Taste

[Mikey]

Did anyone see a programme about taste that was on last night 12.30 - 1.30am, I think it was a repeat and had been on at a more reasonable time previouly.

They were discussing how our taste is constructed up of the 5 main elements (salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and unami, mixed with our smell and and our memory.

They had a guy on from America who had been experimenting on heirloom tomatoes to create a flavoursome tomato that grew in greater quantities, and in the process, highlighted certain smells that could be added to food to make us believe they tasted sweet without having to add sugar.

There was also a miracle fruit from Africa which when combined with an acid can trick you into believing any food is sweet.

It was a fascinating programme.

It was Horizon: The truth about taste

[julesapple]

I wish I'd seen that...must look out for it on demand or iplayer or whatever. Mikey, I have some sweets made from Miracle fruit - they do work!

Talking of smell; The Boy informed me, yesterday, that one of our nostrils smells at a slower speed that the other. Apparently it is the 'slow' nostril that is linked to memory, causing evocative smells that bring back memories. Learn something new every day!

(He could just have said 'Hi' when I walked through the door, but that's not really his way.....)

[Mikey]

I think we all have smells that create a really strong memory of our childhood. I'd never heard of miracle fruit before, is it something we could grow?

[bearded bloke]

Speaking of telly programs & nostrils ...............

[Mikey]

I am breathing through my right nostril at the moment BB.

[KittyColdNose]

My nostrils do that! I thought it was just me being weird.

[bearded bloke]

Link below has link to Iplayer .......

Horizon: The Truth About Taste at TVGuide.co.uk UK TV Listings Guide

[bearded bloke]

Umami .... the QI way is at 15:29 (but if you got the time it was a great show,even mentions "bootleg Coldplay CD's")

[Feral007]

I do know that people who have lost their sense of smell often don't eat very much because it doesn't taste good unless you can smell it first.

[Mikey]

I can understand that feral, eating a poached egg or gravalax salmon would feel a bit slimy if you had no sense of smell.

[julesapple]

After my dad had heart surgery, he temporarily lost his senses of smell and taste. The first thing they gave him to eat was a very ripe, soft, banana........he was very nearly sick. He had no idea what he was eating.

[julesapple]

I think we all have smells that create a really strong memory of our childhood. I'd never heard of miracle fruit before, is it something we could grow?

If you PM me your address, I'll send you some of the sweets and you can try them out. It's quite fascinating.