recommended Panda licorice to me after I told her that my husband loves black licorice while I couldn’t stand the stuff. Here is what she said:
“I accidentally discovered Panda a few years back which is from Finland. It is much stronger in anise flavour and not very sweet but also quite soft and less chewy.”
Well, I found it online that very day and ordered some as a surprise for my husband and here’s the kicker: I love it as much as he does. Possibly even more than he does.
I am now rethinking my whole life. Have I always liked black licorice but just never had any actual good black licorice or have my tastes changed so much over the years that I now love something I used to hate?
I don’t know and honestly don’t care because from now on there will be black licorice in our home at all times. I’m hooked.
Hence this week’s question: Is there a food you used to hate that you now love?
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As a child, I would peel out the lone gherkin in a McDonald's cheeseburger and give it to my sister. Now, when we have a rare McDonald's, I take the pickles from my children. I cannot get enough of the acidity!
Most of my family doesn't like vinegary foods so I didn't learn how much I liked them until later in life. The first time I heard of salt and vinegar chips I thought that was the weirdest, possibly most disgusting thing I'd ever seen. Then I tried one and practically ate the whole bag.
Raw Tomatoes. As a child, it was a texture thing. They were squishy and without much flavor. I don’t remember when I changed my mind, but i think it was the first time I had a yellow tomato. Now I love them and grow a few varieties of cherry tomatoes every summer.
I am still hoping my two twenty-something daughters get to this point! The both love the flavor of tomatoes when cooked into something but hate the texture of raw tomatoes. Maybe they'll grow out of it someday!
Is there a food you used to hate and now love - YES!!! It could be summed up as 'vegetables'!!!!!!!!!!!! As a child I was terribly fussy and wouldn't go near anything green!! It is hard to choose just one but probably spinach, which is something that as a vegetarian I now eat frequently (and love!)
Haha! I love this so much! The child who hated vegetables is now a vegetarian. I've often thought about how many things my younger self would be shocked to learn about her older self. For all the ways I am still the same as I've always been, your words are reminding me of all the ways I've changed. 🙂
Yes! It was tea. I'm an avid coffee drinker, but as a young adult, I would look at a cup of tea and thought how delicious it looked but didn't like it. For many years I wanted to like tea but never found a flavorful cup of it no matter who made it. Then my daughter-in-law took me to a high tea one afternoon at The Brown in Denver. The tea there was magnificent, delicious! From that day forward I researched what was so different about it and how it was made. I had a friend who introduced me to loose leaf herbal teas and taught me how to brew it properly. Now I can't get enough of it. I invite friends over and have a tea party with sandwiches and scones and great conversations. In the mornings I have my cup of coffee. In the afternoons I relax with a cup of tea.
I love this! And high tea at The Brown Palace is such a wonderful experience, isn't it??? I do the same thing as you - coffee in the morning, tea in the evening. It's a fantastic daily ritual and I get a little grumpy if it's disrupted.
Yes, it was the experience of a life time. Piano music, delicious scones, tea sandwiches and petite desserts. It was delightful seeing mothers with their young daughters in dresses having quality time together. The service was excellent. My daughter-in-law , granddaughters and I are long overdue for another high tea.
One of my favourite children's books was (is), Emel and the Detectives. However I was perplexed, even revulsed by his favourite food; macaroni cheese with ham. It sums up everything my mum wouldn't cook; pasta, cheese sauce and ofcourse, ham. Trying it at a friend's house didn't endeer me to her mother who had to clean up the mess when I was sick after eating it. Our tastes change as we grow up. I hated baked potatoes too, and I remember how much I wanted to like black olives because I thought eating them would make me appear sophisticated.
It is so funny how our tastes change as we age, isn't it? When we first got married my husband wouldn't eat pasta, potatoes, or rice. These have always been three of my favorite things, so I thought he was nuts (but married him anyway). Now he happily eats all three, which is great, because I cook them often!
