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Order a pizza topped with pineapples at any restaurant in Italy, and you will regret every little step that led you to making this decision. Because if there’s something Italians won’t tolerate, it’s pineapple pizza and cappuccino in the afternoon. But while some of the most controversial food preferences have to do with local culture and its quirks, the rest of it comes from our weird and wonderful personalities.

The same goes with our food opinions. Like, saying that mint choc chip ice cream is gross, tomatoes ruin a burger, or that Greek yogurt is sour cream in disguise. You may not be the most popular person in the room for stating this, but you’re surely not quite wrong either.

So let’s dig deep into the often silenced world of controversial food opinions shared in this viral Twitter thread that will heat up the room temperature and will surely bring out your inner Gordon Ramsay.

Bored Panda reached out to Stefan Balkenende, a spokesperson of Greenpan.co.uk, a cookware manufacturer that specializes in ceramic-coated pans for healthier cooking. Stefan shared some insights on food opinions and preferences, as well as of ways we talk about food so that it won’t become a sensitive topic.

“No matter where you’re from or what kind of food you eat, the topic of food brings people together, acting as an easy ice breaker when meeting new people. It’s universally appealing,” Stefan said and added: “In fact, last year Dr. Amber Spry, who is the Politics and African American Studies professor at Brandeis University, went viral as she had asked her class ‘how does your family cook rice’ instead of traditional ice breaker questions, which naturally got the class talking, sparking debate and conversation over something so trivial but relevant to everyone.”

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According to Stefan, even if a particular food preference seems unusual now, it could easily become more mainstream as time passes. “For example, the idea of drinking bone broth might have seemed odd a few years ago; in fact, in 2016, Google Trends identified an interest score of just 21. Fast forward to January 2020, and it hit a popularity score of 100.”

Moreover, unusual food preferences can be an exciting challenge for a cook. “Part of creating a great recipe is combining different flavors and textures in new ways, perhaps unimagined. What might seem like a bizarre preference could spark inspiration for an exciting new dish,” the spokesperson of Greenpan.co.uk explained.

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#7

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vogonpoet
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Took me years in the USA to find a bread that had no sugar. And then I moved back to NZ. I miss that sourdough so much.

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Heartofaquamari Report

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Friday
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is if you are eating something rare, exotic or not humanly killed. There is no reason anyone needs to consume something like a beating snake heart.

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When asked whether a chef could refuse to cook a very unusual order made by a client, Stefan said that “unusual food preferences can be a tough pill to swallow as a chef, but it can be a positive challenge.” “That being said,” the spokesperson continued, “customers should be aware that professional kitchens will have prepped their menus and food orders in advance, so last-minute changes can be difficult to overcome. Likewise, some chefs may find it hard to deviate from what they’re used to, as their menu is an art and experience.”

“Depending on how obscure the food order is, chefs can use it to their advantage and make use of existing ingredients they have and try and incorporate what they would have served in a slightly different way,” Stefan concluded.

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#10

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Jon Steensen
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually all the differnt pasta shapes each have their own specific purpose. They are each speciallised for a particular task, and cannot be interchanged if you are after the best result. E.g. if you cook lasagna with farfalle (butterflies) the result will be wierd (or actually a wrong interpretation of pasta bolognese), as the plates are what holds a lasagna toghether, so it can be cut into blocks. Some of them, like the shells and cannelloni (large tubes) are actually meant to be stuffed. Each type of pasta will interact with the sauce diffently, which will have an effect on the experience of eating the dish. So yes diffent pasta shapes makes the pasta(dish) taste differently, but the shells are not always the best.

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Sum Guy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love raisins... I even have some in my desk. Next thing you'll say biltong is a waste of meat

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Bored Panda also talked to Alex Gunz of "Gourmand Gunno," a London-based professional food reviewer and the winner of Square Meal's 'Critic of the Year' 2014 award.

When asked whether talking about food, especially if one has unusual opinions when it comes to eating, can sometimes turn sour, Alex Gunz told us that it should not and does not need to be a sensitive topic. “The more people are open and willing to discuss their opinions, the less sensitive the topic becomes,” he added.

#13

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Martha Meyer
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This person is mightily confused. And need to read up on dairy products.

M O'Connell
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Then I am too. I've tried Greek yogurt, and if you told me it was actually sour cream I would 100% believe you.

