In the world of gastronomy, certain truths are held to be self-evident. Pasta must be cooked al dente, steak is best medium-rare, and pineapple on pizza is a contentious issue. Yet, every now and then, someone steps forward with a culinary opinion that defies convention, leaving us questioning everything we thought we knew about cooking.
Get ready to have your kitchen paradigms shaken and stirred. We’ve collected a series of controversial cooking viewpoints from a variety of brave food enthusiasts who took to Reddit to “come out” with these unpopular opinions. These culinary mavericks are ready to challenge the status quo and might change how you view your next meal. Prepare yourself for an unexpected gastronomic journey.
On Cooking Pasta
“I prefer overcooked spaghetti. Al dente is just a texture that I really can’t get my body to like.” —u/JurneeMaddock
On Cooking Bacon
“I don’t like crispy bacon. Everyone I know likes it practically burnt, but I’d much rather have it fatty and tender.” —u/the_zodiac_pillar
On Chopping
“When I make salad for just myself, I chop everything up so I can eat it with a spoon. I actually really dislike getting a huge leaf of lettuce on my fork. Just give it to me bite-size.” —u/Thomisawesome
On Microwaving Cheese
“Chewy microwaved quesadillas are awesome.” —u/imnojezus
On Cooking Rice
- “I don’t like to rinse my rice. I love the stickier texture it has with the starch on rather than having individual grains.” —u/101bees
- “I feel like it’s a waste of time, and I see no difference between rinsed and unrinsed.” —u/rsvp_as_pending629
On Baked Goodies
“I don’t like cookies, brownies, or cake warm and soft from the oven. I like them cold and chewy.” —u/my_dancing_pants
On Potatoes and Turkey
“I love gloopy mashed potatoes. I use a hand mixer, and they turn out amazing. I also like dry turkey and use lots of gravy and cranberry sauce.” —u/Impossible_Key793
On Cooking Mac-n-Cheese
- “Baking mac ‘n’ cheese makes it worse. Just put the cheese sauce on the pasta and you’re golden.” —u/mierecat
- “I agree. I want it to be goopy and cheesy and not dried out like baked mac ‘n’ cheese always is.” —u/ybreddit
On Truffle Oil
- “Truffle oil is trash.” —u/puzhalsta
- “Strong agree here. I used to like truffle fries and such, but they got so overdone I just can’t anymore.” —u/Kushali
On Soggy Foods
“I like soggy cereal, but just to the point that there’s no more crunch, not to the point where it starts dissolving into the milk. Same with pizza. I recently had deep fried pizza, but because of all the sauce, it was soggy as I preferred; whereas, other people complained about it.” —u/LeviathanLust
On Undercooking Spaghetti
“I like when a clump of spaghetti sticks together. It’s a weird, chewy texture.” —u/Remarkable_Middle_42
On Steaming French Fries
“I like my fries soggy, like they’ve been steaming in the takeaway bag for a good five minutes.” —u/mindsnare
A Lot About Fish
“I hate ‘perfectly cooked’ fish. I prefer my baked salmon to have the texture of canned tuna. I’ll gag if it’s perfectly cooked, but I love raw fish in sushi and smoked salmon.” —u/Preesi
The Garlic Defender
“I will always defend jars of pre-minced garlic.” —u/foxieinboots
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On Cooking Eggs
“I like my yolk cooked on my eggs — over hard eggs. No liquid or soft yolks, just no. Scrambled eggs need to be dry, not soft. It’s mostly a texture thing with a strong side of the knowledge of where that egg comes from under most circumstances. It doesn’t help that I don’t have a strong preference for the flavor of egg.” —u/JuniperFizz
The Plain Jane
“I like cheeseburgers completely plain, no condiments or toppings. I like the flavor pairing of some toppings, but would rather sacrifice them to avoid the messiness.” —u/lisabobisa46
Pork Preferences
“I like pork chops dry as a bone and sausage cut up and basically charred into little hockey pucks!” —u/MzOwl27
More Dry Meats
“I like my chicken overcooked. Not so dry that I have to wash it down with water, but if it’s juicy, I get grossed out.” —u/ILoveNapsZzz
On the Best Pizza Topping
“Other than more cheese, ranch is the best pizza condiment.” —u/corndog819
Ketchup Slander
“Ketchup is completely overrated, and mayo is a better condiment in almost every scenario.” —u/UsernameRemorse
On American Cheese
“American cheese (I like Kraft) is good. It is a necessary ingredient with a time and a place.” —u/ozzalot
On Not Cooking
“I only eat leftover pizza cold. Leftover pizza should never be reheated. Its glory is lost once put in the fridge. Microwaving it kills everything good about it, and putting it in the oven takes too long. Just eat it cold.” —u/lazy_kaiju
Not Wine Time
“I hate wine. I will never understand why so many people like it. I’ve had cheap boxed wine and expensive bottles — they all taste gross.” —u/AD480
On Cooking Chili
“Beans belong in chili. Otherwise, it’s just ground meat soup.” —u/UnidansOtherAcct
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Cold Coffee
“I like my coffee room temp. No iced coffee ever, it gets too watery. Hot coffee left to cool for a half hour-ish is perfect.” —u/I-am-me-86
As we conclude this culinary rollercoaster ride, remember that cooking is an art form open to interpretation and innovation. These 25 individuals have shown us that it’s okay to challenge the norm and think outside the recipe box. Whether you found yourself nodding in agreement or shaking your head in disbelief at these unpopular opinions, they’ve surely given you food for thought.
