Overview of Bubble Gum and Cyanide
In this episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan, Conan and Taylor Tomlinson chat with Jeremy, a Boston native now living in San Francisco who works as a flavor scientist. The conversation is part science lesson, part comedy bit, and part deep dive into how foods and beverages are engineered to taste the way they do. Jeremy explains his path from a Ph.D. in physical chemistry to flavor work, including sensory testing, aroma analysis, and product development for items like Impossible Nuggets.
Key Topics Discussed
What a flavor scientist does
Jeremy breaks down flavor science as the study of how molecules create sensory experiences in food and fragrance. He explains that his work involves:
- Using analytical equipment to identify flavor compounds
- Smelling individual molecules as they come out of instruments
- Matching chemical data with sensory descriptions like “buttery,” “grassy,” or “chocolatey”
- Helping refine products so they taste more appealing to consumers
How sensory testing works
The group talks through the realities of tasting for a living, including:
- Taster fatigue: limiting tasting sessions so the palate doesn’t get overwhelmed
- Using palate cleansers like water, crackers, apple slices, or even the back of your hand for smelling
- Training panelists to recognize and compare flavors against a control sample
Impossible Nuggets and plant-based flavor development
Jeremy says he helped work on the flavor systems for Impossible Nuggets, focusing on making the chicken-like taste more convincing and broadly acceptable. He explains that plant-based meat flavor is built from:
- Soy protein
- Yeast extracts
- Glutamates and savory/umami components
The goal is not to copy chicken perfectly at a molecular level, but to recreate the overall “vibe” of chicken flavor.
Unpleasant flavors and “scatole”
The conversation veers into a joking but still science-based discussion of skatole/scatole, a compound associated with fecal odor. Jeremy explains that:
- Some compounds smell extremely unpleasant at certain levels
- Not every detected compound is odor-active in the final product
- Trace amounts matter, but only when they cross certain thresholds
This becomes one of the episode’s funniest running bits.
Flavor preferences and snack ideas
Conan shares that he dislikes vinegar chips but loves sweet barbecue flavors, especially with honey. He also says he’d like to try eel-flavored chips. Jeremy says that kind of flavor experimentation is absolutely possible and even suggests an unagi-style profile could work.
Notable Moments
Jeremy’s job fascinates the hosts
Conan and Taylor are both genuinely amazed by how scientific and creative flavor work is, especially the idea that someone’s job is essentially to sniff and optimize food.
Comedy around poison and “bubble gum cyanide”
The episode title comes from a joke where Conan asks whether Jeremy could make cyanide taste like bubble gum. Jeremy plays along, saying flavor manipulation could theoretically do that, which escalates the bit in classic Conan fashion.
A surprisingly useful science lesson
Beneath the jokes, Jeremy gives a clear explanation of:
- How flavor is measured
- Why food doesn’t have to taste exactly like the original thing to be convincing
- How consumer testing shapes what ends up on shelves
Main Takeaways
- Flavor science is highly technical but also very creative.
- Taste and smell can be analyzed at extremely small concentrations.
- Consumer perception matters as much as chemical accuracy in product development.
- Plant-based foods like Impossible Nuggets rely on careful balancing of savory compounds to mimic familiar flavors.
- The episode blends educational science with Conan’s signature absurd humor.
Overall Impression
This is a light, funny, and unexpectedly informative interview that makes food science feel both accessible and weirdly glamorous. Jeremy comes across as smart, enthusiastic, and genuinely passionate about making food more enjoyable, while Conan and Taylor keep the conversation playful with jokes about snacks, smell tests, and fictional poison applications.