Define Whatever Tastes Good
When it comes to food it is commonplace to say you like this food and dislike another.
We take it for granted that these are our preferences that we have naturally formed.
But are they really?
Who decided that I hate seafood and like ice-cream?
I have heard some people say that certain compounds are naturally preferred by humans but I seriously doubt this is a major contributor.
Rather I would say it is all in your head and you can decide what you like, or even choose not to dislike anything.
Before I went to India I never ate Indian food, but while there I decided to try whatever was around.
I noticed certain emotions and thoughts arise depending on the texture of the food but after discarding these I was fine to eat as much as I want.
I used to hate seafood and would actively avoid it. Now that I’m exploring Japanese culture I chose to eat it, often.
After discarding the initial urges to throw up I can say I like it.
The moral of this story is that you can choose exactly what you like and dislike. You just need to be the master of your mind and emotions.
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April 6th, 2009 at 2:22 am
Agree—to an extent. I have no desire to overcome my strong aversion to my unholy food trinity (fish, organs and leaves aka lettuce/spinach) because I find my diet to be quite satisfying without them.
I agree that it is possible to overcome aversions, however. Growing up, I absolutely refused to eat onions, mustard, and green beans. One day I was very hungry and the only thing available was a friend’s hot dog, slathered in onions and mustard. One bite—now people complain that I put too much onion in things, as aversion has turned to obsessive love.
Perhaps aversion is a built-in protection against obsessions?
April 7th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
JB: Haha, nice story.
I think aversions and obsessions are very similar in nature. Their external manifestations are opposite but their internal causes are the same. Both stem from attachment to a thought or emotion, positive or negative.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Omoshiroi! (New word I just learned, yes)
Ever since I came to Japan I’ve eaten everything that has been put on the table in front of me and even things I thought I would never try, but did and most of the times liked it. My mum always sits there waiting for me to make a face when I take the first bite of something, but it never comes! There’s only one thing that hasn’t gone down well with me, but I just tried it without the spicy sauce and it was good.
Point is though, mum said to me that I’m brave to try all this food without a second thought. I just replied that that’s kind of a part of what I’m here for, so no point in not trying something Japanese in Japan.
I find that people sometimes tend to grow out of disliking this and absolutely loving that, like there is a lot of food I eat these days that I didn’t eat a couple of years ago (aside from the fact that I’m travelling). Just one thing I can’t eat much of is any sort of dairy, but not beause I don’t like it, it’s because my body responds to it badly, so I try to stay away from it. I would not say that it is my mind and emotions, whenever I feel sick after too much dairy.