If we want something to be sweet, we usually sprinkle some sugar on it. But according to ABC Science, adding some salt to your pineapple can actually make it taste sweeter. Sounds impossible, right?
This tasty trick has more to do our interpretation of taste than what is actually occurring in the food combination.
Each taste receptor in our mouth (sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami) can work with another to suppress and enhance flavors.
Adding salt to pineapple suppresses the bitter flavor of the fruit, which will in turn enhance your brain’s interpretation of sweetness.
Next time your pineapple is tasting a little sub-par, sprinkle on some salt to trick your mind into thinking the fruit is sweeter than it really is. And while you’re thinking about the tropical plant, here are some other fun facts you may want to know about pineapple:
- It takes 3 years for the plant to reach full maturation.
- Christopher Columbus found pineapples on Guadeloupe Island in 1493.
- Once harvested, pineapples don’t get any riper.
- Pineapples can help with arthritis, as they contain the enyzme bromelain, which eases inflammation.
- Pineapples aren’t just in piña coladas: They’re used to make wine, too.
- The fruit gets its name from its resemblance to a pinecone.
- The Philippines, Thailand and Costa Rica are the top growers of pineapple.
Photo by nina.jsc 