Bitter Taste Perception in BaYaka Hunter‐Gatherers

Objectives This study examined variation in bitter taste perception among BaYaka hunter‐gatherers from the Republic of Congo, comparing individuals from the same population that were born and grew up in a forest ecology to those from a logging town. Methods Bitter‐tasting phenotype was assessed in 112 BaYaka individuals using a paper‐strip taste‐detection task with single‐concentration strips of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and thiourea (thiocarbamide). Participants were grouped by the place where they were born and grew up: forest camps or the town. Logistic regression was used to test associations between location, sex, age, and bitter taste perception. Results Town‐born individuals were more likely to perceive both compounds as bitter than forest‐born individuals (PTC: OR = 3.93, 95% CI: 1.75–9.17, p < 0.01; thiourea: OR = 4.44, 95% CI: 1.97–10.42, p < 0.01). No significant associations were found between bitter taste perception and sex or age. Conclusion Bitter‐tasting phenotype differed among BaYaka individuals, with higher proportions of bitter tasters among those born and raised in town compared to those from forest camps. These results suggest that early‐life ecological context may contribute towards variation in bitter taste perception, which we hypothesize might be due to differences in exposure to bitter wild plant compounds.