# What does molten lava taste like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 1, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043 "2015-05-01T21:19:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Cardboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardboard)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/1 "2015-05-01T21:19:55Z")
Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/2 "2015-05-01T21:24:03Z")
Tastes like pain. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/3 "2015-05-01T21:26:12Z")
It tastes like chicken . . . really, really _hot_ chicken. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/4 "2015-05-01T21:26:24Z")
It tastes like burnt tongue for a few microseconds. Do you expect someone to answer this based on experience? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/5 "2015-05-01T21:27:11Z")
If I had to guess, I’d say the last thing you would taste is some combination of sulfur and burning meat before you succumb to the heat and poisonous gasses. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/6 "2015-05-01T21:28:21Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > Just curious. I don’t have the answer, but this is a really interesting question, thanks! I’d WAG that it probably tastes similar to the way it would when frozen (like how, say, solid chocolate tastes very similar to hot/melting chocolate), so it would sort of taste like igneous rock. Of course, obligatory [pony](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaKsF-ufSqk). ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/7 "2015-05-01T21:29:23Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It tastes like burnt tongue for a few microseconds. > > Do you expect someone to answer this based on experience? [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0kVbXvId3A) ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/8 "2015-05-01T21:32:21Z")
Would you even have functioning taste buds for long enough to actually taste anything? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/9 "2015-05-01T21:33:52Z")
It tastes like … burning. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/10 "2015-05-01T21:43:49Z")
If you took a good draught of hydrofluoric acid first - you would,t notice the burning. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/11 "2015-05-01T21:44:49Z")
**Moderator Note** **Cardboard** , silly questions are OK, but let’s ask them in other forums than GQ. Don’t do this again. Given that limited research has been done on this topic (I hope), let’s move this to MPSIMS. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/12 "2015-05-01T21:49:17Z")
It tastes like burning. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/13 "2015-05-01T21:53:51Z")
I burning your gob. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/14 "2015-05-01T21:56:52Z")
Hot peeps. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/15 "2015-05-01T22:05:19Z")
Well, your typical mafic lava (like you’d see in Hawaii) is about 50% silica and some mixture of magnesium and iron oxides (and incidental stuff like calcium and aluminum.) If your tastebuds could withstand it, I’d guess it’d probably taste kind of metallic and maybe a little rusty. Tasting the contents of one of those “do not eat” desiccant packages garnished with rust might be a reasonable approximation. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/16 "2015-05-01T22:05:05Z")
[It tastes like chocolate cake.](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/molten-lava-cakes-recipe.html) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/17 "2015-05-01T22:17:03Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > **Moderator Note** > > **Cardboard** , silly questions are OK, but let’s ask them in other forums than GQ. Don’t do this again. > > Given that limited research has been done on this topic (I hope), let’s move this to MPSIMS. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator Given that there are circus performers whose act includes licking red hot pokers, it appears the human tongue can survive brief contact with very hot things. Maybe there is a GQ answer to this after all. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/18 "2015-05-01T22:22:03Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Given that there are circus performers whose act includes licking red hot pokers, it appears the human tongue can survive brief contact with very hot things. Maybe there is a GQ answer to this after all. [Leidenfrost effect](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leidenfrost_effect) Only effective for a split second. A _very_ split second. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/19 "2015-05-01T22:23:09Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Given that there are circus performers whose act includes licking red hot pokers, it appears the human tongue can survive brief contact with very hot things. Maybe there is a GQ answer to this after all. Unless we have such a circus performer on the board, the answers will consist almost entirely of jokes, so it’s certainly better off here. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043/20 "2015-05-01T23:24:24Z")
We have **Ianzin** , who tends to know a lot about these things. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-molten-lava-taste-like/719043.md?page=2)