do chips with ridges and regular chips taste different?

[HOBBIT]

AKA does texture influence taste?

I say yes.

*finally an interesting topic and you get to see the kind of conversations I have at lunch *

At my lunch table, we have been having the same discussion for a month now.

It all started when I started to bring in my Aero bars (for all you Brits, Canadians, and other UK ppl you know what I am talking about) to school.

If you don't know what an aero bar is, it is a chocolate bar made by nestle only in the UK but you can easily get it at any super market's import section.

It has a distinctive taste because it has air bubbles in it.

The other people at my lunch table are insisting that it cannot taste better than any other chocolate. I say the texture of the way the bar is makes it taste better.
----
An anology more familiar to US people -

Ridges vs Regular chips

I say ridges taste different and better than regular chips

The people at my table argue that they both taste the same - just ridges feels different.

----
ice cubes vs water
The people at my table brought up a horrible example to support their side - ice cubes vs water.

They think also that ice cubes and water taste the same - but I think that they clearly taste different.
--

Your thoughts?

The people arguing against me are being jerks and it is 4 to 1.

If you agree with me that ridges taste different than regular, etc please help me think of some convincing arguements

Or if you agree with them, post why.

[Bunnie_Queen_1146]

I agree with everything you are saying, its true ridged chips taste different buit seem to be better tasting i prefere regular tohugh thats because that what my parents buy. Also with the Areo bar its bubbles make it seem really good. It's different from all the other chocolates. And Water and Ice Cubes taste different too. Once you think about this people its true lots of things are the same but are different. I agree with you HOBBIT!

[Tessar]

It's very simple:

When we eat food, we aren't just experiencing a taste, we're experiencing the texture and the weight and the smell of it. So something with, like you mentioned, air bubbles, will 'taste' slightly different than something without, simply because it's a different experience.

If you want you could liken it to driving (since I assume you and your friends are probably learning/starting to learn by now?). You might be able to drive the car forwards, but driving it backwards is a whole new 'taste' of driving. You're still using the same pedals and steering wheel, but the 'flavor' is different.

Also, it very likely IS slightly different as the process to make the ridges means that a little 'extra' something happens to the chip. Maybe a slightly longer cooking time, maybe a little more cornstarch to make the ridges stay while it cooks or whatever.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by HOBBIT
AKA does texture influence taste?

I say yes.

*finally an interesting topic and you get to see the kind of conversations I have at lunch *

At my lunch table, we have been having the same discussion for a month now.

It all started when I started to bring in my Aero bars (for all you Brits, Canadians, and other UK ppl you know what I am talking about) to school.

If you don't know what an aero bar is, it is a chocolate bar made by nestle only in the UK but you can easily get it at any super market's import section.

It has a distinctive taste because it has air bubbles in it.

The other people at my lunch table are insisting that it cannot taste better than any other chocolate. I say the texture of the way the bar is makes it taste better.
----
An anology more familiar to US people -

Ridges vs Regular chips

I say ridges taste different and better than regular chips

The people at my table argue that they both taste the same - just ridges feels different.

----
ice cubes vs water
The people at my table brought up a horrible example to support their side - ice cubes vs water.

They think also that ice cubes and water taste the same - but I think that they clearly taste different.
--

Your thoughts?

The people arguing against me are being jerks and it is 4 to 1.

If you agree with me that ridges taste different than regular, etc please help me think of some convincing arguements

Or if you agree with them, post why.

I think there are various reasons why ridged potato chips taste different. I do agree they do - but I think one of the reasons they do is because they are thicker. But they absolutely do taste different.

I am however not sure ice cubes taste different. For one thing - I don't like to really eat ice - so I never really compared.

Good luck with your argument.

[Bunnie_Queen_1146]

Originally posted by Tessar
It's very simple:
Also, it very likely IS slightly different as the process to make the ridges means that a little 'extra' something happens to the chip. Maybe a slightly longer cooking time, maybe a little more cornstarch to make the ridges stay while it cooks or whatever.

that is very true and thats why it tastes different from just a very slight change.

[Lalaith_Elf]

Yeah Aero Bars taste better than chocolate (especially the new ones with white chocolate in the middle). The same goes with Dime Bars.
Ridges do taste better that normal chips, and they do go 'crunchier' which adds to the change in taste.
But I'd have to agree with JD here and say that there is no difference between ice-cubes and water.

