Discussion»Questions»Food and Drink» Sweet, salty, sour. I like. Bitter is not my cuppa tea. In food/drink/people. Do YOU appreciate bitter? What does bitter do for you?
Bitterness is ESSENTIAL in beer. It's one reason why American commercial beers are lousy - tasteless. The bitter floral aroma of Saaz hops is the defining factor in a true Pilsner.
That's right m'dear! BITTERS are used in beer. So beer bitters are hops then? OK. I can make that exception gladly. In people bitter it is never appealing/tolerable. It's offputting! Thank you for your reply Sbf! :)
And, Slarti and Rosie, let us not forget the wonderful magic of Tonic Water. It actually gets rid of leg cramps almost immediately. If you have those annoying cramps in the legs or feet while trying to sleep and awaken in pain? Try a glass of tonic water. It's a miracle cure. (its the quinine)
Jim gets those all the time Shar. I'll put quinine water on the marketing list. I didn't know that. As it is I keep V8 juice on hand. It has 900 mg of potassium per 8oz serving and we usually have bananas on hand as well. Thanks for the handy hint. I appreciate it. I'm not a quinine water fan but I like it better than leg cramps. Had a few of those myself and they are NO FUN! :)
I make a Indian dish with eggplant and neem leaves. Neem is very bitter. I also enjoy IPAs that have a high IBU. The bitterness is stimulating to the palate.
Really? I know you're a foodie whistle so I shall take your word for it. I don't know what neem leaves are. There is a salad green that's bitter, the name of which escapes me. I don't like it. Maybe the palate that appreciates bitter is more sophisticated than mine. Thank you for your reply and Happy Tuesday! :)
No. That's not it. The leaves are spiny and kinda sharp. Like kale only thinner and definitely bitter. Kale isn't bitter. I think it's used as an addition/enhancement to salad greens and not as a salad base itself. Thank you for your reply whistle! :) It's ENDIVE! I found the answer to it in Shar's lengthy and informative response. Do you LIKE endive?
This post was edited by RosieG at June 22, 2017 6:13 AM MDT
I'm very attracted to bitter. Now, not too bitter, but also not too sweet or sour or anything out of balance.
There are many greens that are considered bitter. I feel because I am attracted to that green, bitter taste, my body somehow needs those ingredients and attributes found in bitter foods.
First, let's remind ourselves that bitter is one our our five basic taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and the elusive savory / umami. That taste of bitterness appears in many favorite foods: think chocolate, coffee, marmalade, citrus zest and olives, even the quinine in the tonic water for gin and tonics.
(from the WEB) But let's get to the point. What are bitter greens? Bitter greens belong to that big family we loosely call "leafy greens," the edible leaves of certain plants, mostly though not always dark green in color. Leafy greens are packed with nutrients and every list of healthy foods kicks off with the superfood of leafy greens. All of us, myself included, should eat more leafy greens than we do. The big family of leafy greens, though, includes the lettuces, most of which would be considered "sweet greens" not "bitter greens". Think back, though. Do you remember eating spinach and feeling a rough, pasty film attach to your teeth? Bitter greens do that. The technical term is "astringency". The bitterness in bitter greens can be mild or strong. Early-season greens can be less bitter than late-season greens of the same variety. Test this by growing arugula: it tastes almost sweet (if a slightly sharp-sweet) early in the season and then evolves to sharply bitter by the end of the season. Not everyone appreciates (ha!) the bitterness in leafy, bitter greens. This is why recipes for a bitter green like collards, say, attempt to tame the bitterness by long cooking and/or the additions of sugar or fat. Bitter greens might also be considered "winter greens". That's because most greens are "cool-weather vegetables" - that means their growing season ends when the weather gets warm.
But let's get more specific, yes? Which greens are bitter greens? I've built a quick list, with links to recipes for the specific greens. Handy, yes?
Many of the foods that you list as "bitter" are not bitter to me. I don' like bitter. I don't like endive for that reason. Thank you for yo ur helpful answer1 :)
Slartibartfast 