I was listening to Red Symons on ABC breakfast radio the other day and he was discussing how some foods, which were once considered ‘peasant’ food, are becoming trendy ‘superfoods’. The discussion went from there to Kale and from there to a discussion of pointless vegetables and foods. All in all the segment made me think about taste and how there are very few people that I know that like every vegetable available. Basically we all have our pet hates and these are perhaps the most hated.
Brussel Sprouts – What else could I start off with really? The vegetable that everyone loves to hate. Personally though I quite like them. They aren’t my favourite but I reserve my disdain for other veg, for things like mushrooms and asparagus that other people seek out but I tend to avoid.
Kale – I think the backlash against Kale has begun. Ever since Mitchell on Modern Family declared Kale the new spinach there have been people railing against it. And lets face it compared with Spinach is kale really that great? Even Mitch himself didn’t really think ” it was ready to anchor a meal”. Perhaps Kale is just too healthy, perhaps it suffers from being the sort of thing people eat simply because its good for them, or perhaps people just don’t know how to cook it. Whichever it is the anti Kale brigade is growing if breakfast radio is anything to go by.
Swede – Instead of swede I could have just as easily included zucchini or summer squashes. You know, the sort of thing that people hide in food rather than “anchor a meal” around. I have to say that personally I tend to agree with Red Symons opinion that if you have to hide it it probably aint worth eating and be honest; when did you last get excited about a bowlful of swede?
Eggplant – If the rest of my family is united on one thing it is their dislike of eggplant, and judging by the comments people have left on my eggplant posts they aren’t alone. Eggplant is the sort of food that if cooked badly is bloody awful, but that doesn’t account for all the eggplant hatred out their. I suspect its a texture thing as I’m not sure eggplant has a strong enough flavour to account for all the people trying to avoid it.
Asparagus – Now I know its supposed to be a delicacy. I know I have probably lost all foodie credibility (assuming I had some in the first place…) by including it. I know all about the excitement of it heralding Spring and all that. But, and its a big but I really don’t like its flavour that much. Its OK and only just when smothered in lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil or with feta crumbled all over it but in both cases its the other flavours I’m really enjoying not the asparagus. So tell me I’m not the only one. Do you really enjoy eating asparagus?
Or if not asparagus which vegetables don’t you like?
my goodness i thought i was the only person in the world without a taste for asparagus…bleugh 🙂
I’m so glad you told me – I feel my tastes are vindicated now.
I love asparagus and have to admit to being that sad person who gets excited about a bowl of swede – with butter and lots of black pepper when it’s very cold outside. You’ve got me thinking though, and I’m sure my 5 year old would easily be able to reel off her 5 most hated veggies! Enjoying your lovely blog.
I love asparagus and eggplant. Not too keen on kale though. I grew it once and then didn’t eat it. And recently bought some to dehydrate and make kale chips. They were ok. But the kids didn’t like them. I really hated pumpkin as a child. But now I’ll eat it in soup. And roasted. But I don’t like it much. Oh and I don’t like beetroot. Unless it’s from a can on a salad!
I like Kale really thinly sliced in soup. My kids don’t like pumpkin but occasionally I try and force some soup on them (a fav of mine) and they whinge slightly less now than they used to. Perhaps one day they will actually eat it…..
There aren’t many vegetables that I don’t like as long as they are prepared properly, even swedes (rutabaga here – with a name like that, it’s tough love). There are a couple that I won’t eat, I’ve tried them but never had an edible preparation – okra is far too slimy no matter how it’s prepared ( don’t tell me it’s good fried – it isn’t) and the same goes for nopales (cactus paddles), more slime on a plate. I tried mallow once also, but it’s slimy also. I just don’t do slime.
Nopales aren’t something I’m familiar with but I will avoid them on your advice. Slime isn’t great I have to say…
I love eating asparagus; growing 25 crowns of it this year :-). So, yes, you are alone ;-). I also love eating eggplant; those who hate eggplant should go to India and enjoy all the infinite dishes that are there (with each region cooking it differently) :-D. What’s a swede? Now BS — hmmm I don’t think I like it; I ate it only once in my life I think. Cooked kale is alright; but raw kale (as many people eat) is absolute NONO…
A swede is a rutabaga I think you call it. People eat kale raw? Really?
