Is Taste in Food Genetic? (burger, diet, avocado, tomato)

[hertfordshire]

I think there can be a genetic component, but I think there's also a bit of just watching how our parents ate, and following the parent that we more closely identify with. I grew up with a meat & potatoes kind of father. Didn't eat seafood, didn't like a lot of vegetables, never ate a salad, rarely cheese (unless it was on pizza). My mother on the other hand was a pacific islander who had more exotic tastes. My tastes were VERY similar to my father's. I was very much a Daddy's girl, so I guess I just emulated what I saw him eating. But for some reason when I reached my 30's, I started trying more things. I discovered I love seafood, cheese, most vegetables, and I'm a lot more adventurous with my eating than I was growing up.

[chiluvr1228]

Everyone in my family hates cilantro, with my oldest actually being allergic to it.

[Taffee72]

I always loved cilantro and didn't understand before why people hated it. I guess I wouldn't want to eat soap either!

I have a similar hatred for cinnamon - can't stand the smell of it. It literally makes me gag and if too strong, I will vomit.

Every fall, every store seems to fill up their entryway with the stench of cinnamon, and I have to hold my nose and not breathe to walk in. Not sure if any of my ancestors had similar hatred of cinnamon.

[silibran]

I learned from doing 23 and Me DNA testing that I seem to have the genetic makeup for liking dark chocolate, and I do. I like it in preference to milk chocolate. DH much prefers sweet chocolate.

I am genetically from British Isles and generally European. DH’s genetic makeup is almost identical to mine. But he is a low taster, and I have more sensitive taste. In his case, he grew up eating bland, overcooked food. I like a little heat, and he had to get used to that in my cooking.

For us, our food preferences seem to be based more on temperament than actual taste sensitivity. I am more adventurous; he like things the ways they always have been.

As I gotten older I find I do not tolerate very spicy or salty food. Both irritate my mouth.

I suspect many factors influence taste preferences.

[burdell]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

This was discussed on the Genealogy Forum and the answer was yes. For one thing, there are tasters and non tasters. One of the main experiments regards cilantro. Some people love it; others hate it. Northern Europeans do not usually like spicy foods. They can and do learn to like it by gradually building up a tolerance.

I am a rare person who does not like watermelon. It helped when I learned that my uncle couldn't stand watermelon either. The two of us would sit together at family reunions while everyone else gorged themselves on watermelon. My uncle was from England. My husband is from England and he can't stand watermelon. (But I've never looked up the origin of watermelon and whether it's something a northern European would dislike.)

I think people may often be genetically predisposed to like a food that originated in the climate in which they live or in which their distant ancestors lived. Hot peppers (origin=South America) do not agree with me and from my DNA test, I am 100% northern European.
Here's one article about it and they bring up the cilantro differences as well as asparagus. We perceive tastes differently and much of that seems to be genetic.

Did you know that there are genetic variations in taste and smell receptors? ...

Commonly used in Mexican cooking and Indian chutneys, individuals with ancestry tied to certain regions may be more likely to prefer cilantro than those from other areas. Genetics are thought to be responsible for the difference that leaves some individuals with a soapy taste in their mouth after eating it.

https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrit...ste-and-smells

I get that occasionally but by no means consistently, I've often wonder if that was due to different varieties of colantro?

[TheShadow]

A little less than 2 years ago I discovered through DNA analysis that I had 2 half sisters I was unaware of. We've met and been in contact ever since. On FB, someone posted a thing about which candy bars you would dislike out of 9 pictured. I picked 2 with peanuts, and my half-sister said "same". I said I like peanut butter but not peanuts, and no nuts ever in candy or ice cream. She said the same. Later someone asked one food I hate. I said mayonnaise and that I'm okay with eggs and oil, but put them together in mayonnaise and I hate it. She completely agreed. I said that I like tomato sauce and catsup, but not raw tomatoes, she agreed. We both dislike canned tuna, and avocados too. We disagreed on liking salty snacks, which I love. But we also both dislike most cheeses, unless they are melted as on a pizza or hot sandwich. But then we started talking about bread, and I mentioned that I needed to make some homemade bread soon, and she said she used a bread machine, and I said so do I, and that I loved mine because it worked so perfectly. She said she had a Zojirushi, I almost fainted because I have the same obscure, ridiculously expensive, but FANTASTIC bread machine. Mine is white, and hers is black though. LOL

re: Northern Europeans and spicy foods...I must be the odd one, as I am 100% Northern European descent (including Scandinavian 30%) and I LOVE hot food. I literally crave it, and the one thing that is ALWAYS in my fridge is a large jar of Pace original picante sauce, the hot variety with the red lid. I can go through a jar in a couple days if I get on a binge.

[Sarahsez]

My husband does not like raw onions or tomatoes. The boys did not like tomatoes either, but are now starting to eat them as adults. They have always been my daughter's favorite food. I craved them when I was pregnant with all three children. The boys like raw onions, but my daughter doesn't. I have an aversion to spices like cinnamon... instant headache. My kids don't like those smells either, but will eat cinnamon rolls which I despise.

[A.Typical.Girl]

Lots of similarities in my family, but not with all, just a couple, like in yours. Some are odd.

If I eat hamburger meat at home, I get a headache & sick to my stomach to the point that I might lose lunch. My mum said her mum was the same. All grandparents had died before I was born, so it couldn't have been something embedded in my mind as a kid cuz I saw it.

One brother & I think eating cold starches or mayo is gross... potato salad, macaroni salad. We can't even stand the smell of them. My brother will lose his lunch if he smells mayo... I'm not so severe, but I hate it, too. Everyone else likes them fine.

That same brother & I hate all veggies... all. He won't eat any ever... I'll eat them but almost hold my nose like a little kid being forced to clean her plate or I have to hide them in other foods to swallow them. Gosh I hate veggies. Everyone else eats mostly veggies.

I'm the only sibling who will eat very ethnic foods that my eastern EU mum eats. None of them can even be around if there's a sardine, blood sausage or chicken heart on the table. Mum & I love 'em.

I think a lot of families are like that & since you mentioned the ones who look alike have similar likes in food... in my family, not one of us resembles another, even down to drastically different heights, body types & a rainbow of hair/eye colors. I've never seen anything like it... none of look as if we could possibly be related. And, that's for generations. Might be a few surprises in my kin's hemlock.

[KathrynAragon]

I don't taste certain bitter tastes, so I like dark beer, asparagus, etc. That showed up in my genetic testing. I also don't taste soap when I eat cilantro and I actually really like it. That's also genetic.

I am 99.9 percent northern European (mostly English and Scottish) and .1 percent Coptic Egyptian so I don't think it has much to do with where we originate as much as it has to do with simply a combo of genetics and culture.

I intensely, intensely dislike watermelon but I'm the odd man out in my family and at most gatherings. Occasionally I find someone else who also dislikes it as much as me - LOL. I always feel validated then!

[Serious Conversation]

Most of my family are not adventurous at all in food. Only some of my younger cousins are foodies. I have no idea if it's genetic or if it's because everyone grew up eating the "same old, same old."