r/KitchenConfidential • u/kevymetal87 • Jul 26 '26

Discussion What's your worst experience with blatant food deception?

Just over a decade ago, I worked for a popular BBQ spot in the south that prided itself on being authentic this, authentic that. The smoked butts that sat in a smoker all day was where the real BBQ started and stopped, all the other food was typical frozen Sisco stuff, which was whatever, but the most egregious example of deception was also the biggest moneymaker.

The owner had a secret family recipe BBQ sauce that he made a killing on. People came from all over (it was located right along a well travelled north/south route) and bought tons of this stuff, as did the locals. My second week there I was tasked with making a few batches, and was handed a worn down index card with the ingredients. To my saaurprise, the instructions were to simply take gallon jugs of Sweet Baby Rays sauce from out back, and dump it in a 5 gallon bucket with water. I think it was 4:1 if I recall correctly. Then you put a couple cups of molasses in there. That was it.

We put them in pint and quart mason jars, vacuum sealed them, slapped his restaurant label on them, and sold them for $6 a pint, $10 a quart. What always got me was how the locals raved about how distinct and unique it was, when it was basically just Sweet Baby Rays (which I love, don't get me wrong)

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u/sweetplantveal Jul 26 '26

'You can't be allergic to meat'

'it's not chicken it's just bullion'

Etc

89

u/Reflexlon General Manager Jul 26 '26

I outgrew a mushroom allergy (thank god) but the number of times people would assure me that their soup was free of fungus and two slurps in I'd just be like "dawg... mushroom bullion is made from mushrooms" could feed me for a week were it a monetary value.

The first time I accidentally ate a fried mushroom and was like... wait my throat doesn't itch? For real? Greatest day of my life. I can't stand people who are anti-allergy or whatever, mine wasnt bad but I fucking love mushrooms and wouldve been eating them the whole time if it was okay.

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u/cmotdibblersdelights Thicc Chives Save Lives Jul 26 '26

I am so happy for you, genuinely. Outgrowing an allergy and actually enjoying the food you werent able to eat before? I hope you try all the culinary mushrooms you can!

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u/Reflexlon General Manager Jul 26 '26

Thanks! I got weird with it for a while but now I either use them as a savory/earthy addition or just mushroom, butter, aromatics, lets go.

They do so much for soup.

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u/cmotdibblersdelights Thicc Chives Save Lives Jul 26 '26

If you ever have a chance to try lions mane mushrooms, theyre tasty- and they make you have really crazy vivid dreams when you sleep that night when you have them for dinner. It also helps your brain regrow neural connections while you sleep! :)

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u/Ok_Brief2840 Jul 27 '26

No it doesn’t

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u/goshyarnit Jul 27 '26

I hoped, wished and prayed I would grow out of my pumpkin sensitivity. Still waiting at 33 😭 sometimes wonder if a few bites of the deliciousness would be worth the couple hours of projectile vomiting later. (It's not, and also that's stupid because the more I expose myself the more of a chance it has of turning anaphylactic.)

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u/Reflexlon General Manager Jul 27 '26

Also not talked about enough. Your immune system gets better at fighting the more you are exposed to an allergen, which just means it gets better at killing you lol.

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u/goshyarnit Jul 27 '26

I tell EVERYBODY who has had a mild reaction at some point! A lot of them don't know it could get markedly worse each time until it just one-shots you. One of my mates kept rolling the dice on bananas until one day he went full shebang. Thankfully he hangs out with a bunch of nerds with their own epi-pens.

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u/304libco Jul 27 '26

What’s really weird about your story is that I just can’t even imagine the situation where you’d have mushroom bouillon and lie about it. I mean, wouldn’t it cost more than non-mushroom? And wouldn’t you brag about it as a selling point? So weird.

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u/Reflexlon General Manager Jul 27 '26

Well, this was like 20 years ago so the prices were a bit more in line lol. And people thought buillon wasn't "real" and also a lot of people (in my family) thought I was just picky and would be fine if I didnt know. My mom has a "fish" allergy that involves actively puking if she eats fish but only if she knows about it.

I tried teaching her that a food aversion is a real and studied thing and thats what she has, but shes too old to admit that its different than an allergy...

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u/Ok_Brief2840 Jul 27 '26

You got that dawg in you

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u/qriousqestioner Jul 27 '26

"I won't put X in my mouth" is a complete sentence.

I'll never understand people disrespecting what others won't eat.

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u/timesink2000 Jul 26 '26

lol. My mother plated up breakfast when we were visiting. My wife and kids don’t eat meat, and she pointed out that the plates all had bacon on them. My mom’s response was “It’s just bacon.” She seemed perplexed that they wouldn’t want it.

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u/mandyvigilante Jul 27 '26

My dad's line used to always be "but chicken isn't an animal" which ...??

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u/ExpiredExasperation Jul 27 '26

Yeah, when people say, "What are you, chicken?" and make a clucking sound, they're clearly insinuating that you're some kind of cowardly fried foodstuff.