The old saying “there's no explaining taste” is no longer true, at least as it relates to the taste of food. Recent research offers some explanations about our preferences for certain foods.
Tastebuds: Your tongue is covered with tiny bumps (called fungiform papillae) that contain clusters of taste receptor cells. Taste studies show that “supertasters” have the greatest number of tastebuds and have very strong food likes and dislikes. Medium tasters have somewhat fewer tastebuds and tend to like all foods. Nontasters have the smallest number of tastebuds and are indifferent to the taste of foods.
Inheritance: There is a gene that determines how many taste receptors you have in your tastebuds. The more receptors, the greater the taste sensitivity, which in turn affects preferences for certain foods. The Taste Science Lab at Cornell University reports that people with ancestry from Europe, the Middle East and India have the lowest number of taste receptors when compared with other populations.
Age: Children are more sensitive to bitterness in foods than are adults, which may explain some of the pickiness parents complain about when feeding their children. Sensitivity to bitter tastes seems to lessen with age, due to a decrease in the number of tastebuds on the tongue. Those of us with adult children find ourselves saying:
“I can't believe you're eating that. You never would eat that as a kid.”
Aroma: The sense of taste and the sense of smell are closely related. You undoubtedly have noticed that when you have a stuffy nose, food does not have much taste. Try holding your nose while eating a piece of chocolate and you will find that it does not give you much pleasure.
Culture: We are born liking a sweet taste and then learn to like other tastes through repeated exposure. Children may need to experience a flavor a number of times before developing a taste for it. Each culture has its own unique flavorings that enhance the taste of foods. For example, cumin is a spice used in Indian, Middle Eastern and Mexican cuisines. A blend of spices, referred to as curry, is used to flavor Indian and Pakistani foods.
Come to the Auburn Farmer's Market Thursday, Oct. 11, for a tastebud tempting sample of soup, seasoned with cumin and curry.
Visit www.cce.cornell.edu/ cayuga for more nutrition information and easy recipes.
Christine Gutelius, MA, RD, CDN, is a nutrition resource educator at
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County.
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Makes 6 servings
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Cayenne (red) pepper to taste
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
3 cups reduced sodium vegetable or chicken broth
3 cups water
1 pound tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and saute until softened but not browned. Add garlic, curry powder, cumin and cayenne
pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds.
Add squash, vegetable or chicken broth, water and apples. Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat to low
and simmer, covered, 25 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove from heat and cool 15-20 minutes. Puree mixture in a blender or food processor, in batches and transfer back into soup pot. Season
with salt and pepper. Heat and serve.
Inheritance: There is a gene that determines how many taste receptors you have in your tastebuds. The more receptors, the greater the taste sensitivity, which in turn affects preferences for certain foods. The Taste Science Lab at Cornell University reports that people with ancestry from Europe, the Middle East and India have the lowest number of taste receptors when compared with other populations.
Age: Children are more sensitive to bitterness in foods than are adults, which may explain some of the pickiness parents complain about when feeding their children. Sensitivity to bitter tastes seems to lessen with age, due to a decrease in the number of tastebuds on the tongue. Those of us with adult children find ourselves saying:
“I can't believe you're eating that. You never would eat that as a kid.”
Aroma: The sense of taste and the sense of smell are closely related. You undoubtedly have noticed that when you have a stuffy nose, food does not have much taste. Try holding your nose while eating a piece of chocolate and you will find that it does not give you much pleasure.
Culture: We are born liking a sweet taste and then learn to like other tastes through repeated exposure. Children may need to experience a flavor a number of times before developing a taste for it. Each culture has its own unique flavorings that enhance the taste of foods. For example, cumin is a spice used in Indian, Middle Eastern and Mexican cuisines. A blend of spices, referred to as curry, is used to flavor Indian and Pakistani foods.
Come to the Auburn Farmer's Market Thursday, Oct. 11, for a tastebud tempting sample of soup, seasoned with cumin and curry.
Visit www.cce.cornell.edu/ cayuga for more nutrition information and easy recipes.
Christine Gutelius, MA, RD, CDN, is a nutrition resource educator at
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County.
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Makes 6 servings
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Cayenne (red) pepper to taste
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
3 cups reduced sodium vegetable or chicken broth
3 cups water
1 pound tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and saute until softened but not browned. Add garlic, curry powder, cumin and cayenne
pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds.
Add squash, vegetable or chicken broth, water and apples. Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat to low
and simmer, covered, 25 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove from heat and cool 15-20 minutes. Puree mixture in a blender or food processor, in batches and transfer back into soup pot. Season
with salt and pepper. Heat and serve.
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