Sour is one of the five basic flavors, which include bitter, sweet, salty, and umami.
High levels of acid in foods cause sourness. Citrus fruits, for example, contain a high concentration of citric acid, which gives them their distinctive lip-puckering flavor.
However, unlike the other five sensations, researchers do not fully understand how sour taste receptors function or why some acids produce a more sour flavor than others.
Similar to bitterness, sourness detection is considered crucial for survival. It can aid in identifying items that may be unsafe to consume, as rotten or damaged foods frequently have a sour flavor due to bacterial development.
However, this does not imply that sour foods are always harmful to consume.
In reality, many sour foods are quite healthy and high in plant components known as antioxidants, which help protect your cells from damage.
10 Mouthwatering Sour Fruit
Here are 10 mouthwatering sour foods that might be a nutritious addition to your diet.
1. Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a distinctive vegetable with a strong acidic flavor due to high levels of malic and oxalic acids.
Rhubarb stalks are not just acidic but also poor in sugar. As a result, people rarely consume them uncooked due to their disagreeable, sour flavor.
Typically, they undergo cooking and serve as an ingredient in sauces, jams, and drinks. People also commonly combine them with sugar and other fruits to create pies, crisps, and crumbles.
With the exception of vitamin K, rhubarb has few vitamins or minerals. However, it contains a high concentration of plant chemicals with antioxidant qualities, such as anthocyanin.
Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that give rhubarb stalks their bright red color. Studies have also demonstrated their ability to protect against a variety of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
2. Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits are noted for their bright hues and unusual flavors.
While they all feature a trace of sourness, the sweet-sour ratio varies widely between varieties.
Certain citrus fruits possess a sour taste.
- Calamansi: Calamansi is a tiny green citrus fruit that tastes like a sour orange or a sweeter lime.
- Grapefruit: Grapefruit is a huge tropical citrus fruit with a tart, slightly bitter flavor.
- Kumquats: Kumquats are little orange fruits with a sour-sweet flavor and edible peel.
- Lemons: Lemons are yellow citrus fruits with a distinct sour flavor.
- Limes: Limes are little green citrus fruits that taste sour rather than sweet.
- Oranges: Oranges are a type of citrus with a variety of sizes and flavors, with some being sweeter than others.
- Pomelo: Pomelo is a large citrus fruit that is yellow when fully ripe, tastes like grapefruit, but is less bitter.
Citrus fruits contain a high concentration of citric acid, a naturally occurring chemical that gives fruits their acidic, sour flavor.
These fruits are not only the best natural sources of citric acid, but they are also high in vitamin C, which is necessary for a healthy immune system and skin.
They also include fiber, B vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and copper, as well as plant chemicals that are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory.
Marinades and salad dressings benefit from the vibrant taste of tart citrus juices like lemon and lime juice, and you can peel and snack on slightly sweeter fruits like oranges and pomelos.
3. Tamarind
Tamarind fruit comes from the tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica), which grows in Africa.
When the fruit has a very sour green juice when it is young and not yet ripe.
The pulp shrinks into a paste-like consistency and tastes more sweet and sour as the fruit ripens.
Like citrus fruits, tamarind contains citric acid. However, most of its sour taste comes from its high amount of tartaric acid.
Studies have demonstrated the antioxidant properties of tartaric acid, which may prevent kidney stones from forming.
Tartaric acid is naturally found in fruits such as mangoes and grapes. People also add it to food to give it a sour taste.
In terms of nutrition, tamarind has a lot of important nutrients, like B vitamins, calcium, and potassium.
The pulp can add a sour-sweet taste to marinades, chutneys, drinks, and sweets, so it’s very useful.
4. Gooseberries
The small, round fruits called gooseberries come in many colours and can taste anything from sweet to sour.
There are several organic acids in them, such as citric and malic acids, which give them their sour taste.
According to research, these organic acids may also be good for your heart and have qualities that fight free radicals and microbes.
Vitamin C-rich gooseberries are healthy too. A single cup weighing 150 grams offers a substantial 46% of the daily value (DV).
After washing, you can eat gooseberries as a snack on their own or on top of oatmeal, yoghurt, or salads. Remember that they can taste pretty sour. For a sweeter taste, look for gooseberries that are more ripe.
5. Cranberries
Because they are low in sugar and high in organic acids like citric and malic acids, raw cranberries have a sharp, sour taste.
