Why are spices so delicious?

Question

What makes them taste so good? Is there chemical or physiological explanaiton for that?
I think they are orgasmic :D

Answer 1

It's Obviously Not One Chemical Because Aach Edible Spice Has A Different Active Chemical (Except The Aniseed Tasting Ones & Peppers) That Keep Bugs & Animals, Fungus & Bacteria From Eating Them (Ah Ha !)

Them Tasting So Good Is Subjective And If Yo Like Them All That's Great. ( I got Used To Cardomon But It Used To Smell And Taste Just Like Stink Bugs To Me (That Was A Little Psycological)

They "All Taste So Good" Cause They All Taste So Strong And This Is Good In Relation To Alot Of Other foods U Eat And They All Taste Unique From Each Other Aswell

So Spices to you then And Most Others Are Another Little World Of Flavour, Aroma And Flavour Enhancement.

Answer 2

I think they taste good because they generally contain flavors not found in such high concentrations in foods eaten for their nutritional content. If you ate just the spices, the flavors would be too strong, and you would gain no health value. Instead, we add the spices to foods that are beneficial to eat (by virtue of calories, protein, even fat, etc.), enhancing their flavor. But since you can't get those flavors just from regular food items, they become exciting to us. Hence the...orgasmic experience.

Answer 3

Well, any world traveler can attest to the pungent truth: Spicy meals tend to be found in warmer climates, while blander foods correlate to colder places. For years, people believed spices were used in the countries where they were grown to mask the taste of spoiled meat or solely for the flavor they add to food.

Alas, nothing in nature turns out to be that simple. Researchers now suggest that a taste for spices served a vital evolutionary purpose: keeping our ancestors alive. Spices, it turns out, can kill poisonous bacteria and fungi that may contaminate our food. In other words, developing a taste for these spices could be good for our health. And since food spoils more quickly in hotter weather, it's only natural that warmer climates have more bacteria-killing spices.

Indeed, the very plants that produce spices use them in this way. Spices that come from shrubs, vines, trees, and the roots, flowers, and seeds of plants protect the vegetation against the same bacteria and fungi that attack our food when we've left it overnight on the kitchen counter. Before refrigeration, food spoilage was an even more pressing problem, which is why some researchers say spices played such a huge role in history -- one Gothic leader in A.D. 408 demanded 3,000 pounds of pepper as ransom. And adventurers from Marco Polo to Christopher Columbus sailed the world mapping routes to spice-growing countries.

More recently, a team of biologists at Cornell University in New York debunked most popular beliefs about spices, including the idea that they're used to make people sweat in order to cool them down. But one popular belief still stood: Spices seem to help with food digestion, and, for some unknown reason, people in warmer climates might need more help.

The Cornell scientists tested the bacteria-killer hypothesis with hundreds of cookbooks and thousands of recipes from around the world. They discovered that spices with the greatest ability to kill bacteria, such as garlic and onions, appear most often -- and in greater concentrations -- in recipes from hot climates. Eighty percent of Indian recipes called for onions, while in Norway, the pungent bulb only appeared in 20 percent of the recipes. They even found these differences within the United States. For example, we have spicy Cajun meals down south and more bland meat staples in northern Maine.

Answer 4

I know how you feel! I have an extensive spice collection and can only say that they enhance and add sooo much more depth of flavor to so many foods. Couldn't imagine a world with-out the Bamm!! Happy Cooking!

Answer 5

All I can say is that spices enhance the flavor of foods. sounds like you already know that. Enjoy the deliciousness of spice.

Answer 6

Well, I don't know really, I'm no science expert by any means, but I do love what spices can do for our menu of food preferences. Oh, gee's I'm getting hungry just thinking about that...thanks for asking.

Answer 7

i'll agree i love spices, and used properly and in the right food they will be even better, use the spices to marinate ur food and hey presto, a beautiful tasting meal.

Answer 8

because they just are.what makes them good is how you do it

Answer 9

hahah... i also think they taste good... but have no idea why tho..