My discerning colleague Jay Cridlin was just having one of those Stick-It-To-The-Man, time-frittering e-mail exchanges with me about eating habits and peculiarities (it was that or do a little online shopping). For him: no sushi, no condiments that resemble mayonnaise. In summary, he says this:

"The crux of my argument stems from discussions I've had with my wife about my eating habits. She'll say I'm very picky when it comes to certain foods (pickles, mayonnaise, cranberries, canned tuna), but I maintain that I'm a perfectly normal eater, I just don't like certain foods and refuse to eat them. Does that make me a picky eater, or simply someone who knows what foods he likes and doesn't like? It's very much a philosophical debate. What IS pickiness?"

Indeed. I pride myself on the following: a willingness to put almost any food in my mouth, chew and swallow. No discreet napkin-filling. No balking. Still, there are foods I don't exactly like. The last time I was in Paris I made it my mission to try to cultivate an affection for head cheese. No dice. Goose webs and chicken feet may just wander around my plate at a Chinese restaurant.

So, what is pickiness, and is it heritable? Meaning genetically (as opposed to nurture-wise). Some science indicates yes. Some folks say it's both genetics and environment. Get this, though. This study indicates that inbred mice choose familiar foods far more often than unfamiliar foods. Ergo, inbred=picky. Just remember that, Jay.

Table from Nature.com