13 Foods People Either Love Or Hate

Certain foods have always been polarizing. The chances are, you have a strong opinion about the ones on this list. And if you say you don't like them, you probably wouldn't be okay eating them.

So what makes these foods so divisive? Sometimes, it's a matter of texture and flavor. Certain foods can be an acquired taste, and when we grow up eating them, we are more likely to enjoy them. Other foods may be a matter of genetics. Gene variations lead to increased sensitivity towards certain flavors, particularly bitterness. Whatever the reason, you have your preferences. While these can change over time, it's hard to imagine ever enjoying a type of food you currently loathe.

So what foods are we talking about? Keep reading to learn about the foods people either love or hate. And as you scroll through each, decide which side you're on; the lovers or the haters.

Kids hate many vegetables, but they usually come around given time. As adults, we now enjoy veggies we used to detest, like broccoli and green beans. However, Brussels sprouts are the exception. If you hated them as a kid, you probably still do today. No amount of boiling, roasting, or frying can make you enjoy these bitter-tasting balls — and this might not be your fault.

About 50% of people are born with a genetic variant that makes them sensitive to phenylthiocarbamide, (per American Journal of Human Genetics). This sulfuric compound gives Brussels sprouts their bitterness. If you have this gene, it's hopeless. You can melt butter and season those green orbs to death, but they'll still taste repulsive. Those that love Brussels sprouts have a mutation of this gene. To them, the sprouts are bitter when raw, but develop a slight sweetness when cooked. And, luckily for them, Brussels sprouts are packed with nutrients.

So how do you feel about this cruciferous veggie? Could you sprinkle some salt on roasted sprouts and snack away? It seems the jury is evenly split on this one.

Dwight Schrute, the ambitious Dunder Mifflin employee, had a famous side hustle as a beet farmer. He took this endeavor far too seriously, and nobody insulted his beets. So when Micheal Scott grumbled, "Beets are the worst," Dwight wasn't going down without a fight, "People LOVE beets!" (via IMDb). Neither party backed down, and perhaps, neither of them was wrong.

You see, beets have something called geosmin. This organic compound is found in soil and gives off a strong aroma reminiscent of the earth after a fresh rain. While that sounds beautiful, humans are extremely sensitive to geosmin. They can pick up the smell at concentrations as low as 5 parts per trillion, notes the American Chemical Society, which just means it's very strong. When something is that powerful, people have a strong reaction.

Some find beets pleasantly sweet and enjoy their slight earthiness. Others are so sensitive to geosmin that beets taste like biting into fresh dirt. Unfortunately, this dirt-like flavor isn't from the soil. No amount of scrubbing and cooking can wash away the geosmin. So depending on your sensitivity, you may have been destined to love or hate beets from the start.

Marzipan is the Vegemite of the candy world. On Reddit, one fan raved, "Marzipan is great! If you can get it fresh, it tastes like little pillows of sweet almond," while another commenter confessed, "Marzipan is the only food that I will refuse to eat if offered it. Can't even get it down out of Midwestern politeness."

Loving almonds has no bearing on whether you'll like marzipan. Even if you enjoy almond paste, there's no guarantee you'll feel similarly about marzipan. Almond paste is made from almonds and sugar and occasionally uses egg whites as a binder. Marzipan also uses these three simple ingredients, but with noticeably more sugar — so much so, that many find it off-putting. It reminds them of cake icing, or worse, saccharin, which is 200 to 700 times sweeter than table sugar, notes the FDA.

Combining nuts with such intense sweetness also gives off an alcoholic flavor. The result can make the candy taste spoiled — which is highly unlikely. Because of the high sugar content, marzipan has a long shelf-life. As such, it's loved by confectionary artists who mold marzipan into figurines. Some people think eating these edible ornaments sounds fantastic, while others are horrified by the idea.

Cilantro might be the most divisive food on the planet. For most of us, cilantro — or coriander, as it's known in some countries — tastes bright and grassy. It adds a fresh flavor to any dish, and we can't imagine Mexican food without it.

But if you dislike cilantro, chances are you won't go anywhere near the stuff. People that hate cilantro are adamant that it tastes like soap. In a CNN Larry King Live interview, Julia Child said that if she found cilantro in her meal, she would "throw it on the floor." There's even a Facebook group, I Hate Coriander, where people post poems and memes dedicated to their common enemy. If that wasn't enough, February 24th was officially declared International I Hate Coriander Day.

This hatred for cilantro is so intense that scientists were determined to get to the bottom of things. It turns out, genes influence your tastebuds. A Flavour Journal study found variations in specific olfactory receptor genes that pick up on cilantro's soapy odor and flavor. Certain ethnic groups might be more inclined to inherit this gene than others. Flavour Journal showed that the dislike for cilantro ranged from 3% to 21%. The highest percentages of distaste for cilantro were in the European and Caucasian groups. The study noted that African Americans, East Asians, South Asians, and Latinos are much less likely to have a distaste for cilantro. This helps explain why many people loathe cilantro, while some cuisines celebrate the herb.

Are you the type to pick pickles off your burger? Well, plenty of people at the table are happy to eat them for you. People either love or hate pickles — there's not much middle ground.

In a Reddit poll of 2,600 hundred participants, roughly ⅔s said they enjoy these fermented veggies. Perhaps it's the crisp, crunchy texture or the acidic salty flavor. Both these attributes have a solid place in culinary cravings. There's something super satisfying about loud, crunchy foods. In times of stress, that noisy crackle is music to your ears. Pickles are also full of acid and sodium — two things people crave. Desiring acidic foods can indicate low stomach acid, an underdiagnosed condition. Salt can also be addictive, and people crave it when stressed, dehydrated, or simply bored.

But the fermented vinegar vibes aren't loved by all. The remaining ⅓ of polled participants would remove all the pickles from their sandwiches. Heaven forbid they take a bite and ruin their appetite. But why do they hate them so much? Perhaps they're super-tasters with sensitivity towards bitter and sour flavors, and that pickle flavor infiltrates everything it touches. Plus, the bumpy wrinkly exterior isn't exactly appetizing.

There's always room for Jell-O! Or is there?

Many people would argue there's never room for jello. But the hatred of jello is really about texture. Jell-O is just a brand name for flavored gelatin. On its own, gelatin doesn't taste like much. It absorbs whatever flavors are cooked in. Texturally, it's jiggly and gel-like, and when you bite into jello, you're unsure if it's solid or liquid. That can be half the fun — or completely repulsive — depending on how you look at it. If you're not a fan of animal products, you might also be disgusted by the thought of eating animal collagen. However, with loads of sweeteners and artificial flavors, this is easy to overlook.

Jell-O has a long-standing place in American culture. In the '50s, it was an economical dish with a strong marketing campaign. Everyone ate Jell-O, and you might recall your grandma making a Jell-O bundt cake for the family potluck. In 2021, Jell-O has even been declared the official state snack of Utah, where people still love the stuff, (per Salt Lake Magazine). But outside of Utah, Jell-O isn't as popular as it used to be. So do people genuinely love this wobbly snack, or is it just cultural conditioning?