Why Do You Like What You Like?

Have you ever sat at a table and wondered how two people can eat the exact same food and have completely different reactions? One person bites into cilantro and swears it tastes like soap. Another finds it fresh and delicious. Some people can’t live without black coffee, while others wince at the first sip.

It feels personal, almost like taste is part of identity. But it all starts with the same thing: taste buds.

Taste buds are tiny sensory organs on the tongue that detect the basic flavours: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Each one is a little cluster of receptor cells that send signals to the brain when certain molecules land on them. The wiring is the same in everyone, yet the experience is not.

So why do our plates look so different? Why do some people love anchovies and others gag at the thought?

Part of the answer is genetic. Variations in certain genes can change how strongly we perceive bitterness, sweetness, or certain flavour compounds. For example, some people carry a version of the TAS2R38 gene that makes bitter compounds in vegetables taste extra intense. If Brussels sprouts make you shudder, your genes may be partly to blame.

But it’s not just DNA. It’s also about experience. Taste buds regenerate every week or two, but our preferences are shaped by the brain learning what flavours mean. Sweetness signals energy, which is why babies naturally like it. Bitterness often signals toxins, so we’re cautious about it unless we learn otherwise. Over time, culture and exposure teach us what to accept and even crave. Coffee, beer, spicy food, many of these are acquired tastes, learned by repeated exposure until the brain reclassifies them as rewarding instead of threatening.

Then there’s memory. Flavour is never just about the tongue. It’s about the smell of the food, the situation you’re in, the emotions tied to it. A bowl of soup might taste comforting if it reminds you of home, or unpleasant if it recalls being sick. The brain braids all of that into the taste experience.

I find it fascinating that something as small as a taste bud can open such a big window into individuality. At the biological level, we are all detecting the same molecules. At the human level, we’re tasting completely different worlds.

And maybe that’s why sharing food is so intimate. You’re not just passing a plate. You’re offering someone a glimpse into your reality, into how your brain has decided to write flavour.

✨So next time you sit down to eat, remember: your tongue is just the beginning. The rest is a story written by your genes, your memories, and your brain’s expectations :)