The level of sweetness of any product is measured in arbitrary units, and sucrose is considered to be the zero point. Interestingly, the list of the sweetest foods in the world consists of the most unexpected representatives.
The sweetest fruit
The first place among the sweetest fruits was occupied by dates. After all, they contain up to 80% sugar. However, they are considered a dietary product and are included in the menu of many diets. And residents of areas where the fruit grows have long been using it as a medicine: it can ease pain during childbirth, remove stones from the kidneys, and is also rich in vitamins and microelements.
The sweetest vegetable
Usually, tomatoes are not considered a sweet food, but some varieties have a pleasant aroma and sweet taste. Analyzes were carried out on different varieties of tomato and found as many as 12 compounds that are responsible for the level of sweetness of a tomato variety. The sweetest was the purple tomato variety and the fleshy orange tomato. These varieties increase potency and are recognized as a powerful antioxidant.
Pumpkin:
Pumpkin is considered one of the leaders in sugar content, including 32% sugar, which is equal to the sugar content in the best grape varieties. The sweetest varieties grow in Asia and are called: nutmeg, candied fruit, marble and Arbat pumpkin. Not only that, pumpkin is rich in vitamins C and B, which are responsible for hair, skin and nails, and keratin helps in muscle formation and fights obesity.
Onion:
Garlic contains 27% sucrose and would be sweeter than sugar if it weren't for the essential oils that give it its pungent taste and smell. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and fights colds, heals wounds and the heart.
In addition to the above fruits and vegetables as sweet as honey, you can still list a lot of different examples. They are not far behind pineapples, apples from Thailand, tamarind, quiche-mish, black carrots, artichokes and persimmons.
The sweetest substance on the planet:
The sweetest food additive was invented in 2010. It is 13,000 times sweeter than sugar and is called neotame. And among natural formations, stevia is recognized as the sweetest. It is a perennial plant that is 300 times sweeter than sugar. It is known that the American Indians sweetened their lives with it many thousands of years ago. And again, stevia was revealed to the whole world by a Swiss scientist in 1903, he examined this bush and determined that its leaves are perfect for a low-calorie sweetener. In addition to its sweetness, this plant is useful in the treatment of psoriasis, angina pectoris, it improves memory and eliminates toxins, while housewives have learned to use it for culinary purposes.
We know several basic tastes: bitter, sour, sweet, spicy. But, how to measure the strength of these tastes and what substances will turn out to be the “most-most” in each category of taste?
If we talk about the strength of taste, then most will remember first of all the Scoville scale, which measures the strength of a spicy taste. The number of points that a pepper receives on this scale depends on many factors - the concentration of capsaicin (the active substance that is responsible for the sensation of burning and spiciness), the intensity of the burning sensations, their duration and where they are felt (mouth, throat, stomach, respiratory tract etc). Each factor is evaluated separately and the sum of all points gives the final result.
But, how can we evaluate the “strength” of taste? There are two methods: organoleptic (tasting method) and high performance liquid chromatography (cool scientific method used by guys in white coats).
The essence of the organleptic method is that a group of professional tasters tries a certain product and evaluates their feelings according to a special protocol. In most cases, the intensity of taste is determined as follows - solutions with different percentages of the taste being tested are prepared and tasters evaluate them as the taste increases or decreases, gradually reaching the threshold of perception, that is, a solution in which they cannot distinguish the taste. And vice versa, from the weakest solution they move towards increasing concentration until the taste becomes so intense that the taster cannot distinguish where it is “stronger”.
Of course, this method has many disadvantages - most of them are just a human factor, different experience, different number of taste buds (for each person, the ratio of the number and types of taste buds on the tongue varies quite a lot), sensory fatigue, mood, etc. But, an indisputable advantage of this method is simplicity and speed.
The liquid chromatography method allows you to obtain accurate data on which substances and in what quantity are present in any liquid, which in turn makes it possible to accurately predict the taste. This method is accurate, but it can only be used in the laboratory, and it is also necessary to know how each specific substance affects the taste.
Therefore, in most cases, the strength of taste is defined as follows - the lower defect of sensitivity is a solution of water and a substance that allows you to distinguish the taste of a substance.
Now, let's move on to the list of the most-most.
