If you have a bad experience with a cuisine, do you ever try it again?

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I'm thinking of this after seeing both Yorky and caseydog saying they don't like kimchi. caseydog mentioned that he picked some up from an Asian market, and by all accounts it was authentic, and he hated it. I, too, have had kimchi from Asian markets that are basically soggy cabbage with pepper paste smeared on it. I hate that, too. But, I have also have excellent kimchi, and I have made it many times in a way that I love.

But, it's interesting how much preparation matters. I remember there was a going-away lunch at work many years ago where we decided to go to a pizza place. When one woman heard this, she was excited, and she said, "I love pizza!" But, I thought to myself, "I love good pizza." Just any old disc with tomato sauce and cheese on it doesn't stir my emotions.

And, I can definitely see how perception of a particular food can be affected by what you've tried. If you had something that was terrible, would you really want to try it again, no matter how much people tell you that it's great? We all know that different people have different perceptions of things, different likes and dislikes. I am always surprised when I hear someone say "I don't like chocolate" (yes...such people do exist).

Kale is another example. If the only way I ever had it was as a raw salad bar decoration, I wouldn't like it, either. But, I have found I like it if it's prepared properly.

 

[Morning Glory]

I would keep trying it unless it was simply a junk food that people raved about or a sweet thing (I rarely do sweet stuff). But anything else I would persevere. I had a similar experience with kimchi. I bought some to try and it was horrible. I then tried a different brand and it was completely different, very complex and 'umami'.

 

[TastyReuben]

I probably think of singular dishes, or even down to singular ingredients more than I think of entire cuisines, because even within a cuisine, there's just so much variety.

That said, though, if I try a particular cuisine for the first time, and I'm looking at the menu, and I see dish after dish prepared with things I don't like, I'm going to be much less inclined to give it a second attempt.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

If I didn't have a good experience, it depends on how that experience came about. If I tried something on my own and went in blindly and didn't like what I got, then maybe that's my fault? In which case I'd definitely try again with more guidance.
If, however, I went with someone knowledgeable that explained things and could vouch for authenticity and explain variations, and I did not like the food, then maybe it might take a few years before I try that cuisine again.

This hasn't happened to me often, I am fairly open to try most foods.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I probably think of singular dishes, or even down to singular ingredients more than I think of entire cuisines, because even within a cuisine, there's just so much variety.

Yeah...I probably should have used "food" or "dish" instead of "cuisine".

But, that brings up something else. Whenever I hear someone say they don't like a particular cuisine, I always ask why. Thai food, for example, if you have the impression that it's always spicy.

But, as I mentioned with the pizza example above, I assume "properly prepared" is involved when I hear that someone likes or doesn't like a cuisine. I like properly prepared Chinese food, but not La Choy "Chinese" food that comes out of a can. And, I understand if someone doesn't like a properly prepared Thai dish that's too spicy. If you only had hamburgers prepared by my brother-in-law, who always incinerates them, you'd hate hamburgers, too.

 

[CraigC]

It could be just as simple as one place not knowing the cuisine well enough to produce a good dish. We've been to a few Korean places, some of which we will go back too and some, well we won't go there.

 

[mjd]

I would not call not caring for a dish a "bad experience." It's just something I don't care for.

To me, a "bad experience" is having anaphylaxis. That happened to me after eating some kind of fish for school lunch. My dad was a cop and knew CPR. He saved my life. Of course, I would never intentionally go near shellfish again. I also refuse to go to restaurants that have it on their menus because I've collapsed twice because my NON-seafood order was prepared with the same utensils and cutting boards. I'm just not willing to risk that again.

I would say finding something in my food is a bad experience also. A friend of mine bought a sealed fresh salad several months ago. She found a worm in it. It didn't happen to me but it grossed me out to the point that I stopped buying them.

I like mixed nuts. Two weeks ago, I just reached in to grab some. I didn't look. I chipped a tooth because there was a shell in it. I will still eat them but I'll look first.

As a kid, we were playing with our cousins. One stopped to take a drink of her soda and got stung in the mouth because a bee had climbed into the open can. I rarely drink soda but, when I do, I pour it into a clear glass.

If it's just something I didn't care for, I'd probably try again before it goes on the no-no list.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

To me, a "bad experience" is having anaphylaxis. That happened to me after eating some kind of fish for school lunch. My dad was a cop and knew CPR. He saved my life. Of course, I would never intentionally go near shellfish again. I also refuse to go to restaurants that have it on their menus because I've collapsed twice because my NON-seafood order was prepared with the same utensils and cutting boards. I'm just not willing to risk that again.

I would say finding something in my food is a bad experience also. A friend of mine bought a sealed fresh salad several months ago. She found a worm in it. It didn't happen to me but it grossed me out to the point that I stopped buying them.

