Even though everyone has different taste, certain foods just aren’t tasty. Whether it’s texture, taste, or trauma, here are the most hated foods worldwide.
Beets
Dwight Schrute may be a huge fan, but he’s in the minority. Plenty of people out there think that beets taste like dirt.
You might think that this is because they’re root vegetables. However, that’s not the case. Times Colonist reports that their earthy flavor isn’t from dirt.
Instead, it’s an organic compound called geosmin, which many people are pretty sensitive to. I’m proud to say that I’m not one of those people.
Olives
I personally disagree with this. I love olives — both green and black. It’s the pimentos I have an issue with, but that’s an easy fix.
Unfortunately, hating olives isn’t an unpopular opinion. Most people can’t stand the way they taste. They prefer to omit them from their Greek salads whenever possible.
I wonder what it’s like to be one of those people. It’s probably a sad life. I feel bad for you guys. I hope you get well soon.
Cilantro
This one’s backed by science. Ask a room of 100 people, and around 14% of them would say that cilantro tastes like soap, according to Simple Most.
“How cilantro tastes to you has a lot to do with your genes,” Hank Green told the Huffington Post back in 2015. You’re not the only one!
This is because of aldehyde, a chemical in cilantro and soap. Not everyone picks up on it, but we don’t blame you for avoiding cilantro if you do.
Mushrooms
I was a vegetarian for seven years. The worst part about it? The mushrooms. Vegetarians and vegans will know that portobello mushrooms are a common meat substitute.
Now, I dislike mushrooms in all forms, but eating one as a main dish is seriously not my thing. Now, I know that I’m not alone in this.
Plenty of people have listed mushrooms as being their least fave salad topper. I know they’re good for you, but come on, they’re so tasteless.
Tomatoes
I know that tomatoes are pretty unpopular, but this is another one that I have to disagree with. Like, have you ever had a fresh tomato?
There’s nothing better than picking a tomato from your own garden. Slice it up, sprinkle some salt and basil, and you’ve got the perfect snack.
Tomato haters could never understand. Tomatoes have a mix of textures, though. so it makes sense why people may be keen on leaving them out of their sandwich.
Durian
Food fanatics may have heard of durian before, even though it might not be readily available at your local market. It’s a tropical fruit with a wonderful taste.
However, the awful smell is enough to turn people off forever. It’s so bad that durian was banned in certain areas of Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong.
Say what you will about other fruits, but can’t say the same for a banana or Red Delicious. We’re willing to give it a try, though.
Bitter Gourd
It’s also called bitter melon, but the name difference won’t change many people’s minds about it. Sure, it has plenty of good medicinal traits.
It also seems to be especially good for diabetics. But it’s not exactly pleasant. We wouldn’t include it as one of the most hated foods if it was.
Case in point: GB Times listed it as the number one most hated food in all of China. And China’s a huge country. It’s that bad.
Eggplant
You might not know what to expect when you try eating eggplant for the first time. Don’t expect it to taste like eggs — it’s nowhere close.
It has a bitter skin and a flavorless rind, so it may be puzzling as to why people eat it. Apparently, it’s all in the cooking.
I’ll admit, I didn’t like eggplant at first. However, my stint as a vegetarian made me a diehard fan of eggplant lasagna, for better or for worse.
Circus Peanuts
As far as candy goes, Circus Peanuts are one of the least popular. And it makes sense as to why. They obviously don’t even taste like peanuts.
They occupy this weird middle ground between nuts and marshmallows that nobody wanted. They’re chewier than standard marshmallows, making for an overall weird consistency.
To be honest, I always steer clear of these. They always look like they’re stale. I’d rather eat an actual peanut, not some gross imitation.
Bologna
When I was a kid, bologna and cheese was a staple lunch sandwich. But, it wasn’t my favorite. As time went on, ham became my preferred deli meat.
So, what’s the deal with bologna? It’s made of beef or pork, which makes sense, but it’s usually the parts of the animal nobody likes talking about.
When you find out, it may make you a little nauseous. It’s all ground up, too. Yeah, we get why this is one of the most hated foods.
Pineapple Pizza
You could say that pizza is a universal favorite. It’s hard to dislike pizza. But pineapple topping is controversial, and nearly broke the internet some time back.
Personally, I dig it on occasion, but can see how it could be seen as totally gross. Pineapple is a sweet fruit, after all.
