Food We Hate: 52 Of The Very Worst

Seriously — there was something about peas that turned my stomach. There are certain foods that people agree are just not very tasty.

Chicken Gizzards

Gizzards are the mechanical stomach of a bird. This is the part that mechanically grinds and mixes the bird’s eating. None of this sounds appetizing.

Chicken Gizzards are very common in countries such as Haiti, Mexico, Africa, and Southeast Asia. A very unique food for sure.

A lot of people consider this a delicacy as well as having health benefits but you really have to try for yourself, it is such a peculiar food.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are commonly found in the pudding that is based from it, or in a number of healthy dishes like smoothie bowls.

Considering all of this, chia seeds also have an incredibly peculiar texture, they look weird, taste odd, and just feel like little rocks.

Many love chia seeds, find any excuse to put it on something – but for those people who have major texture issues….

Guava

Guava is essentially a mix of strawberry and pear in terms of taste. Its definitely more of a unique fruit but many people enjoy it.

Its universally a pretty pleasant fruit, but also a bit of a peculiar one. Many people believe it actually tastes somewhat like bubble gum.

Guava does have a bit of a sour taste, which is why many seem to not be such big fans. Its also another oddly textured food, with a lot of seeds.

Kombucha

Kombucha is widely-known as one of the best drinks for your digestive system. It boosts the health of your intestine and immune system.

Kombucha comes in a variety of different flavors, and many different brands have taken off with their own types of kombucha.

This means many dislike it. It also contains alcohol because its fermented so this makes the taste pretty odd too.

Herring

Herring actually belongs to a wider family of 200+ species, but the most common would be the Araucanian, Atlantic, and Pacific.

Its commonly heavily salted. They are also very oily. These both could be big reasons why they are so commonly disliked.

As one might expect, both the look and the taste of these odd fellows makes them very widely-hated, although there are fans.

Grape Nuts

Grape nuts are in fact not made from grapes or nuts! They are a super healthy cereal, made from wheat and barley.

It is a very old cereal and has a very unappetizing, grool-like look. It doesn’t taste like much either, which is so bizarre as you eat it.

Grape nuts have always been a go to healthy food, but they also are not a very good looking food when mixed with milk.

Egg Salad

This one will bother some people because the truth is egg salad is incredibly popular, beloved by many. It goes in some sandwiches so perfectly!

That being said – it’s also yellow, smells like eggs, and the creamy texture throws a lot of people off. People especially who aren’t into eggs in general…

Egg salad is always seen at deli’s or sometimes at picnics, it’s definitely not the most hated food in the world, but to call it loved-worldwide?

Pigeon

Pigeons are not typically thought of as food you eat. Many remember pigeon pie as one of the main meals served in HBO’s famous series “Game of Thrones”.

The truth is the french eat pigeons and throughout the rest of your Europe. The British refer to this delicacy as squab.

Its also believed that in North Africa, pigeons are eaten. We cannot reccomend eating these guys, and they definitely have a place on this list!!

Jellyfish

In parts of Asia, Jellyfish is eaten. That being said, the tentacles of jellyfish contain many different toxins which can be harmful to humans.

Its not necessarily the easiest food to eat. They are jellyfish after all. You have to be super careful not to get stung! Ouch!

Jellyfish look bizarre, and can’t taste much better…Maybe stick to swimming with the jellyfish, not eating them!!! You don’t wan’t to get stung.

Acorn Squash

Acorn squash is widely loved for its sweet and nutty flavor. It commonly is seen around during the fall time and is beloved by many.

It also is mushy and bright, it has some pumpkin characteristics, so its not the tastiest looking food…Not everyone is asking for this one.

The acorn squash is rich in fiber, beloved by many, but due to its odd appearance and strange texture, it is another food that makes people scratch their heads…

Octopus

Octopus is very common in Japanese cuisine and you will see it eaten somewhat commonly, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s octopus.

It has tentacles, suction cups on its ends, and just has a creepy look to it. They however are loved by some people!

Octopus is a delicacy, and when prepared correctly there are many who call it their favorite food, but if you present it to a table….

Veggie Juices

For those of you meatless-heads, veggies are always at the front of everything. That being said, as we look at how vegetables do in drinks, we must ask, why?

Aren’t veggies meant for lunch and dinner? Why are we poisoning our fruit smoothies with healthy fruits?!

Carrot juice, kale juice, beet juice, it all has its audience, it also has a big group of people who do not like it at all!

Campari

Campari is a widely-beloved liquor. It contains a citrusy flavor with bitter notes that are very spicy due to the cloves and cinnamon.

Campari however due to the bitterness has a bit of a reputation for tasting like cold medicine. So some are into it more than others.

Campari is incredibly bitter, and if you don’t like that kind of aroma or taste, its probably not going to be your favorite.

