ABSTRACT
The acquisition and consumption of food occupies a large portion of the behavior of many species including humans and rats. Both humans and rats are omnivores and are capable of extracting energy and nutritional benefit from a wide variety of foods. Yet each particular food has unique properties of taste, smell, and texture, and these and other properties contribute to its palatability. But taste is perhaps the primary identifying characteristic of food. Sweet tastes are innately preferred by humans (Steiner, 1977) and other species. However, we believe that most of the richness and variety of acceptance and preferences of flavors is learned.
