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Food is something that many of us love, love, love to talk about! It makes a lot of sense because it’s literally the fuel that keeps us going. Not only that, but food is a core part of our traditions, whatever culture you’re looking at. However, it would be naive to say that everyone’s on the same page when it comes to cooking.
The members of the r/Cooking online community spilled the tea about their strongest and spiciest cooking opinions that they’re willing to defend with everything they have. Scroll down to see what folks are willing to get so fiery and passionate about!
Bored Panda reached out to the author of the viral thread, redditor u/CynicalHomicider3248, and they were kind enough to share their thoughts on picky eating and what cooking beginners should keep in mind. You'll find our interview with them as you read on.
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Odds are that you might agree with a lot of the opinions shared in this list. They sound like common sense. Either that or people are more likely to agree with anyone who shares the same beliefs as they do. (Probably a mix of both.) However, some of these opinions are spicy to say the least.
The fact of the matter is that many folks have very different senses of taste. People’s genetics, how they were raised, the range of cooking ingredients they were exposed to—all of these factors play significant roles in what someone loves and loathes.
Salted caramel might wow some of us (hi there!), but others’ immediate reaction might be, “Yuck! I can’t believe anyone would eat that.” Similarly, some of us have no problem eating Brussels sprouts or green peppers; others hate them with their entire essence.
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#2
Salt is the heavy weight champion of flavor
SonicAlchemy 1 year ago
Salt enhances and brings out flavor but I wouldn't call it a flavor. Very necessary ingredient in most anything, even sweets.
#3
Nachos should be built wide instead of tall. Homemade chili tastes best the next day.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
Almost any stew/casserole/curry/whatever tastes better a day or two or three later. Stuff just 'integrates' over time.
We were curious to hear what the author of the thread, redditor u/CynicalHomicider3248, had to say about helping picky eaters get out of their comfort zone.
"I would recommend picky eaters to pick ingredients familiar to them, but pick a recipe that isn’t," they suggested.
"For example, if you like beef, bell peppers, and olives maybe try ropa vieja! Try to find recipes based on ingredients you enjoy and are familiar with, because it helps with sensory issues as well, which many picky eaters face," the OP told Bored Panda.
#4
Recipes should only be loosely followed and you should modify them as you go to suit your own tastes.
#5
Margarine is not butter. And before you come at me for those who don’t dairy, just use oil. Margarine is an abomination. My MIL ruins so much with her diet margarine which she insists “tastes just like butter!”
Ren Karlej 1 year ago (edited)
What is margarine and what is a spread... these things are debatable. Margarine was originally made with beef fat. The margarine available post war in the UK (Echo for example) may have contained whale oil. The flavour profiles of that kind of margarine is far removed from the spreads produced today. Stephen Fry got backlash for saying on QI that margarine was no longer sold in the UK and they were quoting the UK Spreads Association (which used to be called the Margarine and Spreads Association), which says that marge is no longer for sale in this country - they changed the formulations of their members’ products so that they no longer come into the 80-90% fat content bracket that legally defines them as margarines. Their spokesman said: “We would like to make it clear that there are no brands of margarine on sale in Britain today.” The name is said to not appear on packaging anymore (I've not looked to confirm this personally!!). I suppose, what's in a name....
The Doom Song 1 year ago
Have you ever put butter on a pop tart? It's so freaking good... have you ever put butter on a pop tart...
Herbie S. 1 year ago
I saw a cooking show recently that referred to margarine as "vegan butter". I suppose it is but it made me laugh.
Giraffy Window 1 year ago (edited)
They were likely talking specifically about the fully vegetable-based products sold as "vegan butter". Vegan "butter"'s consistency, fat content, and melting temperature have been made to mimic butter baking sticks, which makes it a 1-1 subtitute for butter in any baking recipe. Adding "butter" clarifies (ba-dum-TSS!) "This is good for baking" when making choices at the grocery store. A LOT of margarines, both vegan and non (lots of margarines still contain the dairy by-product "whey" which means they aren't vegan/dairy allergy/intolerant safe), are made to stay soft for spreading, which changes how they interact in baked goods.
