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?

[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.

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.

[toft]

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

[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.

[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?!