Genetics and Taste

You probably learned about the five different flavors we sense in foods: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (a savory, meaty flavor) in school.

It’s believed that the ability to sense each of these flavors evolved to improve our survival as a species. The sweet taste of fruit is due to the carbohydrates, often sugars, in the fruit that are an important source of energy. Meanwhile, our bodi...