Scientists unlock the secrets of a sixth basic flavor

marco@beehaw.org to Science@beehaw.org – 77 points –
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The only mention of what the flavour was, was this:

In research published in Nature Communications, USC Dornsife neuroscientist Emily Liman and her team found that the tongue responds to ammonium chloride through the same protein receptor that signals sour taste.

"If you live in a Scandinavian country, you will be familiar with and may like this taste," says Liman, professor of biological sciences. In some northern European countries, salt licorice has been a popular candy at least since the early 20th century. The treat counts among its ingredients salmiak salt, or ammonium chloride.

So is this 'mediciney' flavour, then? (black licorish, ouzo, root beer, those weird candies they sell at ikea...)

For science!

I actually like licorice ;)

If you mean sweet licorice, then no: Salt/salmiac licorice is to licorice as dolphins are to fish. Salmiac is unlike anything else you ever had, the first time you will hate it and question why someone would do something as stupid to a reasonable treat as licorice; and licorice will be reasonable to everyone in comparison, even of you did not like it before.

You do get used to it though and I somehow somewhat dig it by now.

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