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improving the palates of people with limited food experiences...

post #1 of 26
9/3/11 at 2:55pm
Thread Starter 
Just wondering what people think... If you have someone that's never really been exposed to much more than meat and potatoes (to keep it simple) because of how/where they grew up, do you think it's possible to get them to start eating more variety and/or high-end cuisine? Can you learn to like different types of foods after a certain age or do your taste buds get used to things being a certain way?

There are certain things i absolutely hate, and i can't see myself ever liking them, but i'm not talking about foods they've developed a strong dislike to based on experience.
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post #2 of 26
9/3/11 at 3:05pm
I have no idea how to help you with this, perhaps trying to frame it in a less patronising way than "improving" might be a start.

I will say a friend of mine, who spends pretty much all his free time either cooking and eating foodie type stuff or climbing dumped his equally foodie girlfriend and started going out with a girl who pretty much only eats burgers and other junk food. And party ring biscuits. And doesn't really like to exercise (somehow she is quite slim).
I have no idea what they talk about or do when they are together, but he is making an effort to 'improve' her palate. So far I gather it has been slow going. Heat from frozen pizza one night, something more sophisticated the next, then back to the pizza.
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post #3 of 26
9/3/11 at 3:10pm
I thought the Olive Garden was a nice place to eat at one time. One can change their frame of reference.
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post #4 of 26
9/3/11 at 3:13pm
Find new friends.
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post #5 of 26
9/3/11 at 3:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mgm9128 View Post

Find new friends.

I would have thought you would advise him to teach them to look up.
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post #6 of 26
9/3/11 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post


I would have thought you would advise him to teach them to look up.

It's too late for that.
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post #7 of 26
9/3/11 at 3:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post


I would have thought you would advise him to teach them to look up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mgm9128 View Post


It's too late for that.

crackup[1].gif
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post #8 of 26
9/3/11 at 7:13pm
rotflmao.gif
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post #9 of 26
9/4/11 at 6:51pm
I was travelling with a work mate for quite a bit down south so being the only two from our office we naturally ended up eating most of our meals together (we're talking at least more than 20 business days cumulative). Other than Italian and Polish food, everything else was an eye opener for him. Rare tuna, sushi or sashimi of any kind, oysters, ceviche, basically anything raw. I found a tapas place and that was a weird concept to him. Oh so was the brazilian bbq. Animal parts that were not part of a sausage were weird. Indian food he believed would cause him to go to the bathroom. Luckily for him down south, there wasn't a hell of a lot of Asian food.

Suffice to say, it was pretty boring. I can only eat pasta and "meat and potatoes" for so long.

I think it's more a mindset than anything. Mind you this chap also goes to church every Sunday so that said something to me.
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post #10 of 26
9/6/11 at 4:04pm
Way back in the ice ages (before I met my wife), I took a girl out to a nice restaurant. After looking the menu over, she looked over at me and said "This is rich people food."
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post #11 of 26
9/6/11 at 4:52pm
i think there is WAY too much emphasis placed on food at this time (odd thing for me to say, huh?). some of the smartest, nicest, most able people i know just aren't into it. i do not think they are lesser because of that any more than they think i'm lesser because of my total inability to carry a tune. i learned this the hard way once when two of my oldest friends whom i hadn't seen in years came for dinner and i wanted to make them something really special. i did a risotto with bitter greens and it was great. really complex. they ate politely and one of them said "you know, i'm sure that was really good if i was more sophisticated." i never want to be that guy again and neither should you.
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post #12 of 26
9/6/11 at 5:08pm
I'm never gonna get my dad to wear nice clothes, ever, nor will I get him to go to anything fancier than a good pub... but I've gotten used to that idea. He was actually wearing a pretty nice pair of Bruno Maglis at my sister's wedding recently, and then I realized later on that they were mine and I hadn't seen them in 12 years. ffffuuuu.gif Guy could spend a little more money on himself, but at this point, I don't think I'm going to get him to change many of his habits.
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post #13 of 26
9/6/11 at 5:15pm
impolyt is like my azn equivalent. This and the post on the gf wanting to see movies at inopportune times did it in for me.
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post #14 of 26
9/6/11 at 5:27pm
I don't know whether to e-fistbump or commiserate; if it's really like my own life.... confused.gif

I am eating/drinking like a peasant lately, I've only got 3 weeks left in this miserable country, then I am moving to Tokyo finally. Still working on the house papers (and we've got a backup house, but we want to live down in Tokyo) but everything else is ready, dog is all paper'd and quarantine is completed. My body is ready for the Tokyo food onslaught. I am gonna start cooking again too, once I get my kitchen put back together and I have some time. Finally I will have some ingredients to cook with. I probably won't get around to cooking til November though, gonna spend a good month gorging on Japanese food. I have the Michelin guide ready to go and everything.

For now though, I drank a 75oz MGD (yes, in one bottle) last night and I am about to go get my first Egg McMuffin of the year. I am the epitome of this thread right now, total low point.
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post #15 of 26
9/6/11 at 7:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by foodguy View Post

i think there is WAY too much emphasis placed on food at this time (odd thing for me to say, huh?). some of the smartest, nicest, most able people i know just aren't into it. i do not think they are lesser because of that any more than they think i'm lesser because of my total inability to carry a tune. i learned this the hard way once when two of my oldest friends whom i hadn't seen in years came for dinner and i wanted to make them something really special. i did a risotto with bitter greens and it was great. really complex. they ate politely and one of them said "you know, i'm sure that was really good if i was more sophisticated." i never want to be that guy again and neither should you.

I don't think they're lesser people. I just want to eat at places with good food so it's frustrating. Parents, relatives, or friends are one thing because you only have to eat with them so often. An SO is different.
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