# It Tastes Like What?



## kb0000 (Jan 5, 2021)

Now that I have two examples, its time to bring this up:


 My Example:  After years of careful  taste comparisons, I say with confidence that  parsley tastes  exactly like dead grass  or dried basil.   I ate some dead grass to be sure.   
     This only applies to Curly Parsley, the standard cooking parsley.  Italian parsley has a real taste.


 Example #2


Kaneohegirlinaz said:


> As to what I prefer to drink with Pizza, it's ice cold Beer.
> I'm not real picky about it, except for Budweiser   It tastes and smells of formaldehyde to me  ...


 

 Anyone else notice things that don’t taste like they should?


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jan 5, 2021)

I know that, to some people, cilantro tastes like soap. The issue is genetic.

When I was creating recipes at Amoretti, if there were people who perceived the soapy taste of cilantro, I would substitute another herb called epazote. It tastes a lot like like kerosine, but at least you don't feel like your mother just heard you say a bad word!


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## Rocklobster (Jan 5, 2021)

My first question is how does Kaneohegirlinaz know what formaldehyde tastes like?


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## Andy M. (Jan 5, 2021)

Actually, I think dead grass tastes like curly parsley.


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## taxlady (Jan 5, 2021)

I have only tasted fresh grass. Haven't done that in many years. They had different flavours. I find that curly parsley has its own flavour, but not as much as flat leafed parsley. If I have to chop a lot of parsley by hand, I find it a lot quicker with the curly one. My tabbouleh made with curly parsley has plenty of parsley flavour. But, I haven't made it in several years, since I'm the only one who likes it.


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Jan 5, 2021)

Rocklobster said:


> My first question is *how does Kaneohegirlinaz know what formaldehyde tastes like?*





*Roch*, `member the first time you had to dissect a Frog in Science class?
For me, the aroma of formaldehyde was so absolutely heavy in that small, hot classroom, with something like 35 kids at their work benches, trying not to hurl ... the smell was so heady, you could "taste" it.  That smell was stuck in your nose for days!

but I persevered!

And as to Cilantro, when we lived in Hawaii we had what was called Chinese Parsley, which my husband and I thought tasted like soap.
_BUT_, here in the continental USA, they have Cilantro, not so bad in small quantities, to either of us  Dunno why, they're both from the Coriander family of herbs, but ...


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## kb0000 (Jan 5, 2021)

Kaneohegirlinaz said:


> *Roch*, `member the first time you had to dissect a Frog in Science class?
> For me, the aroma of formaldehyde was so absolutely heavy in that small, hot classroom, with something like 35 kids at their work benches, trying not to hurl ... the smell was so heady, you could "taste" it.  That smell was stuck in your nose for days!
> 
> but I persevered!
> ...






Pun intended?


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Jan 5, 2021)

kb0000 said:


> Pun intended?



No, I meant it! 
The smell was so heavy, you could taste it!


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## taxlady (Jan 5, 2021)

kb0000 said:


> Pun intended?



What pun? Persevered?


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## kb0000 (Jan 6, 2021)

Yes.  Close enough to "*preserved*"


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## kb0000 (Jan 7, 2021)

Danish and Chinese tongues taste broccoli and chocolate differently 
 Posted: 05 Jan 2021 07:48 AM PST
 Two  studies show that Danes aren't quite as good as Chinese at discerning  bitter tastes. The research suggests that this is related to anatomical  differences upon the tongues of Danish and Chinese people.


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## Andy M. (Jan 7, 2021)

kb0000 said:


> Danish and Chinese tongues taste broccoli and chocolate differently
> Posted: 05 Jan 2021 07:48 AM PST
> Two  studies show that Danes aren't quite as good as Chinese at discerning  bitter tastes. The research suggests that this is related to anatomical  differences upon the tongues of Danish and Chinese people.




I can honestly say I've always been able to tell the difference between broccoli and chocolate.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jan 7, 2021)

kb0000 said:


> Danish and Chinese tongues taste broccoli and chocolate differently


I wonder if that's why almost every Asian cuisine has a beef broccoli dish, while Scandinavian cuisines do not and Chinese restaurants serve almond cookies instead of chocolate chip?