Collard Greens

Collard greens are the perfect side dish in your meal. It goes well with different rib dishes, fried chicken, steaks, pork chops, its just a nice change-up.

It’s commonly seen in dishes from the south, and there are a lot of different ways to prep it. That being said, collard greens are also very bitter.

They also taste better mostly in the cooler months so if you are prepping it in the summer it may not taste so great.

Tamarind

Tamarind is a bizarre fruit with a sweet and sour taste that is incredibly unique. Some call it tangy or even tart. Its also rich in antioxidants and just in general a healthy fruit.

For some weird reason people seem to think that tamarind is a candy. It is not. Its very strange in both look as well as taste.

Its not, that being said its high in sugar, and constantly causes stomach discomfort as well. In general, tamarind is not a very popular fruit.

Beets

Beets baby beets! The food, not the music… Instead, it’s an organic compound called geosmin, which many people are pretty sensitive to.

Beets are definitely loved by many, they have lots of ability to be in salads, bowls, and even in cakes – but there is something off about these red plants.

Dwight Schrute may be a fan, but he’s in the minority. Plenty of people out there think they taste like dirt. Time Colonist reports that it’s not actual dirt.

Olives

Oh olives, we can’t live with them, but we also can’t live without them! These sometimes pitted, sometimes un-pitted bizarre tasting fellows always spark a debate.

This is one that I personally disagree with. I love olives — both green and black. (It’s the pimentos I have an issue with, but that’s an easy problem to fix.)

Most people can’t stand the way they taste, and happen to omit them from their Greek salads whenever possible.

Cilantro

Cilantro may seem like an odd one to go on the list, but because of the dispute over its taste in particular, it definitely has a place on here…

Now, this one has a real scientific backing behind it. If you ask a room of 100 people, around 14% of them would likely say that cilantro tastes just like soap.

“How cilantro tastes to you has a lot to do with your genes,” SciShow’s Hank Green said to the Huffington Post back in 2015.

Mushrooms

These fungi always spark a debate as well – Mushrooms go great on pizzas and in stir fry’s or as a part of pasta sauces…

I identified as a vegetarian for seven years, and the worst part about it was that a common meat substitute for events like weddings was a giant portobello mushroom.

Now, I dislike mushrooms in all forms, but eating one as a main dish is seriously not my thing. I’m not alone in this…

Tomatoes

While tomatoes are beloved for their uses in ketchup and tomato sauce, they also are watery, full of seeds, and can taste terrible when not ripe.

Is there anything better than picking a tomato from your own garden, slicing it up, adding a little salt and basil, and eating it as a snack?

According to tomato haters, yes. do you gTomatoes have a mix of textures, so it makes sense as to why people may be keen on leaving them out of their sandwich.

Durian

It’s a tropical fruit that has a wonderful taste, but the awful smell is enough to turn people off forever. Such a bizarre looking fruit.

Food fanatics may have heard of durian before, even though it might not be readily available at your local market.

It’s so bad that the consumption of durian was actually banned in certain areas of Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong. You can’t say the same for a banana or Red Delicious.

Bitter Gourd

Bitter gourd is known as Bitter Melon in the US. Its a very unripe fruit and as you can probably guess, is bitter.

It’s also called bitter melon, but the name difference won’t change people’s minds about it.

Sure, it has plenty of good medicinal traits, and seems to be especially good to eat if you have diabetes. . GB Times even listed it as being the #1 most hated food in China.

Eggplant

Eggplant is another one like tomatoes where you can say for the most part its loved, but there are quite a few people out there who simply can’t stand eggplant.

You might not know what to expect when you try eating eggplant. Sadly, it tastes nothing like eggs. However they can be just as tasty.

It has a bitter skin and doesn’t have a very flavorful rind, so it may be puzzling as to why people still eat it. But, it seems like if you cook it just right….

Circus Peanuts

Circus peanuts are a silly candy, I mean look at them…And there really aren’t that many people out there who love it.

As far as candy goes, Circus Peanuts are one of the least popular. These are just so peculiar in both look and taste. They even smell odd.

And it makes sense as to why. They obviously don’t even taste like peanuts, and they’re a bit chewier than your standard marshmallow.

Bologna

So I know what you are going to say, how can you hate bologna? But that’s bologna, BECAUSE ITS BOLOGNA.

But, it wasn’t my favorite. As time went on, ham became my preferred deli meat. It just goes so well on sandwiches. Ham and cheese is the best.

So, what’s the deal with bologna? It’s made of either beef or pork, which makes sense, but it’s usually the parts of the animal nobody likes talking about.

Pineapple Pizza

Pineapple on pizza is considered criminal to some people. Many Italian-natives find it offensive! They believe its ruining the honor of pizza.

You could say that pizza, in general, is a universal favorite. It’s hard not to like pizza. However some believe it is very easy to not like pineapple on pizza.

