Anyone else here get weird about sharing food?

[solemnwar]

I know I'm not the only one, but... I really get weird when it comes to sharing food.

First of all, my first instinct is "NO". I hoard my food. It's mine. You can't have it. I have indulged in "defensive eating" (eating food for the sole purpose of denying it to anyone else) before.

If I actually do share my food, the food that remains cannot have touched your person at any time. So if it's liquid based, you're not getting it because it's nigh impossible to guarantee zero backwash and the like. But I must cut or rip off a piece for you to consume, you cannot take a bite out of it.

If you try I will kill you.

It doesn't matter your sex or relation to me, I act this way to everyone.

It's kind of weird though because in my circle of friends apparently I'm the only one who's like this. The rest of them are guys though, maybe that's it.

So I'm curious, anyone else here get weird about sharing food? Is it only specific food, or specific people? Specific genders? Relations or non-relations?

 

[Doclector]

Depends on the food in particular. I'm a uni student with poor cooking skills, so on the rare occasion that I can afford really good food, Damn right I'll be mad if you steal it. I likely saved for that.

 

[Aris Khandr]

I don't mind sharing my meals, especially if I can't finish it. But the line is drawn at sharing things that have actually touched someone's mouth. Like the OP, that means no drinks ever, and I'll slice off a piece for you to eat if it is too big to just hand over. I'm not sure why that is, even with people I'll snog happily, I just feel odd sharing food that way.

Though there is a part of me that things it would be really romantic to recreate the Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I'm never weird about sharing food. I don't mind someone taking a drink of my water-bottle, or taking a bite of my sandwich. I just don't see it as a big deal, and neither do any of my friends or family. The only time I won't share food with someone I know is if I know they're sick.

 

[Zhukov]

What?

Uh... no, I've never had a problem with sharing food. Why would I? I live in a first world country and I have enough money to get buy. It's not like I'm going to starve because I gave half my sandwich to someone.

I get annoyed when my housemates take stuff from my fridge, but that's different. Even then, it's more about the inconvenience than the fact that they're taking my food. It sucks to go home looking forward to that delicious gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce only to find that half the ingredients have mysteriously vanished.

 

[Bertylicious]

Ha, that's mental! It must be hell when they bring out the cheese board.

Truth be told, though, I hate giving people anything. I don't like the idea of owing or being owed as it just seems like a recipe for conflict.

 

[Foolery]

Nah, not in that way. I don't mind sharing. Not all the time, though. I do get pretty irritated when roommates take my stuff. Why? Simple. Food costs money chumps, you buy your own. But beyond that, there are other things I'm more hesitant about sharing.

 

[Kolby Jack]

I wouldn't say I hoard food, but I do get pretty "ECK" about people sharing half-eaten food with me. I'm not a germaphobe when it comes to most things, but I will patently refuse to finish that burrito you took a few bites of or take a sip of your powerade, and I won't let you take a sip of mine and then give it back to me. It's just one of my hang-ups.

Also, when it comes to roommates, I'm more than happy to share my food or drinks that I bought with you, but ASK first. Don't just assume it's a guaranteed "because we're roommates" thing, because it's not. I bought it, you didn't, so ASK. I'll almost always say yes, but if you just take it I'll get pretty mad. That's just rude.

 

[Dismal purple]

Yes. I don't want to eat anything that someone else touched. Sometimes I'm even iffy about eating something that I touched with my own hands. I'm pretty sensitive to what's "unhygienic".

Never had a problem with just sharing food. With the exception of a classmate at my boarding school who was always asking for leftover food on weekends. He would not help pay for food that I cooked for him, he would not accept food that I gave him for free to cook himself, he only wanted food that I cooked for him for free. So I started putting all my leftovers in lunchboxes just so he wouldn't get it.

 

[manic_depressive13]

No, and I find that kind of selfishness/squeamishness really annoying in a person. I'm happy to let a friend take a sip out of my cup. I'm not seven and I know my friends don't have cooties. Furthermore, I would never resent someone for eating my food if they were hungry. If I had a sandwich, and a friend had nothing, I would give them half even if I were starving.

