# "Earthy" flavors **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 9, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884 "2023-11-09T21:18:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/1 "2023-11-09T21:18:51Z")
I keep seeing the word “earthy” tossed around as a descriptor in food discussions. A thread on this board about roobiroos tea (sorry, I still can’t spell it but I have a firm policy never to look anything up!) uses the term, and in my car today I heard someone on NPR talk about how fresh ground black pepper gives your dish an earthy quality. But what are we talking about? Does “earthy” mean “tastes like dirt”? That’s kind of how it seems to me. If so, it’s a bit vague. Are we talking red Georgia clay, which might actually be a positive thing, or mud from my boots after stomping around my neighbor’s compost pile. There would seem to be a lot of leeway here. How are we supposed to read this? Maybe earthy flavors are like Sophie Tucker jokes, suggestive of earthly pleasures in a sly way without being flat-out obvious. What’s your take? ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/2 "2023-11-09T21:22:36Z")
Have you ever breathed deeply after a strong rainstorm? It leaves that sort of flavor in the mouth instead of the nostrils. Boiled red beets is a good example of an earthy taste. (Yum!) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/3 "2023-11-09T21:24:41Z")
“Earthy” flavors: Truffle. Tilapia (which is ironic…) Artichoke. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/4 "2023-11-09T21:26:24Z")
> [@Hatchie](#): > > Does “earthy” mean “tastes like dirt”? > **[The Dirty Salad Guy | Friends](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLT2A-l-QSQ?=list)** > > “Are they very very bad?”Season 2 Episode 14: The One With the Prom VideoStream on MAXhttps://www.max.com/shows/52dae4c7-2ab1-4bb9-ab1c-8100fd54e2f9Subscribe... ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/5 "2023-11-09T21:26:30Z")
(I suppose this topic might be better suited to Cafe Society, please move it there if you agree and I’ll pay the shipping bill.) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/6 "2023-11-09T21:28:27Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Truffle. Yeah, I think truffle is the archetypal earthy taste. > [@Hatchie](#): > > Does “earthy” mean “tastes like dirt” I think it means that something tastes like we _imagine_ dark moist fertile dirt would taste based on the smell, rather than it being how any kind of dirt _actually_ tastes. > [@Hatchie](#): > > Are we talking red Georgia clay, which might actually be a positive thing, or mud from my boots after stomping around my neighbor’s compost pile. There would seem to be a lot of leeway here. Think moist potting soil. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/7 "2023-11-09T21:28:40Z")
Make a salad as follows: Grate a couple raw beets. Dress lightly with a glug each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add a dribble of honey, then salt and pepper to taste. On a chilled salad plate, mound a nice pile of arugula. Top with the dressed beets. Generously crumble some goat cheese over all. Enjoy. You will never again wonder what “earthy” means as a flavor descriptor. (This is one of my favorite salads!) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/8 "2023-11-09T21:38:11Z")
> [@Hatchie](#): > > (I suppose this topic might be better suited to Cafe Society, please move it there if you agree and I’ll pay the shipping bill.) In general, if you want mod action use the flag button to report the thread or post to the mods and in the report tell them what action you want. As a general matter they’re not going to read a request you post in the thread. I’ve reported this one for you. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/9 "2023-11-09T21:39:34Z")
I would suggest to improve the earthness and subtlety of that dish by adding a very thinly sliced raw mushroom between the arugula and the dressed beets, either the easy to find [portobello](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agaricus_bisporus) or, if you get those where you live, a _[Boletus edulis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis)_, which is much better. Whisky and cigars can have an earthy taste too, and in both cases it is appreciated. Whisky connoiseurs sometimes say peaty instead of earthy. I would describe the taste I mean as rich and deep, if that is any help. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/10 "2023-11-09T21:41:09Z")
Spinach and liver are ironic. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/11 "2023-11-09T21:41:21Z")
> [@Hatchie](#): > > (I suppose this topic might be better suited to Cafe Society, please move it there if you agree and I’ll pay the shipping bill.) Moved to Cafe. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/12 "2023-11-09T21:46:30Z")
