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Dredging my memory here about a wine tasting I went to a few years back . . . IIRC an interesting experiment was to mix salt, lemon juice and monosodium glutamate on the tongue and then taste a wine – it was definitely 3 things (and I hope I’ve remembered the 3 correctly!) that, individually, would wreck the palate and radically change the taste of almost anything – but get the mixture right and they cancel out leaving the taste of the wine pretty much unaffected. Weird! Not sure that this is directly appropriate for young kids, but I’m sure someone could work out a non-alcoholic version!
Might MSG and salt also suggest something with (some) Chinese food???
On a separate note, I’ve seen a few articles about how modern palates are changing to become more averse to bitter flavours (e.g. apparently varieties of brussels sprouts produced today are noticeably less bitter than they used to be – and I’ve just read a book about citrus fruit that laments the increasing dominance of sweeter / less bitter oranges and other citrus fruit). This chimes well with the use of salt to inhibit bitterness.
David
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Stuart Farrimond
Sent: 20 February 2018 13:03
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: SPAM-LOW: Re: [PSCI-COM] Salty science ideas
Thanks Emma – this is great to think of how salt affects other taste modalities,
Stu
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Emma Donnelly
Sent: 16 February 2018 10:29
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Salty science ideas
Hi Stu,
This is probably more of a positive experience regarding salt, but if pitched the right way then it could show how "manipulative" salt can be when added to food.
Basically, salt is a bitterness inhibitor. So what I do is offer samples of 90% cocoa content (or higher if possible) chocolate (usually Lindt brand). It's pretty bitter and astringent and not many people enjoy it. But if you taste it plain and then repeat, but add a sprinkle of salt, it makes the experience sweeter and more pleasant.
This shows that adding salt can have a different result than just making food "salty". And perhaps why companies add salt to foods you may not consider would need it (i.e. "hidden").
If you encounter poor tasters (i.e. people who aren't sensitive to bitter, the opposite of supertasters) they won't notice much of a change. But most children are more sensitive to bitter flavours.
You can also try it with bitter coffee and tonic water.
It's a good one because it is experiential and starts conversations between the about what they each taste...so participants remember it.
Hope that's helpful.
Cheers,
Emma
On Friday, 16 February 2018, 6:01:16 pm AWST, Stuart Farrimond <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hi all,
I’m looking to do some activities with young kids (and maybe their Mum/Dad) about hidden salt in food. Does anyone have any experience or ideas? Reading the labels isn’t much fun, or memorable.
My one idea thus far is to make cups of sweetened tea with differing amounts of sugar, plus one that has a pinch of salt added and ask them to taste which they think has the most sugar. From my experience a once sugar tea tastes equivalent to a three sugars.
It would be nice to show that salt can be substituted with something else, although I keep coming back to the notion that salt is intrinsically tasty and appealing…
Thanks Psci-com-ers!
Stu Farrimond
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