Life

7 Things That Taste Better When They're Pink

by Chrissa Hardy

Taste is kind of a fickle bitch. So many factors have an unexpectedly strong impact on how our tastebuds react to certain foods and drinks. And then there's age. As we get older, the sugary tart flavors we once loved now seem too intense and too processed to ingest on the reg. Related to that is knowledge. Knowledge is power, and knowing what goes into the foods we eat can definitely affect how much we enjoy the taste. If we know our favorite canned soup is made purely from chemicals and preservatives, wondering the level of damage it's doing to our body will mess with how smoothly the soup goes down.

Since Valentine's Day is a-comin', pink and red foods and drinks are popping up everywhere. Some make sense, and many do not. But then there are some edible items that taste good almost solely because of their color. The color pink, for example, is a weird flavor color because it's not often a natural food color. Pink food has the potential to taste as processed as it probably is, or it could be the only reason that particular food tastes tolerable, maybe even delicious. In honor of Valentine's Day, here are all the foods that really only taste good because they're pink.

1. Lemonade

Is there even a difference between pink lemonade and regular lemonade? For some brands, I would say yes. But for the most part, one is just pink and one is yellowish. But pink lemonade is always more exciting to drink, just because it's pink.

2. Beet dishes

Beets are more purple in color, but whatever dish you make using beets will end up with a pinkish hue. I feel like Elle Woods would be a mega beets fan because it's a vegetable that has the power to make her every outfit match her meals.

3. Starburst

People only eat Starburst for one reason: to locate and inhale the pink ones. They are so much more beloved than the other colors that you almost feel bad for red, yellow, and orange. They just get no love when pink is around.

4. Cough syrup

WHY do they make bubble gum-flavored medicine only for children? Oh, just because I pay my own rent means I must enjoy the taste of vomit-y grape medicinal syrup when I'm trying to suppress my nausea? No, and it makes me angry every single time I get sick.

5. Ginger

Ginger is beige (unless it's young ginger, then it naturally turns pink in the pickling process), but when it's piled high next to a wad of wasabi, it's as pink as your burning, post-wasabi gums. It wouldn't cleanse my palate as easily as it does if presented as a shredded beige pile of mush. It's only refreshing because of the pink artificial coloring.

6. Lip balm

Because pink lip balm flavors include any kind of fruit, pastry, or drink that's typically red or pink IRL. Cherries are red, but most cherry lip balm I've used is pink, so apparently the lip balm world is a lawless flavor pit of chaos.

7. Blended cocktails

Because nothing provides instant relaxation and a cozy buzz more than a pink alcoholic beverage with a silly straw and tiny umbrella.

Image: Fotolia (1, 2); Giphy (6)