a preference

When a turn of phrase strikes an affectionate ear, where does that accord come from? What makes one tongue welcome pickled okra, and another abhor the same? Does the sound of one note strike the same conjunction against all eardrums?

Wherein lies affinity?

Is it chemical, or related to the rub of molecules as they move on their way? Do bacteria living on-site at the point of our senses filter experience for us? Is it animal, vegetable or mineral? Could a vaccine to make George Bush taste broccoli as it tastes to me be a future cure for obesity?

I want to know how and why preferences are formed.