Last year, the internet went into meltdown mode.
Tears are officially flowing, and we’re in a total conundrum right now. Here’s why.
As you’re likely aware, there is totally a hierarchy of Skittles, as there is about any other flavoured food product. You probably ranked your Skittles a little bit like this [highest quality to lowest quality]: 1. Red – berry/strawberry, 2. Orange, 3. Green/lime, 4. Yellow/lemon, 5. Purple/blackcurrent.
BUT, what would you do, if we told you, that sugary sweets like gummy bears and Skittles all share the same flavours. That, maybe it’s just our brain telling us flavours are different because of their colours? Well, according to science, this might just be the case.
I REPEAT
THEY ALL TASTE THE SAME!
MUNCHIES, a VICE publication, conducted their own investigation into this matter. Their study involved a blind taste test, which they call the “greatest journalistic issue of our time.” Despite their best efforts to get to the bottom of this, their results came back as inconclusive.
Both their London and New York offices believed the sweets have different flavours, despite that contradicting an NPR article claiming the opposite. That NPR article said “Skittles have different fragrances and different colours – but they all taste exactly the same”.
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When MUNCHIES conducted their study, staffers couldn’t identify lemon, blackcurrant, and strawberry – three out of the five Skittle flavours – which led them to believe there were indeed different flavours. A second theory came to light, believing that the sweets’ coloured coating is flavoured, but their inner, sugary goo is all made of the EXACT. SAME. STUFF.
MUNCHIES staff realised they had to test this. After removing the outer shell through a “nibbling and sucking” method, the writer claims they discovered a residual flavour remains, though significantly reduced.
The Skittles tagline of “Taste The Rainbow” does ring true, and highlights that maybe the flavour really does come from their colours.
Now, we’ll leave it up to you to decide this for yourself!
