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Love 'em.

 

Our local supermarket surprised me today by having a ton in stock. Almost bought them out. Christmas and sprouts. What more could we want, other than snow of courser.

 

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Why do they taste bitter?

 

Known as glucosinolates (which include sinigrin, progoitrin and glucobrassicin), these bitter-tasting plant chemicals are designed to put off peckish predators because while you may not want to eat sprouts, sprouts do not want to be eaten either, hence they have developed these weapons of self-defence.

 

But some people adore sprouts

 

The reason why some people love sprouts is probably on account of genetic variations in our taste perceptions, researchers say. Scientists are able to test these by getting people to taste a little piece of paper impregnated with tiny amounts of a chemical with a similar structure to those found in sprouts.

 

It's all in your taste buds

 

The scientists say that we can be divided into non-tasters, medium-tasters and super-tasters, and that the latter appear to have a higher density of taste buds than the other two groups. It is the super-tasters among us who steadfastly protest their dislike of sprouts, and quite often do not enjoy green tea, coffee, grapefruit juice and other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli, all of which share bitter-tasting undertones. The medium-tasters are those who do not like sprouts much, but manage to tolerate them on their one and only annual exposure at Christmas lunch. Non-tasters tuck in with gay abandon.

 

Spare a thought for women

 

It appears that the majority of super- tasters are women. This makes evolutionary sense given that women were the “gatherers†and foraged for berries and so on. Bitterness was a warning of toxicity in a food, which put women off trotting back to the cave with poisonous fare. With this in mind, it has made sense for industry to use “debittering†processes to make them more acceptable. This is where health experts and food companies differ. The former want more glucosinolates because they appear to have cancer-fighting powers, while the latter want fewer to make them more palatable. Given that you also get vitamin C, carotenes and folate from sprouts, the food industry may have a point.

 

Be kind to sprout-haters

 

However, no matter how engineered, super-tasters will detect bitter notes in this little vegetable. So this year, when promising to spread a little goodwill, start with the poor relative who gags at the sight of your sprouts. Pile his or her plate with extra carrots instead and save the sprouts for those who love them.

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If so. I love them.

Hated them as a child, but I have grown to LOVE their taste, but it is indeed a strong and bitter one for me...wonder what category that puts me in?

Best microwaved and served with a little butter and a little salt.

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Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver
yeah....I hate sprouts!!
Christmas dinner and my mum will make loads,


actually was just re watching the TV show "Bottom" - timeless brilliance that show, but in the Xmas episode Richie cooked heaps of sprouts on Xmas day - is it a British tradition?
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Love sprouts and will be having them with my xmas dinner this year again as I always do.

Like joshnii said above sprouts tend to be bitter, that is usually if they have been picked before any frost or snow. I grew some last year and left them until there where some frost and even a little snow, it sweetens them up, but not many people if any here in Japan know that.

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Rhubarb grows anywhere!! That stuff has to be the easiest plant to grow, My mum's garden had some wild rhubarb growing at the bottom, it was HUGE!!!

 

Silly question, but is Rhubarb officially a vegetable? Just that its kinda sweet and always used in sweet puddings etc that I always think of itas a fruit. Kinda the same way in reverse that people consider tomatoes to be vegetables when they are really fruit

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Vegetable it seems, although some call it a herb.

 

 

Quote:
Rhubarb is a relative of buckwheat and has an earthy, sour flavor. Rhubarb thrives in cold climates and originated in Western China, Tibet, Mongolia, Siberia and neighboring areas. The traditional role was medicinal-the dried root was a popular remedy for a wide range of illnesses. Its primary function was to induce vomiting, although rhubarb is also a mild astringent. This medicinal role caused the price of the dried root to rise. In 1542, rhubarb sold for ten times the price of cinnamon in France and in 1657 rhubarb sold for over twice the price of opium in England (Schneider, 2001). Beginning in the eighteenth century, rhubarb began to be consumed in foods, primarily drinks and meat stews.

 

Botanically speaking, rhubarb is considered a vegetable, but it's most often treated as a fruit — though it's rarely eaten raw. Just like fresh cranberries, rhubarb is almost unbearably tart on its own and needs the sweetness of sugar, honey, or fruit juice added to it to balance out the acidity.

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Originally Posted By: Mamabear
Vegetable it seems, although some call it a herb.


Quote:
Rhubarb is a relative of buckwheat and has an earthy, sour flavor. Rhubarb thrives in cold climates and originated in Western China, Tibet, Mongolia, Siberia and neighboring areas. The traditional role was medicinal-the dried root was a popular remedy for a wide range of illnesses. Its primary function was to induce vomiting, although rhubarb is also a mild astringent. This medicinal role caused the price of the dried root to rise. In 1542, rhubarb sold for ten times the price of cinnamon in France and in 1657 rhubarb sold for over twice the price of opium in England (Schneider, 2001). Beginning in the eighteenth century, rhubarb began to be consumed in foods, primarily drinks and meat stews.

Botanically speaking, rhubarb is considered a vegetable, but it's most often treated as a fruit — though it's rarely eaten raw. Just like fresh cranberries, rhubarb is almost unbearably tart on its own and needs the sweetness of sugar, honey, or fruit juice added to it to balance out the acidity.


we used to eat it raw although we'd dip it in sugar first...thats probably why I consider it to be sweet!! doh
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Just got my turkey today a nice 5kg turkey for the family, only thing left to get are some sprouts tomorrow and I will be all set for xmas day. I will be spending the morning in the kitchen getting the dinner ready.

Got xmas pud and cake sent to me from the UK too, just as I do every year so all good to go.

Got a ton of Bisto and birds custard powder too so will be having the full works!

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