Anecdotally, most mothers will tell you their babies were incredibly responsive to certain foods or drinks. Feeling the little one aggressively kick or twirl within minutes of particular foods being consumed certainly suggests fetuses can respond to specific flavors, but research has still been a little unclear on how this is happening.

We know taste buds have developed in a fetus by around 14 weeks of gestation. There is also evidence showing certain flavor molecules from food can cross over into amniotic fluid. So some researchers have hypothesized taste preferences in young children could be influenced by exposure to certain foods during pregnancy.