The Physicality of Eating: Foods We Absolutely Cannot Stand

I am by no means a fussy eater, but when it comes to food texture, I have some reservations. Eating is not a single-sensory activity; all of our senses contribute to the way in which we consume food. The way something looks, smells, and of course, tastes, can influence how appealing or unappealing it is to us. Even the sounds come into play, for example many people may be put off by loud-chewers or crunchy foods.

The biggest problem I face with food is the texture. I have been known to never finish the end of a glass of fruit juice because I don’t like the ‘bits’, a soggy blueberry can put me off the whole punnet, and I can’t eat fruit yoghurt because the texture of the soggy fruit makes me uncomfortable. I don’t know whether it’s the unexpected sensation that throws me off, or just the actual feeling of it on my tongue, but a certain texture can completely put me off my food. Speaking of feeling uncomfortable, sometimes even the look of food can put me off. If you’re familiar with the concept of the fear of small holes (trypophobia?), then you might understand how fish eggs and crumpets make me slightly nauseous at times. When I was younger, I could never understand why the inside of a crumpet looked so strange to me.

Alternatively, some textures I love are smooth custard (provided there are absolutely no lumps), crispy bread, and Cadbury’s Wispa chocolates. I can’t explain it, they just taste good.

Words by: Caitlin Evans Page dvesign: Soyal Khedkar