Filed under: Science, Vegetables

I had no idea that taste buds were inherited. I always thought that while we are born with certain likes and dislikes when it comes to food, we can learn to like various foods (or dislike - I often go through long phases where I don't like a food I usually like).

Over at Esquire.com, Dr. Mehmet Oz (he's the guy in the scrubs you see on Oprah a lot) explains that we get our taste buds from our parents, and that half of us fall into an extreme category. There are supertasters, who have more taste buds, and undertasters, who have less and have to eat more flavorful food. He even gives us a test to see which one we are. Mix one packet of Sweet 'N Low in half a glass of water. Put a spoonful on your tongue. If it's sweet, you're an undertaster. If it's bitter, you're a supertaster.

I don't have any Sweet 'N Low in the house so I can't try it, but if you do let us know in the comments.