The bitterest substance is Denatonium benzoate (Bitrex)
The substance known as Bitterant-b, Bitter+Plus, Bitrex and Aversion was accidentally discovered during the study of local anesthetics in 1958 in Scotland. Later, it was registered under the trademark "Bitrex".
A solution of a substance even at 10 ppm (permissible values for water are from 50 to 500 ppm, ppm is the level of mineralization of water, that is, the amount of substances dissolved in it) is unbearably bitter for human taste. The extreme bitterness of denatonium is used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. It is added to substances hazardous to humans such as solvents, detergents, etc. For example, in the “washer” for a car there is so much denatonium that it can cause a gag reflex.
Also, this substance is used in pharmaceuticals, in the manufacture of medicines and placebos (to mimic the bitterness of a real medicine). And Nintendo adds bitrex to the plastic from which the cartridges for the Nintendo Switch console are made, this is done so that children do not try to eat tiny cartridges.
So it goes.
Video reaction to the bitterness of denatonium:
The most acidic substance is Malic or malonic acids (Malic, malonic acids)
Although technically the most acidic organic acid is oxalic: at a concentration of 12.9 grams per 1 liter, the solution will have a ph level of 1.3. For comparison, citric acid in the same solution will have a level of about 2-3. But, wait, don't google where to order oxalic acid, as consuming it in excess amounts can negatively affect health (calcium leaching, kidney stones - that's all).
Therefore, for safety reasons, the first place in terms of the strength of the sour taste is occupied by malic acid, the ph level of which can vary from 1.9 to 2.2, depending on the purity and quality of the synthesis. Malic acid has been assigned the index E296 in the register of food additives, it acts as a preservative and as a flavoring additive. It is malic acid that is added to pop candies, and any very sour sweets.
Sold in most shops for brewers and wine lovers.
Video with a reaction to a high concentration of malic acid:
Sweetest Taste: Thaumatin
This is a protein that is found in large quantities in the African plant "katamphe". In taste, it is very different from the taste of sugar, but, at the same time, it surpasses the taste of refined sugar by 2000 times in intensity, the taste is not immediately felt, but after a while and then a sweet aftertaste reminiscent of the taste of licorice persists for a long time.
Katamphe fruit, from which thaumatin is added Thaumatin proteins are used as sweeteners and flavor modifiers in the food industry. E957 is thaumatin on the list of nutritional supplements. To roughly imagine what it tastes like, it’s enough to remember the taste or chew chewing gum, since it is in chewing gum that thaumatin is most often used, just so that the sweet taste is felt all the time while chewing gum.
The most pungent taste: Resiniferatoxin and Tiniatoxin.
These two substances are ranked first and second respectively in the Scoville hotness table. For comparison, if capsaicin, which is familiar to us (the substance responsible for the spiciness in chili peppers) on the Scoville scale, has 16,000,000 points, then resiniferatoxin, which occupies the first place, has 16,000,000,000, the power of this toxin is so great that it is capable of kill the receptors responsible for the perception of pain. Tiniatoxin comes in second place and has a score of 5,300,000,000 on the Scoville scale.
Euphorbia Poisson Both of these toxins are found in the African shrub Poisson's Euphorbia. The action of the juice of this shrub is so strong that it is used as a poison. Local tribes smeared arrowheads with the juice of this plant, and in Nigeria (where this plant is widespread), deaths from milkweed poisoning are recorded annually.
Resiniferatoxin and Tiniatoxin are used in pepper sprays and sprays, so if you've ever had pepper spray in your face, you know how powerful these substances are. And also, earlier Poisson's milkweed juice was added to snuff (in scanty amounts) to enhance its effect.
Most often, these substances are used as pesticides to scare animals away from plants.
Conclusions? It is possible to use the most-most substances in drinks and cocktails, but with a fair amount of caution and, of course, with the exception of resiniferatoxin and tiniatoxin. Malic acid is available for purchase at most specialty stores, and the sweetener and bitterest substance in the world can also be purchased from a specialty food supplement company.
But, I see these, like most similar substances, not as ingredients for cocktails, but as a good tool for bartenders in order to train sensory perception.