But the topping of pineapple is controversial, and nearly broke the internet some time back. Personally, I dig it on occasion.

Liver

Remember that episode of Doug, the one in which he’s terrified that Patti will be serving liver and onions for dinner at her party?

I feel like I’ve referenced this episode a lot in my life. Liver is just such an odd food and really is not THAT beloved for the reason that yes, its liver.

He didn’t want to be rude, but liver was one of his least favorite foods — and he’s not alone. In 2015, liver was near the top of the list of Britain’s most-hated foods.

Ginger

Just because its in a lot of items does not mean its popular. The truth is, a lot of people hate ginger. It is a peculiar taste.

Ginger may be popularly used in Chinese dishes, but it doesn’t mean everyone is a fan of it. Some love it, some don’t.

GBTimes reports that it’s the 4th least popular food in China, based on its smell and the creepy way it’s able to camouflage itself in many meals.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise always has a huge following, but its texture, appearance, and eggy taste makes a lot of people mayo-haters.

When it comes to mayo, people either love it or hate it. For some people, it simply overpowers a sandwich or a noodle salad.

“You will find this kind of polarization in other countries around the world,” food sensory consultant Herbert Stone said to Popular Science.

Spam

My husband likes to cook, which is wonderful. But there is one dinner I will never forget — he told me it was Spam after I ate it.

(Seriously — it’s always important to be up front with food.) You never know. Spam is just such an interesting one.

There are a bunch of Spam lovers out there, but the meat-in-a-can often gets a bad reputation because, well, it comes in a can. And has a smell.

Candy Corn

Candy corn is honestly atrocious – the fact it still is sold in stores is unbelievable. You will rarely find someone snacking on these.

It used to be a staple of Halloween, but it usually only gets eaten in times of sugar emergencies. Even then, its a stretch seriously to go for these bizarre fellas.

In a heated Spoon University article called “6 Reasons Why Candy Corn is the Worst Part of Halloween,” writer Rachel Abramowitz states that the ingredients are enough.

Tuna

This one I am sure you were expecting. The taste, look, and that awful smell make tuna such a widely-hated food, despite its consistent popularity.

My mom used to make the best tuna sandwiches. Seriously. That doesn’t mean everyone would like them…but I definitely did!

She often made little tuna fish squares for neighborhood events and they were always gone within minutes. But tuna comes in all shapes and sizes.

Black Licorice

I mean look at it, it looks frightening! Spooky spooky candy. No one ACTUALLY likes licorice, right? Wrong, some people do…

Black licorice has little appeal to it if I am being completely honest. It’s known to cause an irregular heart rhythm in some people who eat too much.

(Because not too many people are binging black licorice.) In the candy world, it’s not known as a top favorite.

Pickles

Pickles are always going to be debated, but you know that will always be met with so much debate from pickle-lovers, as they always seemed to be shocked.

Pickles are another in the “love them or loathe them” category. The taste itself of something pickled is not loved by all, SURPRISINGLY.

Delish mentioned three reasons why they may turn people off — their phallic shape, their sour smell, and the fact that they make a crunching noise.

Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe’s skin feels weird, its bright and orange, rarely ripe enough to eat, and can stink when left out. Its good sometimes, but not all time.

Cantaloupe can be tasty sure, it can also be nasty. Especially when its not super right, its smelly and attracts bugs easily…not a fan!

It’s a sweet summer fruit, but arguably the least popular addition to a fruit salad. Especially since most fruit salads load up on it as filler.

Brussels Sprouts

The funny thing is as people get older, they seem to grow a major taste for Brussel sprouts. The smell of Brussel Sprouts can take away many peoples appetite.

The smell itself is awful despite them sometimes being so delicious. It turns out that there’s a scientific reason why.

“Innately, we’re born to reject bitter foods because for every one plant or potential foodstuff in nature which is bitter and good for us.

Kale

Kale is one of the most top-tier super foods. Kale is also one of those foods that for some people, no matter how you make it, they just won’t like it.

It is widely-loved by many for both its nutritional value along with some who love the taste. That being said, kale also to many is gross.

You could argue this should be at the top of the list seeing as how of all the food we discussed, kale is arguably the one of the more popular.

Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is an interesting one. Its curdled milk essentially so its not hard to believe many people don’t like cottage cheese.

The soupy texture of cottage cheese is bizarre along with its creamy taste. The chunkiness that makes the bulk of it.

It really is just a truly bizarre choice, and some people like to put it on some strange food like sweet potatoes or cantaloupe.

Quinoa

Quinoa like kale is widely loved because of how healthy it is. However there are some who don’t think that is best!

This is also a texture issue though: many people have a serious issue with the taste of quinoa based on its texture. Some call it firm…

But, it does have protein, it can be made to taste, there is a lot of opportunity with quinoa. You can make bowls with it too.

