Thursday, January 13, 2022

Over The Years, My Taste For Certain Foods and Drinks Have Changed

Have any of you noticed how your taste in certain foods and drinks have changed throughout your life? Things that you found delicious, no longer are. And then there are other things you never found delicious, but suddenly do.

And that goes for certain aromas as well.

I looked it up online and discovered that our taste buds age as we do. It can also be due to certain illnesses we've had that caused our tastes to change, as well as a change in our sense of smell. In some cases though, studies have revealed that the olfactory parts of our brains become more developed and refined as we get older and that's why they change. 

Listed below are four things I used to eat and drink all the time but no longer find them appealing.. 

Sweets-

I used to be obsessed with sweets. In fact I would tell people that if I could live by eating nothing but sugar, I would. I even remember a time when I needed something sweet to eat after every meal or I didn't feel complete. Now, however, I could care less about sweets. I no longer desire them. And if by chance I do, it's limited to a sold piece of dark chocolate and that's it. Oh, or a piece of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. 

Meat-

I lost my desire for meat eons ago. In fact, one day it dawned on me that I hadn't eaten meat in over 10 years. And when I did eat meat, the only thing I craved was a nice, thick, well-made hamburger with ketchup, tomato and lettuce, coupled with a side of steak fries. Meat was one of those things I never consciously made a choice to stop eating, I just gradually lost interest. I came from a family who had meat with every meal - beef, ham, pork, chicken. My father worshiped meat as if it were a God. Every night for dinner we had a meat and two vegetables with a side salad. EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. Even when we had pasta, we had meat with it. Back then people believed it was extremely important to eat meat to get your protein, not realizing there were so many other ways to ingest it. 

Cucumbers-

This is something that changed for me last summer. I suddenly found the taste and smell of cucumbers repulsive. Isn't that strange? And you're talking to someone who loved cucumbers; particularly English cucumbers. I use to enjoy slicing a cucumber with a some cherry tomatoes and fresh basil, drizzled with olive oil. Like I said, last summer whenever I would start to slice one, I found the smell so unappealing. I also no longer liked the taste and texture in my mouth. I kept trying to go back to them because I though it might be a temporary thing, but it wasn't. Maybe one day I'll like them again, but for right now, no cucumbers for me. 

Coffee-

Now, I still drink coffee, however, it's beginning to lose its appeal for me. The other day I ordered a cup of coffee from my favorite coffee shop in Old City and suddenly noticed how bitter it tasted. I knew it wasn't the coffee itself because the coffee they serve in this shop is consistently fresh. It was as if I could feel a shift in the way my taste buds were processing the taste of coffee. I can't say that I'm surprised though because over the years, I've cut back on the amount of coffee I drink. I pretty much have one cup in the morning and that's it. Sometimes, very rarely though, I'll have another cup in the afternoon. But most days I'll have an iced green tea flavored with Moroccan mint, for a little pick-me-up in the afternoon.

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Not only has my taste for certain foods and drinks changed in the way I no longer desire them, but I've also acquired a taste for things I didn't used to like at all.

Listed below are four things I never liked, but now do.

Beets-

When I was a kid, I HATED beets. I thought they were the most repulsive things on the planet. Their color alone freaked me out. But over the past two years, I've learned to adore them. And when I taste them now, I think, "I can't believe what I've been missing all these years - BEETS!"

 Red Wine-

I was never a big drinker. And when I did drink, it would be something like a Pina colada, which I drank in high school. But other than that, alcohol never appealed to me. However, when I got into my mid-20's, I tried white wine. For some reason though, white wine (maybe because of the high sugar content) made me VERY drunk after only half a glass. I started to think that maybe I had an allergy to alcohol. That is until I discovered red wine when I was in my mid-40's. OMG...I suddenly fell head over heels in love with red wine. But when I drink it, it has to be dark, very dry, and full-bodied. I especially love red wines that have been aged in bourbon barrels because you can taste the oak. So yes, I now have one glass of red wine every night while watching a movie. That's my big indulgence!

Brussels Sprouts-

When I was a kid, whenever my mother served Brussels sprouts with dinner, it grossed me out so much that I would stuff each Brussels sprout on my plate into my pockets when no one was looking at me. And then after dinner, I would go to the bathroom and flush them down the toilet. Yes! That's how much I detested Brussels sprouts. To me, Brussels sprouts were something they fed to criminals who were serving a life sentence in prison to torture them, rather than execute them. But oddly enough, last year, I decided to try them again because I had seen a recipe that sautéed them with garlic, salt and pepper, and olive oil. And that's when my love affair began. 

Asparagus Tips-

This was another vegetable I didn't like as a kid. And I think it's because my mother served them from a can (Del Monte) and they were too mushy. Yet, I tried them again many years ago and fell in lust with them. But only the TIPS. I don't care for the stems, they are too thick and I don't like the texture. The stems feel as though I'm chewing on pieces of rope. I now eat asparagus tips quite frequently, and prepare them much like in the photo above. I also add them to pasta dishes, salads, and soups. 

So there you have it folks, things I used to love, but now don't. And things that I use to dislike, but now love.

Have a delicious rest of your week, everyone! 

💗

P.S. If you wish, please feel free to share any foods, drinks or aromas in which your taste has changed.