Bored Panda was interested to hear about the inspiration behind the thread which was viewed by tens of millions of users on X. The author, user @Didiiiiiiiiii_, was happy to share what drove him to ask people to share their takes on food.

"I created this thread because I’m constantly having arguments about food with friends and family," he told us. "So I posted this thread to have people's opinions on."

According to the author, talking about food is bound to elicit strong reactions from pretty much everyone. "It got to many people because food is a personal subject to many of us and how we like our food differs from person to person," he explained.

Meanwhile, we were curious to get the X user's take on why so many people react so fiercely when the topic of food comes up.

"I think they tend to have strong opinions because we all don’t make, like, and eat our food the same hence all the arguments," @Didiiiiiiiiii_ told Bored Panda.

"I might strongly hate certain foods but you’ll find that it’s some people's favorite food," he pointed out.

The author of the viral thread also shared his advice for anyone hoping to convince someone else to try out new ingredients and dishes.

"The best way I’ve convinced someone to try out a dish was by offering to give them money if they eat the food," he shared his experience.

"You’ll find that they actually change their mind on how the food tastes after eating it."

The author of the thread, X user @Didiiiiiiiiii_, saw his post go viral almost immediately. At the time of writing, their thread was viewed over 22 million times and counting on the social media network.

It’s easy to see why the topic was popular. The answers were witty. A bit of controversy never fails to grab the internet’s attention. And let’s face it—we all love talking about food! The more relatable a topic is, the more likely it is to be popular on social media.

What kinds of ingredients and dishes we like will depend on a wide range of factors. It’s not just our genetics that matter when it comes to picky eating (heck, someone might be allergic to some foods and dislike certain tastes on a fundamental level). What’s also important is our cultural background, as well as how much experience we’ve had in the wide and intriguing world of gastronomy, and what our tolerance for risk and adventure is like.

Someone who’s only ever eaten dishes from their culture might find it hard to stomach those cooked by people from different backgrounds. They might, for example, prefer certain flavor profiles to others. Or they might think that certain spices are ‘must have’ in practically any dish. And so, they might have very rigid standards when it comes to what they put on their plate.

Similarly, someone who, by and large, only ever eats a few select dishes over and over (and over!) again is likely to be incredibly conservative in the face of new ingredients. On the flip side, folks who have not only traveled more widely but also have an adventurous gastronomic outlook will be more likely to try out new flavor combinations. The willingness to take more risks and try out new foods isn’t just something that people are born with, it’s a skill that you can develop. Bit(e) by bit(e).

Other picky eaters, however, might be extremely sensitive when it comes to certain tastes and textures from birth. So if their family members don’t expose them to a wider range of foods from early on in life, they might be reluctant to branch out. Luckily, everyone has the capacity to do so, but nobody should be forced to if they’re uncomfortable with it. You really need to be honest with yourself about why you want to expand your culinary horizons and step out of your comfort zone of a pantry.

There’s no magic shortcut to suddenly liking all the different flavors that the world has to offer. The answer to getting over being a picky eater is pretty mundane, actually. It all comes down to trying small amounts of new and different foods, over a long period of time that might end up lasting a lifetime. 

Here’s the thing, though: the words small amounts are key here. You do not need to dive into the deep end of the culinary pool from the get-go. In fact, being too adventurous when you’re naturally a conservative eater can force you to rush back to your comfort zone and stay there for years. You’ve got to take things slow. You’ve got to be patient. If all you eat is beans on toast, you won’t become a seafood and steak connoisseur overnight.

If you really care about trying new foods, start incredibly small. For instance, if you’re not a fan of olives (hi! Nice to meet you, welcome to the club!) you could start by buying a jar or can of olives and nibbling at one of those weird spheres. Focus on the taste, texture, and smell. Consider all the nuances and how you feel.

Next, you could try olives in combination with different ingredients. You might realize like yours truly that you actually do enjoy them, but only in salads or on pizzas where their flavor profile changes a bit. In the meantime, consider trying different brands of olives, too. In our experience, a lot of our enjoyment depends on the quality of the ingredients. Some olives are absolutely horrid (as are other foods) while others are divine because they’ve been grown or marinated differently. In short, you need to find what works for you.

At the end of the day, if you still don’t like a food item after all the experiments you’ve run, it’s perfectly fine to move on for now. You might develop a taste for those ingredients in the future when your sense of taste changes. There’s a world of different foods out there that are begging to be tasted, and you might just find your next favorite completely by accident. Oysters, anyone?

We’d love to hear your own controversial food takes, so drop by the comment section and share yours, Pandas. And if you’d like some more spicy culinary takes, check out Bored Panda’s previous features here and here. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re completely famished…