Have you ever bitten into something so sweet it makes your heart sing? Or so sour it makes your tongue tingle? You, my friend, have just experienced the science behind what makes our fascinating taste buds tick!
Did you know each of us is born with approximately 10,000 taste buds? Every two weeks they are replaced by new ones. Of course, not all of them are replaced as we age, and they start to die off. That’s why our kids have a much stronger sense of taste. These tastebuds, located in the walls and grooves of our tongue, allow us to experience different flavor sensations, including sweet, savory, and sour.
How Do Our Taste Buds Work?
When chewing, food releases chemicals that immediately travel up into your nose. These chemicals trigger what is called the olfactory receptors inside your schnozzle. Olfactory receptors are extremely important because they help you smell your delicious food before you eat it, setting your taste buds in motion. Together, they work to create the sensation you receive when you bite into a piece of the chocolatey goodness of a Zee Zees Campfire S’mores Soft Baked Bar. Or that zestful feeling you get when crunching on one of our Pizza Fava Bean Crisps.
So what's the difference between sweet, savory, and sour?
SWEET
Perhaps you are a chocolate lover or have a craving for something sweet after dinner. Then indulging in sweet flavors is probably your thing. This flavor sensation is produced by the presence of sugars, a few proteins, and other extremely hard-to-pronounce substances that for the purposes of this blog, we won’t get into. Most of us recognize the flavor of sweets as belonging to things such as chocolate, fruits, and candy.
Zee Zees most popular sweet treats include:
• Soft Baked Bars
• Graham Crackers
• Dried Fruit
• Trail Mix
• Applesauce Cups
SAVORY
This taste sensation represents products full of flavor. It is produced by free glutamates or an enhancement to natural flavors not bound to proteins found in fermented and aged foods.
In Japan, the word umami is used to define savory which simply means delicious flavor. Umami is now the common word used by taste scientists worldwide. Foods considered savory are typically rich, earthy, and high in protein.
Zee Zees most popular savory snacks include:
• Hummus
• Bean Dipz
• Fava Bean Crisps
• Roasted Chickpeas
SOUR
Remember the last time you bit into something sour? You probably puckered your lips and made a face. That’s because this taste sensation comes from foods containing acids such as citrus fruit and vinegar. Things that are sour appeal to our inner thrill seeker inciting our senses. That’s why kids love them. Some snacks and sour candies are so stimulating they can trigger involuntary muscle contractions and physical reactions. So, when you or your little ones are looking for that inner zing, we have just the snacks for you.
Zees Zees most popular savory snacks include:
• Sour Raisins
Zee Zees Offers A Variety of Sweet, Savory, and Sour Products To Tempt Your Taste Buds
Of course, many of our Zee Zees snacks fall into more than one of these categories. We have allergen-friendly snacks to fit all the taste preferences within your household. And each one of our snacks is made with hearty, wholesome ingredients, nut-free* and allergen-friendly.
When you or a family member are looking for a sweet treat, something a bit savory, or long for the tartness of a sour treat, we have a snack for you. But don’t take our word for it, see for yourself. You can view Zee Zees products and purchase them here.
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*Learn more about individual ingredients and allergen information for all of Zee Zees snacks here.
