My parents don't understand why I don't eat certain foods. I particularly don't like okra and the bitter melon, partly because of the taste, but mostly because of their texture. According to Rhonda Miller, who has been researching mouthfeel at the Texas A&M AgriLife research facility, the way we eat our food and how we manipulate food in our mouths can be a key determining factor to what kind of food we like.
There are a few types of eaters based on texture or mouthfeel. There are the chewers and crunchers who use their molars to chew the food, and then there are the suckers and smooshers who use their tongue and palate to swirl food in their mouths. There are further nuances between each type. Although chewers and crunchers use their molars, chewers are less vigorous and eat slowly, while crunches are the loud eaters. Smooshers relish their food with their tongue and the roof of their mouth, while suckers suck the flavor of the food before chewing.
Miller has been doing research on beef products and how these eating behaviors affect what kind of beef each eater would thoroughly enjoy. In her study, she found what kind of burgers each of them enjoy. Read more about it on Futurity.
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