Taste IS Subjective!

[Ohio Points]

"Taste IS Subjective"
We certainly hear that alot on here....probably because it's true, some interesting information I've come across:
(click on the links for some truly fascinating research into flavor)

And on top of all of that, scientists have found different people taste foods differently based on, not just their mood, but their overall personality. Different chemicals in your food react to different chemicals in your brain, thus the foods you like aren't just personal preference, they say something about how your brain works. Depressed people can't taste sweetness as well, people with panic disorders don't taste bitterness as strongly as others.

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Which means all Robert Smith can taste is corn.​

So keep that in mind the next time you shove something in a friend's face and say, "OH MY GOD YOU HAVE GOT TO TRY THIS ITS SOOOOOOO GOOD" and after taking a bite they ask if you're high. It's not just personal preference, they are literally tasting it differently than you.

Read more: The 5 Weirdest Things That Influence How Your Food Tastes | Cracked.com
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But the distinction between artificial and natural flavours can be somewhat arbitrary and absurd, based more on how the flavour has been made than on what it actually contains. "A natural flavour," says Terry Acree, a professor of food science technology at Cornell University, "is a flavour that's been derived with an out-of-date technology". Natural flavours and artificial flavours sometimes contain exactly the same chemicals, produced through different methods. Amyl acetate, for example, provides the dominant note of banana flavour. When you distil it from bananas with a solvent, amyl acetate is a natural flavour. When you produce it by mixing vinegar with amyl alcohol, adding sulphuric acid as a catalyst, amyl acetate is an artificial flavour. Either way, it smells and tastes the same. The phrase "natural flavour" is now listed among the ingredients of everything from Health Valley Blueberry Granola Bars to Taco Bell Hot Taco Sauce.
A natural flavour is not necessarily healthier or purer than an artificial one. When almond flavour (benzaldehyde) is derived from natural sources, such as peach and apricot pits, it contains traces of hydrogen cyanide, a deadly poison. Benzaldehyde, which is derived through a different process (by mixing oil of clove and the banana flavour, amyl acetate) does not contain any cyanide. Nevertheless, it is legally considered an artificial flavour and sells at a much lower price. Natural and artificial flavours are manufactured at the same chemical plants, places that few people would associate with Mother Nature. Calling any of these flavours "natural" requires a flexible attitude toward the English language and a fair amount of irony.

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser | Books | guardian.co.uk

 

[Butters78]

Very interesting my friend and a great excuse to listen to this gem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f076yHc3TZ4&feature=youtube_gdata_player