Yes, beans and pulses. I hated them with a passion as a child. Probably scarred by the fact that a very typical German dish is lentil soup with fatty sausages and an aggressive amount of harsh vinegar. It wasn't until I discovered Italian, Indian and Mexican food that I saw the light and suddenly appreciated pulses in all their glory. Now I cannot get enough of them - it turns out, they just need to be seasoned properly. These days, I always keep some tinned chickpeas, black beans, borlotti beans etc. plus various types of dried lentils and beans at home. And Channa Masala, Pasta con Ceci, Turkish Lentil Soup have all become staples for me.
My mom, in my opinion, does not season food properly. I think she genuinely likes food that's kind of bland. So, there were several things I didn't think I liked until I had them as an adult and realized they, as you say, just needed to be seasoned properly. :-)
In fairness, my mum is a phenomenal cook who has forever ruined me for subpar food, readymade meals etc. But I think German cuisine just has a lot to learn from other cuisines when it comes to pulses! I mean take pasta e fagioli or pasta e ceci - such simple and cheap dishes, and you don’t need much to prepare them and yet they are so so delicious!
Blue cheese is the only kind of cheese I don't care for. There are a lot of things I didn't used to like but do now, so I keep hoping my tastes will change and I'll discover that I like it one day!
Same here. I cannot eat anything with blue cheese on it. I'd say that I hope that my taste buds will evolve and one day I'll like it.... but that would be a lie.
It kind of snuck up on me, must have appeared in something like a salad, and I couldn’t leave it to one side and all of a sudden a liked it having had years of loathing….definitely an age/taste bud thing
Fish. My whole life I thought I hated seafood, but then I tried Coho salmon on a whim and loved it. Then I tried rainbow trout and loved that too. Then shrimp. Turns out I didn't hate seafood, I had just been raised in a household that disliked it. Only took 40+ years to notice the discrepancy.
I also hated seafood as a child but love it more and more with every passing year. Earlier this week I was shopping with one of our daughters and suggested that we have salmon for dinner. She was like, "I thought you hated salmon." I was like, well, I like it now. 🤷🏻♀️
After being force-fed Brussels sprouts as a kid, I lived the next three decades without a sprout. With their recent renaissance—and my own, in the kitchen—I’m happily surprised at how flavorful they are when roasted.
I had a similar experience with Brussels sprouts. I don't think I'd ever had them cooked properly - the Brussels of my childhood were a mushy, bland mess. The first time I had them roasted to golden and crispy, I couldn't believe how much I loved them!
Our youngest daughter hated mushrooms growing up then she went to culinary school and became a chef and now she loves them! I'm so glad because I like to put them in everything. :-)
My mom steamed veggies lightly and applied generous amounts of butter and often lemon juice. None of her care could make Brussels sprouts appetizing. Generally, I was required to eat all the vegetables offered, but even my dad let the sprouts go, sometimes
snitching them from my plate. Foolishly, I married without ascertaining the man's favorite vegetable. Yes, I married a sprout lover.
As a kid and a teen I didn't like any sauces, like mayonnaise or ketchup. I also didn't like butter on anything. I had everything dry 😅 come to think of it that was kind of healthy. Now I like all of it 😁
Our son was that way. He ordered hamburgers with nothing but the burger and the bun and liked tacos with nothing but ground beef in a taco shell. He also used to order pizza without cheese and I was like, who even are you??? 😂
Oh yes I didn't like cheese either. I wanted pizza with minimal cheese and I hated Mac and cheese especially if it had the cheesy crust on top. My god have I changed.
Every once in a while I try blue cheese in expectation that my taste buds will have evolved enough to like it. Not yet, but I'll keep trying. I do love bananas, although only when they are slightly under ripe. If they are even approaching mushy, it's a hard pass.
As a child, my most loathed food was the humble onion. They were bitter, and my mother never sautéed them, so I never experienced any sweetness. They were bitter, watery, crunchy, and the scent. OY! My mother kept her onions in a bowl under the sink and the funk that emanated from them. Woo-wee! Now, I haven't met an onion I don't like. Bring 'em on!
Pickled gherkins.
As a child, I would peel out the lone gherkin in a McDonald's cheeseburger and give it to my sister. Now, when we have a rare McDonald's, I take the pickles from my children. I cannot get enough of the acidity!