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## taxlady (Jan 7, 2021)

Andy M. said:


> I can honestly say I've always been able to tell the difference between broccoli and chocolate.





Are you sure you aren't telling them apart apart by texture?
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Runs and hides


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## CharlieD (Jan 7, 2021)

The fresh parsley is way to go.


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## larry_stewart (Jan 8, 2021)

I always compared Dried Parsley to hamster food or the dried alfalfa that I used to feed my rabbit.  Some Herbs can be dried successfully, others should just be used fresh.  And parsley is one that should always be used fresh ( in my opinion).   I usually use the Italian parsley and I prefer growing that variety in the garden cause less places for the bugs to hide.  I do prefer th Curley when making tabouleh or things like that, cause the curliness kinda helps fluff things up bit.  I done notice a taste difference.


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## Andy M. (Jan 8, 2021)

larry_stewart said:


> I always compared Dried Parsley to hamster food or the dried alfalfa that I used to feed my rabbit.  Some Herbs can be dried successfully, others should just be used fresh.  And parsley is one that should always be used fresh ( in my opinion).   I usually use the Italian parsley and I prefer growing that variety in the garden cause less places for the bugs to hide.  I do prefer th Curley when making tabouleh or things like that, cause the curliness kinda helps fluff things up bit.  I done notice a taste difference.



I've never had either hamster food or dried alfalfa so I'll take your word for it. no question dried parsley is a less flavorful item than fresh. At least you get the little green specks in the food.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 8, 2021)

kb0000 said:


> Now that I have two examples, its time to bring this up:
> 
> My Example:  After years of careful  taste comparisons, I say with confidence that  parsley tastes  exactly like dead grass  or dried basil.   I ate some dead grass to be sure.
> 
> This only applies to Curly Parsley, the standard cooking parsley.  Italian parsley has a real taste.


Are you talking about fresh or dried parsley? Dried parsley has very little flavor, but fresh parsley is very good.


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## taxlady (Jan 8, 2021)

I don't often use a lot of parsley, so I often put some of it in the freezer. It's only good for some stuff that way, but far more flavour than dried parsley. When I freeze it, I make sure it's ready to use. Then I tie an elastic around the stems and roll it tightly in a plastic bag. When I want to use some, I just cut some off the top, without defrosting it, and then stick the rest back in the bag as before.


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## taxlady (Jan 8, 2021)

GotGarlic said:


> Are you talking about fresh or dried parsley? Dried parsley has very little flavor, but fresh parsley is very good.



Agreed. I was wondering the same thing when I read Larry's reply.


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## larry_stewart (Jan 8, 2021)

Andy M. said:


> I've never had either hamster food or dried alfalfa so I'll take your word for it. .



Yeah, I took one for the team on that one.  Don't recommend it.


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Jan 8, 2021)

I'll use dried Parsley just for the aesthetics of a dish, certainly not flavor.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 8, 2021)

Kaneohegirlinaz said:


> I'll use dried Parsley just for the aesthetics of a dish, certainly not flavor.


I generally use something that has both flavor and aesthetics, like rosemary or thyme or a salt-free blend.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 8, 2021)

I had only tasted parsley fresh. as a garnish on the plate at restaurants.  It was too strong as a breath freshener for me.  I later tried dried parsley in cooking, and it was meh.  My eldest daughter introduced me to cooking with fresh parsley, flat leaf variety. I found it delightful.  

I have also found that dried cilantro to have very little flavor, while fresh, it can make the dish.

Surprisingly, I prefer dried oregano, basil, rosemary, thyne, summer savory, and sage.  I lose the slight minty flavor often found in these fresh members of the mint family.  Also, as I grew up cooking with the dried herbs, they are more predictable, and easier to control for me.

P.A.G. much prefers the fresh from the plant herbs.

As for other flavors, I love fresh horseradish, and wasabi.  for mustard, it depends on how it's being used.  For deviled eggs, I want it in powder form.   Spicy brow coarse mustard is my favorite on any sausage, yellow mustard goes into my egg and tuna  salads.

Dill is another that I prefer dried, as is marjoram.

