Some 18 years ago I reheated a rice dish in the microwave in a non-microwave safe thin plastic container. When I was eating the rice I noticed that it tasted very weird, but mainly very spicy in the back of the mouth (whereas the initial rice dish was not itself spicy). On closer inspection I found that part of the based of the plastic container had melted and burnt and affected the food.
Any ideas on why this might have tasted spicy?

It’s the taste of raw cancer.

Got any tats?

dv said:

Some 18 years ago I reheated a rice dish in the microwave in a non-microwave safe thin plastic container. When I was eating the rice I noticed that it tasted very weird, but mainly very spicy in the back of the mouth (whereas the initial rice dish was not itself spicy). On closer inspection I found that part of the based of the plastic container had melted and burnt and affected the food.
Any ideas on why this might have tasted spicy?

The obvious answer is that chemicals in the plastic stimulated the appropriate taste buds, but not knowing the type of plastic, or what chemicals would be released during melting/scorching, we have no way of actually identifying the chemicals.

you kept eating it even though it tasted weird?

Arts said:

you kept eating it even though it tasted weird?

He was a very hungry puppy.

Bubblecar said:

Arts said:

you kept eating it even though it tasted weird?

He was a very hungry puppy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzYsI0IjhTU

Bubblecar said:

Bubblecar said:

Arts said:

you kept eating it even though it tasted weird?

He was a very hungry puppy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzYsI0IjhTU

heheheh

Arts said:

Bubblecar said:

Bubblecar said:

He was a very hungry puppy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzYsI0IjhTU

heheheh

I stopped eating it when I got to the weird part.

dv said:

Some 18 years ago I reheated a rice dish in the microwave in a non-microwave safe thin plastic container. When I was eating the rice I noticed that it tasted very weird, but mainly very spicy in the back of the mouth (whereas the initial rice dish was not itself spicy). On closer inspection I found that part of the based of the plastic container had melted and burnt and affected the food.
Any ideas on why this might have tasted spicy?

Not off hand, I’ve only ever eaten raw plastic, and never noticed any spiciness (except possibly urethane?). Can you look at the recycling label to see what sort of plastic it was?

Plastic is mostly made from the same elements as food: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, with some chlorine thrown in.

(Checks web).

Spices are made from the same elements, capsaicin has a benzene ring, inline nitrogen and three oxygen atoms. Below are some other spicy chemicals.

14 to 21 carbon atoms. Mostly but not necessarily containing a benzene ring.

The chemical structure of polyurethane is remarkably similar to that of spices. A urethane monomer contains two benzene rings, two inline nitrogens, and 17 carbon atoms. A breakdown of polyurethane with heat could yield spice-flavoured chemicals.

Want to try it out by experiment?

mollwollfumble said:

dv said:

… very spicy … plastic container.
Any ideas on why this might have tasted spicy?

…
The chemical structure of polyurethane is remarkably similar to that of spices. A urethane monomer contains two benzene rings, two inline nitrogens, and 17 carbon atoms. A breakdown of polyurethane with heat could yield spice-flavoured chemicals.

Want to try it out by experiment?

That’s a good idea. I’m thinking of marketing a range of low cost diet foods with negligible calorific value. So far I’ve worked out tentative recipes for diet foods called “cardboard”, “styrofoam” and “sawdust”. I could add “spicy urethane” to that list.

mollwollfumble said:

mollwollfumble said:

dv said:

… very spicy … plastic container.
Any ideas on why this might have tasted spicy?

…
The chemical structure of polyurethane is remarkably similar to that of spices. A urethane monomer contains two benzene rings, two inline nitrogens, and 17 carbon atoms. A breakdown of polyurethane with heat could yield spice-flavoured chemicals.

Want to try it out by experiment?

That’s a good idea. I’m thinking of marketing a range of low cost diet foods with negligible calorific value. So far I’ve worked out tentative recipes for diet foods called “cardboard”, “styrofoam” and “sawdust”. I could add “spicy urethane” to that list.

Aren’t Kellogs Cornflakes on that list?

mollwollfumble said:

dv said:

Some 18 years ago I reheated a rice dish in the microwave in a non-microwave safe thin plastic container. When I was eating the rice I noticed that it tasted very weird, but mainly very spicy in the back of the mouth (whereas the initial rice dish was not itself spicy). On closer inspection I found that part of the based of the plastic container had melted and burnt and affected the food.
Any ideas on why this might have tasted spicy?

Not off hand, I’ve only ever eaten raw plastic, and never noticed any spiciness (except possibly urethane?). Can you look at the recycling label to see what sort of plastic it was?

Sadly, I discarded it some 18 years ago.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

That’s a good idea. I’m thinking of marketing a range of low cost diet foods with negligible calorific value. So far I’ve worked out tentative recipes for diet foods called “cardboard”, “styrofoam” and “sawdust”. I could add “spicy urethane” to that list.

Aren’t Kelloggs Cornflakes on that list?

That’s what gave me the original idea for the “cardboard” recipe. I could probably make it taste better. I’m still half-inclined to buy some urethane foam and give it a taste. PETE/PET has a monomer structure that is also not too greatly different, but my experiences with PETE are that it’s tasteless straight and resistant to heat degradation. Also, I think urethane was mkore widely used than PETE back 18 years ago.

dv, you may be interested in this. I saw this web page about a year ago but had forgotten about it. Much of taste is smell, and so this may help you to identify the type of plastic from its smell. Beware of euphemisms, though, at least one plastic claimed to smell of “formaldehyde” actually smells of fresh urine.

http://www.boedeker.com/burntest.htm

cheers