Taste buds are little telltales that send signals to the brain, telling it “sweet,” “salty,” “sour.” But what if we could manipulate these signals? A group of scientists have created (I'll link the study here, also contains videos) a electronic lollipop which does exactly that: it tricks our brain into believing it is tasting flavors that don't physically exist.
It's basically the Matrix: only instead of Neo learning kung fu, we're tasting a virtual mandarin or who knows what. Technology is literally entering our mouths. Say “aaaah”.
Electronic lollipop, the taste of the future
The digitization of taste is nothing new. Remember when, in the 90s, Chupa Chups were the only way to carry a universe of flavors in your pocket? Well, technology has made great strides. After decades of trying to create taste interfaces more or less bizarre, more or less effective, maybe we have finally arrived at something concrete.
The real problem, in the end, is not trying to reproduce flavors: we already do it very well (but you can also read “chemically”) for many of the “everyday” ones. Yes. The real problem, more than anything, has always been the fact of creating a practical and portable device that reproduces flavors.
How to miniaturize such a complex system? The solution came thanks to an innovative arrangement of components on ultra-thin circuits. Really brilliant. Now I'll tell you better.
A miniature universe of flavours
The “virtual” lollipop houses nine tiny ducts filled with Flavored Hydrogels. Don't think of the usual artificial flavors you find in supermarket sweets. Here we talk about carefully selected flavors: from the classic sweet-salty to the controversial durian1, passing through green tea and passion fruit.
All this in surprisingly compact dimensions: 8×3×1 centimeters for only 15 grams. Practically like a normal lollipop, but with digital superpowers.
The Magic of Taste Electronics
The way it works is fascinating and simple: an electric current passes through the chosen gel, releasing flavor molecules onto the surface. When the tongue touches the device, the brain receives familiar signals. Period?
No, there's more: seven specific aromas also stimulate the sense of smell, making the experience incredibly realistic. The only flaw? For now each "refill" only lasts an hour, then the gels run out. But, hey, even normal lollipops run out, right?
“Virtual” Lollipop, Real Flavors: From Fun to Science
The applications are amazing. I am particularly excited about the idea of standardized taste tests. Think about how useful it would be for physicians to have an objective tool to assess taste disorders.
It is Virtual shopping? No more surprises with foods you’ve never tasted before. You touch a product in the metaverse and poof! You can taste it instantly. The potential is huge. Virtual tastings of wines, cooking lessons where you actually taste what you are learning to prepare, interactive menus where you can pre-taste each dish: the technology of the future will transform the way we interact with flavors.
With this lollipop the future, to close with one of my classic “daddy jokes”, has a decidedly interesting flavour.
- Il durian is a large, spiny fruit from Southeast Asia, known for its odor so strong that it is banned from public transport. Its creamy pulp has a unique flavor that combines sweet and salty, reminiscent of a blend of ripe banana, caramelized onion and almond cream. If if you try it, let me know. ↩︎
