Eli5: Do our tastebuds actually “change” as we get older? Who do kids dislike a certain food, then start liking it as an adult?

Question

When I was a kid, I did not like spicy food. Now an adult, I love it.

In: 2025

Answer 1

Not really, we just lose them over time. We are born with ~50,000 of them, and end up with ~10,000 in maturity.

This is per [A Natural History of the Senses](https://www.dianeackerman.com/a-natural-history-of-the-senses) by Diane Ackerman