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

Childhood: Creamy, Fatty, and Fried Foods

A childhood plagued by ear infections can damage the chorda tympani nerve, which sends taste signals from the tongue up through the middle ear to the brain. When taste signals are muffled, the trigeminal nerve (the nerve that carries texture information) sings the praises of creamy, fatty, and fried textures more loudly—making those foods all the more appealing.