No Apple Fool: Biochemistry and Taste

Getting introductory level college and high school students excited about biochemistry can be a challenge. Biochemistry is such a relevant, real-world field of study; without the chemistry constantly taking place in our bodies, no one would be alive! But how can an instructor help students realize how integral chemistry is to the functioning of their bodies when chemistry still seems like a foreign language to them, one that they don't yet know how to speak? The JCE Classroom Activity, "Apple Fool! An Introduction to Artificial Flavors", has been the perfect hook to get my students interested in learning more about how biochemistry allows their bodies to function and specifically how it allows us to taste. In the Activity, students make mock applesauce using crackers. It's a surprising approximation of real applesauce (especially with a dash of cinnamon). Students wonder how their taste buds are so easily fooled and this leaves them excited to learn more about the chemistry and biochemistry of taste during the rest of the lesson.