Avocado, young me thought it was a Kiwi so it might just have been the surprise of how different it was.

Olives. A greek salad with some big ol’ kalamata olives sounds really good right now.

School food ruined so many things for me. I used to hate rice and gyros but they are really tasty if prepared well

Capers

I didn’t like cottage cheese until I was 38. I kept trying it, not sure what changed.

Onions, like slices of onion on burgers or in a dish.

At some point it just didn’t matter anymore and they are kinda nice.

I have eaten 9 grapes.

I used to work as a sullen kid picking grapes for a winery in the summers. Hated the very thought so never ate any, not because I had any respect back then. As a poor kid, you aren’t forced to try something if it would waste food: give it to the people whom it can benefit.

Now then, decades later, and we’re touring another vineyard, me and my wife. “Here,” says the tour guide, handing me one. “Try it.”

Wife knows the deal - squick - but knows I won’t be impolite while this man shows off his livelihood. Her eyes flash a dare but I didn’t need that. I ate my first grape about 14 years ago from st hubertus winery in Kelowna. Didn’t make a face so as not to offend. It was meh.

Since then I’ve had one or two more. And then we go to this fancy pants restaurant and the appetizer on the pricy-ass set menu is this Italian salad thing with all.kinds of green grapes. Fuck me but it was expensive. Ate the whole thing because we don’t waste food in my family. She chuckled and rolled her gorgeous green eyes as she stole a few. That’s the last 6.

So 9.

I may have had 1 hundred strawberries too. I’m livin it up.

Green beans. I still don’t like them if they came from a can, though. But fresh ones, French cut and sauteed in garlic butter go great with meat.

As a kid i used to hate fuul with tamis (ful medames and naan bread) but now i can’t get enough of it. basically legal crack.

Two standout ingredients: avocados and horseradish.

Vegetables

Herring. Specifically pickled herring.

Once i realized you’re supposed to have it as a condiment to other food, everything changed. Chopped matjes herring with new potatoes, butter and red onion is like crack cocaine.

Steak fries, because everybody is stupid when they’re 7.

Sweets in general.

As an alcoholic, when I was drinking I never cared for sweets. Now that I’ve been sober for some time, I crave candy and ice cream and sweet cereals.

Probably has something to do with the way I process alcohol / sugar.

Pickles because of spirolactone, but not as much anymore, don’t got the balls for it anymore.