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Cosmetica Solist
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mean, it literally is not. They're cultured and processed completely differently.

Nubmaeme
Community Member
3 years ago

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Actually, they are made pretty much the same way. I make Greek yogurt and occasionally I screw up and end up with a batch of sour cream instead.

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Persephone
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They might taste similar to some people but they definitely are not the same thing. This was written by someone who doesnt know how yoghurt is made...

Mud Grey
Community Member
3 years ago (edited)

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how many different ways are there to start a fire? yet it's still fire

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Pezor Zass
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

proper greek yogurt and proper sour cream are not the same. with what people have available in stores, though, who knows. it's sad what we get stuck with sometimes, especially thinking of the tomatoes above

Vicky Zar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah that's right. I wish it could be possible for everyone to always taste the real thing.

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No no no no no. We made our own sour cream on the farm. yogurt is a whole other critter. And Greek yogurt is my fave.

Johnny
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Either this person has never had sour cream or greek yogurt since there's no way they could be confused.

Kalina Krumova
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To begin with, yogurt and "Greek yogurt" use totally different processes to make. The only thing in common with sour cream is milk and white colour. Also, traditional Greek yogurt is made from sheep milk

Stephanie IV
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Greek Yogurt is made from sheep milk. It's so fat, it's sweet. How can it be sour cream?

Viv Hart
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not so, it's the real yoghurt, they developed it. Americans miss the sugar.

Frank Ropen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Greek yogurt is lower in calories and fat and higher in protein than full-fat sour cream. One ounce (28 grams) of regular Greek yogurt contains 37 calories, 3 grams of fat and 2 grams of protein. The same amount of full-fat sour cream contains 54 calories, 6 grams of fat and 1 gram of protein.

SuePrew
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope. It can substitute sometimes, but I doubt you would want to just eat a bowl of sour cream

grafxgal60073
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It tastes just like sour cream if you add 2T of lemon juice to a cup of plain greek yogurt.

Rene Tihista
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree though Greek yogurt does a disservice to sour cream. It doesn't taste like the best yougurt I've ever eaten, Nancy's Yogurt of Springfield, Oregon

Anna Repp
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Two completely different things! Also, Bulgarian yogurt is different and have you tried labneh?

somnomania
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it's actually not, sour cream is way looser than greek yogurt. also if they were the same i would like both of them, which i don't.

Maria Ribaulo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

omg. Non-Fat Greek Yogurt is worse than non-fat sour cream. BOTH of them are so disgusting, I'd rather never eat yogurt or sour cream again than eat those.

Mimi M
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Greek yogurt is nowhere near as sour as sour cream. But they are both good. Over bananas, with honey. Now I'm getting hongry.

Wendy Lam
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They can be interchangeable to use, sour cream for perogies, but making butter chicken would not able to use sour cream for that

Samantha Robinson
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No honey that's not right. An interesting opinion however is that cottage cheese is curdled milk.

Eric Battaglia
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We put Greek yogurt on our tacos. They taste exactly the same but it’s a little bit better for you. If you think they don’t taste the same, you are probably thinking of vanilla Greek yogurt. There is little difference between plain Greek yogurt and sour cream.

Beans
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah this is a weird comment. Store bought sour cream in the states is different to what I'm used to in Australia. It's more pungent and grainy in the US. I hated it. I had to buy smooth yogurt instead and that helped a little but even then it was not what I'm used to. I tried a few brands. The weird part is, places like taco time and taco bell had smooth sour cream that didn't taste like cheese. I just couldn't find any like it in the stores. (I probably needed to try more brands but i got sick of buying it)

Madbilby
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have always believed that all yogurt was just milk with herpes.

Adriana Vigliotti
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Both are made via fermentation after the addition of healthy bacterial. Greek yogurt is strained and usually flavored while sour cream is not. Greek yogurt tends to be lower in fat and calories.

Xan Maranya
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The two are processed differently. Yogurt is milk fermented with two bacillus cultures. Sour cream may be just thickly soured milk, or fermented with a different culture.

julia
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

if i could i would upvote this 1000000 times!! it’s so sour! i personally dislike it

Ruby Davis
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My family has used plain Greek yogurt as “sour cream” for as long as I can remember and every so often when we get real sour cream it tastes the same

mpozi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whatever is being called "Greek yogurt" probably IS SOUR CREAM and, of course, it has nothing to do with the yogurt that exists in Greece from time immemorial, so the whole argument is actually misleading and with little relationship with facts.

