the.com/acidulant
The chemist's word for sour, because 'tastes like a lemon slapped you' wouldn't fit on a label.
means A substance added to food or drink specifically to make it taste sour or tart, or to adjust its pH — think citric acid in candy or vinegar in pickles.
from Built from the Latin 'acidulus,' meaning 'slightly sour,' itself a diminutive of 'acidus' (sour, sharp) — the same root that gives us 'acid.' The '-ant' ending marks it as an agent, the thing that does the souring, putting it in the same family as 'lubricant' or 'coolant': a job title disguised as an ingredient.
- common forms
- citric, malic, tartaric, lactic acid
- job
- balances sweetness, extends shelf life, fights bacteria
- candy secret
- sour coating is pure powdered acidulant
- beyond taste
- also adjusts pH in cheese and wine