#flavor

#flavor

The First Taste was Probably SourAll animals can taste, and almost all animals have the same receptors for taste, those for sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami (also called savory). The interaction of these receptors help guide an animal to foods that are beneficial to them and away from foods that may be dangerous. Humans are a bit different in that we have learned to appreciate some flavors that animals would avoid, like some mild bitterness and sour foods. It's a good thing that we had brave taste-testers, and later scientists, to let us know what foods might kill us. Some animals have lost a taste sense they didn't need, like cats that cannot taste sweetness, but they still have the genes that mean they once could, back in their evolutionary line. Scientists are looking into the genetic records to find out how these tastes developed and why. It turns out that no vertebrates have ever lost the ability to taste sourness. It appears that the ability to detect sourness was useful even before animals began judging the quality of potential foods they encountered. What's really interesting is the reason why humans are attracted to sour flavors when other animals aren't. -via Damn Interesting#taste #flavor #evolution

Why Artificial Flavors Taste So ArtificialWe are used to so many things thing flavored with vanilla, that we are surprised to find that it's usually artificial vanilla flavoring, created in the lab to mimic the taste of the Mexican or Madagascaran beans. If scientists can imitate the flavor of vanilla so well, why does "purple flavor" taste nothing at all like table grapes?

Science Knows Why We Like Pumpkin SpiceThe flavor combination we know as pumpkin spice is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Usually, any three of those spices will do the trick. But why is it so popular? First, we must remember that most products labeled as pumpkin spice do not contain any pumpkin. It's not necessary. If you give someone a pumpkin spice product, say, a drink or a donut, and don't tell them what flavor it's supposed to be, they might guess pumpkin spice, but they are also liable to guess apple pie, since the same spices are often used in apple pie. Johns Hopkins University professor Jason Fischer has been leading a team researching the appeal behind pumpkin spice, and says it has to do with our associations. When we taste this flavor profile, we think of autumn, a pleasant season with several holidays and distinctive foods. It therefore follows that if we consumed items flavored or scented with pumpkin spice year-round, we might lose those associations with autumn. We also might grow tired of it, which is why food companies only roll out the flavor profile in ...late August. As it is, we think of pumpkin pie from our childhood when we eat something labeled as pumpkin spice, which means Thanksgiving. We might also think of apple pie or caramel apples, and apples are an autumn fruit. We might think of gingerbread, which is a Christmas treat. Or even hot cocoa, which we rarely drink in summer. Add orange, and I will always think of Christmas spice tea. That's why you should never keep pumpkin spice products around and try them in March. It just won't be the same. -via NPR