Kids Eat Gourmet Food…with Mixed Results

Our hearts go out to the kiddos in this BuzzFeed video, who look completely grossed out after nibbling on fancy foods like caviar and gold leaf. Apparently these children haven’t warmed to those “acquired” tastes quite yet.

But clearly a few, at least, have open minds. Most enjoyed the squid ink pasta even though it “looks like worms.” And really, we can’t blame them for hating the gold leaf, which was served straight, rather than adding a sparkly touch to chocolate or an ice cream sundae.

We’d like to suggest some other angles to improve a kid’s palate. Your average eight-year-old already loves Cheddar, so trying other cheeses shouldn’t be a hard sell. Start with fondue. Melty cheese. (No brainer.)

Then move on to expanding those cheese horizons. Try some mild cheeses like a creamy brie or mild gouda, and then work up to a tangy chèvre. If you’re really getting somewhere, give a pungent Stilton a chance.

Or get your kid on the sushi bandwagon early by introducing her to cucumber-stuffed maki and California rolls. The raw stuff can come later.

Exotic fruits will do wonders for your future foodie. Pick up a passionfruit or pomegranate at the grocery store and see how your kid likes ‘em (these can win over kids on good looks alone).

But a fair warning: Generally speaking, the more sophisticated the palate, the more expensive the bill. Know what you’re getting yourself into.