Most of my family doesn't like vinegary foods so I didn't learn how much I liked them until later in life. The first time I heard of salt and vinegar chips I thought that was the weirdest, possibly most disgusting thing I'd ever seen. Then I tried one and practically ate the whole bag.
🤣
Salt and vinegar chips are the beeeeeeeest!
So, so good!
Raw Tomatoes. As a child, it was a texture thing. They were squishy and without much flavor. I don’t remember when I changed my mind, but i think it was the first time I had a yellow tomato. Now I love them and grow a few varieties of cherry tomatoes every summer.
I am still hoping my two twenty-something daughters get to this point! The both love the flavor of tomatoes when cooked into something but hate the texture of raw tomatoes. Maybe they'll grow out of it someday!
Is there a food you used to hate and now love - YES!!! It could be summed up as 'vegetables'!!!!!!!!!!!! As a child I was terribly fussy and wouldn't go near anything green!! It is hard to choose just one but probably spinach, which is something that as a vegetarian I now eat frequently (and love!)
Haha! I love this so much! The child who hated vegetables is now a vegetarian. I've often thought about how many things my younger self would be shocked to learn about her older self. For all the ways I am still the same as I've always been, your words are reminding me of all the ways I've changed. 🙂
Yes! It was tea. I'm an avid coffee drinker, but as a young adult, I would look at a cup of tea and thought how delicious it looked but didn't like it. For many years I wanted to like tea but never found a flavorful cup of it no matter who made it. Then my daughter-in-law took me to a high tea one afternoon at The Brown in Denver. The tea there was magnificent, delicious! From that day forward I researched what was so different about it and how it was made. I had a friend who introduced me to loose leaf herbal teas and taught me how to brew it properly. Now I can't get enough of it. I invite friends over and have a tea party with sandwiches and scones and great conversations. In the mornings I have my cup of coffee. In the afternoons I relax with a cup of tea.
I love this! And high tea at The Brown Palace is such a wonderful experience, isn't it??? I do the same thing as you - coffee in the morning, tea in the evening. It's a fantastic daily ritual and I get a little grumpy if it's disrupted.
Yes, it was the experience of a life time. Piano music, delicious scones, tea sandwiches and petite desserts. It was delightful seeing mothers with their young daughters in dresses having quality time together. The service was excellent. My daughter-in-law , granddaughters and I are long overdue for another high tea.
I was thinking the same thing. I haven't been there in years! You've inspired me to find a time to take my mom and my daughters.
One of my favourite children's books was (is), Emel and the Detectives. However I was perplexed, even revulsed by his favourite food; macaroni cheese with ham. It sums up everything my mum wouldn't cook; pasta, cheese sauce and ofcourse, ham. Trying it at a friend's house didn't endeer me to her mother who had to clean up the mess when I was sick after eating it. Our tastes change as we grow up. I hated baked potatoes too, and I remember how much I wanted to like black olives because I thought eating them would make me appear sophisticated.
It is so funny how our tastes change as we age, isn't it? When we first got married my husband wouldn't eat pasta, potatoes, or rice. These have always been three of my favorite things, so I thought he was nuts (but married him anyway). Now he happily eats all three, which is great, because I cook them often!
Yes, beans and pulses. I hated them with a passion as a child. Probably scarred by the fact that a very typical German dish is lentil soup with fatty sausages and an aggressive amount of harsh vinegar. It wasn't until I discovered Italian, Indian and Mexican food that I saw the light and suddenly appreciated pulses in all their glory. Now I cannot get enough of them - it turns out, they just need to be seasoned properly. These days, I always keep some tinned chickpeas, black beans, borlotti beans etc. plus various types of dried lentils and beans at home. And Channa Masala, Pasta con Ceci, Turkish Lentil Soup have all become staples for me.
My mom, in my opinion, does not season food properly. I think she genuinely likes food that's kind of bland. So, there were several things I didn't think I liked until I had them as an adult and realized they, as you say, just needed to be seasoned properly. :-)
In fairness, my mum is a phenomenal cook who has forever ruined me for subpar food, readymade meals etc. But I think German cuisine just has a lot to learn from other cuisines when it comes to pulses! I mean take pasta e fagioli or pasta e ceci - such simple and cheap dishes, and you don’t need much to prepare them and yet they are so so delicious!
