Regional tastes

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Posted at 10:18AM, 21 September 2009 by Carol Wilson - Food writer

I'm intrigued by recent research by food psychologist Greg Tucker and Professor Andy Taylor (adviser to chef Heston Blumenthal) of the University of Nottingham's Flavour Research Group, which has revealed that tastes in food are as regional as dialect. Each region's 'taste dialect' was also found to have an effect on a different section of the tongue.

The research will benefit food manufacturers who will be able to develop products to suit the particular preferences of consumers in precise geographical areas.

The Scots opt for rich creamy flavours sensed on the back of the tongue

Apparently, how we taste food depends on where we were born. People in the Midlands, for instance, enjoy spicy flavours and soft textures, while in the South-west the preference is for smooth textures and sweet flavours, particularly apples; the Scots opt for rich creamy flavours sensed on the back of the tongue and also enjoy sweet foods. Tablet (a cross between fudge and toffee), a uniquely Scottish delicacy, incorporates all three of these qualities, being rich, creamy and very very sweet. Incidentally, the research revealed that the Scots are the slowest eaters too.

Not surprisingly, Londoners are the most adventurous eaters and enjoy a wide variety of foods from around the world. The Welsh love strongly flavoured foods such as leeks and onions which hit the middle of the tongue, while in the North-west the preference is for soothing, comforting foods - think Lancashire hotpot and Treacle tart. Hearty, strong-flavoured foods go down well in the North-east - salty York ham and rib-sticking Pease pudding for example, which hit the tip of the tongue.

I've done an unofficial (and very unscientific!) poll among friends and colleagues scattered throughout Britain and by and large the findings seem to be true to form. Although I do think that our tastes in food are established not only by our birthplace but must surely be influenced by our environment, childhood and hereditary traits? I was born in Yorkshire and love robust flavours and I think my sweet tooth must come from my being half Scottish! And of course people move around the country more these days and will naturally take their food preferences with them, so regional food habits will gradually change over time.

How does the research measure up to your experience?

Comments

smitty

22 September, 9:17AM
smitty

Amazing! I've lived all over the country and have a wide taste in foods. My favourite foods are hot and spicy and I love Indian food - but I've never lived in the Midlands!

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miniminx

22 September, 1:09PM
miniminx

can someone post a link to a good tablet recipe? the above goes to wikipedia...and i've been searching for a tablet recipe for ages!!

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carolann

22 September, 2:30PM
carolann

Try this: TABLET 300ml creamy milk 450g sugar 110g butter Few drops vanilla essence Place the milk and sugar in a heavy pan and heat gently until the sugar has melted, stirring. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 20 minutes, until a little of the mixture forms a âsoft ballâ when dropped into cold water. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and essence. Beat until the butter has melted and the mixture begins to appear âgrainyâ. Pour into a buttered tin and cut into squares when cold.

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Nicola

22 September, 3:35PM
Nicola

Mmmmmm, tablet. I do have a great recipe for it, but its in a cookbook at home. Perhaps I'll make some tonight ;-) That must be my Scottish sweet tooth then.

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shez

22 September, 10:03PM
shez

As a Yorkshire girl, I have made and loved Yorkshire pudding since I could reach the worktop. Sunday lunch is not right without them but other than that, I eat a wide variety of everything and anything from around the world!

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miniminx

23 September, 5:13PM
miniminx

@ carolann - can't wait to try it!!! thanks!

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sioden

25 September, 2:08PM
sioden

surely it's all nurture not nature. you're not born in London loving every kind of food - you have the opportunity to taste different cuisines and are therefore more open to trying new flavours....

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Natasha4995

25 September, 6:19PM
Natasha4995

Having being brought up in the Midlands, I really am not a fan of seafood. I think being so far from the sea has had an impact on my tastes. Oh and I love a good curry and a big Sunday dinner!

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latifah

30 September, 8:15PM
latifah

Living in Delaware & being born in Philadelphia, local foods are important to me. We're 45 minutes from Pennsylvania Dutch Country & 1 1/2 hours from the beach & also close to the Chesapeake Bay. So hooray for spicy steamed crabs,funnel cakes, shoofly pie, scrapple & the best locally grown tomatoes, corn & peaches! And don't forget those Kennett Square mushrooms practically in our own backyard!

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Uberbabe

1 October, 9:03AM
Uberbabe

Im from the north east - I love yorkshire puds, suet puds, savoury pies and other rib-sticking creations, as you suggested. Im a vegetarian on ethical groungs, but before I saw the light (more than battery pigs do - pardon the evangelism), I loved steak and kidney puddings and pies, hot-pots black pudding and anything rich and flavourful (but not sweet). Nice fatty, artery-clogging stuff, largely. Maybe there's something in it, but I agree that the tastes we are brought up with are the ones we crave, and they depend on foods available locally and our culture. Now that food from anywhere is available everywhere and at all times of the year I think these variations may disappear gradually, as our accents are starting to as "estuary english" takes over

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RW, Lyon

1 October, 7:33PM
RW, Lyon

What about East Anglia?!

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Lucie

1 October, 9:50PM
Lucie

I'm a Yorkshire lass living in Israel and strangely enough all my family are HUGE Yorkshire pudding fans! They also love dumplings and sticky toffee pudding..:-) I also cook the traditional Jewish and Israeli dishes and have learnt many new ones from my husband's family ( they are Iraqi Jews). I hope to share some of those in the future

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crazyfox

2 October, 11:24AM
crazyfox

I live in East Anglia My taste in food has changed as i've got older. I particularly love spicy food. I think tastes do change as you age.I don't eat mushrooms anymore since going off them when i was pregnant with my eldest who's now 16. I still can't eat them. I used to love them before.I don't eat beef as the BSE came about when i was first pregnant so wouldn't eat it. Have tried eating it since but don't think much to it.

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