How’s your palate?
This started as a random and cursory examination of the development of the palate. My not entirely serious inclination was that, far from the palate maturing from childhood into adulthood, the reverse was true. How else could disgusting food become not only tolerable but sought after?
As a child, I hated cabbage and Brussels sprouts among a myriad other foodstuffs. I wouldn’t say I was particularly picky, but I was polite – or cowardly - and would always answer, ‘It’s quite nice’ when pressed for my opinion of some delicacy or other, when what I actually meant was, ‘No, it’s horrible.’
I disliked sherry in my twenties, and cheese and wine parties held no attraction.
I began to like them as I grew older and now appreciate many of the things I did not care for when younger. Almost without exception, stronger flavours became more acceptable. Was my palate maturing?
Then I started to question why that should be. Taste develops early. A nine-week-old foetus has already acquired mouth and tongue and its first taste buds. The growing baby is exposed to what its mother consumes through the amniotic fluid and is born with an established sense of taste. Its preference, however, is for the sweetness of its mother’s milk.
People are born with around 9,000 taste buds which mainly cover the tongue, though there are some in the roof of the mouth and the back of the throat. The taste buds transmit messages to the brain. Different areas of the tongue are sensitive to five differing kinds of taste – sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. Umami is often characterised as ‘savouriness’ which could be called ‘meaty’, or ‘complex’ or simply ‘delicious.’
An adult has 2,000 to 4,000 taste buds, each of which can regenerate every seven to fourteen days. That sounds most encouraging, but the ability to regenerate diminishes after the age of forty for women, and fifty for men. Existing taste buds start to atrophy and become less sensitive to salty and sweet foods. At the same time, the sense of smell, which is strongest between thirty and sixty, can become less acute, leading to a further sense that food doesn’t taste the way it used to.
It is therefore not surprising that many older people have little or no appetite, for if everything tastes like cardboard, there is no pleasure in eating.
However, this dismal picture does not seem to withstand scrutiny. Chefs, chocolatiers, cheesemakers, tea-tasters, oenophiles are often quite mature and rely on their years of experience to inform their opinions and decisions.
I must go and test my taste buds and see if they’re still working. 😇
Interesting post. It's interesting that taste buds start to fade. It's no wonder people don't want to eat much. When I was sick last time I couldn't taste anything and it was very strange. It was a matter of textures rather than tastes. Really weird.
ReplyDeleteTaste and smell are closely aligned, too. Textures can be very off-putting if the appetite is not there.
DeleteYes seems strange that as young children, cheese is not palatable yet as adults we love it. Well I do!
ReplyDeleteI love cheese too much ;-)
DeleteI know my taste buds are working. I eat too much!! Very interesting post and definetely my taste in certain foods have developed. For example, I was in my 20's the first time I tasted cumin and could not stand it. Now I love it!!
ReplyDeleteInteresting point about efficient taste buds leading to too much eating - I can relate to that.
DeleteI know my taste buds are working, even the sweet ones. I can tell the local biscuit (cookie) manufacturer has changed the recipe and now uses cheaper ingredients, not only the taste but the texture has changed and a biscuit (cookie) broken in half looks different too. They are thinner, whiter and more flaky where they used to be buttery and crumbly. I suspect vegetable oils and rice flour are being used instead of butter and wheat flour. They've lost me as a customer.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, manufacturers think customers won't notice. It's very short-sighted.
DeleteI never particularly liked sweet tastes when young and I still don't now. But the preference for savoury tastes became stronger and more sophisticated with age. Expensive white wine is more of a pleasure these days, both to look at in your photo and to taste at dinner time.
ReplyDeleteI used to have a really sweet tooth, but am more inclined to savoury now.
DeleteI don't think my taste buds have atrophied yet! P on the other hand has very little sense of smell and will drink truly atrocious wines saying that he can't tell the difference from a decent one.
ReplyDeleteThat's a shame, but maybe easier on the pocket.
DeleteReally interesting and when I think about it, so very true.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised at the things some of my grandchildren ate when they were younger - much more sophisticated than I ever was.
DeleteThe photo of a glass of wine looks tasty and pleasant. I remember as a child not eating 1/2 of what my mother cooked and really paying the price on my hind end. Today she would not believe all the foods I eat with gusto! She might even have given me a hug instead, lol.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness - you were actually spanked for not liking some kind of food? How awful!
Delete'Eat it or go without' might have been better. Faced with a plate of inedible food is awful, however beautifully cooked it is.
DeleteYou should see the twins eat! They will try everything put before them and usually like it. Even brussels sprouts and broccoli as I recently witnessed.
DeleteQuite an interesting post. The science behind taste bud regeneration is fascinating. I never knew they could refresh themselves like that! I always thought about taste as something that we acquire.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by the taste buds, too.
DeleteWhat an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteI had read previously read that our taste buds seem to change throughout our lives, but by the age of 60, the average person has lost half their taste buds. This is why older people don’t seem to care as much about bitter or unusual tastes.
All the best Jan
It's not a cheerful prospect, is it?
DeleteA fascinating article Jan, thank you for sharing this. I also keep wanting to mention what a lovely header your bee makes.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing heavily-laden bees!
DeleteAt the moment I think my palate is doing ok. Some textures and tastes will never cross my lips while others I'm willing to give a go. Interesting to read about the intricacies of our taste buds.
ReplyDeleteI haven't noticed my tastes expanding or shrinking, but maybe it's so subtle that it's barely noticeable.
DeleteA very interesting post, Janice! That said, I didn't like cabbage and Brussels sprouts as a child ... and I still don't :-) xxx
ReplyDeleteI didn't, but I do now :-)
DeleteFascinating post! I've been watching a lot of cooking shows lately where chef judges taste the dishes. I'm amazed by their ability to know something needs more acid or umami flavor.
ReplyDeleteTheir lives revolve around acceptable tastes so they're practising their skills all the time.,
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