The love of pork may be genetic. That is, according to a group of researchers from Duke University Medical Center, Monell Chemical Senses Center. They published the results of a study which they believe may show a genetic predisposition to having a particular fondness for cooked meats.

The researchers studied a group of people with varying levels of a certain odor receptor gene and were asked to smell and taste a few bites of pork, and they were then asked to rate it. The researchers were looking for the level of sensitivity to a testosterone like steroid called androstenone, which is found in the saliva of boars.

The specific variation of the gene insensitive to androstenone showed that those preferred the taste and smell of pork samples more so than respondents with a more sensitive variation to that same gene, which found the meat disgusting.

That could explain why some people just generally don't like the meat.

[FoodBeast]