Latest news with #taste
The Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Sun
The 99p supermarket hummus that beats Waitrose in taste test – and it's perfect for picnics
IT'S perfect for dipping, snacking and picnicking – but which supermarket hummus is the best? We've tested all the own-brand versions from the major supermarkets to see which one is the tastiest and the best value for money. 8 We've scored each hummus out of 10 for taste and 10 for value, taking into account how many chickpeas – a key ingredient - are in the recipe. Here's how they scored out of 20 overall: Tesco Hummus £1.35 for 200g The Tesco hummus had a well-balanced taste of lemon and garlic but it was quite sloppy, meaning it was difficult to keep on a breadstick dipper. The loose texture is not so surprising when you realise it contained only 41% chickpeas – much lower than the other brands we tried. At 68p per 100g, it was also one of the most expensive. Taste: 8/10 Value: 5/10 Total: 13/20 Asda Classic Hummus £1.23 for 200g Asda's hummus had a sickly sweet flavour of synthetic lemon, which made the whole thing taste a bit like plastic. But its texture was thicker than the Tesco version and chickpeas made up more than half (52%) of its ingredients. At 62p per 100g, it was middle of the range on price. Taste: 4/10 Value: 7/10 Total: 11/20 Sainsbury's Classic Hummus 99p for 200g 8 The Sainsbury's hummus had a great authentic texture, containing chunkier chickpea bits instead of just a smooth paste. But it had an acrid aftertaste of burnt garlic. At less than £1 per tub, this rivalled Aldi and Lidl's versions on price. Taste: 6/10 Value: 8/10 Total: 14/20 Morrisons Classic Hummus £1.35 for 200g We weren't very impressed with the Morrisons hummus, which had a similar sickly-sweet lemon taste to the Asda version. But it contained fewer chickpeas than Asda's variety, which meant its texture was gloopy and difficult to scoop up with a breadstick. This was also one of the more expensive versions, at 68p per 100g. Taste: 5/10 Value: 6/10 Total: 11/20 Aldi The Deli Hummus 99p for 200g 8 Aldi's hummus had a thick but smooth texture, with a tasty balance of lemon and garlic flavours. It was easy to dip and moreish – a great summer picnic treat. And at just 99p per tub, it was a bargain. Taste: 7/10 Value: 8/10 Total: 15/20 WINNER - Lidl Meadow Fresh Hummus 99p for 200g 8 The Lidl hummus was the closest thing to having a homemade or restaurant version for a bargain 99p per tub. It had a chunky texture and was packed with 54% chickpeas – the highest of all the brands we tested. Unlike the other brands, you could also taste the tahini (sesame paste) ingredient which is key in hummus and lots of garlic – but it was lacking lemon. The only issue was it was a murky grey colour which wasn't very appealing. Taste: 8/10 Value: 9/10 Total: 17/20 Essential Waitrose Hummus £1.60 for 200g 8 Waitrose's Essential hummus cost up to 60% more than the other brands we tested, but it had a low chickpea content (just 47%). The texture was a good balance of smooth and grainy chickpeas, and it was moreish, with a lemony tang. We ate it happily – but you could get other good versions for much less. Taste: 9/10 Value: 6/10 Total: 15/20 How to save money on your supermarket shop THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop. You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they've been reduced. If the food is fresh, you'll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time. Making a list should also save you money, as you'll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket. Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too. This means ditching "finest" or "luxury" products and instead going for "own" or value" type of lines. Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they're misshapen or imperfect. For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50. If you're on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too. Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Twelve Great Wine Values For $25 Or Less
Garzón Reserva Albariño from Uruguay—a fantastic deal Garzon A delicious wine is always a thing of beauty but it's even more delightful when it is also a great value. These wines get high marks for delivering amazing taste as well as value—all of them are priced $25 or less (save for two reds that come it at $27), and the list features some delightful lesser-known varietals such as Fiano and Nero d'Avola that deserve a spot on your wine rack. An $18 pinot noir, a treasure from Sardinia and a big bold cabernet from California also make the cut so spare your wallet but continue to drink well with this list: Villa Matilde Fiano di Avellino, 2024, Italy: Elegant, polished and silky with notes of ripe pear and apples, this wine is both floral and fragrant. Made from 100% Fiano, it is sure to be a dreamy crowd-pleaser. This wine is one of many high-value wine options from the Campania region of southern Italy. $19.99 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chenin Blanc, 2024, CA: Chardonnay lovers will adore this $17 alternative. Indeed, Chenin Blanc's moment is long-overdue. With ripe, round notes of honeysuckle, peach and pear, it has a crowd-pleasing juicy palate. Says Randy Ullom, head winemaker for Kendall-Jackson, 'Chenin Blanc has finally made a comeback. It couldn't have come at a better time: as consumers increasingly delve into global cuisine, climate change concerns propel growers to consider broader diversity in their plantings and the 'better-for-you' category underscores lower alcohol wines, Chenin is there to answer the call.'