# what determines our taste for food?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-determines-our-taste-for-food/8987>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 18, 2000, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-determines-our-taste-for-food/8987 "2000-03-18T21:26:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![egkelly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/db5fbb/32.png) [@egkelly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/egkelly)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-determines-our-taste-for-food/8987/21 "2000-03-21T15:09:00Z")

</div>

How did early man ever decide that BRUSSELS SPROUTS were edible? Those things are horrible! The only way I have ever been able to stomach them is when they were served with a cheese sauce which covered up the awful taste!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SoMoMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-determines-our-taste-for-food/8987/22 "2000-03-21T17:20:00Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by egkelly:  
> \*\*How did early man ever decide that BRUSSELS SPROUTS were edible? \*\*

🙂 Brussel Sprouts are a relatively new invention in the food world.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ASPA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@ASPA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASPA)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-determines-our-taste-for-food/8987/23 "2000-03-21T23:29:00Z")

</div>

good answer!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-determines-our-taste-for-food/8987/24 "2000-03-22T00:40:00Z")

</div>

OK, my answer to the OP:

a) custom (you like what you ate a lot of growing up)

b) allergies (if you’re allergic to something or you can’t digest it well, you won’t eat it and won’t like it.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-determines-our-taste-for-food/8987/25 "2000-03-22T12:22:00Z")

</div>

I have a phobia about vetgetables and fruit. I will not eat them, and if I try I almost throw up. Gag reflex.

Makes things awkward in social situations sometimes, but I cope.

But one of the real reasons people don’t like some foods is texture. Some things just don’t ‘feel’ right on your tongue. Or smell. Or colour. If you are given familiar food that is a different colour, or if after a cold you regain your sense of smell, you can be turned off certain foods.

Wacky.

* * *

[The Legend Of PigeonMan](http://www.hotkey.net.au/~guanolad/pigeonman/)

- **Shadow of the Pigeon** -  
Weirdo of the Night

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-determines-our-taste-for-food/8987.md?page=1)