Why do we even LIKE hops (and other bitter substances)?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Das_Reh, Jan 8, 2015.

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  1. Das_Reh

    Das_Reh Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2013 Florida

    Human taste buds are hardwired to give us general information about what we eat.

    Sweet food usually denotes the presence of sugars and carbs.

    Sour denotes the presence of acids and vitamins.

    Salty food denotes the presence of salts and minerals.

    Umami (if you believe in such a thing, as I personally do) denotes the presence of glutamates (savory amino acids), such as red meat, mushrooms, soy sauce, and tomatoes.

    Bitter, on the other hand, is usually a way to alert our mouths of one thing... POISON!

    Many poisonous (and, coincidentally, medicinal) substances are bitter in taste, and many organisms take heed and avoid bitter tasting substances. Goats on a tea plantation will devour every weed they can get their mouths on, but will avoid the tea shrubs, for they do not like the bitter oils in the leaves. But not humans. We purposefully seek out things like tea, coffee, certain fruits/vegetables, and, here on BA, hops, specifically because they are bitter.

    But why?

    I'm not saying those things are poisonous. On the contrary, they have been found to be a good source of essential nutrients and are actually quite good for you. But I guess my big question is, why do we CRAVE something bitter when it goes against biology? Is it because we are willing to choke through the bitterness to get the chemical effects of the substances (alcohol, caffeine, etc)? I think not. If that were the case, there would not be hop heads seeking out 100+ IBU DIPA's to burn out their palates. There would not be decaffeinated coffee or tea if people were just after the caffeine in those substances.

    I believe it is possible to acquire an affinity for bitter, offbeat flavors, and that it doesn't lie solely on genetics or the effects of chemical substances found in each. For example, I like to drink a bottle of tonic water on occasion, which is a bitter (and in high enough concentrations, toxic) substance made from quinine.

    What are your thoughts and opinions on this BA? Are there any articles or sources you know of that would explain why hop heads are, well... hop heads?
     
    #1 Das_Reh, Jan 8, 2015
  2. cookiequiz

    cookiequiz Savant (1,119) Apr 15, 2013 California

    Well, to be honest, although I do like other bitter comestibles, such as tea and chocolate and even bitter melon, it's not the bitterness that I actually enjoy about hops: it's all of the other magical flavours they carry.
     
    #2 cookiequiz, Jan 8, 2015
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  3. almostjay

    almostjay Initiate (0) May 24, 2008 Virginia

    It's because all of those other flavors are so mainstream. I want to be different, maaaaaaan.
     
    #3 almostjay, Jan 8, 2015
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  4. Das_Reh

    Das_Reh Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2013 Florida

    So, you were drinking IPA's before they were cool? :wink:
     
    #4 Das_Reh, Jan 8, 2015
  5. Beef_Curtains

    Beef_Curtains Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2013 Ohio

    I don't think bitterness is something most humans like naturally. Most bitter things we like we have to train ourselves to like. I did not like IPAs, coffee or tea at first and had to acquire a taste for them as I'm sure many people have had to do. Now why did I choose to acquire a taste for things I did not like? I don't really know, but I'm guessing because those things were widely regarded as good by others before me, and because of that I figured I could learn to like them if I tried.
     
    #5 Beef_Curtains, Jan 8, 2015
  6. JG-90

    JG-90 Initiate (0) Nov 29, 2012 New Jersey

    Enjoying bitter food is a learned behavior. Babies do not like bitter things (but do like sweet, umami, etc.), but once you understand that not everything bitter is poison, your brain kind of outsmarts your biology. Once you realize it is okay to eat/drink bitter things, you start to like them.

    It's similar to how all of us on these forums no longer cry when we are hungry (at least not all the time). As a baby you cry when you are hungry, but when you grow older you learn to use other means to get food - humans are very adaptable.
     
    #6 JG-90, Jan 8, 2015
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  7. iTunesUpdates

    iTunesUpdates Initiate (0) May 7, 2014 Florida

    This is a great explanation! Growing up I never thought I would eat certain things, but now I do. It's all about acquiring the taste for it.
     
    #7 iTunesUpdates, Jan 8, 2015
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  8. OneDropSoup

    OneDropSoup Pooh-Bah (2,213) Dec 9, 2008 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I think it's the balance. No beer is truly JUST bitter, there's always some degree of sweet & tart counterpoint.
     
    #8 OneDropSoup, Jan 8, 2015
  9. CraftFan5

    CraftFan5 Pooh-Bah (2,264) May 14, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Not everyone enjoys hops, you know... In fact, I would venture to say that there is a very strong and vocal minority of BAs who do not like bitter, hoppy beers.

    Since I started keeping track about 1.5 years ago, I have drunk approximately 120 hoppy-style beers (APAs, AIPAs, DIPAs, Belgian IPAs, American Black Ales, etc.) and I admit I still do not get the infatuation. Sure, many of them have been tasty (I've rated 58 of them at least a 4, since I try to rate to style), and I've even given 3 of them a perfect 5 for flavor (GL Lake Erie Monster, Blind Pig, and Third Rail Bodega), but only a handful would I consider to be worth buying more than once.

    Anyway, in conclusion, "we," as you mention in the title, don't necessarily like hops.
     
    #9 CraftFan5, Jan 8, 2015
  10. qchic

    qchic Maven (1,303) Jul 6, 2004 Maryland

    To balance all the sugar in EVERYTHING.

    Seriously, I checked the ingredients of some crackers I was eating and sugar was number 3. I like sugar, too, but it's ridiculous how they sneak it into everything.
     
    #10 qchic, Jan 8, 2015
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