Posted by Suplee_Mental at 209.107.0.57 on November 16, 2003 at 12:11:06:
In Reply to: Thats just silly... posted by zeta on November 16, 2003 at 11:59:36:
okay, the snot example was obviosly meant to be facetious. But the point cannot be written off as such. Enjoyment of food is not restricted to taste. To believe so is simply restrictive and slightly insane. I like the taste of asparagus, but the texture gives me the willies, so I do not eat it.
We all have stories of liking something we thought we would hate. That doesn't mean our enjoyment of a food depends solely on the taste. It means that some things taste so good that it overshadows the things we dislike about it. It's all about levels of comfort and discomfort.
You can't judge for me the level of disgust I have for something like calamari. You can't say that I would enjoy it even tho I am freaked out by the fact that it is seafood, and is freaky looking and feels crazy.
For example, I think it is valid for people to dislike Spam, even though it is processed pork shoulder. It's pork. If you like ham or hot dogs, or bologna, you basically will like the taste of spam. But people are grossed out by it's texture, appearance, and smell. I understand that, because my mind is not closed.