If you ask any person the question “what is the sweetest substance”, for sure you will get the answer - sugar. Undoubtedly, this is almost the correct answer. It is accepted that food sugar, or in another way, sucrose (99.9% sugar) is the sweetest substance in the world. Sucrose is the benchmark by which the sweet taste of foods is compared. To determine the sweetness of a product, there are special commissions of experts, they taste it, give ratings, which are then averaged. It is clear that the expert must have the highest sensitivity to the presence of sucrose. Sucrose is made up of two monosaccharides, glucose and fructose. Sucrose is found in varying amounts in all fruits and berries, but its content is highest in sugar beet and sugar cane, from which sugar is mainly extracted. Moreover, the content of sucrose increases many times in ripe fruits.
Sucrose molecule
Fructose, glucose, lactose and others ...
Surprisingly, bees feel sucrose a thousand times worse than humans. They do not consider the honey they produce (and it consists of 80% sucrose) to be sweet. But the nectar they feed on contains about 70% fructose, which is about 1.7 times sweeter than sucrose. Glucose is 1.3 times less sweet than sucrose. When it enters the intestines, sugar (sucrose) immediately decomposes into its constituents: glucose and sucrose.
Lactose is one of the most abundant natural sugars in the world. As the name suggests, it is found in milk (about 5%). Lactose is 3 times less sweet than sucrose. Sorbitol (2 times less sweet than sucrose) and xylitol (4 times sweeter) are also used in nutrition. But these sugars contain no calories!
The sweetest substance in the world
As we found out, sucrose is considered the standard of sweetness. But in fact, what is the sweetest substance in the world?
So, if in a sucrose molecule we replace 3 hydroxyl groups with chlorine atoms, then as a result of such a reaction we will get a substance 13,000 times sweeter than food sugar! This substance was obtained in 2010 and received the name neotame. 
Types of sugar
The sweetness of substances and dishes is measured in conventional units - SES. Sucrose was taken as the zero reference point. The list of products that make taste recipes squeak with joy includes completely unexpected ingredients.
The sweetest vegetables and fruits
There is an opinion in the culinary circle: the sweeter the vegetable, the healthier it is. Although this can be argued, one thing is true: the less watery fruits and vegetables, the more saturated with nutrients they are. The leaders of our sugar TOP are so appetizing that they rarely stay on the shelves.The sweetest fruit
Dates are considered record holders in the world of natural desserts. The sugar content of small date palm fruits ranges from 50 to 80%. The healing properties and taste of this fruit were known to the ancient Egyptians and the mysterious Assyrians.This is how the sweetest fruits grow - dates The prophets who settled on the pages of the Bible and the Koran escaped hunger by eating dried fruits. Despite the huge level of SES, dates are low in calories and even become the basis of special diets. They contain a wide range of amino acids, vitamins of groups B and P. The sweetest fruit promotes easy childbirth, relieves kidney stones, but is completely unsuitable for diabetics and people suffering from obesity.
The sweetest tomatoes
Although the sugar content of tomatoes is relatively low (2.6 grams per 100 grams of total weight), they have a rich, sweet taste and pleasant aroma. In search of the perfect golden apple, Professor Harry Klee from the University of Florida analyzed the chemical composition of different varieties of tomatoes. He identified a dozen compounds that determine the intensity of aroma, and 12 more that are responsible for sweetness, discovering the secret of the harmony of taste, color and smell.
Tomatoes of the Chernomor variety are very large and sweet. The sweetest varieties of tomatoes are the Master Garden F1 hybrid, the purple Chernomor and the fleshy Orange Giant. These sugar vegetables are a powerful antioxidant, prevent blood clots and even increase potency.
The sweetest pumpkins
The undisputed leader of sugar accumulation is pumpkin. It contains up to 32% sugar - about the same as the best varieties of wine grapes contain. Orange "pot-bellied" is rich in vitamin C, which is responsible for immunity, and B vitamins, which are necessary for the beauty of hair, nails and skin. Thanks to carnitine, which is rarely found in vegetables, pumpkin promotes the formation of a muscular corset and fights obesity. Although the sweetest varieties grow in Asia, there are worthy specimens in our area. For example, nutmeg, candied, marble and Arbat pumpkins contain more than 12% sugar. Volzhskaya gray 92 will be even tastier, because the sugar level in it exceeds 16%.
