Hogwash!

Recently I’ve come to stop believing that one can like or dislike something. Radical idea, I know.

Why is it so easy for people to say that they dislike foods, implying that there is something biological about them personally that doesn’t suit some foods. Doesn’t it seem more obvious that they just aren’t familiar enough with the food? The same might be said for music or art. Some people say that they don’t like country music or modern art, but given enough time and some historical context they would probably change their minds. My niece is always saying that if I watched more car races I would come to like them, and now I reluctantly admit that she’s probably right.

And why is it that the people who tell me they don’t like Japanese food are the same ones who insist that I don’t get along with one of their friends because I “don’t know them yet.” Cannot the same be said for food, music, and art? If you spend enough time with eel, squid, pickled plums, jazz, or the work of Jackson Pollock, you’ll find something to like about them.

I’m spurred to write this because of a comment made by a friend over lunch, when she remarked that Japanese food must suit me – nihon no ryori ni au desho. Something about the comment took me the wrong way. Can one really believe a national cuisine can suit someone or not? The comment implies that some people (by biology?) are predisposed to having the flavors and textures of food produced in a particular place react positively in their mouths. These people were born with different taste buds than some of their friends and family. Or maybe their teeth grind a certain way or their mouths feel the textures of foods in such a way that makes these foods easier to consume. Or their stomachs naturally digest some things better than others.

Hogwash. We like foods that are familiar to us, or ones that have connotations of goodness, exclusivity, comfort, healthfulness, all depending on what type of people we are or wish to become. We are told that we should like caviar, and we’re reminded that it is expensive. Liking it or not then becomes a factor of whether or not we can afford to try it and become familiar with it, or whether we do or do not want to associate ourselves with the kind of people who eat caviar.

The same can be said for wine and sushi. Some people say they like sushi, but only tuna and California rolls. Why are these the only things they like? It is likely that it is not because they tried every type of raw and cooked fish that can be paired with sushied rice in some kind of blind taste test and made the decision that only these two things were palatable. And what of raw tuna? Novices refer to it as buttery. Obviously, these are people who grew up eating butter. Something about the texture and flavor reminds them of butter. Tuna is comfortable, especially for those eaters who tend not to stray into foods that are less familiar, like fish roe (ikura) and raw squid. The fact is that they’ve likely never tried anything like these things in their lives, so the first time strikes them as weird and puts them off it for good. Add to this the cultural connotations that arise when they just say the words “fish eggs” or “squid” and the chances are that these people might be squeamish and reluctant. For those eaters who like to be seen as risk-takers, these foods are a challenge, and trying them in the company of others might make them seem cool.

Today at lunch I ate a ball of white sticky rice mixed with bright-red pickled plum and wrapped in green nori (seaweed or laver). To a 15-year-old version of myself, this would sound and look disgusting. My friend commented that Japanese food suited me. I responded that it doesn’t suit me or not suit me. It’s convenient and cheap, and I’m used to the flavor. This comes with time, not with a mouth that has taste buds different from those of my sister. She “doesn’t like” rice balls because she hasn’t eaten enough of them and hasn’t lived somewhere where they are considered normal.

My conclusions to all of this: Liking or not liking a food (or sport, music, or art) is strictly a matter of cultural convenience and familiarity. Likewise, the ability to be a picky eater has more to do with economic prosperity and how one is raised (e.g. allowed by one’s parents to not eat particular foods), than with a tongue that is biologically created to enjoy one food over another. Only the relatively rich can afford to refuse to eat something or to choose one food over another.

How will this realization change my life? From now on I’ll try any food that is considered part of another’s food culture. Raw horse, haggis, fermented soy beans, fried insects, raw anything – if it is regularly eaten somewhere in the world (and not just as a dare), I’ll try it. And if I don’t want to eat more I will try not to say, “I don’t like it”. Instead I’ll say, “I’m not used to it yet” and vow to try it again.