Does Chicken Really taste like anything

[Smokey Gem]

Does chicken really tatste like anything ?

[ubercacher16]

Yes, it tastes like chicken.

[MajorMitchell]

Well there is that old joke about licking something that smells like fish then finding that it tastes like chicken. But I don't think I should be any more specific. I'm sure there is an equivalent joke (or series of jokes) about something that looks like a pork sausage...

[jason4747]

Smokey,

Here is the "flavor" theory as I understand it: Flavor comes from enzymes. When you cook raw chicken, it goes from about 40 enzymes to about 160 to 200. It's a sort of "flavor" baseline of foods. The heat of cooking breaks down protein molecules onto enzymes (that we taste). Most things are about 100 to 200 at best enzymes, with a very few exceptions. Those exceptions are primarily coffee, chocolate, and cooked steak (plus one more). Those three theoretically approach about 400+ different enzymes (meaning separate, identifiable tastes) and have the most complex flavors, hence are the the things many humans crave the most.

Can you guess the 4th?

[Smokey Gem]

Oysters ??

i really like oysrers..

[Smokey Gem]

arrgh the darnkess stikes agian

[jason4747]

Actually, red wine. Lots of complex flavors, hence pairing with red meat.

I'm not a big oyster fan. "Twas a brave man that ate the first oyster."

You can have mine.

[ghug]

There's gotta be a cheese that's up there.

Has the six-taste paradigm been debunked? I thought everything else was just smell.