$17 Garzón Reserva Albariño, Uruguay, 2024: Uruguay may not be everyone's first thought for a world-class white wine, but this one will change your mind. A classic Albariño expression with ripe, juicy notes of peach and mango, it has a fine wire of acidity keeps the wine in balance and it finishes with a lingering, lovely texture. $23 J. de Villebois Sancerre Rosé, FR, 2023: A succulent and juicy rose from France's Loire Valley. Made from 100% pinot noir, this classically styled rose delivers notes of strawberry, peach, and a hint of mint. A killer bargain at just $16.99 Lievland Chenin Blanc, South Africa, 2024: This silky South African Chenin Blanc is made from dry-farmed vineyards ranging between 38 and 45 years in age. Aromatic, brimming with tropical fruits, this wine stays juicy and fresh on the palate with its wire of minerality. Rich and ripe body with balanced acidity. $18.99 Stoller Willamette Valley Chardonnay, OR, 2023: Fermented in a mix of stainless steel, concrete, and oak, this wine is a balanced Chardonnay that delivers on tropical flavors with a solid core of juicy freshness. The palate shows notes of peach and lemon cream along with a thread of orange peel and ripe pear. Just delicious and perfect by the pool or with roasted chicken and pasta. $25 Domaine St. Laurent, Pinot Noir, Rogue Valley, OR, 2023: This bright, juicy Pinot Noir hails from Oregon's Rogue Valley in rocky soils that run into the Cascade foothills, where the high-elevation farming (1,500 feet) brings concentration to the fruit. From these challenges, a delicious wine is born—raspberry/cherry notes, warm spice, and a bit of damp earth make it a classy option at a crazy price. $18 Naracu Cannonau di Sardegna DOC, Italy, 2023: Made from 100% cannonau fermented and aged in stainless steel, the final wine is both juicy and fresh. A delicious, almost gulpable wine that will pair wonderfully with burgers or Monday night chili. $17 Surrau Rosso Isola dei Nuraghi IGT, Italy, 2020: Sardinia's first and only DOCG, Surrau's elegant winemaking is bringing long overdue attention to the lesser-known island, Sardinia. Worth noting that this wine comes with five years of aging (it's a 2020) so expect polished fruit along with aromas of black cherry, exotic spices and dried herbs A compelling blend of 60% carignano, 30% cannonau, and 10% muristellu, it was aged nine months in a mixture of large Slavonian oak casks, stainless steel tanks, and cement vats. $27 Textbook Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, CA 2022: A succulent, richly textured Cabernet for less than $50 is a hard thing to find in California, but Paso Robles is a great place to start. This wine from winemaker Abigail Estrada is made from grapes grown in a slightly cooler subzone at high elevation. The ripe black cherry notes give way to polished tannins and a nice structure. It's a bit lower in alcohol as well and has a thread of mineral freshness to keep it interesting on the palate. $27 Yalumba Samuel's Collection Barossa Bush Vine Grenache, Australia, 2022: Fragrant and juicy, this delicious red wine made from 100% Grenache dances with ripe berry flavors on the palate, tempered by soft tannins and lovely structure. $22
Health Line
02-07-2025
- Health
- Health Line
What Does Sperm or Semen Taste Like?
What you eat, drink, or otherwise ingest can all affect the chemical composition and taste of your semen. Salty. Sweet. Bitter. Metallic. Sharp. Sour. You name the flavor, and there's a chance your semen will taste that way one day. Why? Thank all of the chemical compounds. What you consume on a daily basis — from certain foods to other substances — can change the compound composition, which will have a subtle effect on the flavor of your semen. That also means the taste can vary from person to person, so although semen is generally warm and salty, there will be unique differences in flavor. Read on to learn more about what may change the taste of semen and how it does so. How does your diet affect the taste? Diet can affect the smell of sweat, saliva, and other bodily fluids such as breast milk, so it makes sense to assume that diet may also alter the taste of semen. However, not enough research exists to show a strong link between diet and semen flavor. The big offenders that anecdotally give semen a musky, bitter smell and taste include: garlic onions broccoli cabbage leafy greens asparagus meat and dairy products The alleged items that may help make the flavor of semen a little more tolerable include: celery parsley wheatgrass cinnamon nutmeg pineapple papaya oranges More tolerable, however, does not mean your semen will taste sweeter. These foods are thought to cut down on semen's natural alkalinity levels. The pH range of semen is 7.2 to 8.2, which means these foods may contribute to less bitterness to the taste, not an added sweetness. How does alcohol affect the taste? Alcohol can affect your sweat, which in turn can affect your scent and possibly the taste of your semen. Anecdotal evidence suggests that alcohol can create a bitter and sour flavor, but this will largely depend on the type of alcohol you drink. Hard liquor, for example, is said to have a greater impact on flavor than beer or wine. Generally speaking, heavy alcohol consumption can have a negative effect on your sperm motility, quality, and quantity. But less is known about how it may affect its taste and smell. How can tobacco and other substances affect taste? Tobacco, coffee, and other drugs are thought to contribute to smelly sweat. As such, they may also affect your semen. Consuming any of these can reportedly cause the flavor to become more bitter, pungent, or sour. Tobacco and other substances may also affect your sperm motility, count, and quality. How can your hygiene affect taste? Hygiene is the real key when it comes to semen taste. If you don't practice proper hygiene, it's not going to be great down there, regardless of what you eat, drink, or otherwise ingest. You should make sure to thouroughly clean the area around your penis and testicles. Inadequate hygiene has the potential to make your semen — and everything else — less palatable. To keep your private parts clean: Invest in a gentle, nourishing soap that you can use to clean your groin every day. Apply moisture-absorbing body powders or creams around the area to soak up any sweat to help prevent odors. Keep your pubic hair trimmed or remove all hair if that's your preference. Eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise are also thought to help enhance your semen's smell and taste, though the effects may only be short-term.
