Taste Glossary

Taste explained in plain language: what the words for flavour really mean, and why the same food can taste so different from one person to the next.

• What is an acquired taste, and why do tastes change?An acquired taste is a food you learn to like only after trying it several times, like coffee, olives or blue cheese. Why that happens, and why tastes change.
• Why do fermented foods taste the way they do?Fermented foods taste sour, savoury, deep and sometimes funky. What fermentation does to flavour, from sauerkraut to cheese, soy sauce and sourdough.
• What does "astringent" mean in food and drink?Astringent is the dry, puckering feeling some foods and drinks leave in the mouth, as with strong tea or unripe fruit. What causes it, and where to find it.
• Why does coriander taste like soap to some people?To some people coriander tastes fresh and citrusy, to others like soap. Why that happens, how common it is, and what genes have to do with it.
• What is umami? The fifth taste explainedUmami is the savoury, brothy taste of glutamate, the fifth basic taste. What it tastes like, where it comes from and which foods are full of it.