The down side of all of it is there are many smells which aren't so pleasant that are sometimes very hard to block out. I can usually smell when things are "off" well before they are no longer considered "safe" ... will usually dump out milk, meat, etc days before they're actually expired.
Some things I notice far more than others... I can taste the difference between grass fed, and grain fed beef, I can't tell the difference in bone stock, or in the milk. I can tell the difference in what chickens are fed via eggs (prefer corn fed), but not the meat (usually). I actually love trying just about anything and everything. For the most part the only things I don't care fore are more often about the texture than the taste. I don't care for the texture of raw meat, really fatty food, squash or avocados. I don't mind sushi that's cooked (americanized) or at least torched/seared slightly. But don't care for the really raw/fresh stuff (texture just doesn't appeal to me).
I started getting into cooking a few years ago, and it's amazing how different I feel when I can stick to the stuff I make (not all of it so great for me) vs. even a couple days of fast food or pizza. I wish I could impart what I know/understand now on my 18yo self.
Would it be possible to describe the difference in taste?
> But don't care for the really raw/fresh stuff (texture just doesn't appeal to me).
Isn't freshness also about taste, not texture? (I could never tell when something is "really fresh", when other people could.)
This is true of food in general. There's a very common "kid's science" experiment involving slices of raw apple, onion, and potato. Block off your nose, and they all taste the same. You might be able to pick them from textural components, but for most people, there's little difference between the three with the nose shut off.
http://ipfactly.com/without-smell-apples-potatoes-and-onions...