She picks out the Red M&Ms, then the Red Skittles, and now, the Red Gummi Bears
By hereandthere
@hereandthere (45645)
Philippines
January 28, 2013 6:33am CST
who? my mother who is almost 80 y.o.
she really likes red, like for clothes and things, but only in recent years did i notice that it extended to food! whenever we have a bag of m&m dark chocolate, she'd pick the red ones, then the brown ones. one time, i bought m&m crispy (with rice crispies) and she did the same thing.
then one day, she talked about tasting (in the past) small round candies like m&ms but not made of chocolate. i knew she was talking about skittles, and assumed she would enjoy them because she likes sour food. i bought 1 small pack each of original, tropical and wild berry and emptied them into a clear plastic container for her to munch on. she ate the red ones first, then the pink ones, before eating the rest.
last week, someone gave us a pack of gummi bears. they were red, orange, dark yellow, pale yellow, and green. they're all sour, yet she didn't eat the yellows and green.
i, on the other hand, only noticed the different flavors in the skittles, but m&ms and gummi bears all taste the same to me regardless of color. i probably have a dull palate. but then, i'm not a foodie either and not fond of cooking.
but you know what, she wasn't fond of dishes cooked in tomato sauce before. she will eat spaghetti, but will eat pancit more. she will eat "red" dishes if you make them really sour, like pochero or minestrone.
so do yellow m&ms taste different from blue m&ms? how about orange versus green gummi bears?
are there colors you won't eat or drink?
are you particular about the color of your plate, bowls, etc?
can you easily identify ingredients when you taste, or even smell, something?
4 people like this
14 responses
@allknowing (137553)
• India
1 Feb 13
First things first hereandthere. I am touched how you have been observing your mother's tastes so closely. That shows your love for her!
As for my taste I would rather go by the kind of food I like and not by what colour it has. While choosing my food I do notice I like multi-colour!
1 person likes this
@allknowing (137553)
• India
2 Feb 13
Should I undo what I said in my first line?
The only time I bother about colour combinatios is when I am making a salad for guests.
The only time I bother about colour combinatios is when I am making a salad for guests.@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
2 Feb 13
sometimes it's a curse that you notice things other people don't. you regret bringing it up.
i think having adventurous taste buds and being able to tell the ingredients in a dish go together. i'm not really affected by colors, and i will comment when something is especially colorful or i really like the color combination.
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
2 Feb 13
a "me and my big mouth" moment. 
colors are really appetizing in salads and desserts. 
colors are really appetizing in salads and desserts. 
@pumpkin_008 (33)
• Philippines
29 Jan 13
For me, yes, color matters. I don't eat something that's colored brownish or dark greenish because I find them gross to eat. It's like I'm going to throw up if I try to eat those colored kinds of foods. I think there are really people who's exactly like that, being so particular in things that they do and I think that it's like a "contagious" kind of trait. Even the foods you eat are being affected by the way you see things. Also as we age, we tend to see things differently than the way we see them before. In other words, as time will pass a lot of things will change and I believe that it's just normal.
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
30 Jan 13
i think of it as a childlike quality that she retained, a secret belief that still holds true for her.
i've been "infected" with a liking for violet (though the light shades like lavender) because of my sister, and strawberry flavored food, drink and dessert because of my nephew.
i especially like apple green, but not superdark green. do you dislike brown or green eating implements like plates, bowls, cups, or the color of the pots, pans and walls also?
@pumpkin_008 (33)
• Philippines
1 Feb 13
I've heard that as we grow older, we tend to become more childish or shall I say "we start to act like a kid" again. But I'm not sure though, maybe you're right that it's a quality that she'd like to hold on to.. Yes, true that, people around you will infect and influence you with the things that they like. You know, when I was young I hated hello kitty, now that I'm in college, most of my girl friends find her adorable and eventually it influenced me. Oh yeah I don't usually eat brownish/greenish foods and yes sometimes I'm choosy. You know, I don't feel comfortable if I don't like the color of the things around me.
@lafavorito (2959)
• Philippines
28 Jan 13
When I was young, I favored brown MnM's over other colors. Why? Because I used to think that the brown ones are chocolatier than the rest since chocolate is supposed to be brown. Lol...
I'm not a big fan of skittles though so I can't say anything about that.
Before I thought I will not drink anything that is green in color... I eat vegetables but the idea of turning vegetables into a juice is yucky for me. That is until I tasted the wheatgrass drink. It tastes yummy but it really needs to be cold. I also drink green tea everyday.
I can almost identify garlic all the time. Maybe because of its strong odor and taste.
Some people say that eating on a blue plate can lessen a person's appetite, haven't tried it though.
1 person likes this
@timetravel (1425)
• United States
28 Jan 13
Perhaps they also eat the blue plate and that in itself lessens the appetite? LOL@!
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
29 Jan 13
that's what she said about the red and brown m&ms.
i like green and i eat vegetables, but i haven't tasted vegetable juice either. i have tried a wheatgrass capsule, and it does smell. i can't tell any benefit yet because i keep forgetting to take it. i've never been a tea drinker, but i know green tea is good. maybe one day i'll learn to drink and like it.
garlic is definitely easy to smell and taste!
my sister had a black hexagonal plate and she said it makes rice look whiter.
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
31 Jan 13
The taste of those candies with different colors are just the same. The only difference is their color. Well, I love food and I do cook. Sometimes I would make a dish right after we have eaten it at a restaurant...my style!