For even more food fun, keep reading. We’ve got the most heinous food fails of all time to share with you. They are so gross you might not be the same after seeing them.
This Is A Homicide
This appears to be a murder victim. But, if you take a closer look you’ll see that it’s a bacon-wrapped meatloaf with spaghetti hair, almond teeth, cherry tomato cheese eyes, and a lot of sadness. Please don’t do anything like this.
A Strudel with a Case of Stolen Identity
This person who shared this food fail explained that they were attempting to make a strudel. Does this look like strudel to you? No! Because it’s a lie and this is clearly a block of coal.
These Meatballs Are a Choking Hazard
These dry, flavorless, sauceless, grey meatballs look so very said. We do not know this for sure, but foods that look this dry tend to get caught in the throat, latched by their dryness, if you will. Don’t even think about taking a bite. It could be your last.
Tacos But Make Them Poison
Have you ever owned a cat? If you know, then you know, but for all others out there, these “shrimp” have some serious issues. Firstly, they look more like little link sausages than shrimp. Secondly, what the hell is a buffalo shrimp taco? Did we somehow miss a trend? This will undoubtedly make your entire life flash before your eyes if you eat it. Don’t.
Chilaquiles Took Their Revenge on Nachos
This sad-looking broken plate of nachos sure made a mess of this person’s oven and is unquestionably a fail. Perhaps they should have stuck with the more traditional Mexican dish, chilaquiles, which commercialized nachos are loosely based on.
Unicorn Meat Is Illegal
This is clearly processed and boiled unicorn meat, right? There’s no other excuse for this pink plate of mess. Do not hunt the world’s withering population of unicorns. What a shame.
We’d Like to Report a Crime Against Shellfish
We don’t know how this happened. We don’t want to know how this happened. We want to forget we saw it as this is one of the most gruesome crime scenes we’ve ever laid eyes on.
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This Is Indecent Exposure
“Breakfast lollipop featuring Jalapeno [sic] Cheddar Sausage, farm fresh eggs, and barbecue sauce,” the person who shared this image informed its viewers. There’s something so unseemly here. No one ever wants a savory lollipop or to see anything like this on their table, or anywhere else for that matter.
Call the Pancake Police
We’ve got a series of brutal atrocities against pancakes for you to learn from. This is supposed to be a zucchini pancake which just seems wrong to begin with, but then they topped their “scrambled pancake” with peanut butter, blueberries, and yogurt which looks like mayonnaise.
Call the Pancake Police We’ve Got a Repeat Offender
The person who shared this image described the desired result as a “blueberry protein pancake.” Is cardboard a good source of protein or did we miss something? These pancakes somehow also resemble oysters and we just can’t.
What Did Pancakes Ever Do to You, People?
Please, for the love of god, learn how to make a plain old basic pancake before you find yourself with a mess like this. Did pancakes hurt you? The person who “made” this mess asked, “Can I get away with saying a mermaid made them?” No! Mermaids aren’t real! Unicorns? Yes. Mermaids? Not a chance.
Notify the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
The person who shared these alien embryos had intended to make Vietnamese shrimp spring rolls. The result is an insult to the entirety of Vietnam, its people, its culture, its foodways, and its language.
Child Endangerment, Plain and Simple
Just as a rule of thumb, nothing baby-shaped belongs in the oven. You can take that tip to the bank! This makes us so uncomfortable we’re going to move to the disgusting creation that’s next on the list.
Keep Your Toads Out of Those Holes
Toad in the hole or Sausage Toad is a traditional English dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables. Generally, it looks pretty disgusting when done right, but this looks so bad on a variety of levels that we can’t discuss here because we’re afraid to.
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Chaos Reigns
Lord, grant me the strength… The person who shared this unsightly crime scene described this dish as a “hotdog pie.” It consists of a filling of ground beef, a “crust” of weenies, and a topping of ketchup, mustard, and relish. The sick mind behind this should probably get a psych evaluation.
How many calories do expect this list will keep you from intaking today? Will you ever eat again? What is an appetite, anyway? We hope you enjoyed this silly list. In all honesty, we love adventurous cooks who aren’t afraid to push the envelope and try something new. However, there’s a line and these people crossed it.