This Trick Can Make Your Coffee Less Bitter

If you want the energy boost that coffee gives you without the bitter taste, a simple trick might just help you in that endeavor. Sprinkle in some salt. Okay, okay, before you all come at me for this trick, it has scientific backing. A 1997 study found that ‘salt was more effective in decreasing the awareness of the bitter compound than the sweet sugar solution.’ Adding a grain  or two of salt in your coffee can suppress the taste receptors in our tongue that alert our brain to its bitterness: 

“Our ability to taste has an association with our survival as a species: bitter signals that something is likely poisonous and we are averse to too much of it,” she says. “The thought is that salt binds to the taste receptors and blocks the bitter compounds from binding to the bitter taste receptors.” Suppressing that signal also allows you to better taste and enjoy the other flavors associated with coffee.
When you’re using salt in your coffee to block out the bitterness, the key is finding the right balance for your palate. Bryson Jackson says you can do this by starting small and working your way up. Start by adding a little salt into your cup, stirring it, then tasting. If the bitterness isn’t quite gone, continue the process until it fades. Or, take your kitchen science experiment to the next level.

Image via wikimedia commons


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In France (really) salted coffee is said to be given when you're drunk as a cure.Let's say you want to be outside when expectorating, sorry, expecting the resulsts.
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