Tag

food science

7 stories tagged food science.

A ripe golden pineapple cut open next to juicy yellow wedges on a cream plate
Science

Why Pineapple Makes Your Mouth Tingle and Burn

Fresh pineapple is quietly trying to digest you. Bromelain breaks down proteins on your tongue, needle-shaped crystals make tiny scratches, and acid stings the damage. Here is how it works and how to eat pineapple without the burn.

Tomás Reyes · · 11 min read

A tall glass of cold lassi beside a bowl of deep red chili curry on cream linen
Drinks

What to Drink With Spicy Food (It's Not Water)

Capsaicin does not dissolve in water, so a glass of it mostly redistributes the burn. Full-fat dairy, sugar and starch actually work, and there is decent science behind why.

Nadia Okonjo · · 10 min read

A fresh bunch of cilantro leaves resting on a marble countertop
Science

Why Cilantro Tastes Like Soap to Some People

It's not pickiness. Cilantro and soap really do share aroma chemistry, and a specific stretch of DNA near a smell-receptor gene explains part of why some people notice it and some don't.

Clara Bennett · · 9 min read