The Guardian
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Some people can wear white clothes. I am very much not one of them
I have a friend who curates her wardrobe pretty carefully – there's nothing in it she doesn't wear – and consequently she gives, sells or lends me a lot of things, and her taste is nonpareil so I never say no. Maybe one item in 10 is white, which unleashes dismay: she has to watch while I stain a pair of cream jeans she has kept pristine for five years, as fast as you can say, 'Ooh, what's this delicious salad dressing?' Once, I splashed mud all the way up the back of a skirt she'd given me while she was cycling behind me, saying, 'We've really got to get you some mudguards if you want to wear white.' Once, I got Tabasco sauce on her white bra, which was fine because who would see it? And yet, not fine, because how do you get sauce on your bra? Once, I spilled espresso down a white shirt, and that ain't never coming out – but it actually wasn't hers, it was her mother's, so I'd trashed three decades of spotlessness in a moment. Once, I was wearing another of her white shirts, and my sister said: 'Where did you get that? It looks expensive.' I said: 'Yes, I think it was expensive originally, but the resale price was more than fair.' And she said: 'You're going to get something on it – why not spare yourself the misery and give it straight to me?' Once, I only remembered that you don't wear white jeans to a festival when I was already at the festival. And many more times than once, I've leaked vape juice into my pocket; theoretically it's colourless but in reality it's a category A stain event. My friend just has to watch this unfold, knowing that some people are simply not built to wear white, powerless to come between me and mishap. I wish I could find some low-key way to apologise. Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
The Guardian
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
What was proposed as a basic taste by a chemist in 1908? The Saturday quiz
1 What was proposed as a basic taste by chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908?2 At the centre of the Milky Way, what is Sagittarius A*?3 Which Booker prize-winning novel has no named characters?4 Miniminter, KSI and Zerkaa are members of which collective?5 The helots were people subjugated by which city-state?6 Which official censored British theatre until 1968?7 Which sculpture stands by the A1 in Gateshead?8 San Miguel beer and Tanduay, the world's bestselling rum, come from where?What links:9 Laputa; Nublar; Saint Marie; Skull; Sodor; Utopia?10 Castellaneta; Kavner; Cartwright; Smith?11 Frederick of Utrecht, 838; Thomas Becket, 1170; Óscar Romero, 1980?12 Chairman of ways and means; first deputy; second deputy?13 Dubris; Londinium; Verulamium; Venonis; Viroconium?14 Euphoria and Tattoo; What's Another Year and Hold Me Now?15 1858 medical textbook; Shonda Rhimes and Ellen Pompeo? 1 Umami.2 (Supermassive) black hole.3 Milkman (Anna Burns).4 The Sidemen (YouTube personalities).5 Sparta.6 Lord Chamberlain.7 Angel of the North.8 The Philippines.9 Fictional islands: Gulliver's Travels; Jurassic Park; Death in Paradise; King Kong; Thomas the Tank Engine; Thomas More book.10 Voices of The Simpsons: Homer; Marge; Bart; Lisa.11 Archbishops/bishops murdered in their cathedrals (and later canonised): the Netherlands; Canterbury; El Salvador.12 Deputy speakers of the Commons: Nusrat Ghani, Judith Cummins, and Caroline Nokes.13 Roman settlements linked by Watling Street: Dover; London; St Albans; High Cross; Wroxeter.14 Songs by double Eurovision winners: Loreen and Johnny Logan.15 Grey's Anatomy: Gray's Anatomy book; created TV series and played title character.