I am totally in love with eggplant. I realize that I may be in the minority. Around here, many people don’t like okra. I like it, too, especially from the garden. I am not a fan of asparagus or Brussel sprouts.
That’s OK I love it too but I am surrounded by eggplant haters. The okra thing I can understand – I think its a texture issue.
Oh I love asparagus. It is one of my favorites. I love Brussels sprouts (my second favorite veggie as a child – my first was spinach) and kale too. My most hated vegetables are beets and arugula. I don’t love eggplants or artichoke hearts but I’ll eat them. Swede I can take or leave as I can for collards. Zucchini is weird. Sometimes I like it and sometimes I don’t.
But my favorite two vegetables to hate now are tomatoes and peppers. But only because I can’t eat them anymore.
I have to say I didn’t realise how many people didn’t like beets. I do understand the zucchini thing though – I’m the same – it can be great or it can be really, really bad – I think cooking method is pivotal. One thing I do know is that is should never go near water – something that the cooks at my old college should be made aware of – boiled zucchini featured as a side dish with almost every meal and when it didn’t it was replaced with boiled button squash – yuk!
Liz, you’re in dangerous territory here! Very controversial stuff. How can you say you don’t like Asparagus?? Have you never had it plain steamed, served with a poached egg and brown bread and butter? 🙂 I also like Swede. Mashed, and with loads of ground white pepper, it’s delicious.
My Top 5 pet hates are: peppers (Capsicums); aubergines; mangetout peas, artichokes, and celery!
You’re not going to like this but I’m not a poached egg fan either, runny yolks are one of the most disgusting food stuffs ever invented in my opinion. As for peppers, eggplant and celery – DELICIOUS! Mangetout I tend to agree with you on – best used as cattle fodder.
You what? There are very few food pleasures greater than scooping a bit of runny yolk from a fried egg onto a nicely browned piece of bacon before you gobble it or sinking a toast soldier into the yoke of a soft boiled egg before it goes down the hatch!
There must have been something strange in your upbringing. LOL
And whats more a piece of blanched asparagus wrapped in proscuitto with a sprinkle of parmesan lightly grilled is a real delight. See I was brought up proper.
Runny yolks…icck! As for the asparagus hmmm perhaps but more for the prosciutto and parmesan than the asparagus.
I love sprouts but I don’t like fennel, chard or spinach
I like sprouts but I love fennel, chard and spinach. Taste variations are fun aren’t they?
How can you not like asparagus? – freshly picked and lightly steamed… The only veg I could go the rest of my life without eating again would be runner beans. When I was little we used to have them every Sunday lunch – fresh in season and frozen the rest of the year (my dad was a keen grower of runner beans!)
I know, I know but to my palate is just tastes a bit yuk. I’ve had plenty of it very fresh but I just can’t get excited about it. I do like runner beans though – far more pleasant.
Believe it or not, Tomatoes. When I started my first garden, I didn’t plant any tomatoes. I don’t really like them unless they are in sauce or salsa. I now grow a lot for canning sauce and salsa, but I never eat them raw in salads, or on sandwiches.
My partner agrees wholeheartedly – he is not a raw tomato fan either.
I’d have to add to the list collared greens and okra, which are two traditionally southern foods in the US. I’m a bad southern!
Having never tried collared greens I can’t really comment. I have tried okra though and I have to say I reckon I should have thought of it when I wrote the post – excellent call.
Beets are the only vegetable I really hate. They taste like dirt to me. If you ask what dirt tastes like, it is obvious you never fell off your bicycle or out of a tree when you were a kid!
Enjoyed reading this fun post.
Lea
Lea’s Menagerie
Mississippi, USA
I like beets and yet I don’t enjoy eating dirt… but then to me beets don’t really taste like dirt. Palates are funny aren’t they?
I’m new to your blog, but I’m loving all your pretty pictures and wonderful info.
I love asparagus, zucchini, and eggplant. My mum makes this AMAZING curry, out of deep fried eggplant – its my favourite!
Blergh I hate kale too, but PEAS are the worst!
