Since the thread started with tea, it seems relevant to mention pu-erh tea, which is black tea that is dried and rolled, and then fermented. It really is the earthiest consumable I can think of, so try some of that and see what you think.
You ever try Yerba Mate?
Now, that’s earthy!
In the case of beets, there is this
Their “earthy” flavor comes from a compound called geosmin , which is also the same compound that we associate with the smell of “fresh rain” and “forest soil”. Some people are much more sensitive to this compound than others, that is why some people say they taste like dirt, and others love them.
That tastes more like rot than like soil to me.
That’s interesting. I don’t perceive bell peppers as earthy, and the green ones I just think of as “green” or “chlorophyll-y” (were that a word.)
Tilapia doesn’t really taste earthy to me either, but carp and catfish can. More like “muddy”, but I guess that’s the same idea as “earthy.” Beets to me are quintessential “earthy.”
Per the Wiki artile I linked above on geosmin:
Geosmin is responsible for the muddy smell in many commercially important freshwater fish such as carp and catfish.[14][15] Geosmin combines with 2-methylisoborneol, which concentrates in the fatty skin and dark muscle tissues. It breaks down in acid conditions; hence, vinegar and other acidic ingredients are used in fish recipes to reduce the muddy flavor.[16]…
This compound is reported to be an issue for saltwater fish farmed in recirculating aquaculture systems, such as Atlantic salmon,[18] but there are also studies that show that the presence in seawater is significantly lower than that found in freshwater which is why many people consider freshwater fish to taste muddy compared to marine fish. These systems rely on biological filtration using cultured microbial communities to process the nitrogenous waste from the fish (ammonia) into less harmful compounds (nitrite and nitrate) that can be tolerated at higher concentrations. However, geosmin-producing bacteria can also grow in these systems, and often require fish to be transferred to an additional “finishing” or “purge” system where they are not fed for several days prior to harvest to remove off-flavor compounds and empty the intestinal tract.[citation needed] This process is also known as depuration.
Oh, cool. Well, that explains that, and why I tend to have hit-or-miss experiences with freshwater fish, as, while I like earthy flavors overall, I don’t like them as much in things like fish.
While a lot of foods (beets, mushrooms) possess the characteristic, I find prepared annatto/achiote is the purest form of earthy, though not very intense.
Thyme is another one.
Any relationship to umani or is its contribution to the flavor profile completely via its input through olfaction?
I’d say also turmeric.
Cumin is the spice I think of as earthy, but there are others.
This is a casual listing of spices, with descriptions of their flavors. — achiote and cumin both earn the Earthy appellation
Inasmuch as I find little common ground in an objective sense.among flavors the word is applied to, I will suggest the most fitting meaning is “tastes like something vaguely repellant but oddly attractive; sexy”.
Oh, yes, that’s a good one for sure. That’s about as earthy as it comes, as you say. ETA: Turmeric, as also mentioned, too. I think achiote is a bit earthier, but they’re both the same order of magnitude in terms of earthiness.
It’s funny – I never recognized tilapia as “earthy”, but last night I made some seafood chowder with clams, shrimp, and tilapia, and I really noticed its earthiness there. It reminded me of why I don’t usually eat tilapia – I just don’t like that flavor in fish. I guess the other times I’ve had it, the flavor was covered up with strong flavors, but with a simple seafood & cream base to the soup, it was pretty evident. Not quite off-putting, but noticeable enough that I would have preferred to have used cod or something. Or perhaps the source of tilapia I bought had more of the geosmin compounds mentioned above.
Interesting. I have some frozen tilapia in the basement. I don’t think if it as tasting “earthy”, but I’ll have to try it again with that in mind.
“Geophagy”, the practice of eating dirt, is a thing in some cultures. Quote: I have read an article citing the story of a girl that got such strong cravings for dirt when it rained that her mother had to close the windows to keep the smell out so that her daughter wouldn’t run outside with a spoon.
Not to spoil things for you beetroot fans (I’m not one), but fruit flies can detect the earthy chemical and avoid spoiled fruit for that reason. They know.
To be honest, as humans we have a lot of weird tastes, and that’s good in a way I suppose. De gustibus and all that. Might just order some of that Georgia clay (I’ve seen it but never tried it but it does look atteactive) and give it a try. Any suggestions? Recipes?
Hypothesis.
Mammals actually benefit from food that has been fermented, literally, partially rotted food. Perhaps geosmin just a bit is a marker of just fermented and not “bad”, hence the extreme sensitivity to it?
The smell in very small amounts of the molecule triggers a positive reaction. That has to have had some positive selection to occur, right?
To me, whiskies are peaty, but cigars can be earthy. Two different terms that can mean the same.
Cigars have different flavour profiles. When it comes to Havanas (remember, I’m in Canada where Havana cigars from Cuba are perfectly legal), each brand tends to have a different flavour profile. Montecristos tend to be spicy; Romeo y Julietas are about half as spicy; Partagas are leathery; Fonsecas, weirdly, are just a little salty; and Hoyo de Monterreys are so mild that they only make the smoker look good—yes, look at you, you’re smoking a cigar, but you’re not really tasting it, it is that mild. Perfect for the wannabes.
Then there are Bolivars. Oh My God, you wanna talk about earthy. I once bought a box of Bolivar Royal Coronas, and upon opening the box, was greeted by an aroma I’ve only ever encountered in barnyards. But that was okay; I fully expected it, because Bolivars from Havana have the reputation of being very strong and very earthy, and I can attest that they are both. And their earthiness makes them delicious. It’s a very strong earthy flavour that pairs well with an Islay single-malt Scotch.
Mmm, I’m pretty sure that I have a Bolivar in one of my humidors. And an Islay single-malt in the liquor cabinet. Hmm, let me go look …
I have got some I’ll be happy to send you! (Blech!)
Thank you, I have had some in the past, and I feel no need to try it again.
Interesting. You may just be one of those people who are not sensitive to geosmin then. Like all the folks who look at me weird when I describe the soapy flavor of cilantro.
It is immediately clear to me what all of those mentioned have in common. It is a flavor like the scent of a handful of fresh forest topsoil.
And no, it is nothing like the smell of Georgia clay. Georgia clay is red because of its high iron content, and that is the primary scent of it. Georgia clay smells like water and iron.