# Eating something savory/salty, then something sweet/sour, then something savory/salty - universal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [March 19, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-something-savory-salty-then-something-sweet-sour-then-something-savory-salty-universal/981378 "2023-03-19T21:50:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-something-savory-salty-then-something-sweet-sour-then-something-savory-salty-universal/981378/1 "2023-03-19T21:50:22Z")
I’ve been craving ice cream and bananas, but didn’t want to eat dessert first. So I ate some burritos, then my ice cream and bananas and now some beef jerky, and I’m craving chocolate. Is this back and forth universal? I know the savory/salty, then sweet is common in Western cultures, i.e. dessert after your meal. But some/most traditional Asian (Japanese, Chinese, Korean) meals don’t have have sweets as a follow-up. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-something-savory-salty-then-something-sweet-sour-then-something-savory-salty-universal/981378/2 "2023-03-20T05:13:51Z")
That’s what coffee (or tea or water or beer) is for, to wash that excessive taste away so you don’t crave some other food to counteract it. Speaking for US food, especially restaurant food or anything not strictly homemade tends to be hyper-flavored so you’ll finish those huge servings and feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. Desserts in the US are usually very sweet and lack subtlety. So you can ricochet back and forth to get first one and then the other taste out of your mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-something-savory-salty-then-something-sweet-sour-then-something-savory-salty-universal/981378/3 "2023-03-20T08:46:43Z")
When I was in my early twenties, it wasn’t unusual for me to have some salami, then some chocolate, then a few slices of American cheese, then a waffle, then some crisps over the course of an evening. My mom always found it astonishing that I stayed thin (at the time). ---
**Author:** ![nicky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f0a364/32.png) [@nicky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicky)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-something-savory-salty-then-something-sweet-sour-then-something-savory-salty-universal/981378/4 "2023-03-20T13:54:17Z")
Am i the only person who, if ive eaten or drunk something very sweet, and then want to eat or drink something a bit sweet, eats a pinch of salt or a ml of soy sauce to ‘reset’ their sweet palate? ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-something-savory-salty-then-something-sweet-sour-then-something-savory-salty-universal/981378/5 "2023-03-20T14:06:06Z")
> [@Moonrise](#): > > When I was in my early twenties, it wasn’t unusual for me to have some salami, then some chocolate, Hahaha! This reminds me of my dad. His favorite treat was to eat pepperoni along with his cake! ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-something-savory-salty-then-something-sweet-sour-then-something-savory-salty-universal/981378/6 "2023-03-20T16:57:33Z")
> [@nicky](#): > > Am i the only person who, if ive eaten or drunk something very sweet, and then want to eat or drink something a bit sweet, eats a pinch of salt or a ml of soy sauce to ‘reset’ their sweet palate? I don’t do that. However, your post makes me think of something I discovered by accident during Covid. At the time, I took to eating scrambled eggs for breakfast because it’s something my ex liked to have. Taking a sip of coffee right after I’d licked my fingers clean of salt added a wonderful new dimension to the taste of the coffee. I found it surprisingly tasty. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-something-savory-salty-then-something-sweet-sour-then-something-savory-salty-universal/981378/7 "2023-03-20T16:58:53Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > Hahaha! This reminds me of my dad. His favorite treat was to eat pepperoni along with his cake! To me there’s nothing more delicious than a very saucy, tomato-y, cheesy slice of pizza eaten in tandem with a chocolately chocolate chip cookie!! Mmmm mmm mmm! ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-something-savory-salty-then-something-sweet-sour-then-something-savory-salty-universal/981378/8 "2023-03-21T04:39:46Z")
Good point. There’s a video where the group is trying different Japanese sweets and drink green tea between to cleanse their palate. Dipping fries into their shake is for some. But not for me. But a shake _with_ and order of fries? Winner!