A lot of people saying it isn’t real but it’s definitely a thing among some populations. It’s a holdover from the literal puritans who thought that simple, bland food was virtuous and heavily spiced or seasoned food was excessive and sinful. Over the years that aspect has kind of fallen away but there are still some groups of white protestants (primarily the “WASPs”- White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) who culturally prefer relatively bland food.