Voice of London

No matter how much you love food or how big of a foodie you consider yourself to be, there is at least one type of food that the mere thought of makes you heave.

We asked 7 Londoners which weird and wonderful food they disliked the most….

Have you ever wondered why that one food make your insides churn? Why does just the smell of it set you sweating? Are you just being fussy or is there a deeper reasoning behind your aversion?

Well wonder no more. There are four widely accepted reasons behind our individual dislikes for certain foods…

Genetics – Research has revealed that humans can be divided into three categories with regards to taste. These being; super-tasters, regular-tasters and non-tasters.

Super-taster: Someone who experiences taste at a greater intensity than most, therefore they are more likely to dislike bitter tastes (e.g. brussel sprouts) as they have a higher sensitivity.

Regular-taster: Somebody whose sense of taste is average and so they do not have a reason rooted in genetics for their aversions to certain foods.

Non-taster: A person who has a weaker taste perception than average, as a result of this they are more likely to enjoy foods with strong flavours, such as; coffee, cabbage and dark chocolate.

Which one are you?

Evolution – When humans used to have to forage for food, they avoided the bitter tasting plants as these were the ones that tended to be inedible…so there actually is a scientific reason as to why so many people dislike sprouts. Make sure to remember that one at Christmas time.

Culture – If you are around people who like a food that you dislike, you are more likely to try this food again and again. This is called repeated exposure. As a result of this repeated exposure, you may then begin to like the food that you have previously disliked, once you have become accustomed to its acquired taste.

Experience – We have a good memory when it comes to the foods we have eaten, whether the experience was good or bad. Any food that you have really enjoyed, you often want again and anything that has ever made you unwell is more likely to repulse you. If you have ever had a tequila hangover you will be all too aware of this.

                                                                            giphy.com

Just as flavours are unique to each dish, taste is unique to each individual.

Words: Amelia Walker-Hall | Subbing: Asya Gadzheva | Video: Amelia Walker-Hall