Attention: This may probably be a very stupid question but I'll ask it anyways

Say for example the cauliflower. When it's getting cooked and its abhorrent stench is being exposed to my nose I almost have to puke. And the taste is even worse. But my whole family loves it, my sister even likes to eat it cold out of the refrigerator How come? I mean wouldn't it make more sense if we only ate the stuff that is being perceived as tasting pleasant by our taste buds? I find the taste of cauliflower to be bitter yet Tonic Water is my favourite type of drink so the bitterness alone can't be what puts me off

Me not understand

Also, is this closely related to the pain phenomena with chillies etc?

mmmmm cauliflower

It's probably not such a good idea to tell people what my kryptonite is...

Cauliflower is the tits. Let alone uncooked cauliflower that rocks.

I also recommend uncooked broccoli, fucking delicious!

HughMcB wrote:I also recommend uncooked broccoli, fucking delicious!

Almost as bad

So, can someone address the OP, please? Or at least give me some pointers...

uncooked broccoli is awful, cooked is delicious, but cooking cauliflower is a waste of time, just grab a whole one, put some dressing on and bury your face in the deliciousness of it

LIFE wrote:But my whole family loves it, my sister even likes to eat it cold out of the refrigerator How come? I mean wouldn't it make more sense if we only ate the stuff that is being perceived as tasting pleasant by our taste buds?

I don't really get it, I mean they simply like the taste and you don't. Is it that you're asking whether you actually perceive the taste differently, or whether they actually like a taste you think is bad?

LIFE wrote:Attention: This may probably be a very stupid question but I'll ask it anyways

Say for example the cauliflower. When it's getting cooked and its abhorrent stench is being exposed to my nose I almost have to puke. And the taste is even worse. But my whole family loves it, my sister even likes to eat it cold out of the refrigerator How come? I mean wouldn't it make more sense if we only ate the stuff that is being perceived as tasting pleasant by our taste buds? I find the taste of cauliflower to be bitter yet Tonic Water is my favourite type of drink so the bitterness alone can't be what puts me off

Me not understand

Also, is this closely related to the pain phenomena with chillies etc?

My best thought is that you, like anyone who has different tastes than me, are most likely defective.

I'm not sure medical science has gotten around to curing this, so until they do, you'll just have to suffer.

This hardwiring of 'good taste means it is good for you' might be true on a very superficial level but I think the taste-processing modality is pretty plastic and can be subjected to a huge amount of conditioning that could explain the individual differences in preferences of taste.

HughMcB wrote:

LIFE wrote:But my whole family loves it, my sister even likes to eat it cold out of the refrigerator How come? I mean wouldn't it make more sense if we only ate the stuff that is being perceived as tasting pleasant by our taste buds?

I don't really get it, I mean they simply like the taste and you don't. Is it that you're asking whether you actually perceive the taste differently, or whether they actually like a taste you think is bad?

The former.

I was going to say how good broccoli is with melted cheese on it. But then again, shit would at least taste like melted cheese with melted cheese all over it.

My boys prefer broccoli to cauliflower. They even eat sprouts.

SPMaximus wrote:mmmmm cauliflower

With cheese sauce its even more Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

I used to hate garlic (Sacrilige I know!) until I ate enough of it to learn to love it. Of course some foods are so revolting that its impractical to eat it until you love it. Marmite springs to mind

natselrox wrote:This hardwiring of 'good taste means it is good for you' might be true on a very superficial level but I think the taste-processing modality is pretty plastic and can be subjected to a huge amount of conditioning that could explain the individual differences in preferences of taste.

Conditioning like what?

GreyICE wrote:
My best thought is that you, like anyone who has different tastes than me, are most likely defective.

I'm not sure medical science has gotten around to curing this, so until they do, you'll just have to suffer.

LIFE wrote:

natselrox wrote:This hardwiring of 'good taste means it is good for you' might be true on a very superficial level but I think the taste-processing modality is pretty plastic and can be subjected to a huge amount of conditioning that could explain the individual differences in preferences of taste.

Conditioning like what?

I don't know. Association with good meals, happy memories, maybe...

Even the idea that 'it tastes bad but it's good for your health' may give rise to a twisted form of Operant Conditioning.

natselrox wrote:

LIFE wrote:

natselrox wrote:This hardwiring of 'good taste means it is good for you' might be true on a very superficial level but I think the taste-processing modality is pretty plastic and can be subjected to a huge amount of conditioning that could explain the individual differences in preferences of taste.

Conditioning like what?

I don't know. Association with good meals, happy memories, maybe...

I think I was like 4 or 5 years old the first time I ate it (and puked).
So we're talking about 4-5 years of conditioning then? I find that hard to believe in this case.

LIFE wrote:

HughMcB wrote:

LIFE wrote:But my whole family loves it, my sister even likes to eat it cold out of the refrigerator How come? I mean wouldn't it make more sense if we only ate the stuff that is being perceived as tasting pleasant by our taste buds?

I don't really get it, I mean they simply like the taste and you don't. Is it that you're asking whether you actually perceive the taste differently, or whether they actually like a taste you think is bad?

The former.

I was hoping it would be, that seems like an all the more interesting one.

Is this a case of "is your red my blue?" thought experiment though?

LIFE wrote:

natselrox wrote:

LIFE wrote:

Conditioning like what?

I don't know. Association with good meals, happy memories, maybe...

I think I was like 4 or 5 years old the first time I ate it (and puked).
So we're talking about 4-5 years of conditioning then? I find that hard to believe in this case.

You are at the default position. We need to find out what went 'wrong' with your relatives.

HughMcB wrote:

LIFE wrote:

HughMcB wrote:
I don't really get it, I mean they simply like the taste and you don't. Is it that you're asking whether you actually perceive the taste differently, or whether they actually like a taste you think is bad?

The former.

I was hoping it would be, that seems like an all the more interesting one.

Is this a case of "is your red my blue?" thought experiment though?

If your eye is fully functional and mine is too, you'd see the same red as I do, no? Assuming that if all conditions were the same (you standing at the same spot, same light reflections etc). So I imagine that what you taste when you eat this abhorrent vegetable it will be the same taste I perceive. The question is more like "Why do you perceive it as being a pleasant taste and I do not?". Cauliflower is a common dish here in Germany and at one point I even did some research to see if one of my closer relatives doesn't like it as well, so far I'm the only one.