When you think about the foods that you dislike, are they more likely to be specific ingredients or flavors, or do you dislike whole categories of foods? Or is it more likely that you might like a dish in general, but be vehemently opposed to a particular recipe or method for making that dish?

For example, I dislike raisins and coconut in most circumstances. Licorice flavor is iffy. I like fennel seeds in Italian sausage and I like star anise in Chinese food, but I don't like licorice-flavored sweets at all.

I know people who will dismiss whole categories of food, rather than specifying ingredients that they dislike. For example, they don't like Mexican food, or Chinese food or they don't like casseroles or stews or anything involving a sauce. Or they don't like anything green. Or they don't like anything that swims.

I can't actually think of a whole category that I dislike.

As far as particular recipes/methods, I know someone who will eat spaghetti if the spaghetti and sauce are served in separate bowls and diners mix the ingredients on their own plates. But she thinks that if they are mixed in the serving container it is absolutely gross, and she won't touch it.

I suppose that a preference for rare or well-done meat falls into the same category, and I'll say that I prefer a steak to be cooked to a particular doneness. But although it's a strong preference, if someone served me an overdone steak, I wouldn't throw my hands in the air and proclaim that is was gross and refuse to eat it.

There have been, however, particular meals that I haven't been fond of. But those wouldn't stop me from trying the same thing again, perhaps in a different venue. And there are some combinations of items that I'm a little skeptical of. Like chocolate covered frozen bananas. It just doesn't appeal, even though I like both chocolate and bananas as separate entities, and I like them combined in other dishes.

What about you?

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