# Why do smoked foods taste good? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381 "2010-03-22T20:22:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/1 "2010-03-22T20:22:59Z")
There seems to be an evolutionary basis for the fact that salt, fat, and sugar taste good to nearly everyone: we need minerals and calories, and those tastes are associated with exactly those necessities. So is there an evolutionary basis for the widespread appeal of grilled and/or smoked foods? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/2 "2010-03-22T20:32:50Z")
Can you give an example of a smoked food (without any added fat, salt or sugar) that you think is tastier than the non-smoked version? I’m drawing a blank. ---
**Author:** ![fighting\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/3 "2010-03-22T20:45:39Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Can you give an example of a smoked food (without any added fat, salt or sugar) that you think is tastier than the non-smoked version? I’m drawing a blank. Sure. “Everything”. For example: Almonds Bacon Cheese Duck Elk Fish Gouda Ham Italian Sausage Jalapenos Kielbasa London broil Mozzarella Nova salmon Oysters Pulled pork Quail eggs Ribs Sausage Turkey Uncured ham Venison Whitefish uhh.. Xtra-large eggs? Yellowtail Zebra …? Ok, I admit it got a little dicey there towards the end, but yeah, there are a lot of awesome smoked foods. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kearsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/4 "2010-03-22T20:50:12Z")
For most part, I can’t say the “smoke” is what causes a flavor increase in meats. Especially bacon. Grilled fat spaced evenly through meats is sublime though. Ever tried a non-cooked fat? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/5 "2010-03-22T20:52:57Z")
I was just watching a Canadian show where the caught and ate a goose cooked over an open fire. With no other seasoning the tag-along person doing the show remarked on how well it tasted. I would imagine this goes back to the safe preparation of food and the genetic propensity of survival over those who ate raw meat. ---
**Author:** ![Fastidiots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fastidiots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fastidiots)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/6 "2010-03-22T20:58:06Z")
WAG Using fire to cook food has allowed for a broader range of available foods in a human’s diet, thus selective taste for smokiness? Some [info](http://www.beyondveg.com/nicholson-w/hb/hb-interview2c.shtml#fire,%20first%20control). Not quite a cite. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/7 "2010-03-22T21:10:04Z")
This is pure speculation, but human ancestors on the savannas of Africa likely made part of their living as scavengers. Lightning-set grass fires were probably common, and killed many rodents and other small animals (and an occasional large one) when they swept through an area. Our ancestors who found smoked warthog tasty might have had an advantage over those who rejected such fare. Later, once we developed the ability to make fire and cook food, a liking for a smoky taste would also have been beneficial. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/8 "2010-03-22T21:10:10Z")
> [@fighting\_ignorant](#): > > Sure. “Everything”. For example: > > Almonds > Bacon > Cheese > Duck > Elk > Fish > Gouda > Ham > Italian Sausage > Jalapenos > Kielbasa > London broil > Mozzarella > Nova salmon > Oysters > Pulled pork > Quail eggs > Ribs > Sausage > Turkey > Uncured ham > Venison > Whitefish > uhh.. Xtra-large eggs? > Yellowtail > Zebra …? > Ok, I admit it got a little dicey there towards the end, but yeah, there are a lot of awesome smoked foods. Almost all of those have extra salt and/or sugar added as part of the curing or barbecuing process, in my experience. I have to disagree on the smoky cheeses, personally. Ugh. I’ve got a friend who loves smoky tastes, though; he’d probably drink liquid smoke from the bottle if he could. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/9 "2010-03-22T21:18:10Z")
Isn’t “smoked” flavor essentially just a big [umami](http://members.ift.org/NR/rdonlyres/7A592460-1C4C-4066-B562-26567D2FDEEE/0/0505marcus.pdf) boost? And don’t we naturally like umami because it generally signals the presence of high-quality protein? Seems to me that would explain it. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/10 "2010-03-22T21:19:46Z")
> [@Kearsen](#): > > For most part, I can’t say the “smoke” is what causes a flavor increase in meats. I’m sure it’s the smoke. One time we marinated two pork tenderloins and cooked one on a gas grill, the other on a charcoal grill (using lump hardwood charcoal). In a blind taste test, my wife and I both agreed the charcoal-cooked pork tasted better. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/11 "2010-03-22T21:19:51Z")
