One of the six taste sensations (alongside fatty, salty, sour, sweet and umami) that is perceived over a large area at the back of the tongue. The taste buds for bitter are many thousands of times more sensitive than those for sweet. This was particularly important for survival in prehistoric times in order to be able to perceive poisonous substances, most of which also taste bitter, very quickly. Bitterness should not be confused with the astringent effect mainly caused by tannins, but often occurs together with it.
In wine, the tannin-like catechin is primarily responsible for the bitter effect. Bitter substances are present to a greater extent in aloe, artichokes, cinchona bark, hops, almonds, nutshells and orange peel. There are many alcoholic drinks flavoured with it, such as bitter vino, chinato and Vermouth. Hantig is an unpleasantly bitter flavour impression in the context of a wine and a colloquial term with negative connotations.
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