Is purchasing of vegetable dishes affected by organic or local labels? Empirical evidence from a university canteen.

Previous studies have shown that the use of labels such as "organic" or "local" may improve the perceived healthiness, attractiveness and taste evaluation of healthy food products and increase their likelihood of being purchased. The aim of this work was to examine whether labeling vegetable items could promote consumption of at least one vegetable dish among students in a university canteen. We analyzed the purchasing of vegetable dishes among 458 students during an eight-week intervention in a university canteen, where vegetable items alternatively received neutral, organic and local labels. We implemented a multilevel Bayesian analysis to incorporate prior knowledge extracted from data preceding the experiment and to account for potential confounders related to the design of the experiment. Our results suggest that the labels "organic," "local" "organic & local" were not strongly associated with ordering at least one vegetable plate. Additional studies are warranted to further investigate the potential impact of vegetable plate labeling on customers' purchasing choices.

Correlation between olfactory function, age, sex, and cognitive reserve index in the Italian population.

PURPOSE: Loss of smell decreases the quality of life and contributes to the failure in recognizing hazardous substances. Given the relevance of olfaction in daily life, it is important to recognize an undiagnosed olfactory dysfunction to prevent these possible complications. Up to now, the prevalence of smell disorders in Italy is unknown due to a lack of epidemiological studies. Hence, the primary aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in a sample of Italian adults. METHODS: Six hundred and thirty-three participants (347 woman and 286 men; mean age 44.9 years, SD 17.3, age range 18-86) were recruited from 10 distinct Italian regions. Participants were recruited using a convenience sapling and were divided into six different age groups: 18-29 years (N = 157), 30-39 years (N = 129), 40-49 years (N = 99), 50-59 years (N = 106), > 60 years (N = 142). Olfactory function, cognitive abilities, cognitive reserve, and depression were assessed, respectively, with: Sniffin' Sticks 16-item Odor Identification Test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Cognitive Reserve Index, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Additionally, socio-demographic data, medical history, and health-related lifestyle information were collected. RESULTS: About 27% of participants showed an odor identification score < 12 indicating hyposmia. Multiple regression analysis revealed that OI was significantly correlated with age, sex, and cognitive reserve index, and young women with high cognitive reserve index showing the highest olfactory scores. CONCLUSION: This study provides data on the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in different Italian regions.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the perception of home meals and meal-related variables: A large-scale study within the Italian population during the acute phase of the pandemic.

Italy was the first European country struck by the COVID-19 epidemic and experienced a national lockdown. This study explored the effect of lockdown on the perception of any meals prepared and/or conducted at home (home meals) and investigated which variables played a role in this. A group of Italians (n = 3,060) not suspected/diagnosed as having COVID-19 (18-91 years old; 33% males) completed an online survey during the first lockdown (April 2020). Liking for home meals either increased (51% of the population) or did not vary (43%), while it decreased for only 6% of respondents. Total meal intake similarly either increased (51%) or remained unchanged (33%). Core variables describing meal perception (Liking for meal, Pleasure in meal preparation, Meal duration, Meal Time, Overall food intake, Snack intake) were positively associated with each other. Two clusters with different perceptions of home meals were found, characterised by an increased appreciation (Cl1, 61%) and an unchanged appreciation (Cl2, 39%), respectively. In the acute phase of lockdown, increased meal pleasure was associated with home togetherness (not living alone), cooking with others more often, having high cooking dynamism (use of different kitchen tools, engaging in online food-related activities like using online recipe/website for cooking, use of ready-to-eat meal delivery), and being young, a student or a worker (Cl1). Conversely, Cl2 showed an unchanged meal pleasure, and it was mostly associated with living alone (before and during lockdown), being elderly, retired, widowed, having a low degree of cooking-related activities and dedicating a small weekly budget to food. Variables strictly describing the meal were discussed. Lockdown did not homogenously affect the population in terms of meal pleasure, and high enjoyment of meals was related to high meal involvement. Younger subjects seemed to be more resilient and appreciated meals more due to high cooking dynamism, food-related activities and togetherness. Public health policies could consider these outputs to set up interventions that use meal-dedication activities to increase meal pleasure in vulnerable targets or in subjects experiencing poorly appreciated diets in similar future stressful situations.

A three-year longitudinal study on the use of pre-ordering in a university canteen.

