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The 7-Eleven nacho cheese and gas station sushi fact that broke my brain
So last Tuesday I was reading some random food science blog and found out that nacho cheese sauce and sushi both hit the same umami receptors because of glutamates. One is pumped out of a plastic bag warmer, the other costs $14 at a counter. It made me wonder if we're just lying to ourselves about fancy food, or if cheap processed stuff actually has a leg up on flavor. Which side are you on, is it all just chemistry or does presentation and quality matter more than the receptor science? I tried pairing a $2 nacho cheese cup with a tuna roll from the same gas station and honestly both tasted fine to me.
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ward.jamie7d ago
Our brains do this all over the place, not just with food. A cheap beer on a hot day hits better than some fancy cocktail, and a plain hot dog at a ball game beats a steak dinner half the time. Setting and mood and hunger do as much work as any glutamate, so the $2 cheese and the $14 roll can both win depending on the day.
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