Foods that some people adore can turn the stomachs of others, whether due to a prior encounter that did not end well or for other reasons. One of my friends cannot stand bananas, and won't even be in the same room if someone is eating one because the aroma makes her nauseated. Facing down an aversion like this is difficult, as a recent Guardian article explains. There, 10 writers each face their own particular food fear, with sometimes hilarious results.

It turns out my friend is far from alone in her dislike of bananas. Arwa Mahdawi described bananas as "mushy, musty and alarmingly yellow." She bravely soldiered onward, however, making it two bites into a banana before throwing in the towel. I guess Bananas Foster is not going to make an appearance on her dessert table any time soon.

Felicity Cloake's food fear came as a surprise: the food writer had never had a chip butty (for our US readers, that's a sandwich filled with fries). Carb-on-carb, what's not to like? Apparently Felicity agrees, noting that the sandwich was "a three-note masterpiece of fat, salt and starch, gloriously simple and wonderfully comforting." Other food fears or aversions the writers squared up against included oysters, trifle, hard-boiled eggs, and various versions of tomato soup. What food would have the most trouble trying to eat?