Re:Man dies from eating more than a bag of liquorice a day
by svachalek on Thursday September 24, 2020 @05:58PM
(#24584164)
I've always wondered if it's something like cilantro. They've identified a gene that makes cilantro taste soapy to some. Maybe there's something similar with licorice since I've noticed many people seem to have a strong negative reaction to it. (I find the flavor mild but interesting, like vanilla.)
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Re:Man dies from eating more than a bag of liquorice a day
by SideburnsOfDoom on Thursday September 24, 2020 @06:30PM
(#24584436)
Apparently that's not known to science, but I feel certain that it's genetic, innate and not learned. It's inconceivable that I'll ever "acquire" a tolerance for that vile inedible substance. My partner loves it though.
https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-liquorice-whether...
https://www.shared.com/your-black-licorice-preference-depend...
Re:Man dies from eating more than a bag of liquorice a day
by nullc on Thursday September 24, 2020 @06:16PM
(#24584314)
They identified a variation which is needed to distinguish a chemical in cilantro at all.
Having that variation is necessary but not sufficient for finding it has a soapy taste.
Re:Man dies from eating more than a bag of liquorice a day
by SideburnsOfDoom on Friday September 25, 2020 @06:25AM
(#24588388)
The flavour of licorice is, to my palate, many things, all of them unpleasant, but not "mild" at all.
I stongly suspect genetic factors, the way that some people find coriander / cilantro a strong, unpleasant taste. After all,licorice is a poison (as per the parent article), so a gene to detect and reject it as inedible has value.