# Skittles: Taste the Burning?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skittles-taste-the-burning/47756>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 30, 2000, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skittles-taste-the-burning/47756 "2000-12-30T03:43:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skittles-taste-the-burning/47756/1 "2000-12-30T03:43:18Z")

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So I have a bag of Skittles here, and as per my custom I’m eating quite a few too many of them. Well after about the 30th or 40th one, I’ve noticed that my throat is pretty messed. Kind of like I’ve just gargled with acid or some such substance. Am I just a freak in this, or are Skittles so bad for the body that it’s defense mechanisms kick in and prevent you from ingesting more?

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**Author:** ![Dark\_Lord\_Davidson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bc8723/32.png) [@Dark\_Lord\_Davidson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Lord_Davidson)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skittles-taste-the-burning/47756/2 "2000-12-30T03:44:47Z")

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Maybe the citric acid in the “real fruit juice” is what’s doing it to you?

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skittles-taste-the-burning/47756/3 "2000-12-30T03:47:51Z")

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(Damn, someone replied already!)

Could be, but I was **just** about to add that the same thing happens with Hershey Kisses. Any acid in that candy?

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**Author:** ![dragonlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@dragonlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonlady)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skittles-taste-the-burning/47756/4 "2000-12-30T05:02:19Z")

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I don’t know about chocolate, but my son loves all the sour candies. Think Warheads, and such. He will eat them until HIS TOUNGE PEELS. Yes, literally, skin peels off, from the amount of citric acid.  
Damn kids…

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**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2000, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skittles-taste-the-burning/47756/5 "2000-12-31T00:35:47Z")

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Hey, this is somewhat related…

I discovered when I was seven years old that if one chewed up a mouthful of Skittles, abd then stood on one’s head, one would experience an intensely painful sensation in the nose.

Try it. I dare you.

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**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2000, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skittles-taste-the-burning/47756/6 "2000-12-31T01:10:53Z")

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After I eat massive quantities of Skittles (which never fails to happen when I am in the presence of Skittles), I’ve noticed that my tongue hurts. I always thought it was because the Skittles are kind of grainy, and have that sugar-coated shell that’s a little scratchy after you chew it, and it was just my tongue getting sliced up.

But the citric acid makes more sense.