Silre
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I use it instead of sour cream or mayonnaise. It makes great tuna salad.

Miss Willow
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in South Africa and even though we do have sour cream here, my family occasionally replaces it with double cream yoghurt because it tastes better. And it's even better in baking.

Fatér Dezső
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

in some recipes where it's used cold they can be replaced as they have similar taste, but good luck swapping them in anything baked/cooked (might work)

Ryan Deschanel
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

Lilith the Demon Panda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it's not greek yogurt, it's TURKISH yogurt, greeks just stole it and pretend they invented it

Lilith the Demon Panda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

to the idiot that downvoted this: where do you think the word YOĞURT comes from??? it's turkish, greeks stole it just as they stole cacık (and renamed tzatziki because they couldn't even pronounce it right)

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Louloubelle
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think so. But when you're dieting, you can convince yourself that greek yogurt on a baked potato isn't bad.

CatWoman312
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As someone who once ran out of sour cream, but had some Greek yogurt...100% agree

Eslamala
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Greek yogurt is what proper yogurt, y'know the one called kefir, is supposed to taste like. The artificially sweetened kind is not actually yogurt. And since sour cream and yogurt are basically spoiled milk, they obviously taste alike

William Teach
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Greek yogurt is actually not good for the environment, creates a lot of whey acid as a byproduct which ends in the waterways.

MantisGirl15
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom uses greek yogurt instead of sour cream on her tacos. Even when she serves it to guests, nobody can tell the difference!

Bow, I’m a Slytherclaw
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow... some people really disagree. Can we just - not downvote people cause of what food they like and dislike?

N G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure this is a like/dislike so much as the OP just being factually and objectively wrong. They may as well have said "milk comes from pigeons".

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#14

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UncleRussian
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah... I asked a Mexican friend of mine who lives in USA if Taco Bell was authentic when it comes to tacos and he said no, because Tacos aren't supposed to be in a hard shell

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Moreover, “Everyone will have their own view on what constitutes 'unusual.' Always important to make a distinction between what preferences might be a function of either religion or health relative to just more personal reasons,” Alex explained.

When it comes to chefs preparing very unusual orders, Alex said that whether the chef would agree to make a special order or not “totally depends on the circumstances (type of restaurant, price point, and expectation of the consumer).” Having said that, he added that “menus exist for a reason, in most cases.”

#19

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Pungent Sauce
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love a deep dish, but I love pizza. Even those greasy crackers that are NY style slices are good if you put one on top of another like a calzone.

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#24

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#27

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UncleRussian
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, I do love tea. But uuuuuh, I used to work as a baker and when you wake up at 4 in the morning tea isn't enough to wake you up

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#28

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Carmen Sandiego
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

On the fence. Maybe they are too sweet, but they are so soft! They are literally air and sugar.

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#29

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Eslamala
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tomatos ruin sandwiches most of the time, not cause of the taste, but cause of the extra moisture

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#30

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Sum Guy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Someone has horrible taste buds... I will say, sweet potato fries are horrible and seem like something the Americans invented...but sweet potatoes are awesome

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#36

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Vic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have to disagree with this one.. we put coconut in almost every main course dish..

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#38

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Sum Guy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some people need better bean meals... Get some sugar beans, boil them for about 4 hours in a cast iron 3 legged pot outside... then stew

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#42

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Aunt Messy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where did you think your meat comes from? If you can't face that, don't eat it,

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#44

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Martha Meyer
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Does this dude realize that the rice in sushi is in fact COOKED?

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#45

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vogonpoet
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude. You're eating fish that swim in the wrong water if it tastes like that.

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#46

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vogonpoet
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mine doesn't. But my mother (who has been a grandmother for nearly 18 years now) can absolutely ruin your gut with terrible indigestion with her chickpea "special". Ugh.

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#48

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James016
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Big fat chips are the best. You are wrong on all counts here, especially the crinkle cut.

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#49

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Sum Guy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Look at that... someone who doesn't like flavour. Indian food is amazing, and they are the only people who know how to make amazing vegetarian meals... everyone else is trying to make vegetables taste like meat... Indian people say "here is a vegetable in all its glory"

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Martha Meyer
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That has got to be the most disgusting food idea I've ever seen.

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