She Joked about the Secret Ingredient in Her Recipe. Did She Go Too Far?

A couple recently moved back to the husband’s hometown and hosted his family for dinner. The wife cooked a few dishes and made French onion soup, which was a hit. When the mother-in-law asked for the recipe, the wife jokingly said that the secret ingredient was her tears (because onions make you cry). This seemingly innocent joke caused the mother-in-law to stop eating, and they all left without speaking. Now, the mother-in-law refuses to talk to the wife. Was this joke harmless or did it go too far? Read on to find out what happened.

Hosting family dinners in a new town

Joking about secret ingredients can sometimes lead to awkward situations

Organic-loving cook gets triggered by innocent onion joke

When in-laws don’t get along, who’s at fault?

Did she ruin dinner with one joke?

Hosting a family dinner can be stressful, especially when you’re trying to impress your in-laws . But what happens when a harmless joke turns into a major conflict? In this post, a woman shares her experience of making French onion soup for her husband’s family and jokingly reveals that the secret ingredient was her tears. Little did she know, her mother-in-law was extremely strict about the origin of her food and did not appreciate the joke. After the comment, the mood at dinner changed, and the mother-in-law and her family quickly left. The author’s husband has been trying to make amends, but the mother-in-law is still not speaking to her. Is the author the a**hole for making the joke, or did the mother-in-law overreact? Read on for the comments and reactions from the community .

Commenter defends OP’s joke, others join in with funny replies.

A joke gone wrong or a joke gone too far?

Joke about onions causes MIL to walk out. NTA.

Organic tears shut down MIL’s criticism. The comment section agrees.

Defending a joke or the lack of sense of humor?

Spicing up the comments with a mayo joke ️

Harmless onion joke causes drama. Don’t be an a**hole. NTA

A lighthearted comment with a punny reply

Commenter defends joke, receives support and explicit agreement.

NTA comment and sarcastic reply.

MIL vs. DIL drama NTA strikes again

Commenter defends OP’s joke and suggests distancing from MIL.

Commenter shows concern for soup maker’s mental health.

A harmless joke that sparked a big reaction ‍♀️

Being high maintenance backfires. NTA’s glad to avoid drama.

Redditors agree: not the a**hole for sharing funny recipe secret

Salty tears and secret ingredients make for delicious drama

Lighten up and laugh a little

When sarcasm is lost on someone, the results are…interesting

Defending a joke with a NTA verdict ‍♀️

A lighthearted joke at dinner leads to MIL’s overreaction. NTA

NTA. MIL owes OP an apology, not the other way around

Joke or not? NTA comment defends controversial secret ingredient.

No harm done, just a harmless joke

Commenter suggests there might be underlying issues at play.

Food sensitivity concerns dismissed with a well-placed joke

Commenter wants recipe labeled as ‘Tears of the Cook Soup’

Don’t lose your sense of humor over sensitive people

Unexpectedly wholesome comment section

NTA for calling MIL a drama queen, but cutting ties extreme.

Empathetic reply receives support from comment section

MIL’s cooking secret ingredient joke gets mixed reactions

Cook’s mother-in-law disapproves of soup joke, but commenters are on her side

Harmless joke or crossing the line? NTA thinks former.

Commenter calls out strange behavior in lighthearted recipe thread

Cook’s NTA comment triggers sensitive friend.

Understanding OCD and food obsessions: a compassionate response

Misunderstandings can happen even with harmless jokes. NTA ‍♀️

Neighbor calls out rude cook, but commenter agrees she’s NTA ‍♀️

Organic tears for seasoning? User deemed NTA in comment section.

When dad jokes save the day ‍ ‍

No a-hole here! This comment is a breath of fresh air

Commenter stands by their verdict: Not the a**hole

A cute joke lost in translation? NTA for the chef.

Joking about secret ingredient – harmless or crossing a line?

MIL can’t take a joke? ‍♀️ NTA for moving on.

User defends OP’s harmless joke, calls out MIL’s overreaction.

Mother-in-law drama? NTA, but sprinkle in some humor

Commenter defends non-vegan tears as NTA, sparking laughter and agreement.

Confused about the onion joke? This commenter clears it up!

NTA cook claps back at haters, suggests they enjoy silence

Understanding and empathy for a possible disorder. #NTA