certain foods—whether it's the taste or the texture, sometimes a food just isn't for you.
But many of us grow up thinking that we absolutely don't like a certain food, only to discover that we actually like it a lot... just not the way our family made it.
I was 17 years old before I found out that I actually really like pork chops, just not when they're cooked to within an inch of becoming shoe leather and served with whatever can of vegetables happened to be pulled from the cupboard. Hamburger Helper actually isn't too bad either, when you don't add whatever random leftovers you need to use in place of hamburger.
A Redditor asked:
"What Food Did You Hate As A Child Because Of The Way It Was Prepared Only To Find Out As An Adult It Was Amazing When Made Correctly?"
Steak Should Not Be Rubbery
"I didn’t understand the fuss around steak when I was a kid, but then I realized it was because my very neurotic mother would cook me and my brothers’ pieces to well done and beyond because she was so afraid of us getting food poisoning. Her heart was in the right place, but she didn’t need to serve us shoe leather haha."
- T3canolis
"Same! It got to be that I normalized chewing steak, then spitting it into my napkin. I literally couldn't chew it enough to swallow it."
- lazyMarthaStewart
Eggplant Can Be Amazing
"Eggplant. Pan fried it was nasty and then I traumatized myself by getting rid of it by burying it in the flower bed by the front door and all the flowers died. Husband uses like a pancake batter and it's great"
- Flimsy-Attention-722
"My mother never salted the eggplant, so it was always, always bitter. Her eggplant parm was disgusting."
- dramboxf
Definitely Not The Same Thing
"'Mayo' Didn't realize there was a difference between Miracle Whip and Mayo and my Mom only bought Miracle Whip."
- monstertots509
"I grew up in a miracle whip house as well. When I had mayo on a burger for the first time as a teenager it was glorious."
- myystic78
"Growing up we only had salad dressing (not even miracle whip). When I got out on my own I went to Mayo. Funny enough though, I got sick of mayo and am now a Miracle Whip man."
- natterca
Those Poor Pot Roasts
"Pot roast, I hated how dry and flavorless it was. I actually wrote an essay about it in my English class. The teacher showed it to my mom and she changed up her recipe lol"
- UninsuredToast
"My friend’s mom makes pot roast by putting a slab of meat and potatoes in a pot of water and boiling it for eternity. No wonder they hate it. Pot roast is my favorite food"
- JoyfulCelebration
Vegetables Are Allowed To Have Texture
"Vegetables. All of them basically, my mom would boil them to sludge every time."
- Cordolium102
"My mom did that with Brussels sprouts. I always thought they were the most disgusting vegetable. Now as an adult and having learned different ways to cook them, I really like them."
- ForwardMembership601
"Shredded, and really quickly stir fried with garlic and chilli! Yum"
"Boiled till they were grey was probably nor the best introduction"
- niamhweking
Pork Can Be Tasty
"Pork chops and steaks were sh*t until i realized they should not actually be prepared for use in the NHL. I love my mom dearly and for that, I must keep her out of the kitchen for her safety and that of the world."
- PrivatePigpen
"Came here to say pork chops. Bone-in and gross shake-n-bake + overcooked AF from the 80s = I never wanted pork again in my life. My how my eyes were opened as an adult! Love my mom dearly too but dear god, there wasn’t enough applesauce in the world to fix those!"
- gdigital36
Spinach Is Amazing
"Spinach. My dad would only eat canned spinach that was then boiled. Found out later that fresh spinach is a wonderfully flavorful green and is best either crisp, or cooked until slightly wilted."
- Emerilion
"It's great on pizza too. My first experience with it being canned kept me away from it for so long."
- rabidjellybean
Meatloaf Isn't Always Bad
"Meatloaf. My parents were in love with a specific teriyaki sauce they bought in 2 gallon jugs from Costco and drowned an otherwise plain lump of ground beef with and called that a teriyaki glazed meatloaf... it oughta be a crime."
"Flash forward to my seasoned beef/pork mix with italian herbs, parmesan, and just the right amount of a sweet/spicy tomato glaze and it's just a different world we live in."
- redkat85
Real Lasagna is King
"Turns out Lasagna is much better than nasty burnt Stouffers."
-Kyser_
"My issue with lasagna is by the time you get all the ingredients it's cheaper to buy a frozen one. And they are usually pretty good if you bake them."
- Braydee7
Asparagus Is Great, Unless It's Out Of A Can
"Daughter of depression era parents here: grew up with a lot of canned/tinned vegetables. Jesus, canned asparagus is tough, sinewy and slimy all at the same time. Freshly steamed with a pat of butter is amazing! Even now when I mention it's one of our favorites, my older relatives gasp and say 'you buy it out of season?' like we're billionaires."
- usexpatlurker
"Tossed in toasted sesame oil, spread on a baking sheet, and add fresh ground salt and pepper. Oooooooooh so good!"
- Charlie24601
Stories like these show why it's important to try foods you think you don't like. It might just have been the way it was cooked when you tried it the first time.
@islamoradalover/Bluesky
@hillbillybluedog/Bluesky
