Believe it or not, the temperature of food affects the taste. Find out in this experiment.
Things Required:
Glass of cold water with 1/2 teaspoonful of salt
Glass of cold water with 1/2 teaspoonful of sugar
Glass of cold water with the juice of half a lemon
A food thermometer (optional)
Directions:
Taste the cold salty water. Let it stand on the table for an hour or so until it is at room temperature. Taste it again. Then heat it slightly and taste again. Bring the salty water to a boil. Let it cool slightly and taste it again.
Repeat the process with the sugary water and finally with the lemonade.
This Is What Happens:
The salty water tastes saltier at room temperature than at the other temperatures. The sugary water tastes sweetest and the lemonade most sour when they are just slightly warm.
Science Behind It:
The temperature at which tastes are strongest ranges from 72° to 105°F (22° to 40°C). Salty and bitter tastes are stronger at the lower range, which is room temperature. Sweet and sour tastes are stronger at the upper part of the range.
If food is really hot or cold, it is hard to taste it. The receptor molecules on the tongue can’t easily capture the food molecules. Ice cream makers, for instance, have to use twice as much sugar as they would if the ice cream were served at room temperature.
However, whatever the temperature, we are all much more sensitive to bitter tastes than any others.
Certain substances can make a taste stronger or get rid of it altogether. The cynarin in artichokes, for instance, makes everything taste sweet. It blocks the other tastes. MSG (monosodium glutamate), used in some Chinese restaurants, makes salty and bitter tastes stronger.
