The Science Behind the Foods We Love (and the Ones We Hate!)

In Utero: Starchy Foods

Most people like when certain foods change texture in their mouth (think chocolate pudding transforming from thick to silken), but some might enjoy it more than others, thanks to a particular gene. The more copies of this gene you have, the more amylase—the enzyme that pulverizes the starch in foods—your saliva contains. And the more amylase in your saliva, the more acutely you may appreciate the texture shift of a starchy treat.