America's Least Favorite Foods

I just came across a list I printed out that had been originally posted by AOL a few years ago—the results of a poll where members were asked about their least favorite foods.  Over 78,000 people participated in this survey.  The top twenty disliked foods were determined not only by the number of people who mentioned it, but also the vitriolic content of their comments.  I'm listing the top twenty foods from that poll along with the comments of those responding.

How many of these are on your list of least favorite foods?

20)  Blueberries – "Blueberries taste a little like aluminum to me."

19)  Maple Syrup – "Just a whiff of maple syrup and I get nauseous."

18)  Cilantro – "Just the smell and taste make me ill."

17)  Onions – "Raw onions.  Yuck.  Yuck.  Yuck.,"

16)  Cooked Carrots – "Raw is fine, but cooked should be illegal."

15)  Raisins – "Raisins cooked into a dish remind me of roaches from my old apartment."

14)  Peas – "They smell like somebody who hasn't had a bath for a week."

13)  Oysters – "Anything chewy that never breaks down like clams or oysters, yuck!"

12)  Pea Soup – "Blechh!  Split pea soup makes me gag."

11)  Sour Cream – "It's like expired chunky milk, I have to hold my nose and look away."

10)  Gelatin – "I can't stand to eat Jell-O with the way it wiggles around in my mouth."

09)  Tuna – "The smell of it makes me sick."

08)  Brussels Sprouts – "Nasty tasting things, but when you eat them cold after having been overcooked, they're even worse."

07)  Beets – "They look like they'd be good, but the taste is just vile."

06)  Okra – "Okra releases a funky slime when not fried, smells like a gym locker, too."

05)  Eggs – "I can't get a hard boiled egg down.  The yolk is no problem, but the consistency of the white part makes me turn green."

04)  Mushrooms – "Mushrooms taste like dirt."

03)  Mayonnaise – "Mayo is the most disgusting substance on the face of this earth.  It reeks."

02)  Lima Beans – "Lima beans are evil."

01)  Liver – "Just the smell of fried liver can make me have an autonomous near-hurl."

Some of the items on this list of twenty least favorite foods came as a surprise to me while others were expected.  The one thing I found very interesting was how many times a poll participant gave smell as the reason for the food choice (eight of the top twenty).  Smell does directly impact our sense of taste.  If we hold our breath (or hold our noses) when putting a bite of food in our mouths, it doesn't have much of a taste without the smell.  When you're sick or have a bad cold and your nose is stuffed up, you might try to eat but you find that the food doesn't have a taste.

I do want to point out that not even a hint of chocolate appeared on the list.  And for that matter, wine wasn't on the list either.  That means my favorite foods are safe!  :) 

What are your least favorite foods?