The only time I get slightly annoyed when people eat my food is if they eat my vegetarian option instead of their own. Normally I wouldn't give a crap if my brother ate all my lentils, but if he eats them when he had the options of chicken or lamb as well, I find that really inconsiderate.

 

[fadingdragon]

No, I don't find it weird at all I come from a big family, been to uni and the army so I always shared food/drinks etc with family and friends.

 

[Da Orky Man]

Not at all. I'd get annoyed if someone just takes food that I bought without asking, but I have no issues with sharing at all, including from the same cup. Quite often, if I bought a pack of something I there's some left over, I'll give it away to the first person who'd accept it, especially if it won't keep. If don't need it, so I may as well slightly improve my standing with someone by offering it to them.

 

[Nouw]

If you want to sip it, you can lip it. Yeah I totally just made that up but the point is, I couldn't care less about 'hygiene' when it comes to sharing food. Unless you're sick, I'm down with sharing food and drinks.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Nope, I'm fine with a lot of things. Which isn't to say I wouldn't prefer to use my own cutlery, or participate in sharing food that can be divided without contact, but I share my food on the rare occasion that's the suggestion, and more often, I finish other people's food. Not even joking. I can eat when required.

Although I really don't like using someone else's cup. That's several orders of magnitude more uncomfortable for me.

And don't even get started about hygiene. When science intervenes, you quickly find just about everything is so riddled with germs you might as well not bother.

 

[purplecactus]

Yes.

It's mine. You can't have it.

Well, it depends, really. Generally I have the student mentality of 'I can't afford to share this, it's supposed to last me all week', but I've been fortunate enough to have lived with people who respect that. If I'm cooking large quantities, different story. I'll set some aside for household consumption. That's one of the things that's difficult about moving back in with my parents, albeit on a temporary basis, my father has no respect for that and thinks that because it's in his fridge, it's his food.

As far as actually eating off of someone else's plate, or vice versa, it depends who you are. If you're a close friend, sure, I don't mind if you ask first. I don't like sharing cups/bottles or anything though, not with anyone.

 

[Damian13]

Yes i'll only share with people i know really well and only particular foods. So if its soup forget it starve if its solid i'll either share or give it away.

 

[s0p0g]

If you try I will kill you.

thank you very much, i couldn't breathe for quite a while ^^

besides that i agree. my food is MY food - that's why it's called "my food". if you wanted the stuff I have you shouldn't have got whatever it is YOU have. (i don't care about hygiene in that case, unless is something really nasty, like Hep B; but i wouldn't care about a common cold at all)
i don't ask you for yours, you don't ask me for mine.

just a bite? not happenin'. EVER.
(one exception: GF may cut something off.)
come to think about it, i don't care about drinking though - you can have a sip of my coffee/tea/cola/beer/whisky, no problem.

for what it's worth: it is only my women-friends who ask to take a bite and have food-round-robins, not my guy-friends - what's ours is ours. period.

edit: everything above only goes for hot stuff, be it cooked baked fried whatever, as you usually meet on purpose to consume that in company of others. if it's eight in the morning, you're at the uni, and you're starving because of reasons, you can have half my sammich any time.

 

[Elwolfman]

I have a problem with sharing food - Although it's hygiene related as opposed to ownership. Finger foods I am more than happy to share, heck, I'l even give you half my sandwich... But if you only want a bite there is no way I'm going to finish off that half after you've put it in your mouth.

I'm also iffy about people touching my food but it really depends on the food...

 

[IamQ]

I'm slightly reserved when it comes to solid food, but when it's about liquids, I couldn't care less. Unless you french kiss my bottle, I don't even clean the top before I drink it again.

 

[KOMega]

No. At most I'll maybe dust it off a bit if someone gives me food or just rip off a bit of where they bit.
I know. I know. I'm a part of the filthy unwashed masses.


I do not share liquids though. Whatever someone has drank from directly is theirs.