Soda: Newsletter Challenge (07/11/06)

Flat soda contains less carbonic acid, a substance which reduces soda's sweetness.

Actually, carbonic acid is somewhat bitter tasting. I would expect that the physiological effect of both bitter and sweet on the receptors of the tongue would tend to dampen the sweetness effect for the brain. There are probably a host of reasons that would occur neurologically.

In carbonated soda less taste is caused by the bubbles providing less actual soda from touching the taste receptors. spill carbonated soda on yourself and most of it "pops" away (very little staining)flat soda soaks in.

Who knows.......?
The Nose knows!

--brought to you by ol' factory doctor pepper.

Uff da, that's a stinker...

Most sodas I know are round. Cans or bottles, it doesn't matter. I can't think of any that are flat. Now, other drinks may be square or rectangular on the bottom: milk, orange juice, juice boxes. The only flat drink I can think of is Kool-Aid, but that is only until you add water!

I think that Lonster is on the right track. I believe that most of the tongue's "sweetness" receptors are located near it's tip. These receptors recognize "sweetness" when the hydroxyl groups (-OH) of the sugars in the soda bind to them. I think that by nature, when one drinks a carbonated beverage, it's contact time on the tip of the tongue is quite brief, whereas when one drinks a non-carbonated beverage, contact with the tongue's receptors is more protracted. Not to mention any "boundary effect" caused by the release of CO2 from the soda as it touches the surfaces within the mouth.

I'm not necessarily "tasting" why the tongue tip contact would be any more brief, per se, but I would be curious to hear comments as to a possible connection between "taste" and the temperature--or perception of temperature--as it pertains to the escape of gas from the soda as it is imbibed. That is to say, that it is not remarkable that lowered temperature can affect the sensation of taste. Perhaps a similar dynamic is happening when carbonated liquids start to go flat when consumed, as opposed to already being flat. Another possibility could pertain to the "cleaning" effects in carbonated liquids--which is to say that the perception of sweetness in de-carbonated beverages is due in part to the relative absence of "after taste."

Excuse me, I meant "...the relative presence (i.e., duration)of aftertaste." Yet another possibility could pertain to the "washing" effects of carbonation fizz as pertains to the inhibition/removal of salivation/saliva: a necessary component of taste, especially "sweet" taste.