"Are descriptions like ‘citrus,’ ‘peaches,’ ‘earthy,’ ‘herbal,’ (and so on) tastes or are they flavors?”

January 26, 2024

“Dear Karen, are descriptions like ‘citrus,’ ‘peaches,’ ‘earthy,’ ‘herbal,’The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

Hi Martin: Strictly speaking, they are flavors. Tastes and flavors are [memberonly nologin] not the same although we often use the terms interchangeably. If you hold your nose, what is left is taste. The five basic tastes are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. These are perceived in the mouth by taste receptors all over the mouth and tongue. By contrast, flavors combine tastes, smells, and textural stimulation (what you get from, say, chiles or menthol). The brain can learn and recognize an infinite number of flavors.

—Karen

For what food has the TSA (US Tranportation Security Administration) recently issued an advisory saying that the substance must only be transported in checked luggage, not in carry-on? The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

A. Carne Asada seasoning

B. Wagyu beef jerky

C. Ranch dressing

D. Kit Kat bars

22.5

Amount (in thousands of US$) paid at auction for a single bottle of 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, the red wine that came in first in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting fifty years ago. The bottle, sold by Christie’s auction house, was The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.