Now I understand why some people are picky eaters. It’s not because they are assholes or afraid, it’s because of the number of tastebuds they have:

25% of people are “supertasters“. Women are more likely to be supertasters than men, as well are people from Asia, Africa and South America. It sounds cooler than it really is. The name conjures up images of some sort of superhuman ability or someone whose tongue is constantly on the miracle fruit. But in actuality, it’s not so great. Yes, supertasters are better at identifying subtle flavors in wine and caviar. However, they are super sensitive to bitter foods. This creates an aversion to: Coffee, grapefruit, Brussels sprouts, spinach and other dark greens, green tea and ALCOHOL. Supertasters over the age of 65 are also more likely to have colon polyps. Sucks for you, dude.

25% are non-tasters. With a very small concentration of tastebuds, they don’t really care much about taste or how food is prepared and generally just scarf down food. These are the type of people who keep T.G.I. Friday’s and Ellio’s Pizza in business. I think dogs and dads fall into this category.

50% of people are normal tasters. We norms enjoy a wide variety of foods. The food world is our oyster! Aaaaah. Jealous, much?

Supertaster article on BBC
Article about supertasters and wine critics
How to test if you are a supertaster