Reddit reviews Phenylthiourea (PTC) Paper Strips - Genetic Taste Testing (Vial of 100) - 30µg Per Strip
We found 12 Reddit comments about Phenylthiourea (PTC) Paper Strips - Genetic Taste Testing (Vial of 100) - 30µg Per Strip. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
PTC chemical paperVial of 100 stripsFor use in genetics taste testing
PTC taste test strips. One like this: http://www.amazon.com/PTC-TASTE-PAPER-VIAL-STRIPS/dp/B001D7FF5E
It's not a genome test, it's a PTC test. A quick google search gave me this Though that's a way larger quantity than you'd want. You might be able to get one from free from any highschool biology department I think they're pretty popular in labs.
The substance used for these test strips is indeed Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), which is the substance mentioned in the article as being similar to the bitter compound in Brussels sprouts.
Bitter Test Strips:
http://www.amazon.com/PTC-TASTE-PAPER-VIAL-STRIPS/dp/B001D7FF5E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341172595&sr=8-1&keywords=bitter+test+strips
https://www.amazon.com/Nasco-PTC-Paper-Strips-Vial/dp/B001D7FF5E
Buy this. If you put it in your mouth and it tastes bitter straight away your a "super taster"
Just order some test strips from Amazon. If it tastes really bitter, you're probably a supertaster.
Different people's taste buds sense bitterness differently. People who like IPAs are much less sensitive to bitterness and therefore it doesn't overwhelm the other flavors that come from the hops. You can even get these to test your bitter sensitivity: http://www.amazon.com/PTC-TASTE-PAPER-VIAL-STRIPS/dp/B001D7FF5E. Kind of a fun party trick.
http://www.amazon.com/PTC-TASTE-PAPER-VIAL-STRIPS/dp/B001D7FF5E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301242237&sr=8-1
Also: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001D7FF5E
You can use PTC test strips to see if you're a supertaster.
I found these on amazon. It's not the kit we used but the same strips.
Do you like the taste of:
...Because you might be a supertaster.
There are test strips (called PTC paper) that can be placed on your tongue to determine whether you're a supertaster. To some people, the strips have no taste no matter how long they leave them on their tongues. Those people have fewer taste buds and are not supertasters. To other people, the strips are bitter or extremely bitter and repulsive. Those people are near supertasters and supertasters.
It's also possible to determine if one is a supertaster by putting blue food-coloring on your tongue and looking closely to count the taste buds per a given area.
Here are some websites that explain (PDF) how to do that.
And here is a chart from a Wall Street Journal article called "People Who Taste Too Much" that shows how supertasters taste some foods differently than others. The full article is behind a paywall.
Certain ethnicities are more likely to be supertasters, such as Asian ones. Being a supertaster is genetic, so it's likely that one of your parents or grandparents is a supertaster if you are.
Of the foods I listed above, all would taste bitter to a supertaster, but a stout beer would taste better than an ale beer because ale beers are more bitter.
Being a supertaster is often confused with just being a picky eater (with no reason). Being a supertaster does not rule out a psychological component to food preference, it can show a very clear reason for many of your food choices.
OP, I wonder if you've ever been tested for being a supertaster. A small percentage of humans are born with denser quantities of tastebuds on their tongue, and as a result are a lot more sensitive to taste (especially bitter tastes) than the rest of us. You can test yourself by buying these strips. They only cost $6. And if you put them on your tongue and they immediately taste bitter and disgusting - congrats, you're a super taster!
Super tasters are more likely to be extremely picky eaters and seek out bland tasting foods. They usually are extremely anti-vegetables and anti-spicy foods. They also have aversions to things like red wine and scotch because they taste highly astringent to them. Versus me, who is actually a 'non-taster' (someone with very few taste buds that cannot taste the bitter chemical on those strips) who drinks my weight in scotch and seeks out the spiciest stuff imaginable just to get a taste of something. :)
Anyhow, onto Japanese food recommendations. I think the other posters have done a good job recommending tempura and teppenyaki.
I would also recommend shabu shabu to you. It's just nice beef cooked in a broth. Yakitori is another great thing to try: just meat on skewers. And Yakiniku is beef that you cook on your own barbecue. You can usually get wagyu and it's a fun thing to try.
One last one to consider that might be a stretch for you is okonomiyaki. It's essentially a Japanese pancake with an egg-base that may have some meat in it. You can probably request it without the sauce. The only trouble is that they often have cabbage in them, so you'd have to decide whether you were up to that or not. :)
Other than that, you'll have access everywhere to Starbucks, KFC, and convenience stores - so you're not going to starve. Go to some of the fancy department stores and wander their basements. Many of them have vast food markets in the basements with every type of food and confection imaginable. You can try lots of small things and just toss them if you don't like them. :)