"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> Have there been any studies that have evaluated whether food
> preferences are hereditary and/or genetic?
>
> Imagine a group of people all full-blooded Germans, Thais, a
> handful of Chinese, and a few Japanese, all brought up in a
> regular middle-class U.S of A and fed nothing but cheeseburgers
> and fries all their lives and having never tasted mom's family
> favorite cooking (or grandma's) - having no childhood comfort
> foods to remember (other than cheeseburgers and fries), They're
> all set free at the age of 20 to eat whatever they choose.
>
> Would each group still tend to prefer foods from their country of
> origin?
>

<snipped>

I would guess that there is no genetic predisposition. In fact I would bet
on it. I think other factors you mention will explain it, particularly
knowing that you are of German (or Japanese, or whatever) ancestry and
therefore having more interest in that food. Taking myself as an example, I
am half Scottish and half Panamanian and have no particular interest in the
foods of either country. On the other hand, I have my father's and his
father's love for the finest spirits and wines - but somehow I think there
are other explanations for this!


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.



--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.