Meal pre-planning is considered a cost-effective behavioral strategy that can improve eating habits, reduce food waste and benefit food operators. This work aimed to offer new insights on the use of meal pre-ordering systems, in particular with regard to younger generations' booking habits and their evolution over time. Our data included observations from 946 students who visited a university canteen over the course of three years. We tried to address questions that were not previously explored in a real setting, namely we analyzed how widespread the use of pre-ordering can be, how much in advance and for how many days users plan their meals, whether there exists a compensation effect for those who order in advance and if increased familiarity with this booking system influences its adoption over time. We found that the adoption of pre-ordering was highest among graduate female students (odds ratio 1.67, p <0.001), who also planned their lunches further in advance and for more consecutive days compared to their peers. Our data also suggested that pre-ordering may increase the amount of uncollected orders, a potential source of collateral waste previously not identified in the literature. Although the generalizability of our findings is limited by the unique characteristics of the setting, the results obtained provide novel cues upon which future literature may build.

Reduction of phytic acid, aflatoxins and other mycotoxins in wheat during germination.

BACKGROUND: Wheat grains are susceptible to infection by various toxigenic fungal species that produce toxic metabolites called mycotoxins. This makes wheat one of the most important daily dietary sources of mycotoxins for consumers. As germination is popularly used to improve the nutritional quality of grains, the present study was carried out to understand its effect on the toxin content of wheat seeds. For this purpose, wheat grains were spiked with ochratoxin A (OTA; 5 µg kg-1 ), aflatoxins B2 and G2 (5 µg kg-1 ), zearalenone (ZEA; 20 µg kg-1 ), aflatoxins B1 and G1 (20 µg kg-1 ) and deoxynivalenol (DON; 50 µg kg-1 ) in separate experiments. Thereafter, the grains were germinated and analyzed for toxin content during 14 days of germination using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. RESULTS: ZEA content did not change significantly until 14 days. The maximum reductions of DON, OTA and aflatoxins at days 10-14 of germination were 39, 38, 41 (B1), 60 (B2), 33 (G1) and 62% (G2) respectively. A 63% reduction of phytic acid at 14 days was observed, according to Fe2+ bioavailability. For all toxins (except ZEA), there were no significant differences in reduction after day 10. CONCLUSION: Germination for 10 days might be sufficient to achieve an appropriate decrease in toxin content. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Individual Variation in PROP Status, Fungiform Papillae Density, and Responsiveness to Taste Stimuli in a Large Population Sample.

Despite considerable research investigating the role of 6-n-propylthiouracil bitterness perception and variation of fungiform papillae density in food perception, this relationship remains controversial as well as the association between the 2 phenotypes. Data from 1119 subjects (38.6% male; 18-60 years) enrolled in the Italian Taste project were analyzed. Responsiveness to the bitterness of 6-n-propylthiouracil was assessed on the general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Fungiform papillae density was determined from manual counting on digital images of the tongue. Solutions of tastes, astringent, and pungent sensations were prepared to be moderate/strong on a general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Four foods had tastants added to produce 4 variations in target sensations from weak to strong (pear juice: citric acid, sourness; chocolate pudding: sucrose, sweetness; bean purée: sodium chloride, saltiness; and tomato juice: capsaicin, pungency). Women gave ratings to 6-n-propylthiouracil and showed fungiform papillae density that was significantly higher than men. Both phenotype markers significantly decreased with age. No significant correlations were found between 6-n-propylthiouracil ratings and fungiform papillae density. Fungiform papillae density variation does not affect perceived intensity of solutions. Responsiveness to 6-n-propylthiouracil positively correlated to perceived intensity of most stimuli in solution. A significant effect of fungiform papillae density on perceived intensity of target sensation in foods was found in a few cases. Responsiveness to 6-n-propylthiouracil positively affected all taste intensities in subjects with low fungiform papillae density whereas there were no significant effects of 6-n-propylthiouracil in those with high fungiform papillae density. These data highlight a complex interplay between 6-n-propylthiouracil status and fungiform papillae density and the need of a critical reconsideration of their role in food perception and acceptability.

Quinoa bitterness: causes and solutions for improving product acceptability.

