Taste depends on nature and upbringing, how to taste those dishes which you do not like.

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(Nicholas Archer and Astrid Pohlmann, Principal Researchers, Public Health and Welfare Group, CSIRO)

Sydney, you’re out to dinner with a group of friends, one of whom ordered a pizza with anchovies and olives for everyone’s dinner, but you hate olives and anchovies! Would you like to take your pick – Hawaiian – or remain silent?

This scene unfolds every day across the world. Some people defend their personal tastes ruthlessly. But many people would prefer to expand their tastes, and not have to explain their dislike the next time someone in their friend group orders pizza. Is it possible to train your taste buds to enjoy foods you didn’t eat before, in the same way you train muscles in the gym? Research has shown that taste depends on many things.

What determines ‘taste’?

Taste is a complex system that we have developed to help us navigate the environment. It helps us select foods with nutritional value and reject anything potentially harmful.

Foods are made up of various compounds, including nutrients (such as proteins, sugars and fats) and aromas that are detected by sensors in the mouth and nose. These sensors create the taste of food. While taste is what the taste glands on your tongue capture, flavor is the combination of the smell and taste of something. Along with texture, appearance and smell, these senses collectively influence your food preferences.

Many factors influence food preferences, including age, genetics and environment. Each of us lives in our own sensory world and no two people will have the same experience while eating.

Food preferences also change with age. Research has found that small children naturally like sweet and salty tastes and dislike bitter tastes. As they grow up, their ability to like bitter food increases.

Emerging evidence suggests that bacteria in saliva may also produce enzymes that affect the taste of foods. For example, saliva has been shown to cause the release of sulfur aroma in cauliflower. The more sulfur produced, the less likely the child will be to enjoy the taste of cauliflower.

nature vs nurture

Both genetics and environment play important roles in determining food preferences. Twin studies estimate that genetics have a moderate influence on food preferences in children, adolescents, and adults (between 32% and 54%, depending on the type of food).

However, our cultural environment and the foods we come into contact with also shape our preferences, so these preferences are largely learned.

Much of this learning happens during childhood, at home and in other places where we eat. This is not textbook education. This learning occurs by experience (by eating), which usually increases liking of the food – or by seeing what others do, which can lead to both positive and negative associations.

Research has shown how environmental influences on food preferences change between childhood and adulthood. For children, the main factor is the home environment, which makes sense since children are more likely to be influenced by the foods prepared and eaten at home. The environmental factors that influence adults and adolescents are more diverse.

The process of ‘acquiring’ taste

Coffee and beer are good examples of bitter foods whose taste people “accustom” to as they grow up. Their ability to overcome dislike is largely due to the following reasons:

The social context in which they are consumed. For example, in many countries they may be linked to the transition to adulthood.

The physiological effects of the compounds they contain – caffeine in coffee and alcohol in beer – many people find these effects desirable.

But what about acquiring a taste for foods that don’t provide such desirable feelings, but which are good for you, such as kale or fatty fish? Is it possible to get approval for these?

Here are some strategies that can help you learn to enjoy foods you don’t currently eat:

• Eat, and keep eating. Only a small portion is needed to develop a liking for a specific flavor over time. It may take 10-15 or more tries before you can say you “liked” the food.

• Mask the bitterness by eating it with other foods or ingredients that contain salt or sugar. For example, you can pair bitter gourd with sweet salad dressing.

• Eat it again and again in a positive context. This could mean playing your favorite game or eating it with your favorite people. Alternatively, you can eat it with foods you already enjoy; If it’s a specific vegetable, try combining it with your favorite protein.

• Eat it when you’re hungry. When you’re hungry, you’ll be more willing to accept tastes that you might not like on a full stomach.

• Remind yourself why you want to enjoy this food. You may be changing your diet for health reasons, or because you’ve moved to another country and are struggling with the local cuisine. Your cause will help motivate you.

• Start young (if possible). It is easier for children to learn to like new foods because their tastes are less established.

• Remember: The more food you like, the easier it will be to learn to like others.

• A balanced and varied diet is essential for good health. If eating pickles leads to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, it can become a problem – especially if you’re avoiding entire food groups like vegetables. Additionally, eating too many tasty but energy-dense foods may increase the risk of chronic disease, including obesity.

• Understanding how your food preferences are formed, and how they can evolve, is the first step on the path to healthy eating.

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