Have your tastes ever changed dramatically?
Discussion
For the first 35ish years of my life I was quite a plain eater. I really disliked anything with spice or anything with strong flavours. I avoided curries, anything with a lot of garlic, anything with peppers/chillies, strong or blue cheeses, smelly fishy stuff, anything too peppery, anything too salty, and so on.
But now, a few years on, I find myself craving strong or spicy flavours. I want to be absolutely punched in the face with the flavour. I want to feel the burn of chilli or spice, and no longer avoid ordering the spicy curries. I want food to taste salty or peppery. I now love really strong smelly cheeses. The stronger the better. I like vinegar or sour tastes. I will happily add chillies to things.
I find myself salting my food a lot, and even adding stuff like peri-peri salt to ordinary savoury food to give it a kick. I appreciate that adding salt to things on a daily basis is bad, but I'm just finding a lot of foods a little bland now.
Not sure where all this came from, and it seems quite a change for someone like me who was always a bit bland with food.
Anyone else had similar?
But now, a few years on, I find myself craving strong or spicy flavours. I want to be absolutely punched in the face with the flavour. I want to feel the burn of chilli or spice, and no longer avoid ordering the spicy curries. I want food to taste salty or peppery. I now love really strong smelly cheeses. The stronger the better. I like vinegar or sour tastes. I will happily add chillies to things.
I find myself salting my food a lot, and even adding stuff like peri-peri salt to ordinary savoury food to give it a kick. I appreciate that adding salt to things on a daily basis is bad, but I'm just finding a lot of foods a little bland now.
Not sure where all this came from, and it seems quite a change for someone like me who was always a bit bland with food.
Anyone else had similar?
As a kid, I had a sweet tooth, 2 teaspoons of sugar in my tea, or coffee etc., but now. I find anything sweet-tasting too sweet. When I married in 1972 our wine of choice was a cheap Spanish Sauternes, whereas now a friend insists on serving a semi-sec Cava, which I do not enjoy. My exception is pairing a Barsac with Fois Gras, chutney and smoked duck-breast.
When it comes to food generally, I have always enjoyed anything offered, I find being with fussy eaters quite offensive. I was of an age when if I left anything on my plate, I was reminded that there were starving kids in Africa.
When it comes to food generally, I have always enjoyed anything offered, I find being with fussy eaters quite offensive. I was of an age when if I left anything on my plate, I was reminded that there were starving kids in Africa.
Choked on some peanuts at a friends party when I was about 2/3, couldnt stand the smell or taste of them for first 28 years of my life. I then one day tried some Wasabi peanuts and now can eat them without an issue (salted peanuts etc not just wasabi).
Olives/blue cheese are things I will never get over though.
Olives/blue cheese are things I will never get over though.
Mont Blanc said:
For the first 35ish years of my life I was quite a plain eater. I really disliked anything with spice or anything with strong flavours. I avoided curries, anything with a lot of garlic, anything with peppers/chillies, strong or blue cheeses, smelly fishy stuff, anything too peppery, anything too salty, and so on.
But now, a few years on, I find myself craving strong or spicy flavours. I want to be absolutely punched in the face with the flavour. I want to feel the burn of chilli or spice, and no longer avoid ordering the spicy curries. I want food to taste salty or peppery. I now love really strong smelly cheeses. The stronger the better. I like vinegar or sour tastes. I will happily add chillies to things.
I find myself salting my food a lot, and even adding stuff like peri-peri salt to ordinary savoury food to give it a kick. I appreciate that adding salt to things on a daily basis is bad, but I'm just finding a lot of foods a little bland now.
Not sure where all this came from, and it seems quite a change for someone like me who was always a bit bland with food.
Anyone else had similar?