Awareness of the several agronomic, environmental, and health benefits of quinoa has led to a constant increase in its production and consumption not only in South America, where it is a native crop, but also in Europe and the USA. However, producing wheat or gluten-free based products enriched with quinoa alters some quality characteristics, including sensory acceptance. Several anti-nutritional factors such as saponins are concentrated in the grain pericarp. These bitter and astringent substances may interfere with the digestion and absorption of various nutrients. Developing processes to decrease or modify the bitterness of quinoa can enhance palatability, and thus consumption, of quinoa. In addition to the production of sweet varieties of quinoa, other processes have been proposed. Some of them (i.e. washing, pearling and the combination of the two) have a direct effect on saponins, either by solubilization and/or the mechanical removal of seed layers. Others, such as fermentation or germination, are able to mask the bitterness with aroma compounds and/or sugar formation. This review presents the major sources of the undesirable sensory attributes of quinoa, including bitterness, and various ways of counteracting the negative characteristics of quinoa. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparing Manual Counting to Automated Image Analysis for the Assessment of Fungiform Papillae Density on Human Tongue.

The density of fungiform papillae (FPD) on the human tongue is currently taken as index for responsiveness to oral chemosensory stimuli. Visual analysis of digital tongue picture and manual counting by trained operators represents the most popular technique for FPD assessment. Methodological issues mainly due to operator bias are considered among factors accounting for the uncertainty about the relationships between FPD and responsiveness to chemosensory stimuli. The present study describes a novel automated method to count fungiform papillae (FP) from image analysis of tongue pictures. The method was applied to tongue pictures from 133 subjects. Taking the manual count as reference method, a partial least squares regression model was developed to predict FPD from tongue automated analysis output. FPD from manual and automated count showed the same normal distribution and comparable descriptive statistic values. Consistent subject classifications as low and high FPD were obtained according to the median values from manual and automated count. The same results on the effect of FPD variation on taste perception were obtained both using predicted and counted values. The proposed method overcomes count uncertainties due to researcher bias in manual counting and is suited for large population studies. Additional information is provided such as FP size class distribution which would help for a better understanding of the relationships between FPD variation and taste functions.

Fresh cheese as a vehicle for polyunsaturated fatty acids integration: effect on physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics.

Five different vegetable oils were used in the production of fresh cheese to increase the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly α-linolenic acid (ALA), the most important omega-3 fatty acid of vegetable origin. Physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of functionalized cheeses were evaluated after 1 and 3 days of ripening at 4 °C while the consumer appreciation was evaluated in the final product at 3 days of ripening. After 3 days, the cheeses with Camelina sativa and Echium plantagineum oils added exhibited the highest retention of PUFAs (mostly ALA) compared to those with flaxseed, raspberry and blackcurrant oils. The addition of oil showed little effects on physico-chemical characteristics and also consumers' evaluation highlighted that all of the fresh cheeses were considered acceptable although those with flaxseed and raspberry oils were the most appreciated.

Comparison of reduced sugar high quality chocolates sweetened with stevioside and crude stevia 'green' extract.

BACKGROUND: The demand for zero and reduced-sugar food products containing cocoa is expanding continuously. The present study was designed to evaluate the feasibility of producing high-quality chocolate sweetened with a crude extract of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) prepared by a green microwave-assisted water-steam extraction procedure. Seven approximately isosweet chocolate formulations were developed, mixing cocoa paste, sucrose, commercial stevioside, crude green extract and maltitol in different proportions. All samples were analyzed for the determination of polyphenol and flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, and sensory acceptability. RESULTS: The use of a crude stevia extract allowed low-sugar, high-quality chocolates to be obtained that were also acceptable by consumers and had a significant increased antioxidant activity. Moreover, consumers' segmentation revealed a cluster of consumers showing the same overall liking for the sample with 50% sucrose replaced by the stevia crude extract as that obtained with the commercial stevioside and the control sample (without sucrose replacement). CONCLUSION: The results provide information that can contribute to promoting the development of sweet food products, with advantages in terms of an improved nutritional value (reduced sugar content and increased antioxidant activity) and a reduced impact of the production process on the environment. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of Jellyfish Body Parts and Presentation Form on Consumers Liking, Sensory Perception, Emotions, and Food Pairings.

