(No, I’ve not started dropping acid.)
Most times, when you eat or drink something, you expect it to taste like whatever it is. Or in some cases, what it looks like. Something looks like pizza? You expect pizza taste. Looks like cheese? It should taste cheesy. Right?
Well, why can’t colors have flavors?
Yeah, that probably sounds pretty absurd, but think about it – why don’t we say “something tastes blue” or “it’s got a bit of a red flavor to it”? We’re conditioned to associate flavors with foods, and foods only. Nobody ever says, “man, I sure could go for something purple right about now.”
But why don’t they?
By now you’re probably wondering what brought this whole idea on. (I know I would be if I were the one reading this and not writing it.) It all began with a soda. I always like trying new snacks and foods when i go to another country, especially sodas. Most of them can’t compare to the American stuff I like – Code Red Mountain Dew and Pepsi Vanilla for two wonderfully delicious examples – but there are some good finds now and then. Like this one:
Fanta White Strawberry
Strawberry is probably my favorite fruit flavor, but it’s rare that anybody gets a strawberry soda right. They’re usually too sweet or syrupy, and never really taste like strawberries.
Well, Fanta got it right!
This stuff is awesome. I tried some shortly after I got here and was raving about it to Tracey. She asked how the flavor was. I said it had two distinct flavors. The first being the strawberry taste you get right away when you take a sip. The second is the aftertaste it leaves when you swallow. She asked what that flavor was, and I replied, “it tastes kind of white.”
She laughed.
Perhaps rightly so, but I stand by my statement. It does taste white. Really. Maybe somebody with a far more experienced palate than mine could better classify it, but I’d be surprised. The problem with telling other people this is that there’s no way to adequately explain what white tastes like. How can you describe what an apple tastes like? Can you do it without using the word “apple?”
I’ll bet you can’t.
So, rather than try and define the flavor that is white, I’ll leave it as an exercise to the reader. You can pick up a bottle and taste for yourself. Odds are you’ll agree with me. (And if you don’t, well, you’re just being stubborn! ^.^ )