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Moomin from Denmark 1 year ago (edited)
Margarine is the taste of my childhood because it was cheap. We used it for EVERYTHING. Took me years to appreciate butter...
Sami-Jo Ross 1 year ago
I grew up on Country Crock and Blue Bonnet because it was affordable. We switched to actual butter when I was a teenager. Now I can't stomach margarine at all.
Giraffy Window 1 year ago (edited)
Everything is chemicals. Humans are chemicals, air is chemicals, cows are chemicals... Margarine USED to be mostly twice removed (at least) from it's original vegetable and milk ingredients, which is what everyone thinks of when they think of "chemicals". But a lot has changed. There's a lot of margarine and vegan alternative choices available now that have a recognizable ingredients list (the way it was when margarine first came on the market) and most don't have the sketchy petrolium by-products added in any more.
Load More Replies... SonicAlchemy 1 year ago
Inconsistent with the article title but agreed. I grew up in a Country Crock household and I will admit I liked it for toast but I'm glad I learned better on my own and would definitely never use it for anything as a chef or a home cook.
Sara Wilson 1 year ago
Look up how it's made. It will cure any desire anyone had to eat it anymore
BarkingSquirell 1 year ago
We were too poor to eat butter when I was growing up but when I got my first job my sister told me about the difference and I've used butter ever (?) so I caved. Gross, is what it is.
Jeff White 1 year ago
and Margarine is not a food. Ants won't eat it. If ants, don't eat it, it's not a food.
Giraffy Window 1 year ago (edited)
As a violently dairy intolerant human (an issue that manifested in my early teen years) I fully agree that butter is superior. But I also submit that lots of people have created amazingly delicious things with certain vegan margarines in baking and cooking. Flavour-wise, straight oil is not always a complex enough substitute or, is not the right flavour profile; likewise oil's liquid consistency isn't always ideal for baking. If it can be afforded, Vegetable ghee should be more readily considered before just straight oil as a substitute. Sounds like OP's MIL just sucks at cooking with margarine. Poor thing.
Molly Whuppie 1 year ago
There are some margarines that taste like butter - but thats usually because they are a blend of margarine and butter. But butter is a luxury these days. margarine costs far less. I'm in Australia and I can buy 1kg (~2pounds) of margarine for ~$4 but butter costs ~$12/kg now.
Kylie 1 year ago
There's always dripping. Especially bacon grease on toast = )
Load More Replies... Danish Susanne 1 year ago
How sad for you MIL if she cannot savour the exquisite taste of butter. Margarines taste is nothing like butter. Also at least in my country, it is allowed to use a long list of additives in margarine. In butter you may add salt, and only that.
Hans Georg 1 year ago
Margarine is okay, but diet margarine is mostly half water. I am not a fan of butter, but prefer oil over margarine when I cook.
Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 1 year ago
The problem is that it's diet margarine. Regular isn't much better but at least there's some taste to it. Both it and butter have their uses.
R.A. Haley 1 year ago (edited)
There are very specific requirements for margarine. A "spread" can be anything. Just like, in the US at least, there are very specific requirements for a milkshake. A "shake" can be anything.
jmdirks 1 year ago
Margarine has a one million year half life. If earth experienced the apocalypses and zero human, animal and plant life existed, margarine would still be usable.
Jeevesssssss 1 year ago
Now I know what the post-apocalyptic cockroaches will be eating...
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Christmas love 1 year ago
I know margarine is not butter but for some odd reason I cannot stand butter so I have to use margarine for certain foods. I will use butter in recipes but if I have corn on the cob or pancakes for example, I have to use margarine
Giraffy Window 1 year ago
Sometimes a solid aversion to a certain food is a sign your body doesn't handle that food well; lot of people who can't have dairy can still have it in baked goods (I could get into WHY, but it would get very long, and google is just as informing)
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David Paterson 1 year ago
Only butter tastes like butter. Which is why I prefer diet margarine based on olive oil. Unsalted butter tastes a little like lard mixed with tripe.
