Like many dumb internet trends, this one started on social media. A woman named Regan recently took to TikTok to share her amazement over a study she came across from 2013 which claimed that men’s balls have taste receptors. Intrigued by this idea, way too many men have decided to hop on board and put this data to the test.
- To be fair, Regan did encourage this. Given that she’s biologically female, Regan doesn’t have testicles with which to try this herself, so she implored the men of TikTok to give it a try and report back. “Did ya’ll know that if a dude puts his balls in something he can taste it? He can taste it!” she said in the video. “I wish I was kidding. I wish I was. I’m not. If you have t*sticles, please dip your balls in something. It’s for science, and I must know. Thank you.”
- It didn’t take long for men to get on board. Because dudes are always up for doing dumb things, it wasn’t long before the adventurous among them to answer Regan’s call to action. Alx James was one such responder and he chose soy sauce as his dipping condiment. Alx said that he read the study and it claimed that the anus also has taste receptors but he’s not even gonna go there. “I’m gonna let my little boys just try it out. I’m literally feeding my twins,” he says in the video.
- Apparently, it actually works. Not long after the soy sauce hits his balls, Alex proclaims, “Oh my God, I can taste the salt! That’s ridiculous.” Another user named Matthew Lush also claimed he can taste something, though he admits it may all be in his head. “I don’t know if I am just imagining this. I literally I don’t know if I just smell it and I taste it … Wait. What the f**k?” he laughs.
- But does it really? Nah… Not according to Dr. Kirten Parekh, who hit up TikTok to debunk Regan’s original video and later told BuzzFeed News, “Just because you have taste buds in that area doesn’t mean you can physically taste those flavors. Your body might receive it, but you won’t have a perceptive taste of sweet, sour, or whatever flavor.” Uh, duh?
- So why do so many guys swear this works? No, you’re not going to be able to taste soy sauce by putting it on your balls, regardless of what dudes on TikTok say. So how can some men seriously taste the salt in the sauce when they try this? According to Melbourne psychiatrist Dr. Kieran Kennedy, there’s a lot to be said for the power of suggestion. “When you think about it, even if you imagine or anticipate tasting something salty (like chips) or sour (a lemon), then you’ll notice your mouth water and even a potential hint of a taste,” he told Men’s Health. “Add that to the fact that these guys are probably getting a big whiff of soy sauce as they ‘prepare,’ and it likely explains away any reported ‘taste’ experience.”