Although jellyfish represent a food source in Asia, limited attention has been devoted to investigating Western consumers' perception and acceptance. This study explored the role of jellyfish body parts and presentation form in determining consumer perception. A local consumer test with 106 untrained subjects (57.5% female, 18-45 years) was performed in Italy over two days on six samples of jellyfish (Rhopilema esculentum Kishinouye) differing in terms of body parts (umbrella and oral arms) and presentation form (minced, striped, and pieced). For each sample, participants expressed their overall liking and, through three check-all-that-apply tests, described their perceived sensory properties and emotions and potential preferred food pairings. The results showed a significant effect of presentation form on liking (with striped and minced samples liked more than pieced samples), 18 sensory properties, four emotions, and five food pairings. Moreover, different drivers of liking and emotions were observed for three clusters of subjects named "In favour of", "Against", and "Picky towards" eating jellyfish. In conclusion, this study found that at least one segment of consumers could accept jellyfish as novel food. Moreover, the provided results could be useful for developing innovative jellyfish-based products and dishes that meet consumers' expectations.

Understanding consumers attitude towards insects as food: Influence of insect species on liking, emotions, sensory perception and food pairing.

Entomophagy studies mainly focused on insects as a generic category, rarely considering insect species. This study investigated the: i) affective response to specific edible insect species; ii) sensory properties characterizing the tested insects and their role in driving preferences and food paring. A sensory test (85 consumers, 56.5 % female, 19-73 years) was performed on seven dried whole edible insects at the adult (weaver ants, crickets, grasshoppers), larva (bamboo worms, morio worms, sago worms) and pupae stage (silkworms). For each species, consumers expressed their liking and, through three check-all-that-apply tests, described the perceived sensory properties, the perceived emotions, and their potential food pairings. Results showed a significant effect of the species on all variables. Bamboo worms, weaver ants and grasshoppers resulted the most accepted, followed by morio worms, crickets, and silkworms, while the sago worms were the most disliked. Numerous sensory attributes significantly discriminated among insect species and the drivers of liking and sensory attributes associated to the food pairings were identified. However, two clusters with different preferences and drivers of liking were observed. Moreover, a gender effect was found: i) males associated insects with emotions like calm and wild, while females with glad and pleased; ii) males and females would pair different foods with the insect species. In conclusion, this study provided new knowledge useful for researchers and food industry to develop future insect-based foods and dishes able to meet the expectations of different consumers segments.

Fruitful Brewing: Exploring Consumers' and Producers' Attitudes towards Beer Produced with Local Fruit and Agroindustrial By-Products.

This study explored beer consumers' and producers' perceptions of using local fruit and agroindustrial by-products in brewing. An online survey was conducted in Italy with 496 beer consumers and 54 beer producers. The survey assessed sociodemographic information, consumption behavior, and support for brewery neolocalism, along with brewers' perceptions of the sustainability of their breweries. Findings showed high consumers' involvement in sustainable eating and high support for breweries utilizing local resources and operating in a sustainable way. Breweries rated their sustainability practices as moderate, and most of them considered their efforts in using local raw materials and repurposing by-products as "excellent". Both consumers and producers considered beer made with agroindustrial by-products less tasty than those with local fruit (p < 0.05), but no significant difference in willingness to buy was observed (p > 0.05). According to cluster analysis results, the ideal consumer profile for sustainable beers was characterized by a higher proportion of females prioritizing sustainability and local sourcing over sensory quality. Therefore, using local materials or agroindustrial by-products can align brewers' practices with consumers' preferences, enhancing competitiveness and market positioning by fostering a sense of sustainability and locality.

Impact of circular economy information on sensory acceptability, purchase intention and perceived value of upcycled foods by young consumers.

The acceptability of upcycled foods is influenced by individual, context and product-related factors. This study aimed at investigating the impact of circular economy (CE) information on consumers' sensory acceptability, purchase intention and perceived value of upcycled foods, taking into account eating behaviours and personality traits that could be related to the consumers' sustainable consumption habits. To this aim, a group of young subjects (n = 80, 18-35 years old) participated in a two-step study. Firstly, an online questionnaire was administered to participants to gather information about their individual characteristics. Then, participants were divided into two groups, one receiving CE information (CE+) and one not receiving it (CE-), and they were asked to indicate the sensory acceptability, purchase intention and the perceived value of three upcycled foods, such as biscuits with grape pomace flour, beer brewed with leftover bread and a dairy product made from recovered crushed cheese. Questionnaire results showed that high individual responsibility, interest in healthy foods and high awareness of the social impact of their behaviours could be linked to a positive purchase intention for upcycled foods, as opposed to individual disgust sensitivity. No significant effect of CE information (p > 0.05) on sensory acceptability and purchase intention of all three upcycled foods was observed. Moreover, application of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to the sensory data resulted in satisfactory classification of upcycled foods in terms of perceived values, explaining 86.83 % of data variability: the first principal component discriminated samples according to product category whereas the second principal component was able to clearly separate products according to CE information. Findings from this study provided valuable insights into the key individual characteristics that impact sustainable consumption habits, also highlighting the role of communication strategies in shaping consumer perceptions of upcycled foods so as to encourage a more sustainable consumption behaviour.

