Going Green
BY ALEX SVENNE
What are two short words that strike fear in the hearts of children and adults alike? Brussels sprouts. Shoved to the side of the plate, hidden under a napkin, and often fed to the dog, Brussels are the veggie that no one likes to eat. There is some science behind this, which I will get to in due course, but I want to get into the very idea of food dislikes.
Everyone has something they just don’t like. Some people are very fussy and dislike almost everything. My son eats pasta, hot dogs, bread, pizza, apples and carrots. That is all. Others are more adventurous and like almost everything. My daughter eats blue cheese, olives, curry, sushi and almost everything else you can create. But even she has a dislike. She doesn’t like mushrooms. I have always enjoyed most foods, but I didn’t like caraway seeds. Being from an eastern European family, we ate a lot of dark rye bread. I loved it, but if my mom bought the one with caraway seeds, I couldn’t stand it.
But now I like caraway. I like caraway now because I made a conscious decision not to let my old food dislikes get in the way of my enjoyment of food. My wife hated olives. For 18 years, I would routinely encourage her to try them. When I discovered jumbo green Cerignola olives, I fed one to her. She reluctantly tried it, and liked it! Now she likes all olives; Cerignola, the gateway olive.
People develop food dislikes for many different reasons. Sometimes it happens in childhood. Children’s tastebuds are particularly sensitive, so strong flavours can put them off. Sometimes they had a bad experience with food. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard; “I had some bad mussels once.” Or the classic, “Ever since that time in high school, I can’t stand the taste of tequila.” And sometimes people have food dislikes because they have never had it prepared properly. The worst scenario is when people dislike food they have never even tried! How often do I hear, “I don’t like blue cheese.” Have you tried it? “No, I just don’t like it.”
I challenge you to face your food fears. Find those dishes you think you don’t like and try them again. Your sense of taste changes. Learn how to prepare the food properly. Try it in a restaurant. Open your mind and expand your palate. There is a world of food out there for you to experience and enjoy.
Now, back to Brussels sprouts. Named for the city in Belgium, the sprouts have origins in ancient Rome. Brussels sprouts contain strong cancer-fighting compounds. They also contain a chemical called glucosilinate sinigrin, which my son explains to me is a sugar bonded with a sulfur-nitrogen compound. This chemical is released at high temperature producing a sulfur smell and taste. This seems to explain why Brussels sprouts are so often disliked. You are over cooking them!
Brussels sprouts are bright green when you pick them off the plant and they should be bright green when you cook them. When they get the colour of army fatigues you have gone too far. You can cook them whole, cut them in half or slice them. If you choose to cook them whole, cause this looks cool, cut slits in the tops to allow the heat to get in and the steam to escape. Cook them until they are tender, but still a nice bright shade of green. You can boil them in boiling salted water. You can cut them in half, toss them with olive oil and roast them in a hot oven. I like to slice them and pan-fry them. This is the fastest way to cook them and you get the nice nutty flavours when the sugars caramelize. I will fry them up with a little grainy mustard and a shot of honey. I love Brussels sprouts with pork or duck, but I have been known to sit down and just eat a bowl of Brussels sprouts with nothing else.
So, it’s time to face your fears and try Brussels sprouts again.