DD's friend said her food stinks

[Anonymous]

Indian food usually does smell very strong. I personally like the taste of Indian food but I wouldn’t want to smell it every day. Some people don’t like the taste so I can understand that they definitely wouldn’t want to smell it every day.

Some offices have a rule against smelly food for lunch because it’s disruptive to others.

[Anonymous]

The people saying that broccoli stinks are crazy. Indian spices smell very strong but broccoli by itself doesn’t stink. It’s a very typical vegetable and hardly smells at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m white and 4th generation American. I had no idea that people find egg salad and tuna salad stinky, l definitely had those in my lunch but got no teasing for it.

So there are 2 topics here - foods with a sting scent, and ethnic foods.

I think I’m general, as a courtesy, foods with a really strong scent should be avoided. That would include certain veggies that have a sulfuric scent when cooked like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower. What do people think about cooked fish? I don’t mean microwaving fish at the office (many people hate the smell and l think we can all agree it’s very strong when microwaved).

In terms of ethnic foods, my white son’s favorite food is Indian food, he really prefers Asian foods in general. I often send something like chicken tikka masala for him and have heard no complaints. He’s pretty sensitive so l think if he was being teased he would tell me. This leads me to think maybe one of your daughters friends was being culturally insensitive, if this has happened before with non- broccoli type foods. Maybe your daughter could invite her pals over to try some Indian food at your house?

That’s the point. Your white son can bring in the same food and not be made fun of.

It’s just like when white women wear ‘ethnic’ clothes or wear bindis, they are not perceived the same way a Indian woman would be perceived and treated for the same clothing or for wearing a bindi.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are chinese, and I pack kids lunch that are common around here. And, they are lunchable, chicken nuggets, pizza bagels, jelly sandwich, corn dog plus a fruit plus apple sauce plus a juice box. Healthy? Not really. I always ask kids what other kids pack, and they say that they don't know. They don't even have time to eat lunch.Exactly, what are the common lunch item to pack for kids?

Are you ashamed of Chinese cuisine? It has one of the oldest culinary traditions and is one of the most refined cuisines in the world

You've clearly never been in an elementary school lunch room. Kids are mean. Why shouldn't we save our children from teasing? Maybe you should be teaching your children to be more tolerant, but in the meantime, I'm trying to make my kids' life easier so yours won't tease them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Indian food usually does smell very strong. I personally like the taste of Indian food but I wouldn’t want to smell it every day. Some people don’t like the taste so I can understand that they definitely wouldn’t want to smell it every day.

Some offices have a rule against smelly food for lunch because it’s disruptive to others.

This is like me saying "American food smells strong" because the only exposure to American food I've ever had is tuna salad.

[Anonymous]

It was the broccoli. Don’t send steamed broccoli.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people saying that broccoli stinks are crazy. Indian spices smell very strong but broccoli by itself doesn’t stink. It’s a very typical vegetable and hardly smells at all.

Steamed broccoli that has been in a closed container smells bad right when you open it. It just does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Indian food usually does smell very strong. I personally like the taste of Indian food but I wouldn’t want to smell it every day. Some people don’t like the taste so I can understand that they definitely wouldn’t want to smell it every day.

Some offices have a rule against smelly food for lunch because it’s disruptive to others.

This is like me saying "American food smells strong" because the only exposure to American food I've ever had is tuna salad.

Seriously! Hamburgers are smelly too but you would never say that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people saying that broccoli stinks are crazy. Indian spices smell very strong but broccoli by itself doesn’t stink. It’s a very typical vegetable and hardly smells at all.

Not true.

Cruciferous vegetables tend to smell like farts when cooked.

Indian spices smell delicious and yes they are strong smells but not stinky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people saying that broccoli stinks are crazy. Indian spices smell very strong but broccoli by itself doesn’t stink. It’s a very typical vegetable and hardly smells at all.

Steamed broccoli that has been in a closed container smells bad right when you open it. It just does.

+1

PP doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people saying that broccoli stinks are crazy. Indian spices smell very strong but broccoli by itself doesn’t stink. It’s a very typical vegetable and hardly smells at all.

Are you crazy? Broccoli stinks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m white and 4th generation American. I had no idea that people find egg salad and tuna salad stinky, l definitely had those in my lunch but got no teasing for it.

So there are 2 topics here - foods with a sting scent, and ethnic foods.

I think I’m general, as a courtesy, foods with a really strong scent should be avoided. That would include certain veggies that have a sulfuric scent when cooked like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower. What do people think about cooked fish? I don’t mean microwaving fish at the office (many people hate the smell and l think we can all agree it’s very strong when microwaved).

In terms of ethnic foods, my white son’s favorite food is Indian food, he really prefers Asian foods in general. I often send something like chicken tikka masala for him and have heard no complaints. He’s pretty sensitive so l think if he was being teased he would tell me. This leads me to think maybe one of your daughters friends was being culturally insensitive, if this has happened before with non- broccoli type foods. Maybe your daughter could invite her pals over to try some Indian food at your house?

That’s the point. Your white son can bring in the same food and not be made fun of.

It’s just like when white women wear ‘ethnic’ clothes or wear bindis, they are not perceived the same way a Indian woman would be perceived and treated for the same clothing or for wearing a bindi.

You
NP. You’re right, but I’m also going to say you’ll definitely get groans if you bring tuna fish to lunch. My kids like chicken salad wraps with diced red onion and grapes in it. It smells sooo bad. I don’t pack it anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She needs to be able to handle this and to either deal or bring diff food but TBH steamed broccoli smells awful.

Plus 1

[Anonymous]

Easy test OP: Send her to school with an Indian dish and no steamed veggies. Maybe pack some extra rice as filler or some naan bread (no real smells). See if anyone says anything to her about smells or gives any weird looks.

Sorry, this happened to her. She shouldn’t cry over this. I am almost certain it was not about the Indian food but about the broccoli. Certain foods just don’t travel well. Imo, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and fish are a few of these. Fish was actually “not allowed” in my office because some people would insist on microwaving it and it would stink up the entire floor. These people were Americans and not minorities so it wasn’t a cultural thing just a reheated fish stinks thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The fact that so many people from backgrounds that are not multigenerational American have to think about and plan meals around the fragile noses of white people is so sad.

You are welcome not to be around white people.