What Does Cum Taste Like? How Healthy Semen Tastes - Cosmopolitan

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• What does healthy semen taste like?
• Can different foods make semen taste better?
• Why might semen smell or taste funky?
• Ways to make semen taste better

Ask a room full of people, ‘What does cum taste like to you?’, and — as well as some funny looks — you’ll likely get a wild range of answers. From, ‘Like accidentally swallowing sea water’ to, ‘Salty and gloopy’, others might be a bit more creative in their responses. Case in point: the people of Reddit have described it as “sweet and sour”, having a “bleach-like or antiseptic quality to it”, and even going so far as to compare it to “soggy McDonald’s fries”. We’ll let you be the judge of that one.

The bottom line? While there’s no one definitive answer, we also ask: are there any rules on what healthy semen should taste like? And, could factors like diet or eating certain foods (we’re all aware of the pineapple ‘myth’, right?) make it better?

Curious? Here’s some expert advice...

What does healthy semen taste like?

Dr Shirin Larkhani, a general practitioner, explains that although semen taste can vary hugely from one person to another, there are certain common tastes that indicate semen is healthy.

“Several fluids combine with sperm to make semen, and each influences the way it tastes,” she says. “The sperm pass through the vas deferens and into the ampulla — where an antioxidant that develops in mushrooms is produced. This may give semen a slightly mushroomy taste.”

“The ampulla also adds fructose, which may create a sweeter taste. When someone ejaculates, more bodily fluids are added from the prostate gland and seminal vesicles, which can again alter the taste and smell. It has a bleach-like smell due to the alkaline content.”

She also says healthy semen is “usually cloudy white or grey fluid which is thicker than water, and almost jelly-like”, but that it can be a little yellowy, too.

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Can different foods make semen taste better?

You’ve probably heard the rumour that pineapple can make someone’s semen taste nicer. So is there any truth in it? “Although there is no conclusive scientific evidence to prove this, it stands to reason that foods with a strong taste or smell will, in turn, affect the taste and smell of semen,” says Larkhani.

“Strong-tasting vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, garlic, and caffeine may make semen taste or smell unpleasant,” she continues. “Whereas pineapple, oranges, and other sweet fruits may make it taste sweeter. This is largely due to how the enzymes in the food break down and affect proteins, thus impacting on the smell and taste. This is highly subjective though; just as our tastes vary with food, it’s logical that our tastes in semen does too.”

General practitioner Dr Diana Gall agrees, explaining that semen can have a bitter taste because it is an alkaline, and that this is why eating acidic foods like pineapple could change the taste. “Although you’d need to consume a lot of these foods to notice a change in the taste,” she adds.

“Being hydrated or dehydrated also has an effect on the taste of your semen, the more hydrated you are, the milder the taste will be. Healthier diets are more likely to produce better tasting semen that's less bitter.”

Why might semen smell or taste funky?

“Our bodies are usually a great judge of smells and tastes that aren’t right. For example, we can smell when meat has gone off or when something is rotten in the fridge,” she explains. “Likewise, if semen smells rotten, foul, or fishy, then something isn’t right. It could be that there is an infection, so it’s a good idea to seek medical advice.”

The above smells could be the sign of an infection or STI, Larkhani explains. It could even be a bacterial infection — and this is more likely if the semen owner is also noticing discharge or itching. If you’re concerned, seek medical advice.

Ways to make semen taste better

‘Eating pineapple makes it taste like warm nothing’

“As a wife who’s done this experiment with my husband, I can confirm this is true. Hubby started drinking about two cups of pineapple juice per day for several weeks and I wasn’t sure I could really taste a difference. We did this for about six months, then he stopped drinking it for several months.

It was during that time that I could definitely taste a huge difference. It had a zing to it, if that makes any sense. So, he went back to drinking the juice and it tastes much better. It still doesn’t taste ‘good’ because, at the end of the day, it’s still cum. However, the juice makes it takes like warm nothing. Like it has no flavour. Much preferred.” [via]

‘Massive improvement when my partner stopped smoking’

“It’s true, it definitely tastes different depending on what the person has eaten. I also did not fully realise how foul it tasted when a person smokes, until my partner stopped smoking a few years back. Massive improvement.” [via]

‘It tastes different if they eat meat’

“My first boyfriend was vegan, and I didn’t mind the taste of his cum at all... it was kind of a shock once I started fucking guys who ate meat. Huge difference.” [via]

‘A vegan makes it taste better’

“Honestly lots of fruits. I (vegan) and my ex (omni) used to taste each other. I could tell his was bitter and mine was better tasting. He even agreed on it.” [via]

‘Avoid milk’

“I do drink a lot of milk, which seems to have a negative effect. When I’m attempting to impress a new person, I cut back on the dairy for a day or two in advance.” [via]

‘I swear by sushi’

“Eating sushi before having sex. I have no scientific prove for this BUT according to my SO, my cum tastes way less bitter than usual after eating sushi. Idk if it is the soy sauce, the rice, or the tuna, it just works for me.” [via]

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Paisley GilmourFormer Sex & Relationships Editor

Paisley is the former Sex and Relationships editor at Cosmopolitan UK. She covers everything from sex toys, how to masturbate and sex positions, to all things LGBTQ. She definitely reveals too much about her personal life on the Internet.