So, if taste for smoke is evolutionary, that means the most advanced evolutionarily speaking among us are places where smoking/BBQing has been raised to a high art. Places like Texas and South Carolina 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/12 "2010-03-22T21:23:51Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > This is pure speculation, but human ancestors on the savannas of Africa likely made part of their living as scavengers. Lightning-set grass fires were probably common, and killed many rodents and other small animals (and an occasional large one) when they swept through an area. Our ancestors who found smoked warthog tasty might have had an advantage over those who rejected such fare. Later, once we developed the ability to make fire and cook food, a liking for a smoky taste would also have been beneficial. Quite possibly; [Great Apes Prefer Cooked Food](http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/06/04/great-ape-taste.html). It appears to be a primate thing, not just a human one. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/13 "2010-03-22T21:28:36Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > I’m sure it’s the smoke. One time we marinated two pork tenderloins and cooked one on a gas grill, the other on a charcoal grill (using lump hardwood charcoal). In a blind taste test, my wife and I both agreed the charcoal-cooked pork tasted better. But charcoal grilling doesn’t necessarily have the same heat pattern as gas cooking. Wouldn’t a better test be to have two tenderloins identically cooked on a gas grill and then you add liquid smoke to one of them afterwards? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/14 "2010-03-22T21:37:13Z")
I do not like the smoked taste in food. (I actively loathe artificial smoke flavoring, but with naturally smoked products it’s just a dislike.) I cannot be the only person for whom this is true, can I? Am willing to give a DNA sample for scientific research. ---
**Author:** ![Fastidiots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fastidiots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fastidiots)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/15 "2010-03-22T21:39:00Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > But charcoal grilling doesn’t necessarily have the same heat pattern as gas cooking. Wouldn’t a better test be to have two tenderloins identically cooked on a gas grill and then you add liquid smoke to one of them afterwards? Liquid smoke is a poor substitute IMHO. I think it IS the cooking pattern and taste that contribute to the “smoked flavour”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/16 "2010-03-22T21:39:13Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > But charcoal grilling doesn’t necessarily have the same heat pattern as gas cooking. Wouldn’t a better test be to have two tenderloins identically cooked on a gas grill and then you add liquid smoke to one of them afterwards? Except that liquid smoke tastes like sooty benzene. There’s a marked difference between a food that’s been smoked and one that has had liquid smoke added to it. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/17 "2010-03-22T22:22:25Z")
Wood smoke has a lot of flavor components that we like in other contexts. Vanilla, for one - artificial vanilla is very often made from wood. Heck, [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_%28cooking%29) says it best: > [@](#): > > Cellulose and hemicellulose are aggregate sugar molecules; when burnt, they effectively caramelize, producing carbonyls, which provide most of the color components and sweet, flowery, and fruity aromas. Lignin, a highly complex arrangement of interlocked phenolic molecules, also produces a number of distinctive aromatic elements when burnt, including smoky, spicy, and pungent compounds like guaiacol, phenol, and syringol, and sweeter scents like the vanilla-scented vanillin and clove-like isoeugenol. Guaiacol is the phenolic compound most responsible for the “smokey” taste, while syringol is the primary contributor to smokey aroma.[2] Wood also contains small quantities of proteins, which contribute roasted flavors. Many of the odor compounds in wood smoke, especially the phenolic compounds, are unstable, dissipating after a few weeks or months. One of the things to note: many of these compounds are smelled rather than tasted. Anyone who has tried to eat with a cold knows that your tongue is often far less important than your nose for flavor. Does anyone who hate smoked foods know if you have a deficiency in smell? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/18 "2010-03-23T01:54:08Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > Does anyone who hate smoked foods know if you have a deficiency in smell? That’s interesting. I have a comparatively weak sense of smell, though I wouldn’t call it deficient. (Only measured anecdotally, when others can smell things but I cannot.) ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/19 "2010-03-23T02:11:56Z")
Why would it need to be genetic? If you grow up with smoked foods, you come to like smoked foods. Just like fermented foods. Every culture ferments foods, but for the most part we find the fermented foods of other countries disgusting. Chinese people generally think cheese and wine are gross. We turn up our nose at stinky tofu and baijiu. These are not genetic preferences- it’s stuff we grow up with and learn to enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381/20 "2010-03-23T11:50:19Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > Does anyone who hate smoked foods know if you have a deficiency in smell? I would’ve thought it was the other way around – I figured my friend who loves smoky foods has a fairly dull sense of taste and that’s why he like strong-tasting foods (like hot peppers, strong coffee, etc.). I certainly agree there are some tasty smoked foods, but it’s difficult to say exactly how much of the deliciousness is coming from smoke alone and not the cooking technique, the sauce, etc. The worst smoked food I ever had was some smoked tofu from a Chinese grocery store. It smelled (and tasted?) like it had survived a house fire. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-smoked-foods-taste-good/533381.md?page=2)