# Why does everything taste better with fat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133 "2003-07-22T13:12:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/1 "2003-07-22T13:12:59Z")
Think about it. Nobody (at least nobody I hang out with) would consider eating lard by the spoonful right out of the can, and yet fat pretty much makes everything taste better. Why is that? I’ve heard it said before that fat adds a smooth texture to food which makes it more “palatable” (which is apparently different from “tasty”), but what about deep frying? I mean, I absolutely loathe carrots, but fry them in oil and I’d eat them all day long. Heck – you could deep fry a styrofoam packing peanut and I bet it would taste like manna from heaven. I don’t know – maybe lard from the can _does_ taste divine, but somehow I doubt it (and I don’t have a can handy to try). The thought of it nauseates me a bit, though. Or maybe it’s just _cooked_ fat that tastes so good (but why?) Any thoughts? Barry ---
**Author:** ![refusal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@refusal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refusal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/2 "2003-07-22T13:18:41Z")
My wild guess would be because fat is so rich in calories, and if you’re a poor ape-man on the plains of Africa with nothing but leaves and roots, anything with lots of calories in it would be good. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/3 "2003-07-22T13:46:16Z")
Yeah, I’ve heard that humans are instinctively attracted to things with a sweet or rich flavor; such things tend to be high in calories which the wild human would need. Similarly, we are often respulsed by bitter tasting food because many poisonous plants gave off a bitter taste. Fat in itself does not taste good at all, IMO, but putting it in certain foods does. Compare regular store-bought cookies with fat-free cookies. It seems as though fat is difficult to emulate without also emulating its side effects, or causing digestive distress (Olean, for example). Some recipies call for Lard, and just do not taste right with any other substitute. Its not just the taste of the food either, its how it affects the texture as well. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/4 "2003-07-22T14:33:11Z")
“Fat,” said one of my professors, “is what makes food taste good.” I think he was complaining about the taste of low-fat and no-fat foods. Exactly _why_ fat makes food taste good, I don’t know. I don’t think it’s anything conscious, or in the texture, either. I like buttered toast, but it still feels scratchy. A lot of things I like that have fat in them can easily soung gross and disgusting if you think about them – Buttered toast, butter cream frosting, butter cookies all contain lots of butter. Whipped cream is pure fat, maybe with a dash of vanilla. Oreo and twinkie filling is fat with suger. And as Cecil has pointed out, it might be beef fat (yuck!) Ice Cream is almost pure fat. Cream Cheese? Cheese Cake? fat. These are tempting and delicious. But the thought of eating pure chicken fat , or even vegetable oil, is pretty gross. I couldn’t tell you why. Fat, in context, tastes great. Out of context, the same substance grosses you out. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/5 "2003-07-22T14:39:07Z")
It’s the flavour. For example in meat it is the fat that gives the meat it’s flavour, which is why the best quality beef has that marbled look. ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/6 "2003-07-22T15:07:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MC Master of Ceremonies \* > \*\*It’s the flavour. > > For example in meat it is the fat that gives the meat it’s flavour, which is why the best quality beef has that marbled look. \*\* In Japan they value the “marbled look” beef over most other types of meat - true. In Europe (at least Ireland) Fillet Steak is the best quality (and most expensive type of) beef there is - no marbling in sight. ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/7 "2003-07-22T15:17:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MC Master of Ceremonies \* > **It’s the flavour.** If that’s true, then a heaping spoonful of lard would be mighty tasty indeed, no? ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/8 "2003-07-22T15:18:29Z")
But the fillet is excpetional as it has very little fat, but is the most tender cut. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/9 "2003-07-22T15:19:54Z")
Meat has virtually no flavour without fat. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/10 "2003-07-22T15:20:16Z")
Our bodies need fat for it’s fat stores, the body does not like to dip into fat stores (unless it is being burned by efficient muscle use, ie working out or physical labor) so we are naturally wired to crave high fat foods. It goes back to more primitive days when it could be days before the next meal. I personally am glad I crave things like pizza… makes life worth living. mmmmmmmmmmm…pizza…gurgle gurgle ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/11 "2003-07-22T15:54:11Z")