I was very similar until I got to around 23 and I had a career change and started working with colleagues who would often go for a takeaway on an evening as part of working shifts so I just went along with it. I think my first curry was a Chicken Tikka Masala because it was the only one I had heard of, I never looked back. I'm just about 45 now and love spicy foodsBut now, a few years on, I find myself craving strong or spicy flavours. I want to be absolutely punched in the face with the flavour. I want to feel the burn of chilli or spice, and no longer avoid ordering the spicy curries. I want food to taste salty or peppery. I now love really strong smelly cheeses. The stronger the better. I like vinegar or sour tastes. I will happily add chillies to things.
I find myself salting my food a lot, and even adding stuff like peri-peri salt to ordinary savoury food to give it a kick. I appreciate that adding salt to things on a daily basis is bad, but I'm just finding a lot of foods a little bland now.
Not sure where all this came from, and it seems quite a change for someone like me who was always a bit bland with food.
Anyone else had similar?
I've always lived off spicy strong flavoured food, cant stand bland flavours. I've never had a sweet tooth, and in a restaurant I'd never order a dessert (apart from the very occasional cheese cake) and would never ever be buying chocolates etc at the shops. However, in the last year I've noticed a bit of an uptick in wanting sweet stuff. I still generally manage to swerve desserts in a restaurant. But sitting around at home in the evening I get the craving for something sweet, like an ice cream, or a kitkat. It's definitely new. Mid 40s as a datapoint
Grew up eating really hot curries. As a kid I was putting away vindaloos after my dad introduced me to them without mum knowing. She would’ve gone mad had she known. Then got to about 9 and couldn’t take heat anymore. Even getting a tikka masala could be too much for me until a few more years went by and I seemed to develop some resilience to spice again. Never got back to vinadaloo levels but madras can be nice. Had a real sweet tooth as a kid too. Started with chocolate, then moved to jelly sweets. Could pack it away in silly amounts. Many fillings later I paid for it. Now I am a crisp man. Keep sweets and chocolate for the odd occasion. I can go through many bags of crisps in a day but that’s not hard considering how small the bags are now. Cheese and onion, prawn cocktail and BBQ Pringles are like crack to me
Used to always have weak tear coffee, 1 sugar in tea, 2 in coffee - now no sugar in either and the stronger the coffee the better.
Steaks: always used to have to be extremely well done. Show leather well done. No pink or bloody content AT ALL.
Happy eating Filet Americain now....
I also used to eat whelks and cockles, loads of them, especially on Poole Quay. But now? I won't touch the things.
Steaks: always used to have to be extremely well done. Show leather well done. No pink or bloody content AT ALL.
Happy eating Filet Americain now....
I also used to eat whelks and cockles, loads of them, especially on Poole Quay. But now? I won't touch the things.
Hated hot drinks, especially coffee, til I started working in a very demanding role at 28 where I forced coffee down to keep the energy up. Then I really started to love coffee and drink 2 cups a day now. Usually I still prefer an iced coffee, but a hot americano goes down nicely in this weather.
I used to be a spiece fiend. From teenager to late twenties I used to eat the hottest thing possible - I'd 'impress' my friends by ordering a phaal when we went out for a curry and used to have all sorts of specialist nuclear hot sauces in my cupboard. Now I can barely tolerate spice at all! It's more so the digestive consequences the next day than the tongue at the time of eating, although I definitely enjoy the taste less now as well.
I used to be a spiece fiend. From teenager to late twenties I used to eat the hottest thing possible - I'd 'impress' my friends by ordering a phaal when we went out for a curry and used to have all sorts of specialist nuclear hot sauces in my cupboard. Now I can barely tolerate spice at all! It's more so the digestive consequences the next day than the tongue at the time of eating, although I definitely enjoy the taste less now as well.
I never used to like peppers as a kid. I eat them 3-4 times a week now cooked or raw.
OhHamburgers said:
Grew up eating really hot curries. As a kid I was putting away vindaloos after my dad introduced me to them without mum knowing. She would have gone mad had she known.
Why would she have gone mad? 
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