Since the only difference in the food was the texture, Komarov suspected an intact taste organ also allows a larva to detect that delicious not-too-hard, not-too-soft rotting fruit texture.

Why maggots love feeding on rotten food Maggots love to feed on decaying fruit. New research explains how they found this out and the implications for having texture be such a big deal.

When you enjoy food, it’s not just about the taste. The appearance, flavor, and texture also play a role. Some food items are chewy, some are crispy, and others just melt inside your mouth.

Rotting meat. Special germs in their guts help the bees digest flesh. By Philip Kiefer. Published Nov 27, 2021 6:00 PM EST. Usman Yousaf. Get the Popular Science daily newsletter ...

Rotten meat, along with a bounty of other understudied foods, may have been part of the diet of ancient hominids, anthropologists are discovering.