Firewood as a tool to valorize meat: A sensory and instrumental approach to grilled veal, lamb, and pork meat.

Two firewood species (beech and olive) were used for grilling three meat types (lamb, pork, and veal) to assess their influence on the sensorial properties of meat. A multimethod approach was adopted, including sensory evaluation with consumers and two analytical techniques to characterize the volatile fraction (Solid-Phase Micro-Extraction Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry [SPME-GC/MS] and electronic nose [e-nose]). The sensory session included three pairwise preference tests (one for each type of meat), an overall liking test, a Rate-All-That-Apply test, and a questionnaire on the interest and perceived value of using sustainably certified firewood in food preparation. The firewood species significantly affected the perception of a few crucial attributes. In particular, olive wood increased the roasted meat flavor perception in lamb and veal, while beech wood increased the perceived intensity of a vegetable/herbaceous flavor in veal. No effect of firewood was observed on preference within each pair of meat samples. Lamb was the significantly most liked meat by consumers, followed by pork; veal was the least liked meat type. Positive and negative drivers of preference were discussed. 36 volatile organic compounds were identified from SPME-GC/MS in meats. Congruently with sensory data, the two veal samples showed a greater distance in terms of volatile composition. Relative distances among samples on maps obtained from SPME-GC/MS and the e-nose were similar. This multi-method approach innovatively showed the potential of using firewood as a 'gastronomic' tool to sensorially characterize and valorize cooked meat.

Exploring American and Italian consumer preferences for Californian and Italian red wines.

BACKGROUND: To increase the market share of Californian wines in other countries, wine preferences need to be explored in potential markets. This work studied the preferences of American and Italian consumers for red wines produced in California and Italy, focusing on wines made from the same varieties in each location. Descriptive analysis and consumer preference tests were performed. RESULTS: Americans scored each of the Californian wines significantly higher in preference than the Italian wines. In contrast, the Italian consumer preference scores for many Italian and Californian wines overlapped. By external preference mapping of the American consumer segments, the ideal flavour of one cluster was closest to the Californian Zinfandel, Merlot and Syrah, which had the 'most balanced' flavour profiles. Another cluster of Italians also preferred the Californian wines. In addition, one Italian cluster was driven by a dislike of the leather, band-aid and medicinal aromas of the Italian Merlot and Refosco. CONCLUSION: The results provided information that can contribute to wine marketing research necessary for successfully exporting Californian red wines to Italy and vice versa.

Effect of Biobased Cling Films on Cheese Quality: Color and Aroma Analysis for Sustainable Food Packaging.

Biobased and biodegradable polymeric materials are a sustainable alternative to the conventional plastics used in food packaging. This study investigated the possible effect of biobased cling films derived from renewable and circular and sustainable sources on key cheese sensory parameters (appearance and odor) able to influence consumer acceptance or rejection of a food product over time. For this purpose, a semi-hard cheese was selected as food model and stored for 14 days at 5 °C wrapped with five cling films: two bio-plastic materials from renewable circular and sustainable sources (R-BP1 and R-BP2), one bio-plastic film from a non-renewable source (NR-BP), and two conventional cling films (LDPE and PVC). Three analytical approaches (image analysis, electronic nose, and sensory test) were applied to evaluate the variation and the acceptability in terms of appearance and odor of the cheese. In preserving cheese color, the R-BP1 and RBP2 films were comparable to LDPE film, while NR-BP film was comparable to PVC film. In terms of odor preservation, R-BP2 film was comparable to LDPE and PVC. The consumer test showed that appearance and odor scores were higher for cheeses stored in R-BP1 and R-BP2 films than NR-BP film. Moreover, in terms of odor, R-BP1 film performed better than conventional films. This study shows how biodegradable cling films from renewable circular and sustainable resources could have comparable performance to conventional plastics (LDPE and PVC) used in the food sector.

