Dad-blame it. 2nd time, this time a board timeout crashed the poll. Screw it; here’s the gist:
You have placed before you a piece of, let’s say, bubble gum. It’s red. What is your gut expectation as to it’s flavor?
The intended poll options were:
Cherry
Cinnamon
Raspberry
Strawberry
Watermelon
Other (please explain)
That red? Maraschino cherry. Reminds me of the water in the jar.
Dark enough and I’d think cherry, otherwise strawberry.
If we’re talking about a beverage or candy, my taste buds are typically primed for strawberry or cherry flavor.
If we’re talking about cake icing, the answer is hate. I expect it will taste like hate.
Usually strawberry.
If it is a sauce - Hot. Like Frank’s Red Hot. Or red shiny chicken wings.
Cherry.
Sometimes Beets.
Pretty much always expect cherry, especially if it’s gum or candy. I really hate the taste of fake strawberry and fake watermelon, so I would certainly be HOPING for cherry.
Other.
Red foods in general taste wildly differently from each other. Beets, strawberries, ripe sweet peppers, red potatoes. “Red” is not a flavor.
Highly processed items intended to be edible (or semi-edible, such as gum) and dyed red I expect to taste of salt and/or sugar, and not of much else that’s identifiable. This is also true of highly processed items intended to be edible and dyed colors other than red.
Red can be deceiving in a sense of red M&M’s (M&M flavored) or Red Velvet Cake (Chocolate).
In non-candy foods I expect it to be pepper flavored. “Buffalo” if you will.
In candy I expect cherry but I also don’t think I can tell cherry from strawberry from raspberry. At least not in a setting where there’s one red flavor, such as Skittles. It’s red flavored compared to the green one but…?
I’d expect red (as opposed to pink) gum to be cherry.
Otherwise, I’d be hoping for beef flavor.
My default red is cherry, but I think strawberry is more common.
Gum? I’m going to guess cinnamon. Mostly because there’s just not much strawberry or cherry chewing gum out there.
If it’s a pastry or dessert of some kind, I’m going to probably default to cherry, unless it’s some kind of homegrown thing in the South, in which case I’ll probably guess strawberry.
For savory dishes, red generally means tomato.
Cherry. Everybody knows raspberries are neon blue.
Cherry
Cinnamon
Raspberry
Strawberry
Watermelon
Other (please explain)
Like others say,it relates to the color of red. Fruit punch also pops into mind, or if savory some form of pepper or meat. Apple is usually green and green apple flavored instead of a sweet ripe apple.
Not being ornery, but I think of Cinnamon. Probably because of the gum flavor coming in a red pack. But I don’t remember the company! Same outfit makes Clove and Beeman’s – so more than likely Beeman’s (with or without the apostrophe!)
Otherwise I guess Cherry. Third choice Watermelon! Fourth choice: Beet!
I wouldn’t buy Beet gum on a bet!!
Moderator Action
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society, our usual home for food-related topics.
Yes, for chewing gum, definitely. But for bubble gum (which is mentioned in the OP), I’d expect strawberry or cherry.
But, in general, like if I get a red slushie or a red candy? I think cherry is my initial expectation, followed by strawberry, followed by raspberry, followed cinnamon. Watermelon is more pink usually. But, of course, my expectation will depend on what type of food it is. If it’s chewing gum, cinnamon would be my first expectation.
For a stick of gum, probably cinnamon.
For bubble gum, probably strawberry.
For a beverage, probably mostly sugar-flavored, with a hint of fruitiness that can’t be pinned down any closer than that.
For something not quite that sugary, more likely cherry, but maybe strawberry.
For a thin sauce, probably chili pepper.
For a thick sauce, probably tomato.
Fortunately, I like all of those flavors.
There was a great commercial in the 60s with kids guessing what flavor some candy was, with the hero of the ad being LifeSavers, where they’re so true to the real fruit that you can tell what fruit it’s supposed to be. Ends with a impish little girl going “Mmmmm, it tastes like… RED! (giggles)”
Mmmm, mmm! I rip through the Skittles bag 'til I can get to those beet flavored ones!
“mixed berry”
after that, “cherry,” then “strawberry.”
“raspberry” is often blue (which is good, because I don’t like raspberries or artificial raspberry flavor, so it’s nice when it can be easily avoided - I also don’t like “berry” flavor, so I do get unpleasantly surprised)