Brumotactillophobia is the fear of food touching other food. Yes, it is weird, but I recently found out that I am not the only one with this disorder. As I can imagine, I am probably not the only sufferer who - when someone finds out about it - have heard these common questions:
1. Why can't you have your food touch?
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That reason is: I have no idea. For as long as I can remember, the thought of it all just disgusts me. I did do some research on this disorder, however, and found that it is actually a common and mild form of OCD. It mostly stems in children of a young age, because they typically feel as though their plate is the only thing that they can control.
2. You know that your food ends up in the same place, right?
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As a matter of fact, yes, I do. I know what happens to food after you eat it, and I don't care. It can go to the same place in the end, but it will get there separately.
3. What do you do at buffets or Thanksgiving?
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I do what everyone else does: I eat. Just because I separate my food, doesn't mean I am not eating what is there. If I happen to have to go back for seconds because I didn't have enough room on my first plate for everything, then I will.
4. Don't you put gravy on mashed potatoes?
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First of all, I love gravy and mashed potatoes. It doesn't weird me out because gravy is a sauce, and sauces go on your foods. It's like ketchup or other condiments.
5. What about foods like salads or casseroles?
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To answer, foods that belong together go together. I don't know why that is okay for me, but it is. For instance, Shepherd's Pie is meat and vegetables mixed together with mashed potatoes on top and cooked in the oven. If those ingredients were separated onto a plate as a meal, I wouldn't mix them, but the fact that they are already mixed as it's own food, then it is okay with me.
6. What makes it weird for you to mix your plate together?
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To be frank, I have no idea. Some sufferers have a thing for the textures, others with taste. Personally, I have yet to pinpoint what it is about it that freaks me out.
7. What happens if the juice from one food touches another?
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Nope. Not today. I will literally stop eating and just go hungry.
8. What happens if some of your food does touch?
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If this unfortunate event happens, I typically try to eat around the parts that have touched and throw the contaminated parts away.
9. Does this mean you're a picky eater?
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Absolutely not! I might be picky about the layout of my plate, but I am a true foodie. I can eat pretty much anything.
10. Is that the only eating quirk you have?
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On top of not liking my food touch, I also have to eat one item at a time, and it usually from least favorite to favorite. For example, say I had a plate with steak, potatoes, and broccoli on it. I would probably eat it in the order of all of the broccoli, all of the potatoes, and then the steak.
Yeah, it is all very weird, but I don't mind. I know there are others out there like me, so here's to all of the people who suffer from Brumotactillophobia.
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