Bananas and wine.

What's common about the two of them?

You know, when you eat bananas then there is this taste in your mouth? Apparently this taste can also be found in certain wines.

The chinese call the taste 'siap-siap'. For a long time I have always assumed that there is no equivalent term in english but lo and behold. There is such a term!!

A quick google search on wine appreciation is all it takes to find out. The word to describe that taste is 'astringent'.

Main Entry: ¹as·trin·gent
Pronunciation: &-'strin-j&nt
Function: adjective
: having the property of drawing together the soft organic tissues <astringent cosmetic lotions>: a : tending to shrink mucous membranes or raw or exposed tissues : checking discharge (as of serum or mucus) : STYPTIC b : tending to pucker the tissues of the mouth <astringent fruits and wines> —as·trin·gen·cy /-j&n-sE/ noun plural -cies

So next time you wanna describe the taste of bananas, instead of saying 'that banana very siap-siap' you act sophisticated and say 'that M. acuminata taste astringent.' ^^

Btw, any malays willing to tell me what astringent means in malay?

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