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Are Food Preferences Genetic?
In article >,
OSPAM (JLove98905) wrote:
> I have wondered about genetics and predisposition (or lack thereof) to spicy
> foods.
>
> I have never been able to eat anything with chili pepper or cayenne, etc. I'm
> extremely sensitive to it - it causes me pain and I get no pleasure out of
> it,
> so I just avoid it altogether. Logically, it does not factor into my
> household
> recipes. I grew up in a household where no spicy food was eaten - and I
> asked
> my dad why that was. Was it because he and/or his parents couldn't tolerate
> spicy food, or simply because he grew up eating no spicy food in his own
> household? The answer was, both. So I was left wondering, do we share a
> genetic
> distaste for spicy food, or is it a function of what we ate as kids?
There are some food preferences which are genetic -- some people think
coriander leaf (cilantro) tastes soapy, and that's genetic. Likewise
the celery "extremely bitter" taste is genetic. I have them both. I
love Thai food as long as it's not loaded with coriander. Makes it
completely inedible.
> I have a Mexican coworker who told me that kids there eat chili pepper
> lollipops. Is it because they are born tolerant to chilis, or because at that
> age, it is easier to form food preferences?
It's the age thing.
Miche
--
If you want to end war and stuff you got to sing loud.
-- Arlo Guthrie, "Alice's Restaurant"
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