Effects of different woods in barbecuing: Consumers' sensory perception and liking of grilled chicken meat.

The sensory effects of grilling wood on consumers' response are poorly understood, despite their potentiality in diversifying dishes. This study investigated both the effects of six materials (beech tree wood, Turkey oak wood, Sangiovese grapevine wood, olive wood, strawberry tree wood, charcoal briquettes) used to grill chicken breast meat on liking and sensory perception and consumers' interest in using wood for grilling. A consumer test was conducted (n = 99 subjects, 45% males, aged from 18 to 65 years), applying a Rate-All-That-Apply test, a liking test, and a questionnaire exploring the interest, the perceived value and the sustainability of wood as part of the food processing. The type of wood clearly affected the consumers' sensory perception and acceptability of meat. Strawberry tree wood was the most connoted and divisive sample. Turkey oak, olive tree and Sangiovese grapevine woods were associated to milder sensory profile. Two clusters were found (respectively with 54% participants in Cl1 and 46% in Cl2), with opposite preferences: while Cl2 preferred meat grilled with the most connotating wood (Strawberry tree wood) characterized by bitterness while Cl1 on the opposite preferred meat grilled with the milder woods. Consumers showed a high interest for grilling material, wood origin and wood botanical species, independently from the cluster. Strawberry tree wood was the material that most strongly connotated grilled meat and thus the most divisive one in terms of liking. Different varieties of wood and certified sustainable wood can valorize the grilling process in food services.

Combining Blue Light and Yellow Curcumin to Obtain a "Green" Tool for Berry Preservation against Bacterial Contamination: A Preliminary Investigation.

Background: According to recent studies, tens of millions of tons of fruit are wasted each year in Europe in primary production and home/service consumption. Among fruits, berries are most critical because they have a shorter shelf life and a softer, more delicate, and often edible skin. Curcumin is a natural polyphenolic compound extracted from the spice turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) which exhibits antioxidant, photophysical, and antimicrobial properties that can be further enhanced by photodynamic inactivation of pathogens when irradiated with blue or ultraviolet light. Materials and methods: Multiple experiments were performed in which berry samples were sprayed with a complex of ß-cyclodextrin containing 0.5 or 1 mg/mL of curcumin. Photodynamic inactivation was induced by irradiation with blue LED light. Antimicrobial effectiveness was assessed with microbiological assays. The expected effects of oxidation, curcumin solution deterioration, and alteration of the volatile compounds were investigated as well. Results: The treatment with photoactivated curcumin solutions reduced the bacterial load (3.1 vs. 2.5 colony forming units/mL (UFC/ml) in the control and treated groups; p-value = 0.01), without altering the fruit organoleptic and antioxidant properties. Conclusions: The explored method is a promising approach to extend berries' shelf life in an easy and green way. However, further investigations of the preservation and general properties of treated berries are still needed.

Bitter Is Better: Wild Greens Used in the Blue Zone of Ikaria, Greece.

The current study reports an ethnobotanical field investigation of traditionally gathered and consumed wild greens (Chorta) in one of the five so-called Blue Zones in the world: Ikaria Isle, Greece. Through 31 semi-structured interviews, a total of 56 wild green plants were documented along with their culinary uses, linguistic labels, and locally perceived tastes. Most of the gathered greens were described as bitter and associated with members of Asteraceae and Brassicaceae botanical families (31%), while among the top-quoted wild greens, species belonging to these two plant families accounted for 50% of the wild vegetables, which were consumed mostly cooked. Cross-cultural comparison with foraging in other areas of the central-eastern Mediterranean and the Near East demonstrated a remarkable overlapping of Ikarian greens with Cretan and Sicilian, as well as in the prevalence of bitter-tasting botanical genera. Important differences with other wild greens-related food heritage were found, most notably with the Armenian and Kurdish ones, which do not commonly feature many bitter greens. The proven role of extra-oral bitter taste receptors in the modulation of gastric emptying, glucose absorption and crosstalk with microbiota opens new ways of looking at these differences, in particular with regard to possible health implications. The present study is also an important attempt to preserve and document the bio-cultural gastronomic heritage of Chorta as a quintessential part of the Mediterranean diet. The study recommends that nutritionists, food scientists, and historians, as well as policymakers and practitioners, pay the required attention to traditional rural dietary systems as models of sustainable health.