water tasting

[epiboy]

Why do people say water has no taste?

[Greedyfly]

im not sure but I honestly dont like it (tap water especially), it makes me gag when i try to drink it with nothing added.

[loulou80]

it's not that it has no taste,but it just doesn't taste like anything else we know.what have you eaten or drunk that tastes like water?probably nothing.

[brionon]

Er --because they can't taste it ?

[Booldawg]

You can define tastes into certain groups, sweet, sour, spicy, bitter etc. Your tongue has areas than handle different types of taste. Water doesnt fall into any of the categories and therefore is pretty much tasteless.

[Space]

water has no taste.
Tap water can have a taste if it's poor quality.

[nickmo]

Of course water has taste - strictly speaking, flavour.

The human can only discern subtle differences between the types of water, but if you look at the chemical composition of mineral water brands you'll see a whole host of different things like the amount of calcium, suplhur, magnesium etc. which all affect the flavour.

The Americans (of course) have had water sommeliers (as in wine sommeliers) to advise about the best water to accompany a particular meal for a couple of years now http://www.jancisrobinson.com/winenews/jr846 and http://www.waterstewards.org/article/articleview/7460/1/381/ but you can easily try at home 2 or 3 brands and see the differences.

The water that appeals to people the most and that can be the preferred one to drink is that from the region you were born in (see comments on taste test http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/nsfall98/FinalArticles/TastebudTesters.html) but if you have ecver had water from say London out of the tap and then from another region, you'll easily identify the differences.

Water temp, the amount of ions present, the purification process (especially if tap water) and the mix of chemicals all make for specific flavours)

And can anyone give a valid reason for Fresh and Wild shops selling bottled water fom Fiji in the UK?

[lia*]

have you ever used the phrase "it tasted watery"

[ahar]

i love water yum

[lia*]

me too ahar

[moppettshow]

I was told that it has no distinct flavour, because it is always present in our mouths; much like people who live in the country who don't notice the smell of manure (sorry, I'm a city boy!)