Lima Beans

Lima beans to start off look weird, but let’s look at these green guys a little more. They taste weird for one…

There is more to it than meets the eye….These are still some useful beans, they just also get a lot of…we can call it disregard.

Lima beans are a legume and while they look like a pea almost, they really have more of a nutty and sweet taste.

Frog Legs

Frog Legs are on here because they are frog legs, but they are also a widely-loved delicacy. When prepared correctly, frog legs are pretty good.

Frog legs are typically served as a delicacy in a lot of Chinese dishes, but it does offer one unique trait that some people can’t get behind.

Frog legs are however loved by many, including the late great Kobe Bryant whose favorite dish was frog legs with a honey garlic sauce.

Veggie Burgers

It was not an easy decision, but the burger lovers demand justice! Sorry veggie burgers, you are high on the list for a reason…

Veggie burgers are so beloved by so many but still so many people are quick to judge! They are a food with a lot of controversy.

Nevertheless, there are some good versions of this out there, there are just also some not so good ones, and people are hung up on it!

Anchovies

Anchovies most notably are the key ingredient in caesar dressing, and often mistaken with sardines. Anchovies have an interesting look.

It is however a very strange fish and is often sold canned or jarred with olive oil. Let’s look at these greasy guys a little further.

Anchovies are not typically eaten solo, but some do. It is definitely more commonly seen in your salad dressing, but it belongs.

Tripe

Tripe just looks bizarre and that alone turns people away from eating it. Then they learn more about it and what it actually is….

Tripe is stomach lining, which can come from a number of different animals. It has a liver-like flavor. Its hard to find many people out there who like tripe.

There are a lot of Italian-inspired dishes with tripe, and those who love it certainly stand by it! Tripe is considered a delicacy to some.

Oysters

Oysters are a delicacy and beloved by many. Its an animal, some won’t call it seafood. They are often served with a splash of tabasco.

Oysters however do have a very bizarre texture, they don’t look the most appetizing, but they still do get a lot of love!

This one too could definitely be at the top of the list, but its texture alone makes it so widely debated. We couldn’t not talk about oysters.

Fruit Cake

Oh fruit cake, you have a place on Christmas, but you disgust so many people, for so many reasons…Let’s dive in.

Fruit cake certainly takes the cake as one the most bizarre ones on here. You would think its good, fruit and cake.

Fruit cake is just a bizarre mix of nuts and dried fruits put into a cake and it sometimes can look appetizing, but it is far far from it.

Okra

Okra’s are a very interesting one. Okra has an odd look, bizarre taste, and not many people are into it! Some are however. Let’s talk about this one some more…

Many dispute its origin, but okra is a plant with edible seeds inside. It is a very interesting food, has an interesting taste, some say almost grassy.

A lot of people enjoy okra, it is especially loved in southern cooking, however it does have a very strange taste, making is such a controversial food.

Gherkins

The sour taste of pickles alone makes people fume. It is such a highly debated food, gherkins fall in with the debate on team pickle.

Gherkins are really just a smaller version of pickles. These nasty little guys are frankly foul and its bizarre how many different foods you see them used with.

It comes from a smaller cucumber, that’s all. That being said, much like pickles this is a very controversial food.

Prunes

A lot of people like prunes for their added health benefit. Many enjoy the sweet taste it brings. However, prunes are a very odd textured treat.

Prunes do have some versatility, it can be used in a number of different dishes, just maybe try a date first!

Prunes are plain weird. They look like old grapes. And they taste funky too. So many people have a problem with prunes. Sardines

Canned fish, how delicious! Sardines may be eaten all over the world, but there is a reason these are number one on the list.

Sardines are generally thought of as nasty. The fishy smell along with the unappetizing look of the actual fish – it also comes in a tin.

There are masses who support these little guys. People of Scandinavian descent especially love their sardines, it is without a doubt a very Nordic food.

Blue Cheese

Eating mold just isn’t something humans are programmed to enjoy. So why is it that blue cheese is totally acceptable, and for some people, thoroughly enjoyed?

Blue cheese is just one of those foods that doesn’t feel right, if you ask us. First there’s the unpleasant smell, and then there’s the offputting taste. No thanks!

And let’s not even start on the tangy, almost metallic aftertaste. If blue cheese were a person at a party, it would definitely be the one everyone loves to hate.

Coconut

Coconut is the tropical treat that some of us just can’t get behind. While it’s hailed for its versatility, the texture can be a real deal-breaker.

Those stringy bits can feel like chewing on a loofah. The flavor, too, is a hit-or-miss—either you relish that sweet, nutty taste, or you find it overpowering.

To us, it’s a bit reminiscent of suntan lotion. Coconut can turn a delicious dessert into a gritty ordeal. It’s like the beach vacation we’d rather skip.