SteveB wrote:
On 6/3/2014 10:30 AM, Todd wrote:
On 06/03/2014 05:55 AM, songbird wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:
...
All the brassicas have a fairly strong flavour. To enjoy them
(and this includes kale)

- get the right cultivar
- grow it well and pick it at the right time
- cook it appropriately

Having said that it doesn't always work out. Personal preference,
which includes our eating history back to mother's milk, may be
impossible to overcome. I don't like broccolli, my wife does. We
compromise and have it
sometimes.

Try young fresh-cut kale leaves (cut out the ribs) torn into bits
in a mixed
salad. The pungency might work quite well with other milder veges.

and there is a genetic component to the taste too,
some people get a real bitter taste from them that
others do not.


songbird


Hi Songbird,

There are apparently a certain segment of the population
that can smell a sulfur component in broccoli. Poor
folks can't stand to even be around the stuff.

Kale, being a kissing cousin to broccoli, may be the
same smell. On the other hand, I love broccoli and
can't stand kale, so perhaps not. (I can't imagine
what kale tastes like "juiced" -- a whole bottle
of penicillin!)

I make a Paleo/Diabetic broccoli cheese soup that is
so good! It is so rich is will knock your socks off.
Those poor folks that can smell the sulfur probably
wouldn't be able to be in the house.

-T

We had a test in high school biology. We were given small paper test
strips. We put them in our mouths. About half spit them out
instantly. I was one of them. Not sour. Not bitter. Just UGH! YUCK!
The rest of the class was chewing theirs with no reaction.

Steve

This is the PTC test to determine a genetic ability to taste the compound
phenolthiocarbamide. It is a nice demonstration as the population largely
falls into two distinct categories, tasters and non-tasters and in any class
you are very likely to get some of each. Of course the words used to
describe sense impressions are often subjective but most tasters would
describe PTC as very bitter.

Todd is quite correct that a number of aspect of tasting ability are
inherited. It is quite possible that his revulsion to kale is genetic but
upbringing has effects too. Some people like olives immediately, some
aquire the taste and some never do. Like so many things to do with people
it ain't simple.

D