What Foods Professional Chefs Don’t Like, But Are Customer Favorites

Professional chefs are surrounded by food every day, thinking about it and creating dishes. But that doesn’t mean they like everything. Here are some foods chefs and cookbook authors prefer not to eat.

Truffle Oil

Truffle oil was beloved by chefs and high-end restaurants 20 years ago, often adding a premium to dishes featuring this prized ingredient. However, it has gradually fallen out of favor, and some chefs refuse to use it today.

Boiled Eggs

Some chefs dislike boiled eggs due to it’s scent resembling the unpleasant gas we release from our bottoms.

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk adds light creaminess and a delicate sweetness to many soups, curries, and stews. However, there have been a few chefs who find coconut milk too overwhelming.

Sea Urchin

Despite being a prized ingredient many people rave about, some chefs avoid it due to it’s “slimy” and “gooey” texture.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Despite being a staple in most desserts, some professional chefs steer clear of chocolate ice cream.

Bell Peppers

As bell peppers can overpower certain ingredients, chefs tend to avoid mixing them into their dishes. Instead, they prefer to have bell peppers be a dish on its own, whether grilled or marinated.

Oatmeal

Some chefs have a love-hate relationship with certain foods. For Chef Robert Gomez of Fresh n’ Lean, it’s oatmeal. Gomez shares, “I love oats in granola or oatmeal cookies but hate hot oatmeal. The texture is too mushy and sticky.”

Eggplant

Eggplants are often overlooked by chefs in most culinary dishes. They are either not prepared properly or difficult to fit as an ingredient.

Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing has avid fans who put it on everything from pizza and salads to oatmeal and steak. But some chefs avoid it.

Onions

Onions are considered a cornerstone of many dishes, but not all chefs love or even want to eat them.

Cauliflower

People on keto diets might tear up hearing this, but celebrity chef and cookbook author Jennifer Booker won’t eat cauliflower. “I don’t like cauliflower. Vegetables should be big, bold, and beautiful in color. Cauliflower is not. It looks like the color has drained out of it, making it unappetizing. I’ve tried it and found it tastes as bland as it looks.”

Natto

Natto is fermented soybeans, often eaten for breakfast in Japan or used in salads and side dishes. However, the smell and taste can be off-putting, which is why some chefs will avoid it.

Sweetened Shredded Coconut

Although delicious to most, some chefs dislike the texture of shredded coconut. Some have even shared that they feel like the taste of the sweet coconut nearly disappears due to the texture.