Top 20 foods Brits say they hate despite never having tried are revealed in new study

SIX in 10 Brits claim to dislike foods they’ve never even tried, according to research.

A poll, of 2,000 adults, found they have an average of eight foods they refuse to eat, with five of those being ones they’ve never tasted.

Ben Stevens/PinPepBoursin Plant-based has partnered with TV foodie Frenchman Fred Sirieix[/caption]

Sushi, black pudding, and kimchi are among the foods people most commonly to dislike without trying first, along with plant-based alternatives to cheese and anchovies.  

Tofu, liver, and plant-based equivalents to milk also featured in the top 10.

Despite this, 65 per cent proudly claim to have adventurous palates, while 74 per cent said they are willing to try new foods.

The study was commissioned by Boursin Plant-based, which has partnered with TV foodie Frenchman Fred Sirieix, to investigate food biases by hosting blind tastings at food festivals throughout the summer.

Fred Sirieix said: “Brits claim to eagerly embrace culinary trends and global flavours, but they can be particularly prejudiced when it comes to certain foods, and this is one of the biggest barriers to discovery.

“Many ingredients including plant-based alternatives to cheese have huge negative preconceptions.  

“But despite many claiming they’d be able to differentiate plant-based from dairy, even the most discerning foodies were fooled by this plant-based alternative to cheese when we let taste do the talking.”

The study found that 65 per cent of adults admit to judging food negatively before tasting, yet 53 per cent change their minds after trying – a reminder to stay open-minded.

The biggest motivators for trying new flavours were blind taste tests or learning about a food’s health benefits, each cited by 21 per cent of respondents.

Six in 10 said they would be honest if served something they didn’t want to eat, with 32 per cent then refusing it outright, while 28 per cent would at least try a small bite.

Despite all of the above, only 17 per cent actually admitted to being a fussy eater, according to OnePoll.com data.

It also emerged 67 per cent were adamant they’d be able to tell the difference between dairy and plant-based alternatives to cheese – with nearly a half (46 per cent) willing to give it a go if it tasted as good as the ‘real thing’.

Fred Sirieix, on behalf of Boursin, added: “People are very clearly confident in their ability to tell dairy from plant-based alternatives but as we saw from experience, this was not actually the case.

“In reality, less than 10 per cent of people at the Foodies festival were able to differentiate between Boursin plant-based and dairy.

“It just goes to show – there’s a whole world of flavours out there waiting to be explored if you’re brave enough.

“Even ingredients you might dismiss because of previous experiences, judgements, or assumptions can still surprise you if prepared in the right way.  

“So, embrace the challenge and let the taste do the talking.”

Ben Stevens/PinPepSushi tops the list[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]