Salt, saltier, saltiest

Do you always get comments when you resolutely reach for the salt mill during dinner? Then there’s a good chance that your taste buds are extra sensitive to bitter flavors. A case of genetic determination, it seems, according to recent research.

People who carry the so-called TAS2R38 gene tend to leave vegetables such as chicory, broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts untouched; they are extra sensitive to their bitter taste. This has been known for some time, but it now appears that people with this genetic profile are almost twice as likely to consume more than the recommended amount of salt every day.

Twice as intense

It is not yet entirely clear what causes this. If you are hypersensitive to bitter flavors, you also enjoy salty flavors twice as intensely. This could be one explanation, although it could just as easily be that people with the TAS2R38 gene sprinkle on extra salt to mask bitter flavors.

Favorite salt

Whatever the explanation may be, try to monitor your salt intake whenever possible; before you know it, you’ll start showing the physical characteristics of Bibendum. And if you do go all out, don’t do it with standard table salt, but with Granito Sal de Ibiza – FavorFlavs’ Marjan Ippel’s ultimate favorite.

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