Volga gray 92 - the sweetest variety of pumpkin
sugar garlic
It's hard to believe, but fragrant melons and sugar beets are far from garlic in terms of sugar levels. This "odorous friend" contains up to 27% polysaccharides, including glucose, sucrose, inulin and fructose. White cloves would certainly be sweeter than honey, if not for the essential oil, which gives them a sharp taste and a peculiar smell. Garlic, known to our ancestors, is one of the most powerful natural antibiotics. It cures colds, disinfects wounds and strengthens the heart muscle. The healthiest people live in Korea and Italy: they consume up to 12 cloves of garlic per day. "Sugar" vegetable has its own contraindications. It is undesirable to use it for nursing mothers, ulcers and people with diseased kidneys.
Sweet is even garlic Enumeration of sweet, like molasses, fruits and vegetables could be endless. A sugar apple from Thailand, pineapple, persimmon, tamarind, quiche-mish, black carrots and artichokes settled here.
What else is included in the TOP of the sweetest products?
In order to calculate the effect of sugar on the human body, scientists have come up with another concept - the glycemic index. Thanks to it, you can calculate how the body reacts to pure glucose. What food instantly raises blood sugar and is itself sweet?corn syrup
Researchers from the University of California have found that sugary foods can lead to a weakening of nerve connections and a deterioration in brain activity. After stuffing one group of experimental rats with high-fructose corn syrup, they sent them to find a way out of a tangled maze.
Corn syrup is included in the top of the sweetest products. The animals, which have already left the lair of the Minotaur more than once, went crazy around the passages, but could not escape. But their brothers, who did not taste the sugary nectar, easily went outside. Corn syrup is several times sweeter than sugar and much more dangerous. It is one of the reasons for the excessive obesity of Americans: in a year they absorb up to 17 liters of cheap sweetener.
Honey
According to ancient myths, even the Greek gods respected honey, absorbing tons of ambrosia. Yes, and old Russian recipes indicated it as a panacea for all diseases. Although the bee product is very high in calories, it is much healthier and sweeter than sugar. For example, acacia honey contains more than 40% fructose and 36% glucose. It contains enzymes necessary for the body, B vitamins and ascorbic acid. Honey is able to speed up the restoration of damaged tissues, improve digestion, normalize sleep, increase immunity, and even prevent the occurrence of sclerosis. But, like any sweet, it has its own contraindications: it is not suitable for allergy sufferers and diabetics.
Honey is not only sweet, but also a healthy product Is there any product that breaks all records for sugar content?
The sweetest substance in the world
In 2010, NutraSweet invented a new nutritional supplement called neotame, 13,000 times more sugary than sugar. But we are for naturalness, so stevia becomes the leader of our rating of the sweetest products. This perennial plant, used by the American Indians thousands of years ago, is 300 times sweeter than sugar. In 1903, the Swiss Bertoni, having examined a green bush received as a gift, found out that stevia leaves can be used as a natural calorie-free sweetener.
Neotame is the sweetest substance in the world But this miracle of nature hides other useful properties: it is used in cooking, treats psoriasis, angina pectoris, improves memory and removes toxins. Sweets are not only tasty, but also fabulously expensive.
The sweetness of substances and dishes is measured in conventional units - SES. Sucrose was taken as the zero reference point. The list of products that make taste recipes squeak with joy includes completely unexpected ingredients.
The sweetest vegetables and fruits
There is an opinion in the culinary circle: the sweeter the vegetable, the healthier it is. Although this can be argued, one thing is true: the less watery fruits and vegetables, the more saturated with nutrients they are. The leaders of our sugar TOP are so appetizing that they rarely stay on the shelves.The sweetest fruit
Dates are considered record holders in the world of natural desserts. The sugar content of small date palm fruits ranges from 50 to 80%. The healing properties and taste of this fruit were known to the ancient Egyptians and the mysterious Assyrians.The prophets who settled on the pages of the Bible and the Koran escaped hunger by eating dried fruits. Despite the huge level of SES, dates are low in calories and even become the basis of special diets. They contain a wide range of amino acids, vitamins of groups B and P. The sweetest fruit promotes easy childbirth, relieves kidney stones, but is completely unsuitable for diabetics and people suffering from obesity.