Is there a “bad pun” emoji? 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/13 "2023-11-09T21:51:48Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > or, if you get those where you live, a _[Boletus edulis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis)_, which is much better. I have a few thousand of those currently growing around my place. I’ve always dried them to add to soups and stews. I’ll have to try them raw. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/14 "2023-11-09T22:02:08Z")
I don’t know whether you have a problem with the [fox tapeworm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinococcus_multilocularis) in your area, it can be a problem around here. Please make sure you avoid those! A few thousand! Now you got me jealous! ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/15 "2023-11-09T22:08:19Z")
We don’t have, though I specifically checked! Sounds like it’s an issue in eastern Montana to central Ohio and in Alaska and Canada. Thanks for the heads-up – it’s always the stuff you don’t know about that can get you, isn’t it? I do always make sure my mushrooms aren’t wormy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/16 "2023-11-09T22:11:06Z")
> [@Hatchie](#): > > What’s your take? Bell peppers, especially the green ones, taste “earthy” to me, which is probably why I avoid them. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/17 "2023-11-09T22:17:54Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > it’s always the stuff you don’t know about that can get you, isn’t it? Indeed! But the tapeworm is not the kind of worm you see, like the ones that chew they way through the flesh of the mushrooms, boring “tunnels”. Actually, those worms that infest mushrooms are only larvae, and usually harmless. Disgusting, perhaps, but not dangerous. We call the tapeworms worms, but a tapeworm is not really that, think perhaps of nematodes (which they aren’t either, but you get the microscopic element). They land on the mushrooms via the urine of canids (foxes here, probably coyotes in the USA too) and stay on the outside. They are microscopic at this stage of their live/host cycle. To get rid of them you can simply plunge the mushrooms in boiling water for ten seconds, that does not change the flavour much, but sterilizes the surface. That should be enough to get rid of them. Berries that grow on the ground have the same problem, as they are mostly eaten raw, while the ones that grow further up, like raspberries, are safe, as foxes do not pee upwards. Not that I know of, anyway. ETA: edited five times, mostly because of typos. I should concentrate more! ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/18 "2023-11-09T22:19:15Z")
All great tips! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2023, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/19 "2023-11-10T00:53:48Z")
Well, given that a lot of things that aren’t related seem have an “earthy” taste to resident posters (truffles? bell peppers? tilapia - that’s a fish, right? Umm, cigars? We’re casting a pretty wide net here) I’m afraid I’m more confused than ever. Possibility 1: it’s something that’s hard to pin down but “you know it when you taste it”, one of those things that serious foodies insist is real but if you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about food you might be excused if you shrug it off as hopelessly imprecise (Tastes like potting soil smells, whatever dude). Possibility 2: it’s just a nice way of saying tastes like dirt, and I do agree some things, especially certain mushrooms, have a “did you rinse that?” tang to them which is not necessarily bad but nobody wants to admit they like eating dirty food. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2023, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884/20 "2023-11-10T01:00:47Z")
If you want to take a more analytical approach, **geosmin** is the petrichor smell, and responsible for the earthy taste in at least some of the foods mentioned. > **[Geosmin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosmin)** > > Geosmin (/dʒiˈɒzmɪn/ jee-OZ-min) is an irregular sesquiterpenoid, produced from the universal sesquiterpene precursor farnesyl pyrophosphate (also known as farnesyl diphosphate), in a two-step .mw-parser-output .template-chem2-su{display:inline-block;font-size:80%;line-height:1;vertical-align:-0.35em}.mw-parser-output .template-chem2-su\>span{display:block;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output sub.template-chem2-sub{font-size:80%;vertical-align:-0.35em}.mw-parser-output sup.template-chem2-sup{font-siz... Checking some of the foods, it’s present in beetroot fish mushrooms spinach lettuce So chemically this may be a common core component. It’s produced by _Streptomyces_ bacteria in soil. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthy-flavors/992884.md?page=2)