I have a friend (male) who won't eat anything spicy (or anything with any flavour, I think) He wrinkles his nose like a child. He's grown-up and a bachelor. I think there's a connection. He just won't try anything.

My (single) 43 yr old brother is the same but with fruit & vegetables. He will not even try them and only avoids scurvy through prodigious potato consumption.

I have to say I'm not keen on very spicy food, as it burns my mouth, but I have gradually acclimatised myself over the years as I do love the flavour of curry, just not the heat. Now I can eat a dupiaza, but nothing much hotter than that (still a lightweight!)

Some people are supertasters, so things taste upleasantly strong to them, especially vegetables which taste bitter.

Also, chili is a gut irritant which affects some people more than others. There are plenty of Indians who won't eat chilis (or perhaps that just my dh's rather hypocondriac family).

I don't like spicy food. Yes, I've tried it. And I don't like it.

Even mild spice burns my mouth, and I find it tastes unpleasant.

People probably think I "wrinkle my nose like a child" too, but life is too damned short to eat food which doesn't taste pleasant to me.

I have tried loads of spicy food in the course ofmy job and whilst I love the flavour of spices-the heat,for me is painful.
The perfect meal for me is plenty of flavour with minimal heat.....I do keep trying however on case my taste-buds have died

Yup me to, spicy food burns my mouth and makes my lips feel like ballons.I ahve tried over the years to train my taste buds but the furthest I have managed is a korma.
I do like the idea of me being a supertaster though!

Spices ruin food for me - they burn my mouth and obscure the actual taste of the food. I can eat pepperoni and mild salsa, but anything Indian is a no-go.

if I even hold a red pepper I get a creeping rash all the way up my arm. If I eat anything hot (and I react to most spices and yes I have tried them) I feel like my head will blow off, my whole head, neck and chest go scarlet and I start to wheeze. I cannot even have food that contains turmeric or paprika (annatto) as a colouring. Imagine trying to avoid that lot - take a look at 3 random products in your freezer...)
Where I live I am surrounded by indians, chinese, vietnamese, mexicans, etc etc etc and cannot eat any of their cuisine. If DH does then he sleeps in the other room. It isn't easy being this "fussy"

my dh is like this with 'poncey food' such a twat he wont even taste it

he does like curries etc.

we went out for a meal once and he forced himself to have the very rare and high class delicacy of brushetta and chargrilled peppers

he feckin loved it - but he now only loved That in particular - he obviously wouldnt like anything else 'poncey'

with dh its all about VFM - value for money. why spend your money on pncey shit when you can have a nice steak. he likes it - he knows he likes it - whats the problem.

he sees no flaw with this thinking

I don't mind mild korms and tandooris but real spicey food makes my lips feel as though they're on fire. And I have to drink so much water whilst eating that I feel full after a few forkfuls.

FIL is Indian and makes some very powerful curries so I have made an effort to eat them but it's always a struggle.

I used to hate spicy food but when I was pg I suddenly started to crave it and now I love it. Super extra burny chillis and Indian/Thai food. Yum.

I think chillis are quite addictive. Like lime pickle. Used to not be able to take it, now I love that mouth-awakening sensation

lime pickle is fab - I love sour and spicy

I love spicy food but not hot for the sake of it food.

Adore Thai food and Indian food but would never order anything too hot like a Vindaloo or something.

Cali - that sounds horrible for you - def an allergy rather than just not liking it.

No, not too hot either for me. Probably should have said heavily flavoured food or similar in thread title.

There's a flavour of Pringles, can't think which,but fairly spiced, which made my mouth feel as though it was swollen

I think early experiences of spicy food can be offputting - there was some dreadful so- called curries around in the 70-80s - things have changed so much. A really good indian restaurant such as the cinnamon club spices things very mildly to enhance flavour not overwhelm it.

arfishy - I never liked spicy food until i was PG and then i CRAVED it like mad

2 years on i still love spicy food and so does DS

Oh yes, one of my friends from uni came round for a dinner party once and his girlfriend refused to eat anything as she could 'smell the spice'. I sent her to the kitchen and she helped herself to cheese on toast.

It was roast duck with orange and herbs fgs.

Yes, friend on OP won't eat, or even try, garlic. It's the not trying that is really tedious.

I like the spiciness of food - in terms of the chilli - but I have gone off Indian (ie takeaway) food recently. I find it too....something...just too much/too heavy. But I suspect that has something to do with the quality of the take-away rather than Indian food per se.

I've tried it. It hurts my mouth and then I can't eat anything else for the rest of the day.

Garlic gives me a headache at best, makes me sick at worst.