It's an acquired taste. Isn't that a bit of a mind boggling statement? I mean who in their right mind would put something to their lips for a second time under the premise that "Hey this really sucked the first time, but maybe if I eat enough of it, I eventually won't hate it".
How many times have you seen this sort of scenario? "What?! You haven't tried scotch before?! Well you have to have some! Here take a glass! Yeah, yeah I know...it's an acquired taste". Ohhhh...You mean if I keep drinking this swamp juice eventually I will trick myself into the illusion that it actually tastes good? Well then, fill er up again Sam!
As a kid, I couldn't figure out why my parents liked coffee. I had a sip of theirs...it was horrible. Tastes change they said...you might like it someday. I am currently two coffee deep and its 7 am. I may actually truly love my morning coffee. I know exactly how it happened. I had pulled my first and maybe only "all nighter" at school trying to get some sort of a semblance of a paper done that I had procrastinated on to truly the last minute. I knew I wasn't going to get through the night without some sort of help, so I bought a jar of instant coffee from the grocery store on the way home to start the paper that evening. Two heaping spoons of dirty brown crystals, a heaping spoon of coffee mate, and two sugar. I drank at least 6 cups of that through the night. I did finish the paper in just enough time to walk to class. I thought at that time, I would likely have had my last cup coffee...it was horrible; however, I had to pass a Tim Horton on my way to class. Feeling great about getting the worst paper I have written done, I stopped in to load my veins with some java from the polyester clad professionals. I ordered a double double and headed to class. That first sip tasted so good. I was making it all wrong! This stuff was amazing. Thinking back now, I believe that what I was drinking all night tasted so terrible, that anything would have tasted good. The rest is history in that department. Now I'm a coffee connoisseur in my mind.
I get that one though. There was a pay off for that. I had to get through that night, and this sludge would help get it done. That's understandable. Olives aren't. Who eats an olive and immediately says "Well that was the most delicious thing I have ever put in my mouth!"? There is absolutely no reason for a second olive in this case. There is zero pay off. Nobody is going to starve because they didn't eat that second olive...but perhaps it is the same as the coffee. Maybe that first olive was one of the crappy ones, and the next one is a gourmet olive (I have no idea if there is indeed a gourmet olive). That would then make sense. Here chew on this pellet that tastes like fermented garbage smells. Awful huh. Try this one...not as bad is it? Sure take another one.
I did this experiment with my oldest son lately. He turns 19 today actually (Happy Birthday kid..I love you). So over the Christmas break he asks me about a good sipping tequila. I like tequila...I acquired that taste in Mexico at a tequila bar...same logic as the coffee only the pay off was waaaay more fun. So I get the terrible gasoline down that one only makes frozen margaritas with. I'm not here to bash any brands so I won't give that detail only to say that it was one of the cheapest ones on the shelf. I pour him a shot of that, then I pour him a shot of Hacienda de Chihuahua, one of my favourites around here. Take a sip of that one there. His face immediately implodes and tears stream from where his eyes used to be. Doesn't taste too good does it? I laugh and laugh. Now try this one. Oh, well that is way better! Now take it easy on that stuff...its called a sipping drink for a reason.
I guess the only thing that I can attribute the acquired taste thing to then is quality. Likely the first time you try something that could be deemed awful, it is the cheapest version of it. That also makes a little bit of sense. Why on earth would someone give you their more expensive quality version of "input whatever disgusts you here" when you may just spit it out. Likely you taste the cheap stuff first. That is about the only logic I can garner on the subject. It still doesn't explain polka music, but it may account for why anyone may still follow my blog. It's could be that it's an acquired taste.