Once I went to a lecture on the placebo effect. The speaker passed out “chocolate chip” cookies to those who wanted some. They tasted great, and after about 3/4 of the cookie I was told that it was in fact a raisin cookie- Yuck! I checked and sure enough they were raisins. Being one of those picky eaters who can only eat certain brands and can taste even the slightest differences in flavoring, I was quite shocked that the cookie tasted chocolate to me. Maybe if you actually put the food in a non-suspicious container you could get away with fooling your friend.
I guess it depends on how sensitive your friend’s taste buds are. My wife recently has taken to making much lower-sodium meals. They don’t taste bad, mind you, and I’m free to season them later if I want, but she is trying to cut down on her sodium, so it’s no big deal as far as I’m concerned.
Back to the topic: yes, one can tell the difference (at least I can). Bread, for example, that she has baked with no salt tastes rather bland. Again, it’s not completely awful, just not as flavorful.
My wife tried the “trick” approach, not saying anything before serving the meal. I just asked, as politely as I could, if she had done something different.
Anyway, to make a long story short, yes, your friend would probably notice.
I bet he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference from regular banana bread and this American Heart Association recipe.
1 1/2 c all pupose flour
1/2 c sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 c wheat germ
3 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed, about 1 C
1/4 c buttermilk
1/4 c olive oil
4 egg whites
Mix it all together, pour it in a loaf pan, and cook it for about an hour at 350F
I’ve also had the realization that I could simply fool my friend by doing nothing. I could fix him something with loads of lard/salt/etc but ACT like I’m trying to trick him and I’d bet he’d take one bite, spit it out, and comment, “It tastes like crap. You HAVE to use salt/lard/etc”
Reading this thread I find one thing is clear, that no one really knows the answer to this question.
I would say, based on the responses to the OP, that taste is incredibly subjective.
I can taste the difference between butter and margerine (although I occasinally make a mistake, I have correctly identified an unknown substance as either butter or margerine). I prefer butter as far as that goes, but I am actually not much of a fan of either.
I tend to like much less salt and sugar than many people I know. My parents were sparing with the salt and sugar while I was growing up and I honestly like my food less sugary or salty than most. I do like salt and sugar ok, but as a rule I feel better when I eat less.
I agree with those who say that food that attempts to substitiute for meat tends not to taste very good. On the other hand there are some good quasi meat-substitutes. Things that sort of stand in for meat but are not necessarily intended to replace meat. I like tofu, certain garden burgers, as well as a fair number of quasi-subtitutes that I dan’t remember right now. I would say that there are two criteria for a good substitute, first that quality ingredients are used to make it, and second that the substitute doesn’t try too hard to taste just like meat.
Finally, some of you have maligned a couple foods that I consider quite tasty. The two that sping to mind are rice cakes and yogurt. I ask you, have you tried good quality examples of these products? I understand that you simply may not like them, but if you haven’t tried the right brands perhaps you haven’t given them the chance they deserve. I reccomend the Lundburg’s Rice Cakes, the tamari-wasabi or the tamari-sesame seed versions are nice. I like manyu brands of yogurt, but I think the best is probably the Brown Cow brand (cream on the top! Mmmmmm!) Actually, I’ve heard that no yogurt in the states holds a candle to homemade stuff you get in Central Asia. I will say that I really liked the homemade stuff I’ve had.
sjc, I think the point was we’re talking about low-fat or no-fat foods vs. whole fat. The yogurt with the cream on top (I think it’s made by Stonyfield Farm) is whole fat. And yes, it is completely yummy and good. I buy it for my 1 year old, and have a hard time not eating it myself (plain, no flavor, just creamy and delicious.)
The fat-free yogurt from Stonyfield Farm is much different. It is more tart, not creamy, certainly doesn’t have a layer of cream on top!, and is generally just not as good (IMHO). As mentioned before, fat gives food a distinctive mouth feel, that you just don’t get with no-fat varieties.
Offer to do a blind test - 6 samples, at least 1 with the food substitutes, at least 1 with the real foods. See if he can determine which are which.
People have done this to me. I almost never miss. Low fat/low salt/low cal tastes different. There are very, very few foods that I cannot tell the difference. There are some where I like the substitute better - there are the occasional where I like both equally, and could go either way, but yes, the foods taste different to me.
Even if you can’t taste the difference, it’s obvious that some people can. People do have different responses to flavors.
I’m really puzzled as to why you are so intent on tricking this guy. I assure you that if you tried this with me, I would be very unhappy with you, whether or not I liked the food or was able to tell the difference.
Although I’m overweight, I also try to avoid the less healthy foods. I occasionally run into people just like your acquaintance. When someone sees me eating, say, baked tortilla chips, a person might say the chips don’t taste as good. My response to them is basically, “You’re right, the two kinds of food don’t taste the same. But perhaps you might try this and see if you like it.” If the person doesn’t try it, or if the person tries it and doesn’t like it, I let it go and simply don’t respond to such a remark from that person again.
I read the title correctly, so the thought that crossed my mind was the flavor of the, um, female’s secretions.
Fat, like alcohol is a flavor transmitter. Either one um…makes the taste-buds more receptive to whichever flavor. Sweet+booze=Much sweeter (to the tastebuds). Fat+Salty=Much Saltier (to the taste buds). Fat+Booze+Meat=More “umami” flavored. Vastly more umami flavored.
Yep, he probably would. You’re probably not the first person to think of trying to trick him.
Like other posters, I can tell the difference between sugar and aspartame, diet and regular pop, margarine and butter, low/no-fat products and full-fat products (particularly dairy - low fat sour cream is just wrong). They taste fake. Why would anyone opt for a less-healthful product if they tasted the same?
And why do you feel the need to foist your “superior” eating habits on him?