I mean, whenever I hear picky eating, especially pickiness about a savory food, I imagine a person who lives on hostess, mountain dew (any kind), fried foods, and formed meat pastes (Hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggies).
In general, the food that I was raised on, before I learned how to cook and eat a variety of foods.
I absolutely die for Kalamata olives lightly dressed in olive oil and Italian spices.
I'm not a super picky eater, tbh. I've been exploring a lot with food recently, even. I just don't like olives despite trying my best to. Olive oil is fine. But olives themselves are nasty to me.
Are you just talking about the cheap green pomento olives in jars suspended in brine?
Or does your aversion go through all of the greek/italian versions too?
I slot those green olives in the same "I love!" place as pickles.
Also, cant beat black olives on a pizza or Italian style (Italian sausage, meatball, cold cut) sub.
Kalamata have such a hearty umami, when I crave a Greek Salad, 90% of that is craving the Kalamatas. Castelvetrano are so buttery yet refreshing. Picholine (especially with Pomento) are such a satisfying tart salty savory fix.
I mean, if you don't like em, you don't like em and you can have that, but every flavor that I have ever disliked (Bananas, Brussels Sprouts, and Sushi are the big ones I remember for me) was just an invitation to "acquire the taste" and has become a flavor I savor.
I still struggle with caviar, but even still, every once in a while I just get hit with the craving.
Only food thing that I can think of that I haven't tried in ages and I might still hate is black licorice.
I should get some black licorice and acquire that taste...
Hated every kind, had some actually great ones in Greece, now I can sorta kinda get behind black olives. Greens are still a bit too bitter for my preference.
Olives - at least as you usually buy them, in brine, often with pepper strips in them - I find delicious. But every person has their own tastes, you can't argue with subjective preferences.
Black, sliced olives are something that I really like on pizza and some other savory foods.
I'm less-enthusiastic about green olives. I used to really dislike them as a kid. I'm okay with them now -- I think that as you grow up, your sense of taste becomes weaker and some things that were just overwhelming become more-palatable -- but it's still not a favorite food.