The Science Behind Why Picky Eaters Usually Don't Like Broccoli

One of those perennial "mommy blogger" topics is "How can I make my kid like broccoli?" But it's not only kids who hate the vegetable. I've loathed it my entire life — in fact, I don't think I've tried it in nearly 20 years. (The last time was at my niece's third birthday party, where she found it hilarious to shove raw broccoli florets into my mouth.) If it shows up in my Chinese takeout, I pick it out and give it to my dogs, while making a mental note not to order that item again. So what makes broccoli so hateable for kids and adults alike? It turns out there's a scientific explanation: A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that particular chemical compounds in broccoli can react with certain bacteria found in saliva to produce unpleasant tastes and odors.

Specifically, broccoli contains something called S-methyl-ʟ-cysteine sulfoxide. When it interacts with some people's saliva, it can make broccoli taste sulfurous (like rotten eggs) or putrid. Sadly, I am here to testify that no amount of ranch dressing can disguise that taste. So does this saliva-broccoli interaction work in the same way as the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap for some people? (Luckily, I dodged that bullet.) Not exactly, although parents often produce the same kind of saliva as their kids. This raises the suspicion that at least one parent of a broccoli-hating child also shares that same hatred, although science dares not explore whether these broccoli-boosting mommy (or daddy) bloggers could possibly be faking their enthusiasm.

Broccoli, which shockingly ranks among America's favorite vegetables (Shocking to me, that is, since I can't imagine what it would be like for it not to taste nasty), isn't the only food to contain S-methyl-ʟ-cysteine sulfoxide. It's also present in other Brassica vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower — which explains why we broccoli haters generally don't care for those veggies, either. They all react similarly with our saliva, meaning they taste bitter, rotten, or just plain gross. 

So is this something you can grow out of? Judging from the similarity of parents' and children's saliva microbiomes, it seems our saliva doesn't change over time, but if you work at it, perhaps broccoli and other cruciferous veggies (as Brassicas are otherwise known) can become an acquired taste. This may be why more adults than children profess to enjoy such things. Of course, it doesn't work for everyone, and it's not just me — former POTUS George H. W. Bush has long been one of our nation's most famous broccoli haters. (He was more of a pork rinds and popcorn kind of guy during his presidency.)

Stop trying to make cauliflower something it's not by dressing up these types of vegetables in melted cheese or peanut butter sauce. Cooking them in some specific way also won't work for those of us whose saliva just won't play nice with S-methyl-ʟ-cysteine sulfoxide. Needless to say, pretending broccoli and cauliflower are "happy little trees" doesn't make them more palatable, either. My (admittedly biased) suggestion to anyone who is struggling to get another person — be it a child or a partner — to eat their broccoli or Brussels sprouts, is to just give it a rest. Nutritious though crucifers may be, there are other healthy vegetables that don't come with a side of taste bud torture.