Remember when your mom forced you to eat that one remaining veggie on your plate, which you left on purpose? 


Gulping down that last piece was always so difficult that I managed to throw it away, without mom noticing. 

Washington Post

Apparently, not eating a particular vegetable has nothing to do with your picky or choosy behaviour. 


According to the BBC, your hatred for certain vegetables comes from your genes. Experts claim, people who inherit two copies of the TAS2R38 gene are not sensitive to a potentially bitter taste from certain chemicals.

Chef Steps

Simply put, the two genetic variants, AVI and PAV, are two ends which enable you to feel a certain chemical as well as the taste of a particular food item. 


People who inherit two copies of AVI are not sensitive to tastes from certain chemicals, while people with both AVI and PAV get a bitter taste from certain chemicals. 

Colorado Edu

The problem arises with those who possess two copies of the PAV gene, which makes certain food items extremely bitter for their taste buds. 


People with such a condition may not like vegetables that are not actually bitter but tastes bitter because of the two PAV copies. 

Spectrum News

According to Doctor Jennifer Smith from the University of Kentucky School of Medicine: 

You have to consider how things taste if you really want your patient to follow nutrition guidelines.

Apparently, the same gene may also make dark chocolate, coffee and even beer taste unpleasant to some.