Has it ever happened that, from one moment to the next, you stopped liking a food you loved? It’s a topic that a lot of people have been talking about on social media — especially when it comes to chicken.
There are people who report suddenly starting to feel disgust with chickensometimes even in the middle of a bite, despite being able to eat it before without any problem.
Online, this phenomenon is commonly referred to as the “chicken ick”.
There is several reasons why you may suddenly start to feel strange about a food that you previously had no problem with. If this has happened to you, the good news is that there are ways to overcome the situation.
The first explanation has to do with a change in the way food is presented, he says. Lorenzo Staffordprofessor of Psychobiology at the University of Portsmouth, who investigates how our sensory system, especially smell and taste, influences our behavior.
In the case of “ick”, it all comes down to How we deal with the disgust responseexplains Stafford in an article on .
Perhaps, on a certain occasion, you noticed that the chicken had a different flavor, smell or appearance. different from usual. This can create a mismatch between what was expected and what was actually perceived, leading to a sudden change in the way you experience that food.
It may also be that you have prepare the chicken differently than usual. The introduction of a new ingredientwhich changes the aroma or flavor profile of the dish, can also trigger a feeling of repulsion.
Another possible explanation has to do with what you were doing before you felt the “ick”. If you’ve been scrolling through social media and seeing unattractive meals before you start cooking, this can influence how you later face your own food.
@mayaacting Or when it has the slightest tinge of pink 😣 #chickenick ♬ Wrap it up – Jojo not serious
Or, if you prepared the dish near someone who expressed disgusteven if it was just through a facial expression, this can also influence your own disgust response.
The reason for this lies in the human tendency to imitate others through mirror neurons (brain cells involved in empathy and imitation) and the associated process of emotional contagion — the unconscious mechanism by which we “catch” the emotions of others.
Some people are also more sensitive than others to the experience of disgust. Disgust is a emotion that protects us of things that could pose a threat — such as spoiled or unfit food.
Studies have shown that people who consider themselves more sensitive to feelings of disgust also reveal greater propensity for “ick” in a romantic context —that is, a sudden aversion toward a romantic partner.
This suggests that those who have usually higher levels of disgust sensitivity may be more likely to experience the “chicken ick” phenomenon.
Another important factor is the degree of hungry at the moment. If you are not very hungry, you are more likely to notice unexpected features of the food — such as a different smell, texture or flavor.
On the other hand, when you are very hungryit is natural that sensitivity to disgust decreases and that one notices fewer aspects that, in other circumstances, could cause rejection.
Interestingly, Stafford’s research found a similar effect when participants consumed alcohol. The higher the blood alcohol level, the lower the sensitivity to disgust.
Thus, it is possible that certain physical or psychological states make us more or less likely to feel the “chicken ick”.
O gender can also have an influence. Disgust research shows that women have greater sensitivity to disgust than men.
One theory is that these gender differences developed as a evolutionary responsemaking women more selective in choosing potential partners and better able to protect their offspring from diseases.
Disgust also intensifies during pregnancy and appears to be related to the functioning of the immune system.
How to overcome
If you have already developed chicken ick, there are two main strategies you can try to overcome this sensation. Disgust may be associated with the specific way the food was prepared. You can, next time, try prepare the chicken differently.
When you put chicken back on the menu, try cooking it differently — e.g. with a different recipe or other seasoningsor use a distinct cut of meat, such as chicken breast instead of thighs or wings. This can help you unlearn this disgust reaction.
Ask someone else to cook for you. If it was the texture or smell of the chicken, especially raw, that made you reject it, try asking someone close to you to prepare the meal or opt to eat out. This may make it easier to consume the cooked dish.
Alternatively, you can buy pre-cooked options in the supermarket, which only need to be heated, thus avoiding contact with raw chicken. Eliminating the stimuli that trigger the “ick” from the beginning can act as a kind of restartallowing you to enjoy this food again.
If, still, nothing works, it could be a sign that you have created a negative association with this food, which needs to be “unlearned” In this case, it may be necessary a little more time to train this answer again.
Some strategies involve associate food with something positivelike a food you really like or listening to your favorite music while eating, or even changing the color of the dishes. By repeating this several times, you will condition yourself for a pleasant response—and hopefully, you will be able to overcome your “chicken ick.”
