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For some, just reading the title of this article made their jaw hinges ache and their mouths start to water. The body’s reaction to sour is an interesting experience, and one of the few where even just thinking about it can be a trigger. But why is salivation the body’s response to sour things? First, you’ll need to understand what makes things sour. Simply put, humans perceive acidic things as sour. Vinegar, lemons, yogurt, and citric acid-coated candies like Sour Patch Kids are all examples of acidic foods that have varying degrees of sourness on our tongues.
Acid can be tough on soft tissues like those that line the mouth and the stomach. This is why your tongue burns after eating too much sour candy, especially if you overdo it with Warheads, which contain the lesser-known malic acid (in addition to three others). So, when our bodies sense acidic foods, our brain sends a signal to our salivary glands to flood the mouth with saliva and moisture. This is our body’s attempt to neutralize the acid. Does that mean acid is bad for us? Not necessarily, but it is interesting that humans seem to like sour so much.
From candies to vinaigrettes to kimchi, we’ve found a way to keep sour things in our diets and snacking habits across the globe. Microbiologist and science writer, Katie Wu, said in an interview for NPR’s “Taste Buddies” series that this could be for evolutionary reasons. She shared, “… about 60 million to 70 million years back in our family tree, we lost the ability to produce vitamin C ourselves, whereas most other mammals can do this … a lot of sour foods happen to have vitamin C. And that’s one idea. Maybe we love sour food to keep ourselves flush with vitamin C.”
Sour in the culinary world
Playing on the body’s physiological responses to certain foods and flavors is what makes a memorable meal. The way humans perceive flavors is a complex and intricate system, and creatively tinkering with that system is what makes the culinary arts so magical. With only our tastebuds, we can tap into childhood memories, new sensations, and even take a peek at our own evolutionary history. Whether it’s our innate desire to get a little extra vitamin C or some biological mystery lost to time, humans like sour things. Sourness adds vibrant energy to a dish and can also be a great tool for balancing out sweet, salt, and spicy flavors when cooking.
One of our favorite dishes that highlights sour flavors is hot and sour soup. It’s a delicious dish that beautifully blends sour, savory, and umami flavors together. Classic ceviche is a refreshing dish illuminated by a tart and sour citrus marinade. Desserts, though, are where sour flavors can really shine against sweet and fatty backdrops — think cherry pie made with tart Montmorency cherries or a crisp, zesty lime sorbet. And if candy is your jam, here are 15 of the most sour candies in the world that you can try. You can also order a mixed bag of Warheads Extreme Sour candies on Amazon to put your tongue to the test.
