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Experts Explain Why More And More People Are Getting The ‘Chicken Ick’
A professor has revealed why so many people are getting what is known as the ‘chicken ick’ – and it’s far more common than you might think.
If you’ve ever cooked a piece of chicken and gone to eat it, only to feel absolutely repulsed by it, and then subsequently not been able to eat chicken for ages, you’re not alone.
Chicken ick is more common than you might think
No, chicken ick (and other kinds of food icks) is a very real phenomenon, and one scientific professor has delved into exactly what could be causing your sudden poultry aversion.
Professor Lorenzo Stafford, an associate professor in psychobiological psychology at the University of Portsmouth, decided to do some research after a growing number of people turned to TikTok to discuss their chicken icks.
The expert’s research centers around how a person’s sensory system, particularly smell and taste, affects how they behave. Writing in the Conversation, he explained that, with regards to the ‘ick,’ it’s all about ‘how we deal with our disgust response.
Why the chicken ick appears in the first place
First off, it’s worth looking into what is causing people to suddenly develop a case of chicken ick, and it could stem from a number of different reasons.
It could be down to presentation, such as the chicken tasting, smelling or looking different to how it has in the past.
“This can lead to a mismatch in what’s expected, which can cause your feelings towards that food to suddenly change,” Stafford explains.
It could also be triggered by the chicken being cooked in a different way, such as with a new ingredient, which changes the smell or flavor profile of the overall dish, leading to feelings of disgust.
Those two examples are fairly obvious, but as it turns out, the reason for your ick could be much more complicated and could actually relate to something you were doing earlier.
It could be that you were scrolling on social media and saw something unappetising before starting to cook your own meal, or you could’ve been near someone who expressed feelings of disgust, however subtly, which can influence your own disgust response.
“The reason this occurs is explained by the human tendency to mimic others via mirror neurons (brain cells that are involved in empathy and imitation),” Stafford writes. “And the related process of emotional contagion – the unconscious process of ‘catching’ the emotion of others.”
As with everything in life, some people are more sensitive and susceptible to experiencing feelings of disgust. After all, it is an emotion designed to protect us from dangerous things, like food that has gone off and is unsafe.
Meanwhile, how hungry you are at the time will play a big part in how you feel and respond to certain aspects like different tastes, smells and textures. And the more hungry you are, the less likely you are to be affected.
How to get over your chicken ick
So, we know what causes it, but how do we get over it?
According to Stafford there are two things you can do. Firstly if your chicken ick is caused by the way the food was prepared, he suggests that next time chicken is on the menu, you try cooking it in a completely different way, such as using a different seasoning, cut of meat or different cooking method, ie fried instead of roasted.
The other thing you can do is ask someone else to cook it for you. This is particularly for anyone who has been put off by the smell or texture of raw chicken. Avoiding contact with the raw version can help you to rediscover your love for the cooked product. Otherwise, it might help to buy pre-cooked from the supermarket, or better yet, go out and eat it from a restaurant.
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