Melon in season is wonderful, but it shouldn't be thrown around willy nilly.

That's a right on right back atcha.

I have almost none of the hates mentioned here

Total list of hates: fish livers, sea urchins, geoducks. That is it. Can force them down to be polite if required, but never enjoy them.

Total list of stuff I'm indifferent to, but can eat and ignore - super bland tasteless stuff.

Every other type of food I like. Tentacles, strong spices, livers of land animals, you name it. Er not a challenge. I'm sure the Buffistas can in fact name foodstuffs I would not eat. But of things I'm actually likely to be offered, I'll pretty much eat anything. Probably part of the reason I'm overweight.

How many melon haters here are tomato haters?

Me! (Although I only hate raw tomatoes, like Dana and Sophia, and Nilly, too, IIRC--yes, this is Buffista topic #243.) All types of melon--musk, cantaloupe, water, all blaaaargh. I avoid fruit salad unless I make it or my mom, who makes a separate bowl for me sans melon before finishing the big bowl for everyone else.

Raw tomatoes are just disgusting tasting, no matter how fresh or heirloom they are. I had to take an already assembled sandwich wrap from the cafeteria last week, and spent a good three minutes picking out all the tomato chunks before biting into it, and when I found out I missed a big chunk, I nearly gagged.

if used sparingly.

I have trouble eating my own food near someone who's eating chili. Seriously, a couple of times my gag reflex kicked in. I haven't the faintest idea what it tastes like.

How can y'all be so picky about food?

I'm pretty sure it's not a conscious choice.

I actually really like food too (also overweight). I used to go to lunch with a male cow-orker every day, and every day we went to a different restaurant. And I always ordered the same thing. One day he asked me why, and I said I was afraid I wouldn't like something else. He pointed out (in an admiring tone) that I LOVED to eat, so why not try the new stuff. He asked me what I had ever eaten that I disliked, and all I could some up with was melons. (My tomato dislike is more of a dis- preferance, I can force them down)

Reader, I should have married him.

I'm sure the Buffistas can in fact name foodstuffs I would not eat.

The only thing I can tolerate raw tomatoes in is gazpacho, because it's supposed to taste like raw tomatoes. But raw tomatoes ruin everything else by making things that aren't supposed to taste like raw tomatoes taste like raw tomatoes.

I have a thing about the smell of spearmint. It turns my stomach. I can't even talk to someone who is chewing spearmint flavored gum, because I can't handle even that little bit of smell.

Joins Tom S in gazpacho loving but raw tomato hating corner. Actually, it's weird--I love salsa (if it has enough other spices to offset the raw tomatoes) and good gazpacho (again, if it has enough other spices), but despise V-8.

Mopane worms, anyone?

(I'm really glad I missed that part of the trip.)