Processbeginnerdraft

Bitter: the warning sensor that became a pleasure

Also searched as: bitter, bitterness, too bitter, reduce bitterness, bitter compounds

In short: Bitterness originally warns of poison. In small amounts it gives depth to coffee, chocolate, beer and salads, and salt can tone it down.

Picture it

Like the bass voice in a choir: alone it sounds gloomy, in harmony it gives a foundation.

What happens

The tongue has around two dozen different sensors for bitter compounds. Many plant poisons taste bitter, so we are sensitive to it, children even more than adults. How strongly someone perceives bitterness is partly inborn. Salt demonstrably dampens bitterness; sugar and fat mask it.

Why it matters

Explains why salt makes grapefruit and Brussels sprouts milder, why children avoid chicory and why burnt garlic can tip a dish over.

Rules of thumb

Too bitter: first a pinch of salt, then something sweet or fatty.
Combine bitter leaves such as chicory or radicchio with sweet fruit and salty cheese.
Do not roast garlic and nuts too dark: past a certain point roasted flavour tips into bitterness.