There are so many ways to use herbs, spices, and even the foods themselves to use as flavorings, to make sauces, to flavor broths and stocks, it is really a matter of personal taste.  Eamples; anchovies can be used out of a can. or as a paste to add umami to a salad, or sace.  Shrimp can be dried and used in the same fashion.

Quite often, proteins are used in Asian cuisines as a flavoring, rather than as a main course.

Ok,  I'll stop now.  Most everyone here already knows these things.  THis thread just caught my interest.  Have a great night.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwin of the North


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## GotGarlic (Jan 9, 2021)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> I had only tasted parsley fresh. as a garnish on the plate at restaurants.  It was too strong as a breath freshener for me.  I later tried dried parsley in cooking, and it was meh.  My eldest daughter introduced me to cooking with fresh parsley, flat leaf variety. I found it delightful.
> 
> I have also found that dried cilantro to have very little flavor, while fresh, it can make the dish.
> 
> Surprisingly, I prefer dried oregano, basil, rosemary, thyne, summer savory, and sage.  I lose the slight minty flavor often found in these fresh members of the mint family.  Also, as I grew up cooking with the dried herbs, they are more predictable, and easier to control for me.


For Christmas, DH gave me a book called "Nose Dive," about how much our sense of smell is involved in what we taste. Different volatile molecules that help us to taste foods dissipate at different rates. Soft herbs like cilantro, dill and parsley lose them quickly when they're dried. However, the volatile molecules in woody herbs like bay, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme, which originated on hot dry hillsides in the Mediterranean, last a lot longer and even intensify as the leaves lose moisture.


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## kb0000 (Jun 13, 2021)

*GotGarlic*

Fresh parsley,  which to me tastes exactly like dried parsley or dried basil.


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## Roll_Bones (Jun 16, 2021)

I used three herbs in a pasta salad a week ago and made a mistake.  One of the three gave the salad a weird taste.
I used fresh chopped rosemary, Italian Oregano and Greek oregano.  I am not exactly sure which herb was the offender. I even tasted each leaf outside and I think it was the Italian oregano?
Anywho, I did not use any fresh herbs yesterday when I made another pasta salad. It was much better.
I would like to know which one it was. My taste buds worked good when I noticed it, but let me down when I did a tasting outside in the garden.


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## taxlady (Jun 16, 2021)

Roll_Bones said:


> I used three herbs in a pasta salad a week ago and made a mistake.  One of the three gave the salad a weird taste.
> I used fresh chopped rosemary, Italian Oregano and Greek oregano.  I am not exactly sure which herb was the offender. I even tasted each leaf outside and I think it was the Italian oregano?
> Anywho, I did not use any fresh herbs yesterday when I made another pasta salad. It was much better.
> I would like to know which one it was. My taste buds worked good when I noticed it, but let me down when I did a tasting outside in the garden.



When you eat the leaves by themselves, maybe your tongue gets overwhelmed. I imagine you used oil or mayo in your pasta salad for the dressing, or maybe a dairy product. I would take a bit of that and mix a bit of each of those fresh, minced herbs into its own dollop of that dressing base and see if that lets you taste the "weird taste". If you used vinegar, maybe try it with vinegar and the herbs.


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## GotGarlic (Jun 16, 2021)

I would suggest simplifying it by using one or the other oregano, but not both. They are similar but different, so they could be clashing flavors for you.


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## Roll_Bones (Jun 17, 2021)

Thanks.  Seems I have two plants that are supposed to be Italian oregano.
But thinking back one might be something else.  They look identical.
I cannot remember what herb it is I planted? Its on the tip of my finger!....lol
Thanks for the suggestions ladies.


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## pepperhead212 (Jun 17, 2021)

Maybe _Marjoram_, *Roll_Bones*?  I Have fresh marjoram, and I actually like that more than the fresh oregano, when I grew that, having a slightly different flavor.  It also isn't quite as invasive.  I also have some Syrian oregano - a.k.a. thyme scented oregano, which is a much easier way to get thyme flavor in a dish, than stripping those tiny thyme leaves.


Sweet marjoram, just beginning to flower, 6-17 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I rarely use oregano or marjoram with fresh rosemary; in fact, I can't remember a recipe calling for those together, though I'm sure there are some..  Thyme and rosemary, or a favorite of mine, fresh sage and rosemary, I often use.


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