It may not mesh well with a pizza’s savory sauces. To each their own. As long as you try it before knocking it, you’re good in my book.
Liver
Remember that episode of Doug, where he’s terrified that Patti will serve liver and onions for dinner at her party? (I’ve referenced this episode a lot).
He didn’t want to be rude, but liver was one of his least favorite foods — and he’s not alone. He’s far, far from it.
In 2015, liver was near the top of the list of Britain’s most hated foods. Well, no offense, but they’re not exactly known for their cooking, so…
Ginger
Ginger may be popularly used in Chinese dishes, but it doesn’t mean everyone’s a fan. GB Times reports that it’s the 4th least popular food in China.
It’s mostly because of its smell and the creepy way it’s able to camouflage itself in many meals. Not sure if I agree here.
I think that ginger has a way of enhancing the dishes that it’s in. It gives them a little kick. I vibe with that.
Mayonnaise
When it comes to mayo, people either love it or hate it. For some people, it simply overpowers a sandwich or a noodle salad.
The fact that it’s notoriously not good for you is yet another con. The thickness, caused by egg whites, is also a turn off for some of us.
“You will find this kind of polarization…around the world,” food sensory consultant Herbert Stone told Popular Science. “You will find a similar degree of like/dislike in Asia…”
Spam
My husband likes to cook, which is wonderful. But there is one dinner I will never forget — he told me it was Spam after I ate it.
I literally had trust issues for about a month afterward. Seriously — you should always be up front with the food you’re serving!
There are a bunch of Spam lovers out there, but the meat-in-a-can often gets a bad reputation because, well, it comes in a can. And it smells.
Candy Corn
Ah, candy corn. It used to be a staple of Halloween, but it usually only gets eaten in times of dire sugar emergencies.
There’s even a heated Spoon University article on the topic. In “6 Reasons Why Candy Corn is the Worst Part of Halloween,” writer Rachel Abramowitz pulls no punches.
She states that the ingredients alone are enough to turn people away. “There are 5 ingredients…sugar, corn syrup, carnauba wax, artificial coloring, and binders. I rest my case.”
Tuna
My mom used to make the best tuna sandwiches. Seriously. She often made little tuna fish squares for neighborhood events and they were always gone within minutes.
But tuna comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, it’s too mushy. Other times, it’s just an off brand. Whatever the case, it can go downhill, fast.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution actually labeled tuna salad as being Georgia’s number one most hated food. In my opinion, this seems too random to be untrue.
Black Licorice
Did you know that black licorice can cause an irregular heart rhythm? It’s true. Don’t trash yours yet, though — these findings are still fairly new.
So, why hasn’t this been studied more extensively? Well, not too many people are binging black licorice. It’s not exactly everyone’s favorite candy.
In the candy world, it’s actually deemed “repulsive” by many. I don’t think it’s that bad. I think Twizzlers has wrecked your taste buds.
Pickles
Pickles are another in the “love them or loathe them” category. Delish mentioned three reasons why they may turn people off, and they’re all valid.
It was their phallic shape, their sour smell, and the fact that they make an obnoxious crunching noise when you eat them. Like we said: valid.
I can acknowledge your valid reasons for disliking pickles while also disagreeing. And make no mistake — I do disagree. Pickles are perfect to me.
Cantaloupe
Ah, cantaloupe. You’ve been overlooked as long as you’ve existed (probably). It’s a sweet summer fruit, but never sweet or flavorful enough to catch anyone’s attention.
It’s arguably the least popular addition to a fruit salad. Especially since most fruit salads load up on it as filler. Most people pick around it.
After eating the other fruits around it, like pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries, the cantaloupe itself seems a little bland. We’re sorry, cantaloupe. You just couldn’t cut it.
Brussels Sprouts
So many people despise Brussels sprouts that there has to be science behind it. And would you look at that — turns out, there is!
Dr. Adam Cunliffe, nutritional scientist, talked to Cosmopolitan about this in 2017. It all comes down to biology. “Innately, we’re born to reject bitter foods,” he said.
“[This is] because for every one plant or potential foodstuff in nature which is bitter and good for us, there’s probably 50 which are…poisonous,” he explained. Makes sense.
Conclusion
Well, there you go: the most hated foods across the world. Some of these are more controversial than others (can you imagine hating olives?), but we can all agree on one thing — circus peanuts are really, really weird.