Picture the perfect Christmas dinner. SucculentTender, juicy and tasty. slices of turkey, roast potatoes with crispy skins and a bowl of bright green sprouts.

For many, Brussels sprouts are a vital part of a festive meal. But, after an unusually wet autumn, vegetable crops are down.

Traditionally, sprouts grow well in cold weather. In the 19th Century, when people started celebrating Christmas in the format we recognise today, sprouts soon joined the menu.

The UK eats 40,000 tonnes of sprouts a year.¹ However, in a recent poll asking Brits which vegetable they hated, Brussels sprouts claimed the top spot.²

So why do families keep serving them for Christmas? Perhaps because food is not just about nutrition, but also culture.

Whether we like a flavour can depend on the context. For a chef, food can be a work of art; for a priest, a religious ritualSomething that is done the same way every time. Rituals are often religious. ; for a vegetarian, an ethicalRelating to moral principles. statement; and for a community, a reminder of their history.

For others, food is primarily about pleasure. According to respected food historian, Annie Gray, there's no need to eat something you don't enjoy - especially at Christmas. "They're just vegetables," she argues.

In the case of Brussels sprouts, their flavour may depend on genetics. One widely-reported study in 2011 claimed that sprouts contain a chemical which only tastes bitter to people who have a variation of a certain gene. About half the population lack this variation, meaning they cannot taste the bitterness.

However, few people dispute that eating can have benefits beyond nutrition. Research from the University of Oxford showed that the more people eat in groups, the more likely they are to feel satisfied with their lives.³

We have to eat to stay alive. But, by thinking about the way we eat, the more health and happiness it can bring us.

Yes: Food is not just fuel; it is also a social, cultural and historical phenomenon. Therefore, it makes sense to care about more than simply the flavour or nutritional benefit.

No: Whether we like or dislike a flavour is often down to our biology. But, if you don't enjoy the taste of something, there's no reason to keep eating it - especially at Christmas.

Or... Eating may be a biological necessity, but it is also an expression of identity. Reflecting on why people eat some things and not others is part of what makes us human.