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Comment by zzalpha | Hacker News Reader

Alas, despite the title, and my hope that someone could finally help me justify my deep aversion to raw tomatoes, the article provides little enlightenment:

Frankly, the scientific community has been sadly remiss in getting to the bottom of the mystery of why raw tomatoes make some of us gag, despite a few scattered flavor studies.

Oh well. I guess it'll remain a mystery...

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I think a big part of it, at least for me, is the mucoid layer around the seeds. If I seed raw tomatoes, they go down fine. But those seeds: it's like eating someone else's boogers.

Okra is worse. https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-cbf76cc77c20cdd2e90413...

While we're at it, don't forget natto. Though I guess it's cheating since it's not "fresh".

http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/blog/assets_c/2011/10/natto%2...

This is interesting because the sliminess of okra bothers me, but of tomatoes, not at all

This makes it sound like a texture aversion.

What you experience as "slimy boogers," I experience as "juicy tanginess"

Yeah that was the only question I thought the article would answer.

The title should have just been "Why I Hate Raw Tomatoes and You Don't: Who Knows?"

I don't hate them and they don't make me gag. I'm fine with a nice Caprese Salad with fresh summer tomatoes. That said, I routinely pick tomato slices out of sandwiches and generally avoid them in situations where they're the norm. With me it's at least as much of a texture as a flavor thing.

Probably because American sandwich food chains insist on using the lowest quality, absolutely bland pink tomatoes, which are slimy and disgusting after having been in contact with a patty on one side and presumably some condiment/bun on the other.

Compare that to a fresh, sweet, homegrown tomato off the vine, still warm from the summer heat.

This is it for me too - I really don't like sliced raw tomato, especially cold, due to the texture.

Is it the texture? Texture seems to be a significant component of taste. What I might perceive as "juicy/tangy" in a tomato (positively), someone else might experience as "slimy/acidic" (negatively).

Expectation matters a lot, as well. Have you ever, perhaps while half-asleep, drank orange juice thinking it was milk, or vice versa? That first half-second is weird...

I'm really glad to see I'm not alone haha. The first part of the article read like my childhood.

Yes that was a really annoying title, very poor form by the scientific american.

Thanks for digging out that bit for the rest of us.

We've changed the title accordingly. If someone suggests a better (more accurate and neutral) title, we can change it again.

thanks, I was really lost skimming the article, fishing for the mystery

for me, its texture.

I hate the goop and love the flesh of raw tomato.

I cannot stand cooked large chunks of tomato.

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