Bottom line is, the OP is really asking “Why does everything that’s bad for us TASTE so good?” And the answer is, the things that are “bad” for us are NOT bad for us if they’re consumed in the right quantities and the right proportions. In fact, they’re very good for us and absolutely necessary! Think about it- sugar, salt and fat are all ESSENTIAL for human survival. Indeed, they’re essential for almost all animal survival. And in a state of Nature, overabundance of those things is almost never a problem. In fact, in Nature, those things can be very hard to come by. So, when God/Nature (take your pick) gave us animals a taste for those things, that was a boon! Almost every animal has a natural urge to consume and to store sugar, salt and (especially) fat, in anticipation of bad times to come. Bears, for instance, love fat so much that they often gorge themselves on fatty fish skins, while leaving the MEAT of the fish uneaten. When winter comes, the fat they’ve eaten will come in very handy. As for our human ancestors… well, a caveman who had a craving for something sweet would seek out fruit- which is a very good thing! A caveman with a craving for salt might go to a natural salt lick, just as deer do- and that would be a good thing. And if he had a craving for something fatty, he’d have to kill a buffalo and devour the fat. Again, that’s a good thing. Our problem in the U.S. today is that it’s VERY easy to get those things now! Salt is mined, sugar is grown and refined, and fat has become a virtual industry. If I want sugar, I don’t have to scour the bushes for berries- I eat some candy. If I have a craving for salt, I don’t jog over to a salt lick, I open a bag of potato chips. And if I have a craving for fat, I don’t have to go hunting or fishing- I just buy a tub of ice cream. So, we’ve outsmarted ourselves, and the taste buds that used to lead us to do healthy things are now our enemies! ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/12 "2003-07-22T15:55:01Z")
Fat is also a nonpolar solvent, unlike water which is a polar solvent. Some flavor compounds are polar and are soluble in water, but many are nonpolar and insoluble in water. In order to really bring out the flavor of the nonpolar compounds they must be disolved in a nonpolar substance…that is, fat. Alcohol can also disolve many nonpolar compounds, that is why the little bottles of flavoring agents like vanilla or mint or whatever are highly alcoholic. In any case, for many flavor agents to reach your tongue and nasal passages (much of what we “taste” is really a combination of taste and smell) they have to be carried by fat. No fat and the flavor doesn’t get released. ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/13 "2003-07-22T16:40:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > **Bottom line is, the OP is really asking "Why does everything that’s bad for us TASTE so good** No, what the OP is _really_ asking is why does fat make everything it is added to taste better, and yet doesn’t taste particularly good by itself. Sorry I wasn’t more clear on that. Barry ---
**Author:** ![Amfet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Amfet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amfet)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/14 "2003-07-22T18:49:46Z")
This [page](http://www.foodproductdesign.com/archive/1997/0897CS.html) expands on what **Lemur866** said. Basically fat is not only a great solvent for flavor molecules it also will affect the types of compounds formed during processing. > [@](#): > > Lipids, including those termed “fats,” play an important role in flavor stability and delivery. They are important to food flavor because they act as solvents for hydrophobic flavors, and serve as components of the interfaces that are involved in flavor release from food. Fat affects aroma, character, masking, release and reactions of flavors. Most aroma chemicals are partially soluble in fat, which in conjunction with aroma, provides mouthfeel and richness. Aroma compounds are responsible for the buttery, creamy rich flavor of dairy products high in milkfat. Fats are precursors for flavor reactions that occur during heating with protein in baked goods and roasted meats. They participate in aging reactions that give unique flavors to cheeses. The ability of fats to mask off-flavors is attributed to their capacity to solubilize off-flavors, decreasing their volatility. > Triglycerides in foods can attract flavor compounds, depending on the fatty-acid chain length and degree of unsaturation of the fat. Triglycerides with only unsaturated oleic acid bind more flavor than those with only saturated fatty acids. > Flavors partition themselves between the oil and water phases differentially, based on the chemical structure of the flavor and the chain length of the fatty acids present. In foods in which fat has been reduced, the flavor release is affected by this partitioning, since flavorants in aqueous systems possess a higher equilibrium vapor pressure than lipid systems. Volatiles release more quickly from aqueous systems, and dissipate, resulting in less of a flavor impression on the human sensory organs. > The role of lipids in flavor-partitioning determines the delay in release of fat-soluble flavors measured during time/intensity profiles. Water-soluble flavors are released first, followed by the release of their fat-soluble counterparts, resulting in successive flavor perceptions. Lack of sustained flavor perception poses one of the challenges in successfully formulating reduced-fat foods that exhibit a similar richness to their high-fat analogs ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/15 "2003-07-22T20:04:54Z")
Well, it looks like we’ve gotten the definitive answer, thanks to **Amfet** ’s cite. Now, if only somebody would explain what that all means… ---
**Author:** ![ElJeffe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ElJeffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElJeffe)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/16 "2003-07-22T23:49:52Z")
Beyond Amfet’s thorough cite, I think part of the reason may be that we don’t particularly care for excesses of a particular flavor. I love cinnamon, but I would never eat a cinnamon stick. Salt is tasty, but I won’t eat a salt lick. And fat is good in a steak, but only if it’s surrounded by some good red meat - I won’t chomp down a big wad of fat all by it’s lonesome. Jeff ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everything-taste-better-with-fat/190133/17 "2003-07-22T23:57:31Z")
Also just becuase a block of lard doesn’t taste good doesn’t mean that lard can’t enhance the tase of other foods - just like salt (how would you like to eat a spoonful of salt?) or spices.