Signal boost: Pine Mouth

[darkemeralds]

Yesterday I noticed a bad bitter taste when I ate some yogurt. The container was newly opened, its expiration date way off in the future, and the yogurt smelled perfectly fine. Things like "Oh no! While I was out, someone slipped poison into my yogurt" and "Can we really trust US food safety and labeling standards anymore?" crossed my mind while I waited for stomach pains or seizures.

Nothing happened.

I ate some beef--also fresh and properly handled--and noticed the same nasty taste, somewhere north of grapefruit seeds on the bitterness scale, right at the back of my tongue.

Today I had a honeycrisp apple. Same thing. I started googling, thinking perhaps I've got some neurological disorder. Phantom tastes can be symptoms of diabetes and a couple of other conditions, none of which I have.

Turns out I've got Pine mouth! It comes from eating certain Asian pine nuts, though nobody has figured out exactly how it happens. You eat them, the bitterness develops two days later, and it lasts for up to two weeks.

While I'm grateful not to have a terrible neurological disorder or a bad case of Sneaky Paranoid Poisoning, I'm a little annoyed that all my food is going to taste like the bitterest bitterness that ever biled for the next two weeks.

And I guess I'll be making my pesto with walnuts in the future.

Comments

[executrix]

Artichokes make things taste sweet--maybe you could reverse the effect with some artichokes, or Cynar (artichoke apertif) and soda?

[darkemeralds]

They do? I had no idea. Great suggestion. I'll give it a try. I love artichokes and rarely think to eat them.

[without_me]

I've been wondering if I was overreacting by avoiding pesto and picking pine nuts out of things, but with you and Glace both experiencing this I'm sticking to my guns. Pity, though.

[darkemeralds]

If you care about food at all, you don't want this. It spoils all the fun of eating. And frankly, though this bitter taste seems to be the only effect, whatever's causing it can't be totally benign. I don't know if it's my imagination, but I feel a wee bit woozy.

I understand that pine nuts sourced in Italy and North America don't have this effect. Of course, they're terribly expensive. I love 'em, but I can live with other nuts.

[without_me]

One imagines it might be a useful diet aid. If one were interested in unhealthy means of weight loss.

[darkemeralds]

The thought crossed my mind! LOL

Frying Pan to Fire?

[executrix]

Mind you, walnuts tend to be somewhat bitter, especially if some of the skin is still on, and it's exacerbated by rancidity.

Re: Frying Pan to Fire?

[darkemeralds]

There's being bitter, and then there's causing bitterness.

I have to say, I just ate five M&Ms, and even they tasted like metal. Really annoying.

Re: Frying Pan to Fire?

[executrix]

Like Falstaff being the cause of wit in others! Or the parents eating sour grapes and the teeth of the sons being set on edge, which is a surprisingly prescient view of the economy these days.

[toft]

How incredibly weird! I've never heard of anything like that before. *takes note*

[darkemeralds]

It's one of those strange things that, when you finally hit on good search terms, is everywhere, but which can be really elusive otherwise. It took me a couple of Google sessions to find it, and as soon as I did, light dawned. I'd had pine nuts, for the first time in probably two or three years, just a couple of days before this thing started.

It's surprisingly disturbing! Even though I know consciously that my food and water aren't tainted, every bite and sip triggers that danger alert.

[executrix]

The Chowhound message board frequently has "pine mouth" threads, which is why I said, "Oh, of course" when I saw the OP.

[darkemeralds]

I mentioned it to my dentist today, since I was there. Not that dentists are up on taste buds and tongue chemistry, but I was sort of surprised that he'd never heard of pine mouth either.

[azurelunatic]

Oh, no fun at all! I wonder if I haven't had this, since I do love my pine nuts and I did at one point have weird bitter tastes.

[darkemeralds]

The weird thing of it is that the condition takes two days to materialize. I'm amazed that anyone ever figured out the connection.

What little literature there is on this bizarre subject says that it doesn't strike everyone. Perhaps there's a genetic component, kind of like the one that makes some people absolutely detest the taste of cilantro and others love it.

It's disturbing enough to make me avoid pine nuts for good.

[pinesandmaples]

Hooray, you poisoned yourself?

[cat63]

Wow, that's weird! Sorry it happened to you, it sounds most unpleasant.

As you say in comments, it's amazing that anyone managed to make the connection, given how long it takes to develop.]]

I'm very fond of pesto, so I hope it doesn't affect my favourite green pesto sauce :(

I seem to recall Rob complained of stuff tasting weird for a while a few weeks ago, but I can't recall if we'd had pesto a few days before. At least now I know about it I can keep alert for it - thanks for passing it on!

[tehomet]

How freaking weird is that?!

[darkemeralds]

Very freaking weird! Thankfully, the effect is almost completely gone now.