How to Cleanse the Palette
Cleansing your palate not only helps you to enjoy a wine- or food-tasting event, but it also can keep your taste buds from becoming overwhelmed any time you are eating different kinds of foods together. You can cleanse your palate with common food items and techniques. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Unsalted crackers
- Fresh fruit
- Unflavored water
- Cold milk
- Sorbet
- White bread
Instructions
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At a wine or beer tasting, consume the lighter-tasting offerings first. You will be able to appreciate the subtleties of their flavors before moving on to the heartier wines and heavier beers.
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Snack on crackers. The texture of the crackers helps to remove foods from the taste buds, and the bland flavor helps to neutralize other flavors in your mouth.
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Eat fresh fruit to calm your taste buds between tastings. Citrus fruit such as lemons, grapefruits and oranges work best. The strong acids in them neutralize and remove intense flavors from your mouth.
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Drink unflavored water or cold milk after each taste. Drink the water or milk slowly so it has time to travel over your taste buds. Swish room-temperature water in your mouth and spit it out to neutralize food particles. The water or cold milk helps wash away strong tastes so you can experience the full flavor of the following food.
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Eat sorbet or white bread when you take an extended break. If you are waiting for dessert, for example, you can clean your palate by eating fruit sorbet. Cold sorbet numbs the taste buds, and when it melts in your mouth it cleanses the palate.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid eating gum or candy during a sampling. These will alter the taste of alcoholic beverages and foods.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit light wine image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
