What are common foods that are "bitter"?

Coffee?

Bitter lemon drink?

Bitter lemon… don’t think nine year olds are going to have heard of that much less tasted. Coffee, they may have sipped, but probably with sugar to mask the bitterness… the only way I’ll drink it.

Are there fruits that are bitter when green, or if you get too near the peal?

Also, aspirin. (There’s that paper that has a chemical on it that distinguishes very rapidly between people who can taste bitter and those who can’t. [To me, it tastes of aspirin.] It’s a simple way to show Mendelian traits. PTC is the name of that chemical.)

Supposedly, cabbage, brussel sprouts and kale are bitter.

Cucumbers can be bitter, but aren’t always. Some vinegar is bitter, as well, but I would guess many kids can’t get over “sour!”.

You could do a tasting of bittersweet/unsweetened chocolate compared to semisweet.

Chocolate can get bitter
Same for citrus fruits at the peel
Sometimes grapes too.

But has anyone ever tried bittergourd? Hoo-boy, you haven’t eaten bitter foods till you tried that.

Quince, plus many not quite ripe fruits, bananas are quite bitter rather than sour when still green.

Really good chocolate.

Beer?

Some cheeses, such as Gorgonzola, some might be considered bitter.

A cucumber that’s grown without enough water can be really bitter, especially with the skin on.

Really bad chocolate.

Seriously; I tried some super bitter chocolate: 86% cacao or something along those lines. It tasted like I was licking an iron pole and I couldn’t get the taste out of my mouth…so gross…

Also, grapefruit can be bitter. It’s kind of hard to find food that’s bitter because it’s generally considered a negative taste sensation so people are going to avoid it when eating things.

Greens, especially dandelions?

@Saturated_Brain I’ve tried it, but I’ve always heard it called bitter melon. I’m a little bit used to it but still have to eat it with other foods. It’s reeeeally bitter.

Tonic water (it’s the quinine).

@DominicX Naw man, you’ve got it all backwards. 86% cacao is the good stuff. Too much milk and sugar drowns the taste. Good memory, btw – it is, in fact, 86%

@wildpotato You’re talking to the wrong person. I love white chocolate, for crying out loud! :)

Radicchio

Horseradish
Mustard
Arugula
Watercress
Dandelion greens
Mustard greens
Turnip greens
Laurel
fresh Rosemary
Juniper berries
Cranberries
Crabapples
Gooseberries
Sour cherries

@DominicX I am so with you on the chocolate thing. Right down to my preference for white chocolate.

Every thing I can think of (besides the aspirin mentioned up there ^^) really falls more to the sour side, rather than bitter.

@augustlan Put me in the white chocolate club too

@6rant6 You know, you could always just let your kid try tea (or even bite into a tea leaf). I know it took me a long time to get over the bitterness of tea. Since your living in SoCal, I daresay that you can find places which sell Chinese tea (pretty much the most bitter tea I’ve ever drank).

it may be white, but it isn’t chocolate.

@Saturated_Brain: Ooh! you just made me remember, Dried hibiscus petals, like for tea are extremely bitter.

Kale, unsweetened baking chocolate

Unsweetened cocoa powder delivers an even stronger wallop of bitter than unsweetened chocolate.

Endive is bitter, as is its processed derivative, chicory.

Strong black tea is bitter.

Mole

India Pale Ale

mmmmmmm…..

I think some here are confusing bitter with sour and other flavors. Fun question tho, GQ!

Kieth Olberman

Nancy Pelosi….

Sour is different than bitter. . On the traditional Seder plate, sharp horseradish (grated) and salt water are used to symbolize the bitter times the Israelites had when they were enslaved in Egypt.

During the service and during the meal (they run simultaneously), one dips fresh parsley into the salt water…that is really bitter.

Mmmm, chrain!

Baking soda and baking powder are what i would call bitter. @gailcalled: The parsley and salt water combination falls in the “salty” flavor category to me, not bitter.

Orange peel or lemon peel is another good one.

@hannahsugs: Me, too, but the combo is considered “bitter herbs.” It is never, however, delicious.

Isn’t there some bitter solution you put on nails to help nail-biters?

@gailcalled: as a nail bitter, i’ve used that nailpolish stuff. It’s more spicy than bitter, though. Tastes like tabasco sauce.

Did it work?

For a little while. The only thing that has worked for long periods of time is determination, a nail file, and regular clear nail polish.

Pet stores sell that “bitter apple” spray for keeping pets from chewing stuff. That’s non-toxic, and must be pretty darned bitter.

The bitter stuff was used on my thumb as a child to get me to stop sucking it. I developed a taste for it in time.

Retsina
Kumquats

Mustard , Bitterguard…

bitter melon or bitter gourd