JOIN USClash of the cuisines
But a simple difference of opinion can turn a romantic meal for two into a forced punishment. Imagine being out at your favourite restaurant with everything around you seeming perfect, except for the look on your boyfriend’s face that says he is being forcibly fed something that tastes like grass.
Everything surely goes downhill from there. A commonly observed phenomenon among couples is their disparity in the taste of food and cuisine. While there are no general rules, you often see women enjoying French or Italian food much more while men tend to go for the spicy Indian khana! Metrolife explores to find out what’s cooking?
Generally, men prefer going out to eat for the food and food only. And it must be the kind that they like.
“What’s the point of paying a bomb on food that you won’t even like? I mostly stick to pizza if am forced to eat at an Italian restaurant,” says Robin, a professional.
While it is a valid argument, some women do tend to think that men can’t really appreciate any cuisine other than the one fed to them since childhood. And the lack of spices also adds another deterrent to try and appreciate new cuisines. “I know men like to restrict themselves to only Punjabi and Mughlai food and do not like to experiment a lot,” says Supriya.
“I prefer ghar ka khana any day over dining out and do not like Italian food because I find it too bland for my palette,” says Manish, a professional.
But the surprising part is that their counterparts easily adapt to these changes. “Men generally don’t fancy dining in the proper sense of the term as women do. They prefer hanging out with friends as opposed to going to a nice restaurant and savouring the food! Women are more into appreciating those things,” says Suchismita, a professional.
This difference can often lead to arguments over where to eat and what to eat, when it comes to dining out.
“In our case, I don’t enjoy Continental and my husband likes Chinese, so I tend to compromise at times,” says Supriya.
Anish, an IT professional adds, “I am not fond of vegetables, so vegetarian Italian food is like prison food for me. I really don’t understand what my girlfriend likes about it.”
But even though differences remain, people do reach a middle ground by compromising on occasions or just plain keeping mum.
“I just let my girlfriend choose the place we have to go to. I never interfere in these matters,” confides Manish.