Blue Cheese…..now I’m addicted!
I love a bit of blue cheese
Blue cheese is the only kind of cheese I don't care for. There are a lot of things I didn't used to like but do now, so I keep hoping my tastes will change and I'll discover that I like it one day!
Same here. I cannot eat anything with blue cheese on it. I'd say that I hope that my taste buds will evolve and one day I'll like it.... but that would be a lie.
Haha! We'll keep trying.
Eeesh - I don’t know, I agree to keep trying but …
It kind of snuck up on me, must have appeared in something like a salad, and I couldn’t leave it to one side and all of a sudden a liked it having had years of loathing….definitely an age/taste bud thing
I'll keep trying it. Who knows? Maybe one of these days I'll decide I love it!
Fish. My whole life I thought I hated seafood, but then I tried Coho salmon on a whim and loved it. Then I tried rainbow trout and loved that too. Then shrimp. Turns out I didn't hate seafood, I had just been raised in a household that disliked it. Only took 40+ years to notice the discrepancy.
I also hated seafood as a child but love it more and more with every passing year. Earlier this week I was shopping with one of our daughters and suggested that we have salmon for dinner. She was like, "I thought you hated salmon." I was like, well, I like it now. 🤷🏻♀️
I used to avoid fish at all costs - now, a lovely coho salmon or beautiful cod/ haddock and I am happy
After being force-fed Brussels sprouts as a kid, I lived the next three decades without a sprout. With their recent renaissance—and my own, in the kitchen—I’m happily surprised at how flavorful they are when roasted.
I had a similar experience with Brussels sprouts. I don't think I'd ever had them cooked properly - the Brussels of my childhood were a mushy, bland mess. The first time I had them roasted to golden and crispy, I couldn't believe how much I loved them!
My dad would boil sprouts for 20 minutes, or we’d have frozen ones. 3 minutes or so sautéed…..amazing!
I love mushrooms now. Used to hate it because all we had available then was canned mushrooms. Life changing! 😆
Our youngest daughter hated mushrooms growing up then she went to culinary school and became a chef and now she loves them! I'm so glad because I like to put them in everything. :-)
My mom steamed veggies lightly and applied generous amounts of butter and often lemon juice. None of her care could make Brussels sprouts appetizing. Generally, I was required to eat all the vegetables offered, but even my dad let the sprouts go, sometimes
snitching them from my plate. Foolishly, I married without ascertaining the man's favorite vegetable. Yes, I married a sprout lover.
Haha! I love this!
As a kid and a teen I didn't like any sauces, like mayonnaise or ketchup. I also didn't like butter on anything. I had everything dry 😅 come to think of it that was kind of healthy. Now I like all of it 😁
Our son was that way. He ordered hamburgers with nothing but the burger and the bun and liked tacos with nothing but ground beef in a taco shell. He also used to order pizza without cheese and I was like, who even are you??? 😂
Oh yes I didn't like cheese either. I wanted pizza with minimal cheese and I hated Mac and cheese especially if it had the cheesy crust on top. My god have I changed.
Our son lived next to a pizza place that named a pizza after him: crust, sauce, lots of meat, no cheese. 😂
I used to think blue cheese tasted of soap (especially Stilton & Roquefort)
Then about 15 years ago I risked another try and now I can´t get enough of it!
Still loathe bananas though!
Every once in a while I try blue cheese in expectation that my taste buds will have evolved enough to like it. Not yet, but I'll keep trying. I do love bananas, although only when they are slightly under ripe. If they are even approaching mushy, it's a hard pass.
As a child, my most loathed food was the humble onion. They were bitter, and my mother never sautéed them, so I never experienced any sweetness. They were bitter, watery, crunchy, and the scent. OY! My mother kept her onions in a bowl under the sink and the funk that emanated from them. Woo-wee! Now, I haven't met an onion I don't like. Bring 'em on!
I can practically smell those onions underneath your mother's sink! 😂