Taste Goes Far Beyond Taste Buds

Tuesday, 26 April 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Why does mom’s pot roast always taste the best? According to the Washington Post, several factors besides just our taste buds determine what foods we like and those we don’t. Researchers, for example, think that children are predisposed to like what their mothers ate while they were in the womb. Don’t like oysters? A recent study pinpointed an enzyme in certain people that helped them tolerate the taste of thick, starchy foods. 

Evolution is another big factor. Our bodies have learned over time that “sweet means energy; sour means not ripe yet. Savory means food may contain protein. Bitter means caution, as many poisons are bitter. Salty means sodium, a necessary ingredient for several functions in our bodies.”