1 person likes this
@doroffee (4222)
• Hungary
28 Jan 13
I think every people has funny habits and quirks. For me, it's that I'm wearing socks to sleep even in the hottest summer day - my fiancé has made fun of it :P. I don't have any color or food I would pick over others, but I've heard about a person who only wanted to eat orange food (but his partner managed to feed his appetite by using orange food color in all the dishes she makes for him :D).
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
29 Jan 13
i like orange, too. i'm glad she cares enough to use food color because we do need to eat a variety of foods to get the nutrients we need.
how about when it comes to the color of your eating or cooking implements or the color of your surroundings while eating, do you have a preference or affected by particular colors?
@MissBlack (356)
• United States
28 Jan 13
the actual color of m&ms has nothing to do with the flavor..that's the same for gummi bears..I love red..almost everything I own is red but it doesn't affect my food..lol..there is one color in particular I wouldn't eat or drink. I don't like purple foods or food coloring..like grape soda and eggplant..I don't know why, I just can't deal with it..and yes, my plates are red and they are square..I am a little weird I guess..
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
29 Jan 13
i know, but for her and the other responders the taste is more intense.
i can eat and drink purple-colored food, but it took a while for me to like purple things. i felt dark violet was depressing and preferred the lighter hues like lavender.
my sister had a black hexagonal plate which made rice look even whiter.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
28 Jan 13
She probably has no use for the green ones. 
Me, I eat things like that in twos, preferable both the same color, but I don't pick out a specific color and eat only those ones.
Me, I eat things like that in twos, preferable both the same color, but I don't pick out a specific color and eat only those ones.@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
29 Jan 13
it took me three days to eat the "leftovers." (because i alternate it with the leftover chocolates)
sometimes in threes, too, because they're so small! i also buy sour gummi candies. each piece has 2 colors and about an inch long sprinkled with white sugar. i eat them in twos, whatever the color.
@Archie0 (5652)
•
28 Jan 13
Well yes there are few colors that people would never eat or see or wear. Rather there not such things which i don't avoid eating by it's color. But i definitely do not like wearing anything in white at all. I don't remember if i have ever had any white color in my closet. Well it is difficult to know every ingredient by taste or smell. But the ingredients i am familiar with, i always can recognize them.
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
29 Jan 13
it's good that you're not choosy.
is there any taste or smell that you don't like when it comes to food or drink?
are you particular about the colors of your cooking implements, eating implements or the color of your surroundings?
@sender621 (14893)
• United States
28 Jan 13
We all have our favorite colors and tastes of candy. It only seems to take on more notice when we are very young or very old. Our comfort foods take on alll different flavors and colors and textures. If it makes us happy then we should just encourage the flow.
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
29 Jan 13
would you mind sharing your own color preferences when it comes to food, drink, cooking or eating implements and venue? or anyone you know that has that quirky trait?
@kourdapya (924)
• Philippines
13 Feb 13
I love red too! And speaking of M&M's I heard some story about this Hollywood celebrity that wanted to have the production assistants to remove the blue ones from the rest? That's weird right. I wondered too if M&M's taste varies based on its colors.
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
13 Feb 13
i remember reading that some colors are preferred in certain countries. like blue m&ms are found in latin american countries if i remember correctly.
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
28 Jan 13
I can understand how she likes the red skittles and gummi bears better than the rest. I love gummi bears and all the colors except for green. Green gummi bears are usually apple flavored and I don't like them. All the other colors have different flavors and the red ones are usually the best.
But to me M&M's all taste the same, regardless of their color.
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
29 Jan 13
yes, she does say the flavor is more intense. i like green, but then, since i can't taste any difference, it doesn't matter what color they are.
does it mean you don't like apple juice either?
do you have a preference in the color of your cooking or dining implements or the color of your surroundings where you're eating?
@timetravel (1425)
• United States
28 Jan 13
I always wanted a sunny yellow kitchen because I thought food would cook better and taste better in one. Now that I have a kitchen I can decorate anyway I'd like to, I am saving my money for yellow patterned curtains and a kitchen table and chair set. I'll have yellow place mats, and yellow shelf liner - and a shiny, yellow kitchen. Guaranteed my cooking will then be top notch!
As far as those snack colors - sounds like your mom is regressing a bit. That is something so typical of kids -picking out their favorite candy colors first. All M and Ms do taste the same -but fruity candies often have different flavors associated with the colors. Red is bright - perhaps that's why she's drawn to it? I always went for the yellow and green ones..lol.
With those little pastel mints, I always wanted the blue or green ones, whereas my sister picked out all the pink ones. No one wanted the white ones. You know those candy "fruit slices"? My son and I always go for the red ones - taste like cherry! Then the lime, lemon, and orange ones. Forget the purple - whoever heard of purple citrus fruit?
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
29 Jan 13
i like yellow as much as i like green. i remember reading that red, yellow and orange are great when you're opening a restaurant or any food business.
i'd like to think of it as being childlike, retaining your sense of wonder and delight.
with minty candies, i don't like mentos. it's either really soft or hard candy for me, that not chewy that sticks between your teeth.
i have a nephew who doesn't like sweet foods or drink, but if there's strawberry juice or ice cream, he will.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
28 Jan 13
Isnt that something... my son used to like the green ones in all those candies when he was young. Not sure why. Take care there...
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
29 Jan 13
did he like green toys or green clothes, too? is there a color he didn't like to eat?