Those are two very good points; Allergic reactions are no joke, and finding foreign objects in your food is not fun either.

 

[mjd]

I probably think of singular dishes, or even down to singular ingredients more than I think of entire cuisines, because even within a cuisine, there's just so much variety.

That said, though, if I try a particular cuisine for the first time, and I'm looking at the menu, and I see dish after dish prepared with things I don't like, I'm going to be much less inclined to give it a second attempt.

And, for the ones that don't know, @TR HATES mac and cheese. We don't even say the words around him. ;-)

 

[TastyReuben]

And, for the ones that don't know, @TR HATES mac and cheese. We don't even say the words around him. ;-)

That's probably a pretty good example, because usually, when someone says they don't like something, they've eaten it once or twice, then they're done. I'm like that with a lot of things.

Macaroni-and-cheese, I've eaten plenty of. I've made a ton of it. I've had it creamy, firm, oven-baked, stovetop, three-cheese, four-cheese, breadcrumb-topped, cracker-topped, potato-chip/crisp-topped, plain, fancy, various things added it, and...I just don't like it.

Everyone insists, though, I do like macaroni-and-cheese, but it's just because of the thousands of times I've had it, I haven't had a good one.

 

[mjd]

That's probably a pretty good example, because usually, when someone says they don't like something, they've eaten it once or twice, then they're done. I'm like that with a lot of things.

Macaroni-and-cheese, I've eaten plenty of. I've made a ton of it. I've had it creamy, firm, oven-baked, stovetop, three-cheese, four-cheese, breadcrumb-topped, cracker-topped, potato-chip/crisp-topped, plain, fancy, various things added it, and...I just don't like it.

Everyone insists, though, I do like macaroni-and-cheese, but it's just because of the thousands of times I've had it, I haven't had a good one.

I remember you mentioning that before because you said that some people say "You just haven't tried MY mac and cheese".

There was a funny circulating about Chelsea Clinton. She requested the WH chef make her mac and cheese. He prepared the sauce from scratch, got it all nice and cheesy and they say Chelsea just looked at it and eventually said "I want to blue box mac and cheese."

P.S. You are like a big brother to me and I adore you but you are SO wrong on this.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

That's probably a pretty good example, because usually, when someone says they don't like something, they've eaten it once or twice, then they're done. I'm like that with a lot of things.

Macaroni-and-cheese, I've eaten plenty of. I've made a ton of it. I've had it creamy, firm, oven-baked, stovetop, three-cheese, four-cheese, breadcrumb-topped, cracker-topped, potato-chip/crisp-topped, plain, fancy, various things added it, and...I just don't like it.

Everyone insists, though, I do like macaroni-and-cheese, but it's just because of the thousands of times I've had it, I haven't had a good one.

This reminds me for some reason of the Dan Quayle - Lloyd Bensten debate in 1988, but with slightly different wording (replacing "Jack Kennedy" with "mac-and-cheese"):

"I served with mac-and-cheese. I knew mac-and-cheese. Mac-and-cheese was a friend of mine. You are no mac-and-cheese."

 

[flyinglentris]

We learn by doing and overcoming our failures. And once we overcome failure, we explore and try new things.

Never say never, unless you are regarding something bad that you don't never want to be exposed to again.

 

[mjd]

We learn by doing and overcoming our failures. And once we overcome failure, we explore and try new things.

Never say never, unless you are regarding something bad that you don't never want to be exposed to again.

That's the purpose of the word "never". LOL

 

[caseydog]

I'm thinking of this after seeing both Yorky and caseydog saying they don't like kimchi. caseydog mentioned that he picked some up from an Asian market, and by all accounts it was authentic, and he hated it. I, too, have had kimchi from Asian markets that are basically soggy cabbage with pepper paste smeared on it. I hate that, too. But, I have also have excellent kimchi, and I have made it many times in a way that I love.

But, it's interesting how much preparation matters. I remember there was a going-away lunch at work many years ago where we decided to go to a pizza place. When one woman heard this, she was excited, and she said, "I love pizza!" But, I thought to myself, "I love good pizza." Just any old disc with tomato sauce and cheese on it doesn't stir my emotions.

And, I can definitely see how perception of a particular food can be affected by what you've tried. If you had something that was terrible, would you really want to try it again, no matter how much people tell you that it's great? We all know that different people have different perceptions of things, different likes and dislikes. I am always surprised when I hear someone say "I don't like chocolate" (yes...such people do exist).

Kale is another example. If the only way I ever had it was as a raw salad bar decoration, I wouldn't like it, either. But, I have found I like it if it's prepared properly.

The kimchi I bought had a good texture, with a nice level of crunch. I just didn't like the flavor.

I've had escargot twice. The first time it was exquisite. The second time, I couldn't get it down. Different quality snails? Different level of chef? But, now I am reluctant to order them.

CD