Remi Flynne 1 year ago
You wouldn't spot the difference in a taste test? They don't tend to taste the same, just reminiscent of the product.
Load More Replies... #6
Lumpy mashed potatoes are far superior than the super smooth version
"It’s far less daunting to find a recipe with ingredients you already enjoy when you’re trying something new," they shared some great advice with us.
Bored Panda also wanted to get to grips with cooking as a beginner. After all, the kitchen can seem very intimidating to people who are unfamiliar with it and have very little experience working with food. The author of the thread suggested that it helps to embrace a growth-oriented mentality.
"I would say don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Cooking is so intuitive, often even the worst mistakes can be fixed," u/CynicalHomicider3248 told us.
#7
Unless you are buying directly from a farm (or a retailer that optimizes for speed of sale from harvest), *high quality* frozen ingredients can be tastier and more nutritious than fresh.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
True. It's been shown to be the case with frozen veg, which are often picked at the peak of their growth, and quickly preserved at their peak by prompt freezing.
#8
2-3 cloves of garlic is not enough and I'll always add more than the recipe calls for. Same with onion. Half an onion? Nope, adding the whole f*****g thing.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
I love garlic, but two things: 1. too much garlic, and that's all you can taste. 2. too much garlic, and it's coming out of your skin for DAYS AND DAYS afterwards. Not always desirable.
#9
There are very few occasions that justify peeling your f*****g potatoes. Be happy. Leave the skin on. Good nutrients. Less work.
According to the OP, the r/Cooking subreddit is a wonderful place to get advice. There are plenty of other great cooking-oriented online communities as well.
"If you’re too scared to make mistakes, you won’t ever learn from them, which is vital when it comes to cooking because it is when you can learn from prior mistakes, and start to mess around in the kitchen with recipes or ingredients that cooking becomes so much fun!" the OP noted that experimentation can be a ton of fun.
#10
Modern food culture is one of the most gate keeping, entitled, and toxic cultures. The amount of hard and fast “rules” for dishes that make or don’t make something authentic is ridiculous. Everything evolved from something else.
Authenticity doesn’t exist anymore. Italians I’m looking at you. NY Italians I’m REALLY looking at you.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
Quite often, the most dedicated 'gatekeepers' are the ones who have the most tenuous connection to 'their' culture, but who speak often and loudly about that culture.
#11
Just because memaw kept it a secret doesn’t mean it’s a great recipe
Javelina Poppers 1 year ago
My grandma kept her's a secret and that was good because she was always a lousy cook.
The author also opened up about the inspiration behind their viral thread. "This may sound silly, but I had ordered biryani that day and it was FILLED with raisins so in a fit of rage I posted on the r/Cooking subreddit," they spilled the beans to us.
"I truly didn’t expect it to get so many responses! I think so many people joined [the conversation] because food is something so many of us have strong opinions on, and Reddit allows us a place to express those opinions."
Though we can’t change the genetic factors behind our dislike of certain foods (well, at least not yet), we can do something about the environmental ones. If you find that you’re only ever eating the same two or three meals over and over again, you might want to consider expanding your culinary horizons. But you shouldn’t jump into trying oysters, caviar, and lobster immediately.
Take things slowly. Get your feet wet by taking a small step out of your comfort zone. What’s important here is developing a sense of curiosity, not being so frightened by bizarre dishes that you never want to eat anything ‘fancy’ ever again. It’s a lot of fun to experiment with new flavors and textures.
#14
It's OK to like a steak well done.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
If that's how you like it, then that's how you like it. But, if you're eating it that way simply because you've never, ever had it any other way...well, i feel sorry for you.
#15
Not everything is better with bacon.
For example, for starters, if you hate olives, you could buy a jar of ‘em and eat just one. Try different types and brands, and use them in different contexts as well. Yours truly was never a fan of how olives taste, but I got used to them over the years.
