A look at how chefs deal with preparing food they don't like!

Every person is different, and their taste buds are no exception. The fact that we all like the taste of different foods has allowed us as a race to create and innovate a variety of different combinations and dishes.

Unfortunately, not everyone likes everything available to them, and that includes people in the profession.

Many people assume that chefs pursue a career in food because they love the taste of everything, but that of course is not true. Instead, they just find ways to work around or deal with foods they dislike.

A recent Quora question that was posted a while ago but has recently gained some interest asked how chefs prepare foods they generally don’t like.

For the most part, it’s a case of dealing with it.

Sarah Geer, a personal chef, said, “You taste it anyway.  Part of the job is learning to discern whether a dish is prepared correctly and seasoned correctly whether you like it or not.  I don't have to personally like a food to know I've prepared it properly, but the only way to know for certain is to taste it.”

It is part of the training process that you have to be able to distinguish good from bad subjectively, not objectively. This sentiment is echoed by a number of respondents, including Christian Lemp.

“The key is to know if it tastes right. Is it seasoned properly? Cooked the right amount? Are the flavours balanced? Will this taste complement the other components on the plate for the full dish? Aside from allergies I would be wary of a chef that refuses to even taste food, even if they don't like it, that will be served to a customer.”

Indeed, some chefs see tasting food they dislike as a major opportunity in a number of ways. For example, foods they hadn’t tried before or simply didn’t like could become part of their regular eating pattern. This is due to the sheer amount of experimentation that goes into making a dish perfect for the customer.

“I actually hated, loathed tomato soup all my life until I had to make it regularly at work. I found versions of it I like enough to make at home now,” Rebecca Gold said.

“I discovered I love so many foods I never realized I loved by cooking them daily.”

Overall, there is a misconception that chefs cook food how they would want to eat it themselves, or they pass on the prep of foods they dislike to another chef. But this doesn’t ring true; Jonas Luster had this to say.

“We cook things you like and how you like them. Which means, simply, that I don't cook to my taste but to the taste I know you'll enjoy. 

Often I start, of course, with a general idea and do it the way I enjoy it. Which, let's face it, isn't how you like your food. Take steak. I love mine bloody and lukewarm, few of my diners do. Heck, I detest well done steak, but people like it and order it. So I cook it.”