Cranberry juice and pills may help prevent and treat urinary tract infections (UTIs) in part because they contain a unique mix of organic acids that give everything a sour taste.
Cranberry juice may have a lot of extra sugar and not much fibre. On the other hand, eating whole cranberries is a great way to get a lot of important nutrients, like manganese, fibre, and vitamins C and E.
Cranberries are one of the best sources of quercetin, a plant compound with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant properties.
You can add tart cranberries to mixed green and grain salads, sauces, and chutneys when they are fresh. You can use dried cranberries to make granola bars or trail mix at home.
6. Vinegars
If you process a carbohydrate source, like a grain or fruit, the sugars in it turn into alcohol. This is what vinegar is. People often add bacteria to further break down the sugars.
Acetic acid is one of the fermentation process’s leftovers. It is the main active ingredient in vinegar, which is why it tastes so sour.
Studies have shown that acetic acid can aid in weight loss, appetite control, and fat loss. Studies have also demonstrated its ability to assist individuals with type 2 diabetes in managing their blood sugar levels.
However, more research is required to determine a safe and effective dose that will provide these benefits to humans.
Different kinds of vinegar have different tastes because they are made from different types of carbs. Some common kinds are apple cider, red wine, rice vinegar, and balsamic vinegar.
Most often, people use vinegars to make sauces, marinades, and salads. You can also drizzle stronger vinegars, like balsamic, over foods like pizza, pasta, and sandwiches.
7. Kimchi
Koreans often eat kimchi as a side dish. Fermented vegetables and spices make up its preparation.
First, pickle the veggie and spice mix in a salty brine. It is usually made from cabbage. Following this, the addition of Bacillus bacteria further breaks down the natural sugars in the vegetables, resulting in the production of lactic acid.
This lactic acid is what gives kimchi its unique sour taste and smell. You can eat kimchi as a side dish or a sauce, and it’s a good source of probiotics. Regular consumption of kimchi has been associated with improved gut and heart health.
8. Yoghurt
People enjoy yoghurt, a product of adding live bacteria to milk and allowing it to develop. Bacteria break down the natural sugars in milk to produce lactic acid. This is what gives yoghurt its sour taste and smell.
However, a lot of yogurts have sugars and flavors added to them to make them less sour.
Sour cream has a lot of protein, calcium, and phosphorus, all of which are good for your bones. Additionally, there is a high concentration of bacteria present.
Regular yoghurt consumption has also been associated with weight loss in overweight individuals.
For a healthy snack, you can put fruit on top of plain yoghurt. It can also be used in baking instead of butter or mayonnaise, or in salad sauces and dips instead of sour cream or mayonnaise.
9. Kefir
You can make kefir, a sour drink, by adding kefir grains to cow’s or goat’s milk. People often refer to it as drinkable yoghurt.
People think that kefir grains, which can have up to 61 different types of bacteria and yeasts, are a better and more varied source of probiotics than yoghurt.
Kefir has a sour taste, like other soured foods. Fermentation mostly produces lactic acid, which accounts for this. Also, kefir products often have extra sugar and flavorings added to them to make them sweeter and less sour, just like yoghurt.
It’s interesting that people who can’t handle lactose (a sugar found in milk) may be able to handle kefir well, since most of the lactose is turned into lactic acid during fermentation.
But if you don’t want any lactose at all, you can make kefir with non-dairy drinks like fruit juice or coconut water.
10. Japanese apricots
Japanese apricots (Prunus mume), also known as Japanese plums or Chinese plums, are small, round fruits that typically undergo drying or stewing before consumption.
Japanese apricots, called umeboshi, are very sour because they have a lot of citric and malic acids. Both dried and stewed, they taste great.
Animal studies have shown that Japanese apricots may help fight cancer and improve gut health because they are high in fibre and antioxidants. However, there is a lack of sufficient human research on this topic.
Pickled and dried Japanese apricots add a strong, sour flavour to rice dishes. But because they can also be high in salt, it’s best to not eat too many of them.
The bottom line
Sour is one of the five basic tastes. When you taste something sour, it means that there is an acid in it, like citric or lactic acid.
Sour foods are sometimes a sign that they have gone bad, but many of them are safe and healthy to eat.
Fruits and vegetables that make your mouth water include citrus fruits, tamarind, rhubarb, gooseberries, kimchi, yoghurt, and kefir.
You can add some sour foods to your diet to improve taste and health.