The sweetest tomatoes
Although the sugar content of tomatoes is relatively low (2.6 grams per 100 grams of total weight), they have a rich, sweet taste and pleasant aroma. In search of the perfect golden apple, Professor Harry Klee from the University of Florida analyzed the chemical composition of different varieties of tomatoes. He identified a dozen compounds that determine the intensity of aroma, and 12 more that are responsible for sweetness, discovering the secret of the harmony of taste, color and smell. 
The sweetest varieties of tomatoes are the Master Garden F1 hybrid, the purple Chernomor and the fleshy Orange Giant. These sugar vegetables are a powerful antioxidant, prevent blood clots and even increase potency.
The sweetest pumpkins
The undisputed leader of sugar accumulation is pumpkin. It contains up to 32% sugar - about the same as the best varieties of wine grapes contain. Orange "pot-bellied" is rich in vitamin C, which is responsible for immunity, and B vitamins, which are necessary for the beauty of hair, nails and skin. Thanks to carnitine, which is rarely found in vegetables, pumpkin promotes the formation of a muscular corset and fights obesity. Although the sweetest varieties grow in Asia, there are worthy specimens in our area. For example, nutmeg, candied, marble and Arbat pumpkins contain more than 12% sugar. Volzhskaya gray 92 will be even tastier, because the sugar level in it exceeds 16%. 
sugar garlic
It's hard to believe, but fragrant melons and sugar beets are far from garlic in terms of sugar levels. This "odorous friend" contains up to 27% polysaccharides, including glucose, sucrose, inulin and fructose. White cloves would certainly be sweeter than honey, if not for the essential oil, which gives them a sharp taste and a peculiar smell. Garlic, known to our ancestors, is one of the most powerful natural antibiotics. It cures colds, disinfects wounds and strengthens the heart muscle. The healthiest people live in Korea and Italy: they consume up to 12 cloves of garlic per day. "Sugar" vegetable has its own contraindications. It is undesirable to use it for nursing mothers, ulcers and people with diseased kidneys. 
The list of sweet, like molasses, fruits and vegetables could be endless. A sugar apple from Thailand, pineapple, persimmon, tamarind, quiche-mish, black carrots and artichokes settled here.
What else is included in the TOP of the sweetest products?
In order to calculate the effect of sugar on the human body, scientists have come up with another concept - the glycemic index. Thanks to it, you can calculate how the body reacts to pure glucose. What food instantly raises blood sugar and is itself sweet?corn syrup
Researchers from the University of California have found that sugary foods can lead to a weakening of nerve connections and a deterioration in brain activity. After stuffing one group of experimental rats with high-fructose corn syrup, they sent them to find a way out of a tangled maze. 
The animals, which had already left the lair of the Minotaur more than once, darted crazy along the passages, but could not escape. But their brothers, who did not taste the sugary nectar, easily went outside. Corn syrup is several times sweeter than sugar and much more dangerous. It is one of the reasons for the excessive obesity of Americans: in a year they absorb up to 17 liters of cheap sweetener.
Honey
According to ancient myths, even the Greek gods respected honey, absorbing tons of ambrosia. Yes, and old Russian recipes indicated it as a panacea for all diseases. Although the bee product is very high in calories, it is much healthier and sweeter than sugar. For example, acacia honey contains more than 40% fructose and 36% glucose. It contains enzymes necessary for the body, B vitamins and ascorbic acid. Honey is able to speed up the restoration of damaged tissues, improve digestion, normalize sleep, increase immunity, and even prevent the occurrence of sclerosis. But, like any sweet, it has its own contraindications: it is not suitable for allergy sufferers and diabetics. 
Is there really any product that breaks all records for sugar content?
The sweetest substance in the world
In 2010, NutraSweet invented a new nutritional supplement called neotame, 13,000 times more sugary than sugar. But we are for naturalness, so stevia becomes the leader of our rating of the sweetest products. This perennial plant, used by the American Indians thousands of years ago, is 300 times sweeter than sugar. In 1903, the Swiss Bertoni, having examined a green bush received as a gift, found out that stevia leaves can be used as a natural calorie-free sweetener. 
But this miracle of nature hides other useful properties: it is used in cooking, treats psoriasis, angina pectoris, improves memory and removes toxins.
Sweets are not only tasty, but also fabulously expensive. .
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