Elvis food: The vegetable that The King absolutely hated ‘I want you to stop eating that’

ELVIS PRESLEY had some eccentric eating habits, but some foods he really could not stand. Aside from banning fish from Graceland, there was one vegetable that the star asked his Memphis Mafia cousin to stop eating.

By George Simpson, Senior Film and Arts Reporter

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was well known for his love of hamburgers and Southern home cooking like meatloaf and mashed potatoes. And then, of course, there was his beloved sandwich named after him made up of peanut butter and banana. But it also turns out that The King really didn’t like a certain vegetable, as revealed by his family who lived with him at Graceland.

The news was shared by The King’s cousins in their latest YouTube videos marking Thanksgiving today.

Danny Smith admitted: “Elvis wasn’t real fond of onions and strong-smelling seasonings.”

His father, the star’s first cousin, Billy Smith remembered that the singer particularly detested the taste and smell.

In the latter’s video below, the Memphis Mafia member was sharing a turkey recipe he cooked for Elvis at Graceland in the mid-1960s.

READ MORE: Elvis Presley broke silence on rumours he 'couldn't play guitar'

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elvis eating and vegetables

Elvis food: The vegetable that The King absolutely hated ‘I want you to stop eating that’ (Image: GETTY)

onions

Elvis really couldn't stand onions (Image: GETTY)

The recipe is called Italian Popcorn Turkey, which includes cornbread and Italian seasoning for the dressing.

However, Billy said: “When it comes to onion, we didn’t use any onion in it. He didn’t like it. So we just left it out of the dressing.”

Nevertheless, his cousin would enjoy the vegetable in his own meals when away from Elvis, until the star noticed one day.

The Memphis Mafia member remembered: “One night, he called me out there [to Graceland], he wanted me to wash his eyes. That’s when he had the glaucoma n’all.”

elvis eating with colonel

Elvis eating with The Colonel (Image: GETTY)

Billy continued: “I had eaten a hamburger with onion on it. Well, I brushed my teeth and all that, went out there.”

But during the eye washing, Elvis said to him: “Hell, I can tell you been eatin’ onion.” His cousin replied: “Yeah I had a hamburger with onion on it. Is it bothering you?”

The King said: “Well it’s not actually thrilling me.” So Billy asked if he wanted him to stop cleaning his eyes.

However, Elvis replied: “No, I want you to quit eating onion.” Billy added with a smirk that he was kind of letting him know.

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So from then on the Memphis Mafia member wouldn’t have the vegetable to eat before going out to Graceland to hang out with The King.

Aside from onions, Elvis couldn’t stand the smell of fish cooking and banned it from the Memphis mansion.

But when it came to the food the star did like, he would obsessively eat the same thing over and over.

And in one case that meant having his beloved meatloaf and mashed potatoes every day for dinner for six months.

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