1. Love and food: How being in a relationship changes taste for food
It’s impossible to count the things we do for love. We change and adapt when we are in a relationship. Some pick up habits that their boyfriend or girlfriend like and others can even change their lifestyle to make the loved one happy. But did you know you may develop similar food taste like your partner when you are together for a long time? Well, that’s what a study published in the journal ‘Appetite’ suggests.
2. The study
Researchers from Germany and Poland surveyed 100 couples who have been married or in a relationship, both for a short-term or long-term, ranging from three months to 45 years. The participants were made to rate several smells like that of a rose, eucalyptus, leather and smoked meat. Even their taste preferences were tested after researchers spritzed different flavours like sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami on the participants’ tongues and they were asked to rate these based on their likes and dislikes.
3. The findings
After their experiments, the researchers found that those couples who had been together for a long time shared a similar preference for taste and smell. This conclusion was arrived after comparing their ratings on different taste and smells and no wonder, couples who have been in a long-term relationship ended up giving similar ratings.
4. How taste for food changes
Besides the above-mentioned study conducted by researchers from Germany and Poland, there are also other studies which have arrived at similar results. According to a study published in Science Direct, food habits can be a source of conflict for newlyweds when both partners have different preferences. But with time both the spouses develop “varying degrees of compatibility in food preferences and tolerances.”
5. The evolutionary reason behind smell
While adapting to the preferences of a partner might be one of the reasons behind a person’s change in taste for food but their preference for similar smells has an evolutionary reason. Studies have proved that when two people smell similar, they are more likely to be compatible.
6. Shared environment and acquired taste
Also, when a couple is in a long-term relationship, they end up sharing a lot of things, including a house and meals. Shared environment exposes a person to similar olfactory and gastronomical stimuli and when it happens repeatedly for a long time, it shapes a person’s preference for that kind of taste and smell.
7. It might not hold true for all
However, this might not hold true for couples who have extremely opposite food habits. For example, if one partner is vegetarian and the other is a non-vegetarian, they may not develop a similar taste. And the same holds true for partners who follow a certain diet or avoid some foods for health reasons.