[sun-star]

Of course it is possible that the makers of Aero use a slightly different recipe to other chocolate, or that ridged chips have a different amount of salt or whatever

Ice cubes and water though - well, it depends what water you use. It's easy to tell the differences in flavour between different waters. Though like JD I don't really eat ice cubes very often

[Lalaith_Elf]

Originally posted by sun-star
Of course it is possible that the makers of Aero use a slightly different recipe to other chocolate, or that ridged chips have a different amount of salt or whatever

Ice cubes and water though - well, it depends what water you use. It's easy to tell the differences in flavour between different waters. Though like JD I don't really eat ice cubes very often

Yeah, like filtered water tastes different to tap water - and the same with spring water.
You should try eating ice-cubes - it's quite nice actually, but just a little cold...

[sun-star]

Originally posted by Lalaith_Elf
You should try eating ice-cubes - it's quite nice actually, but just a little cold...

[Lalaith_Elf]

Originally posted by sun-star

Go on - make a visit to your freezer and if you have ice-cubes try to eat one.

[sun-star]

Don't have ice cubes in March unfortunately - but I'll try it in the summer

I was just so shocked to hear ice is cold...

[Lalaith_Elf]

I eat ice-lollys in the middle of winter - theres nothing wrong wit ice-cubes in March. Do you get those bags or make your own?

[Sminty_Smeagol]

is it really possible to taste an ice cube? Wouldn't there constantly be a thin film of water melted from your mouth?

This is reminding me of an argument that went along these lines
1: "the new green heinz ketchup tastes different than normal heinz ketchups"
2: "that's dumb it's just a different color!"

if you read the back of the label, however, under ingrediants, it says 'heinz ketchup, vinegar, (colors)" so there was extra vinegar in tehre

sorry OT
I thought taste was our sense of detecting chemicals and ingredients. I don't think texture itself affects taste. I wonder if you took a piece of chocolate, tasted it, melted the rest and then tasted that if they would taste different. But things change texture in your mouth, and I don't notice much of a flavor change when I'm eating.

[Bunnie_Queen_1146]

Originally posted by Lalaith_Elf
Yeah, like filtered water tastes different to tap water - and the same with spring water.
You should try eating ice-cubes - it's quite nice actually, but just a little cold...

I love eating ice! its so cold!! and yummy!!

[Sminty_Smeagol]

filtered water tastes different from tap because it removes little contaminants. I think ideally, pure, contaminant-free water would taste like nothing unless I am mistaken? And that we have not been able to achieve 100% pure, contaminant free water?

I think that the chips with ridges probably have different ingrediants or a different ratio of its ingredients.

[gdl96]

Hahahahahaha. Poor Tristan. I'm so glad I left the lunch table.


Temperature might also have an effect on taste too. The cold ice numbs your tongue a little so it will taste different. And heat brings out certain flavors in some foods. Cold leftovers taste very different that hot leftovers.

Also, as mentioned before, indredients are probably different when it comes to ridges vs chips and aero bar vs chocolate.

Also, I heard them arguing with you about how texture is irrelevent. "You have 5 senses, and touch and taste are separate, so just because something has a different texture does not mean it has a different taste."
I think that's making things a little too black and white, because they overlap.

And no matter what argument you bring up, they won't stop arguing. They're out to get you, Tristan. Sorry.

[plaidjedillama]

I think texture definately affects taste.

Chips would be the most obvious example, but also think about the difference between normal rice and crispy rice.

[Sminty_Smeagol]

why/how do you think it does?

[IronParrot]

Okay, being the resident potato chip connoisseur, I feel obligated to comment.

This question relies on how you define taste. Some people would like to define "taste" in terms of the proportional balance between sweet/salty/sour/bitter. I personally think that's a little restrictive, because it doesn't account for texture, and it is in texture that the difference between ridged and flat chips is most evident.

With ridged chips, what you have is the simulation of a "thicker" cut without actually using more potato than you would in a regular chip of comparable XY dimensions. The preference then comes from whether or not you prefer thicker chips.

I have a preference for gourmet brands myself, particularly Kettle and Terra, and one thing that separates them from everyday potato chips is that the chips are generally thicker, and thus richer in texture. Thin chips like regular Lay's or the uniform cuts you see in Pringles have a "flakier" feel, which some people prefer and some people don't. But these gourmet chips are also proportionally more expensive because not only do they use special potatoes and cooking processes, the potatoes are cut thicker - so you seemingly get "fewer" chips per 150g bag, say. With rippled and ridged chips, you have the taste of a regular chip but with a thickness that comes at minimal extra potato overhead.

The ingredients involved, however, are not necessarily different. Ridges don't use up special chemicals that aren't present in chips without ridges.