10 Food Taste you Either Hate Or Love

Ever wondered why you love blue cheese or coriander, but your mates can’t stand it? It turns out science has an explanation for our conflicting tastes.
When it comes to food, there are few food items so divisive just like coriander that makes Some people love its fresh flavor, while others swear it tastes like soap. And it turns out to be a genetic variant that affects how aromas and perfume were made and might at least partially explain the difference in opinion. 

The reason for writing this post is first, I probably have some kind of weird taste bud when I love the taste of food people hates. And second, I am curious. I've done my part of research and also compiled a list of Top 10 food that I think that is most divisive, at least in my circles of people.


1) Durian

This is probably the food that has the strongest taste amongst the list. You either seriously want to get rid of it or you absolutely love it. Those that love it think it’s heaven in the mouth; those who hate it cannot even stand the smell of it. Durian is also known as the king of fruit in most Asian countries. It has the texture of a very thin pudding alike and the taste that is simply indescribable and incomparable to any other food in the world. The closest description would be a combination of corn, whipped cream and custard. Haha! Not a corn lover, but I love Durian! 


2) Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a highly delicious spice for Cinnamon lovers. This brown colour woody spice, is extremely aromatic and has a sweet and savory flavour at the same time and so it may taste weird to some people. The sweet aroma of cinnamon in pies and puddings is simply irresistible. I love Macdonalds Cinnamon Melts!
3) Ginger

The flavor of ginger is surprisingly fiery and pungent. Young ginger rhizomes are much juicy and fleshy with a mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. ... Powdered dry ginger root is typically used as a flavoring for recipes such as gingerbread, cookies, crackers and cakes, ginger ale, and ginger beer. Many people love the taste of Ginger in common food, yet some hate its pungent taste. 



4) Lemongrass

If you eat a lot of Asian food, especially Thai dishes, you've probably noticed that tangy and lemony flavor in your soup or in the stir-fry meal. When you looked into the dish, you didn't find any single slice of lemon. Chances are, you've just experienced the wonderful flavor of lemongrass. I love the fragrance and taste of Lemongrass, it has this refreshing lemon-lime smell. However, many people who don't fancy on lemons may hate it.

5) Pistachio

Pistachio is one type of nut that I love particularly. However, I don't eat them in nut form because I have never done so in my life. My first attempt eating Pistachio was in a form of dessert. Many people hate shelling them too, so it's better to eat them in the form of desserts such as chocolate or ice cream. As heard from ice cream shop, people would either can't stand the taste or simply love it very much. The richness taste in Pistachio is just so nice! Love it!


6) Cherry

Similar to Pistachio, some people love them and some people hate them. And those who hate them, really hate them. The people who hate them say it taste like cough syrups medicine. Some people say Cherry flavoured Coca-Cola was totally a bad decision.


7) Ginseng

Most people eat Ginseng because of its impressive health benefits which include the ability to stimulate the mind, reduce stress, prevent aging, manage diabetes, ease menstrual discomfort, boost hair health, and protect the skin & etc. Ginseng would most likely not be the food you enjoy, but eating it for health reasons. 


The first flavor when you put a little piece of the ginseng root in your mouth is bitterness, but it’s not too intense of a bitterness. A bit of that bitterness lingers the whole time. Then there’s also an earthy sweetness, similar to a carrot but it's a bitter carrot. 

8) Licorice

Licorice, which comes from the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra plant, flavour name is called black licorice. Even though it commonly appears in products, licorice seems like one divisive food form. However, why some are haters of Licorice can probably because some medicine contains the taste of black licorice such as NyQuil

9) Blue cheese

With its moldy appearance, pungent smell, and strong flavor, blue cheese is quite a polarizing ingredient. Still, from pizzas to salads, it's common on many menus. How blue cheese taste? It has this rich aroma melt-in-your-mouth texture like butter. This moist and slightly crumbly cheese achieves a spicy piquancy and the flavour similar to burnt caramel. Sounds weird imagining it isn't it? I'm definitely not a lover of blue cheese.

10) Coriander

Coriander is a known herb that is widely used in Asian, some of us use it as toppings for chinese food dishes. It has a very strong taste that is in-describable. Just a pinch of it could leave a strong aroma on any food dishes or soup base and it is found overwhelming by many people. Some may hate it due to the strong aroma and some may love the extra "enhancement" to the food dishes.



If there's a next one or two food you either hate or love to add to this list, I would say it's Celery or Century Eggs. Yucks!
Food is my Best friend but it can be my Enemy too! Thanks for reading!


To understand why, you have to delve a little into the science of evolution, chemistry, and biology.
You may also read up some of these scientific explanation of "Conflicting Sensory Taste".

Taste Science | Taste comes from the Brain | Sensory Conflict


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♥ Thanks for reading as always!
THANK YOU AH! 谢谢! Terima Kasih! ありがとうございました!