I used to prefer just black olives, but I’m a fan of green ones now, too. I enjoy them the most with cheese and cured meats, but I won’t say no to olives in salads or on pizza, either. The important thing, at least for me, is that the olives aren’t stuffed with anything weird like fish or cheese. In short, you need to find what works for you and slowly introduce the ingredients into your life. It’s not a sprint—it’s a gastronomic marathon.
#16
Traditional doesn't mean good and judging a dish on whether it's made "correctly" is only for instructors at culinary school.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
There's no 'correct' way to make anything. There's only the way that the family/friends/diners/guests/customers like.
#17
-Salt is just as important in sweet food as it is in savory food.
-Chili benefits from the addition of beans, as well as a little bit of unsweetened cocoa.
-Out of season tomatoes are usually not worth buying, and better quality canned tomatoes are often worth the extra few cents!
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 year ago
UGH, hothouse tomatoes are just watery garbage. Can't stand them.
#18
Campbells back-of-the-can recipes are a good gateway to cooking and are pretty damn tasty and so no one should diss them. (Except for their high sodium content. That I get.)
However, this doesn’t mean that you should be brutally forcing yourself to like something if you fundamentally hate it. There are people out there who are simply more sensitive to certain textures and tastes. There’s nothing wrong with that.
If you gave olives or whatever other food a few fair tries, it simply might not be the food for you. There are plenty of other ingredients out there waiting for you to taste them! But it’s vital to be honest with yourself if you honestly went outside of your culinary comfort zone… or if you had one foot inside it, secretly hoping you wouldn’t like something new.
#19
ciabatta is a s****y bread for sandwiches. maybe when its really fresh this isn't an issue but often its way too hard and causes all the ingredients to push out after a single bite.
Annik Perrot 1 year ago
Fresh baguette is the best bread for sandwiches, and I'll die on that hill, but then, I'm French ;-))
#20
For Thai cooking you can literally use every cooking oil in existence EXCEPT OLIVE OIL AND TRUFFLE OIL
#21
Fresh garlic is always better than garlic powder and jarlic and I use 3-4 times as what is called for. I also roast it before using it.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
I'm assuming that 'jarlic' is minced garlic in a jar, and i see absolutely nothing wrong with it PROVIDED THAT the jar contains ONLY minced garlic (no additives), and is kept in a fridge after its been opened.
What are your spiciest opinions on cooking and food, dear Pandas? Would you consider yourselves to be picky eaters? What ingredients do you absolutely love? What do you hate to put in your dishes? We’d love to hear your thoughts on food, so feel free to share yours in the comment section at the bottom of this list. Meanwhile, you’ll have to excuse us—we’re so hungry, we’ve simply got to get ourselves a snack…
#22
The best rice I have ever eaten was from an Afghan lady. It had raisins in it. I usually am not a fan of raisins.
#23
Butter over oil, almost always
SonicAlchemy 1 year ago
Oil and butter are two different ingredients with different purposes and uses so that's all depending on what it's for. You're not going to find a deep fryer full of butter and you can't make a roux with oil.
#24
-The “that’s not a grilled cheese it’s a melt” crowd is annoying af…. You made it you can call it whatever you want idc
-Sandwiches and burgers shouldn’t be piled so high that you can barely get them in your mouth. Maybe it looks fancy but it doesn’t eat well and that’s what matters.
-Some cuts of steak have a better flavor and texture when cooked to medium (ex. picanha)
#25
I've got a few:
1. Garlic is misused. In many cases, if you have to add that much you're probably overcooking it and destroying the flavor, or adding it at the wrong time. You get a lot more garlic flavor if you add it later on.
Edit: People are reading this as if I'm saying people use too much. I'm not. I'm saying they aren't using it correctly, and they aren't really getting the garlicky flavor they think they are because they're cooking it too long in many cases.
2. "Holiday" meals, or meals you only eat once in a while deserve to be made with little regard for health. I make my Thanksgiving mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving and that is why I'm using lots of butter, heavy cream, sour cream, salt, pepper, etc. I don't need to eat a ton of it.
