Study: Our Sixth Taste is Fat; New Jersey Boasts a Hearty Food Blogging Scene

A new study suggests that humans have a sixth taste in addition to sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami: fat. Those tested were able to identify fatty acids in otherwise plain solutions, and skinny people were able to detect fat better.
[AFP]

The Panel of Takeovers and Mergers in the U.K. is investigating whether Kraft lied when it promised to keep a Cadbury factory open after its takeover of the British confectioner.
[Wall Street Journal]

The last two weekends in March mark Maple Weekend, when the state’s maple tree farmers are expected to welcome some 250,000 visitors at 118 farms.
[NY Daily News]

New Jersey boasts a vibrant food blogging scene, ranging from professional blogs like Table Hopping With Rosie at njmonthly.com to smaller, more experimental blogs.
[NY Times]

When it comes to Chinese food, is authenticity overrated? The author examines recent articles on Chef Peter Chang and our own Robert Sietsema’s Chinese food coverage.
[Slate]

Model-turned-cookbook author Sophie Dahl struggled with weight issues until she started eating like her grandmother, with three freshly prepared meals a day.
[NY Daily News]

Restaurant owners may benefit from social networking platforms like Foursquare, which asks users to “check in” to restaurants they patronize and awards points for frequent visits.
[Nation’s Restaurant News]

Wars on salt and soda be damned: restaurants are using junk food in their dishes, such as pork belly with Pop Rocks at Klee and Tingas de pollo braised in Coca-Cola at Cabrito.
[NY Post]