As children, we adore the flavors of some foods and despise those of others. However, these likes and dislikes change when we become adults. How are our flavor preferences formed, and why do they change as we age?
First, it’s important to comprehend how we perceive flavors. As food is broken down in our mouths, taste buds on our tongues and in our mouths sense flavor compounds. The basic flavors are sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. However, there are numerous subtle variations on these flavors — for example, there are numerous different compounds that cause us to sense bitter flavors. Our taste bud receptors sense different compounds and pass the information to our brains. At the same time, flavor compounds from food enter the air and are sensed by further receptors in our noses. Our brains turn all this information into a simple idea of what the food’s flavor is.
Our flavor preferences begin to form before we’re born. We’re exposed to the foods our mothers eat, and this tells us that they’re both safe and nutritious. Studies have shown that children whose mothers ate certain foods while pregnant show a liking for these foods when they try them. The process continues in breast-fed infants. What’s more, it’s likely we have certain preferences in our genetic code. Kids prefer sweet and salty foods to bitter ones. This is because the former are rich in calories and the minerals their brains need, respectively. On the other hand, bitter tastes could indicate the food is rotten or dangerous. In prehistoric times, this flavor bias was important for survival. Finally, we come to associate some foods with happy or unhappy memories, and this affects our preferences.
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However our preferences are formed, they leave a lasting impression, though they’re still subject to change. We learn to appreciate different flavors and textures as we grow up. In addition, our taste buds become less sensitive as we get older. This is one explanation for why adults are able to enjoy foods they rejected as children. Equally, we sometimes crave stronger flavors to stimulate our weaker taste buds. Fortunately, we’ll never run out of new dishes to try.
作為孩子時，我們喜愛某些食物的味道而厭惡另一些食物的味道。然而，當我們成年時，這些好惡會改變。我們的口味喜好是如何形成的，又為何它們會隨著年齡的增長而改變呢？
首先，了解我們如何感知味道很重要。當食物在我們的口腔被分解時，我們舌頭上和口腔中的味蕾會感知味道混合物。基本的味道是甜、酸、鹹、苦和鮮。然而，這些味道有許多細微的變化——例如，有許多不同的混合物可以讓我們感覺到苦味。我們的味蕾受體感知不同的混合物並將訊息傳遞給我們的大腦。與此同時，食物中的味道混合物進入空氣並被我們鼻腔中的其他受體所感知。我們的大腦將所有這些訊息轉化為一個食物味道的基本概念。
我們的口味喜好在我們出生前就開始形成。我們接觸到母親吃的食物，這告訴我們它們既安全又有營養。研究表明，母親在懷孕期間吃過某些食物的孩子在嘗試這些食物時，會表現出對這些食物的喜愛。該過程在以母乳餵養的嬰兒中仍持續進行。而且，我們的遺傳密碼中可能已有某些喜好。孩子們喜愛甜與鹹的食物更勝於苦的食物。這是因為前者分別富含大腦所需的卡路里及礦物質。另一方面，苦味可能顯示食物已腐爛或有危險。在史前時代，這種口味偏見對生存非常重要。最後，我們會把一些食物與快樂或不快樂的記憶聯想在一起，這會影響我們的喜好。
無論我們的偏好是如何形成的，它們都會留下持久的印象，儘管它們可能會發生變化。隨著我們年齡增長，我們學會欣賞不同的口味和口感。此外，隨著年紀變大，我們的味蕾變得比較不敏感了。這也是為何成年人能夠享受他們小時候拒絕的食物的一種解釋。同樣地，我們有時也渴望更強烈的味道來刺激我們較弱的味蕾。幸運的是，我們永遠都嘗試不完新菜色！
MORE INFORMATION
despise v. 厭惡；鄙視
taste buds n. pl. 味蕾
umami n. 鮮味
receptor n. 受體；感知器官
breast-fed adj. 以母乳餵養的
respectively adv. 分別地；各自地
prehistoric adj. 史前的
crave vt. 渴望
KEY VOCABULARY
1. adore vt. 喜愛；愛慕；崇拜
Dylan adores his new classmate Connie and spends a lot of time hanging out with her.
狄倫愛慕他的新同學康妮，花了許多時間和她待在一起。
2. preference n. 喜好；偏愛
When it comes to food, everyone has their own preferences.
當提到食物時，每個人都有自己的偏好。
3. break down 分解
Over time, the food in our stomachs breaks down into smaller molecules that our bodies use for energy. 隨著時間過去，我們胃裡的食物會分解成更小的分子，供我們的身體用來獲取能量。
4. compound n. 混合物；化合物
Water is a compound made up of two elements, hydrogen and oxygen.
水是由氫和氧兩種元素組成的化合物。
5. subtle adj. 細微的；不明顯的
This painting is full of subtle details that might not be obvious at first.
這幅畫充滿了細微的細節，一開始看並不那麼明顯。
6. variation n. 變化；變體
Animals come in different sizes, but most land animals are just variations on a four-legged shape.
動物有不同的大小，但大部分陸生動物只是四足動物型態的變化。
7. associate v. 把……聯想在一起
associate A with B 將 A 與 B 聯想在一起
I associate making art with a feeling of happiness, since I always enjoy working on creative projects.
我把創作藝術與快樂的感覺聯想在一起，因為我總是享受於從事有創造力的專案。
8. explanation n. 解釋；辯解
Experts have still not agreed on an explanation for the existence of Stonehenge in England.
專家尚未對英國巨石陣的存在有一致的解釋。
9. stimulate vt. 刺激；促進
The experimental new drug can stimulate the body to produce more white blood cells.
這款實驗性新藥可以促進人體產生更多白血球。
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