"Fake Cinnamon Joins Artificial Vanilla and Wins" So you think you know the difference between natural and artificial?
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies on Apr 22, 2012 - 71 comments

Did you ever wonder how they come up with new Jelly Belly™ flavors? Me neither, but this article's actually kind of interesting. Did you know that Blueberry was invented for the 1981 Presidential Inauguration? Some people review the flavors (even the awful ones). Of course, you can mix the flavors (previously) - but some people take it so much further than others. And the inventor's story has been made into a film! [more inside]
posted by Joe in Australia on Aug 18, 2010 - 35 comments

"People who use sows to hunt for truffles often find it hard to prevent a sex-crazed animal from eating the truffle she has found and may lose fingers in the attempt." (via) The NYT on decoding the genome of the Périgord Black Truffle . Attempts to make truffles cheaper and more accessible in the past have been met with some resistance.
posted by The Whelk on Mar 30, 2010 - 32 comments

Communities of and for foodies. Foodbuzz is about dining out, cooking at home, discovering a new flavor, drooling over a food blog, or swapping recipes. Check out Today's Top 9, a daily feature. Chowhound is the community for Chow.com. Dozens of boards enable you to drill down to local favorites, like this request for live crawfish in Virginia. Both communities have very active memberships.
posted by netbros on Apr 21, 2009 - 32 comments

2009 will be a whole new year for flavor. Expect toasted sesame and root beer, Peruvian food, beer, and persimmon.
posted by twoleftfeet on Jan 2, 2009 - 88 comments

Yummy Science. Researchers unravel the complex combination of physical and emotional reactions that influence our perceptions of what tastes good. Once upon a time, flavor research was a matter of asking housewives to munch a few potato chips... Now it's about providing an exceptional flavor "experience." And as scientists learn to exploit the ways we perceive flavor, food manufacturers will be able to refine their products to appeal to us as individuals. Welcome to the world of personally tailored mass-produced food.
posted by amyms on Nov 5, 2007 - 17 comments

Did you know that Merlot = cherry + plum + raspberry + strawberry + Dr. Pepper? Neither did I. But at the Jelly Belly Wine Bar, you can recreate your favorite varietals in confectionery form.
posted by Vidiot on Aug 10, 2005 - 20 comments

Ice cream flavors are not what they used to be. A few years ago, in Nice France, I experienced tasting lavender, and violet flavored ice cream, the wonderful flavors just blew me away. Later on in San Francisco, I found a wonderful Indian ice cream parlor, and fell in love with the cardamom, and rose flavors. When my travels take me back to Japan, I think I will try to avoid some of these incredibly strange ice cream flavors.
posted by thedailygrowl on Dec 20, 2004 - 48 comments

More Elvis ice cream flavors! After Edy's introduces All Shook Up Sundae and Love Me Tender Brownies.
posted by braun_richard on Jul 21, 2004 - 9 comments

Everybody Loves Potato Chips! But not everyone is a fan of your nationally available tripe; for the true connoisseur, regional "estate" chips are where it's at. From the delicious, slightly vinegary "Utz Carolina Style Barbecue", to the St. Louis hot sauce flavored "Old Vienna Red Hot Riplets"; from the straightforward pleasures of Tim's Cascade Style Cracked Peppercorn to the more exotic temptations of Route 11's Mama Zuma's Revenge, these "micro-fryeries" will never threaten Frito Lay for America's spare change, but for those lucky enough to travel the U.S., they are a welcome taste of local flavor. The truly tempted can scratch that itch via the miracle of e-commerce, but don't expect them to get to your house in time for the Superbowl. Any other favorites out there to keep an eye out for?
posted by jonson on Jan 25, 2003 - 37 comments

Tonight, when the grill is blackened with meat particles," he said, "I will literally clean it with the marinated onions so that all the flavor from the grill goes into them. That allows me to start the next morning. It's like baking sourdough. You have to save some to start the next batch."

Do you have a sandwich obsession?
posted by preguicoso on May 1, 2002 - 73 comments

Think you know your coffee? I got here because I was arguing over the acidity of coffee with a friend. It's good for knowledge of all things coffee - take a pictorial tour of coffee production, learn how flavors are evaluated, consider some of the political aspects of coffee, watch the techniques of latte art. Coffee, Coffee, Coffee!
posted by meep on Apr 16, 2002 - 27 comments

Oh cripes. Not again. Remember like a year or two ago when M&M/Mars switched the lime flavored Skittle with green apple? And it totally upset that harmonic flavor balance you get when you shove a handful of Skittles into your gaping maw? This time, it's much much worse. The lemon Skittle has been replaced with one of nine white Mystery Flavors! Guess all nine and get a "FREE CHEW THE CLUE^TM Screensaver."

Jesus Christ. Quit screwing with my candy, people.

Warning: site saturated with #FFFF00. May cause blindness.
posted by andnbsp on Apr 15, 2002 - 43 comments