This week I had a beautiful, simple lunch of roasted chicken wings with a pile of interesting salad leaves and a mango and chilli dressing. I'd bought the leaves on a whim from a farmer's market. They easily lasted all week in the fridge and were a collection of (in the producer's own words) "horse-radishy, mustardy, citrussy" flavours. They were quite a revelation. That evening, coincidentally, I listened to a podcast by the Radio 4 Food Programme called "Bitter" and it discussed something that I hadn't really thought about - the lack of bitterness in modern food. People were remembering things like the bitter grapefruit they used to have for their breakfast (with a spoonful of sugar that was never enough!) - they don't seem to be available any more; you can buy grapefruit, sure, but they are the pink or red varieties that just don't have the same mouth-puckering properties.
Bitter melon
Italians still have a taste for bitter foods, with the common use of radicchio, chicory and aperitifs such as Aperol (contains bitter orange and rhubarb). The bitter melon/bitter gourd is still popular in traditional Indian cooking which is based on Ayerverdic principles (all six tastes should be present in every meal to feel satisfied and for health) and in Okinawa, known to have one of the healthiest diets on Earth. But here in the UK, even our vegetables have been bred with a reduction of the bitter-tasting plant compounds that are actually very healthy antioxidants. Are we breeding the health out of our food? And the complexity? There is even a process known as "debittering" used in the food and drink manufacturing industries.
The bitter compounds in plants are known as phytonutrients and act as natural protectants for the plants, reducing their attractiveness to animals. They include phenols, flavenoids, isoflavones, terpenes and glucosinolates. It is thought that some people are genetically more sensitive to the latter, which occur in Brussels sprouts, possibly explaining the distaste some people have for them. However, some of the health benefits of bitter foods include anticarcinogenic and antioxidant properties, they are able to help moderate appetite and blood sugar and also help to stimulate the liver to produce bile which aids digestion.
When we try something new, our brains reward us with a hit of dopamine, a pleasure chemical. I certainly have been enjoying my leaves lately, especially with an added Cajun chilli hot sauce, which has been scientifically proven to be addictive - the nerve-jangling capsaicin is the hot tasting component that encourages our brain to produce endorphins as a way to numb the pain. Bitter foods add complexity and a hint of novelty to our diet and balance out the sweetness that we are often eating and drinking without realising. As one person says in the Food Programme, it's funny how something which immediately repels us (bitterness) is better for us than something which initially appeals like sugar.
When we try something new, our brains reward us with a hit of dopamine, a pleasure chemical. I certainly have been enjoying my leaves lately, especially with an added Cajun chilli hot sauce, which has been scientifically proven to be addictive - the nerve-jangling capsaicin is the hot tasting component that encourages our brain to produce endorphins as a way to numb the pain. Bitter foods add complexity and a hint of novelty to our diet and balance out the sweetness that we are often eating and drinking without realising. As one person says in the Food Programme, it's funny how something which immediately repels us (bitterness) is better for us than something which initially appeals like sugar.