Thankyou for the lovely feedback. I love Eggplant in curry and frankly deep fried eggplant curry sounds amazing! Isn’t taste funny – personally I love peas.
I’m struggling to find 5 veggies that I don’t like or is that not the challenge?
I love onions but only cooked or pickled or processed in some way -but definitely not raw. My father ate onions like apples when I was a kid and I still gag at the smell of raw onions on someone’s breath (don’t get me wrong, I loved my dad but his breath, at times, well…!) You only have to wave a sliver of raw onion over my food and I struggle to eat it.
Fennel (bulb) is another thing I’m not fond of. Licorice has never been a favourite (apart from salty zouts!).
Ever since I can remember, brussel sprouts have been my very favourite vegetable, much to the disgust of most.
I have issues, I reckon!
Nah not issues…just interesting tastes…. I don’t have 5 I don’t like either, for me its just the asparagus and mushrooms that I struggle with although I’m not that fond of okra either – something I’d forgotten until I read all the comments on this post.
Top 5 veg! You know I am with a lot of people and okra… Not really sure sometimes it;s been ok but mostly not.
Not that I have had them but I have seen pumpkin vines and dandelions and stinging nettle all just seem strange but without trying them it is hard to say.
Asparagus and it’s smelly pee are an absolute hit in this household
I knew you like sambal very much so here one of the way to enjoy eggplant. Cut them like wedges and fry until tender. Saute some garlic and then add some sambal, cook until fragrant or the oil break apart. Then add in eggplant and mix well.
YUM!!
There are many vegetables that I used to dislike but learned to love them once I figured out how to cook them. Like fennel – love them roasted but not so much raw. The one vegetable I haven’t figured out how to cook in a way I like is Swiss chard. To me it tastes like dirt. It is such a shame because the plant is so beautiful.
I grew up with chard (although we call it silver beet usually) so have got used to its taste and to me it tastes more lemony than dirty. I use it everything as a substitute for spinach and generally prefer it to spinach now. Funny how you get used to some flavours over others.
I was just thinking that there wasn’t a vegetable that I didn’t like but J reminded me that I don’t LOVE big tomatoes and I don’t love roasted capsicum. I think other than that I love most vegetables. I do really like brussel sprouts.
I’m pretty keen on both big tomatoes and roasted capsicum I have to say.
Yep we all have definite likes and dislikes…….love home grown asparagus,(you surprise me Liz) eggplant and kale …..perfect thinly sliced in thick veggie soup with a dollop of pesto on top !!!! Erk…brussell sprouts I really have tried BUT just not for me.
About the asparagus I know I’m weird. I too really like eggplant and kale but the same cannot be said for the rest of my family… A
I’m late weighing in but I do love everything on your list except rutabagas, which I haven’t really tasted very much. I do have issues with beets and chard though. I’m still learning to appreciate their ‘earthy’ taste. I also confess I love slimy okra. I often fix boiled or streamed okra (fresh from the garden) and celebrate its sliminess.
Tut tut tut – they are very good for you you know he, he, he. I guess it just reinforces the point that no one likes all the vegetables out there.
Well I have to say there is not one vegetable that I won’t eat. As a child in UK coming from a large family, we had no option but to eat everything that was put in front of us, which we did, knowing there was a brother or sister sat nearby who would happily polish off any of our leftovers!
As a consequence I now grow many of my own vegetables in a large 4 bed veg garden and get so much enjoyment out of eating what I grow. Asparagus are just delish straight out of the garden, raw!! Swede, another one I adore and today I am making up a huge batch of assorted veg and lentil soup containing of course swede, turnip and parsnip!!! Has anyone mentioned Choko, basically a fruit, but used more as a veg, that is the latest ‘In’ thing and just so great to add to casseroles or turn into chutney etc. Very easy to grow in the garden over an old shed or fence.
Go the veggie lovers!
Oh no not the dreaded choko…they really are weeds here. I have to say that I am not a fan but then perhaps I just haven’t prepared them properly. So they’re fashionable in the UK? Here they were big in the 70s before people came to their senses and realised it was actually possible to grow veg with flavour….he, he, he. I shouldn’t be so dismissive should I – I don’t really actually dislike them I just find them very bland.