3. Similarly, I'd rather eat really good bacon rarely than trashy paper bacon every week. If there's a better version of something and the difference is great, I'd rather eat it less and have the good version. Sometimes, the "better" version isn't much better, so I'm less inclined to worry about it.
4. Contradicting myself somewhat, but people like what they like. i think it's better and more exciting to try new things and folks who only eat the same foods over and over are missing out, but if that's what they like, fine. People who like well-done steak, whatever.
BUT, I have much less patience with that if a person hasn't at least tried an alternate dish. I understand having reservations about something if you're worried its unsafe, but I remember finally being talked into eating medium rare steak instead of well-done and it was amazing. TRY NEW THINGS!
Superb Owl 1 year ago
Taste of garlic really changes a lot with cooking time. When to add and how much depends totally on the taste you are after – the longer you cook it, the less "bite" it has.
#26
There’s no need to do horizontal cuts when dicing an onion.
#27
I shall have you know, good sir, that having sweet with your savoury is a perfectly good way to enjoy a succulent Asian meal...
troufaki13 1 year ago
Try chocolate with chips (I prefer the ones with BBQ flavor). So yummy!! 🤤
#28
Rinsing mushrooms is perfectly fine. It'll take longer to brown but you really can't overcook mushrooms so it makes no difference. Plus you save all of the time it would take to wipe and brush them off.
#29
A lot of recipes are very under seasoned. 1 tsp is not enough of any seasoning for a recipe that feeds more than one.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
This depends on what you mean by 'seasoning', and who's going to be eating it.
#30
“Authentic food” is not always better than dishes that have had some local influence on them. But I’m about to snap if I get another chicken tikka platter with broccoli and celery in it.
What do you think ?
The Darkest Timeline 1 year ago
I think food is very much like music: it’s largely a matter of taste but, the more types we try, the more we end up enjoying a wide variety of each. Nobody will like everything, of course, but we can broaden our palate.
Petra 1 year ago
I really like this comment. Not only is the content good, but it's also very well written.
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DB 1 year ago
Adding milk to scrambled eggs does not make them rubbery. Overcooking makes them rubbery.
Sonja 1 year ago
I once saw a TV show, a documentary about a very famous food critic. That man is a professional critic for fine dining and hotels. He worked for Michellin and made the decision if a Hotel or restaurant would get their stars or not. After a full day of professional tasting and preparing critics for several newspapers and magazines, the reporter asked the critic to bring her to his favourite restaurant. And he brought her to a dingy pub for a beer, fries and a burger. He said, foot critics and rules of fine dining have very little to do with a great meal. He said the best meal you eat is always the one you like best, no matter what others think of it or if it's made perfectly by professional standards. And then he happily munched his meal.
Kenny Kulbiski 1 year ago
The food on all those cooking shows that take hours to prepare and lots of exotic ingredients usually doesn't taste any better than the plain Jane version. Not to mention the much easier clean up.
The Darkest Timeline 1 year ago
I think food is very much like music: it’s largely a matter of taste but, the more types we try, the more we end up enjoying a wide variety of each. Nobody will like everything, of course, but we can broaden our palate.
Petra 1 year ago
I really like this comment. Not only is the content good, but it's also very well written.
Load More Replies... DB 1 year ago
Adding milk to scrambled eggs does not make them rubbery. Overcooking makes them rubbery.
Sonja 1 year ago
I once saw a TV show, a documentary about a very famous food critic. That man is a professional critic for fine dining and hotels. He worked for Michellin and made the decision if a Hotel or restaurant would get their stars or not. After a full day of professional tasting and preparing critics for several newspapers and magazines, the reporter asked the critic to bring her to his favourite restaurant. And he brought her to a dingy pub for a beer, fries and a burger. He said, foot critics and rules of fine dining have very little to do with a great meal. He said the best meal you eat is always the one you like best, no matter what others think of it or if it's made perfectly by professional standards. And then he happily munched his meal.
Kenny Kulbiski 1 year ago
The food on all those cooking shows that take hours to prepare and lots of exotic ingredients usually doesn't taste any better than the plain Jane version. Not to mention the much easier clean up.
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