Aloe means bitter

The name ‘aloe’ comes from the Greek αλοή (aloí), which in turn probably comes from the Hebrew ‘allal’ or the Arabic word ‘alloeh’, both of which mean bitter. Aloe verans Aloe thus means bitter and tfunnily enough, the plant was once named for the strongly bitter taste of parts of the aloe leaf.

Sometimes you can see products on store shelves that are “flavored” with Aloe vera. The people behind these products have probably never tasted aloe vera themselves, but perhaps one of the many sweet and flavored drinks available with a little aloe in them.

It’s true that they say “taste like cake”, but most people who have come into contact with the contents of Aloe vera know that it doesn’t smell or taste very good.

It is the yellow ‘aloe latex’ in the outer part of the leaf that contains bitter substances and its smell can even cause nausea. When aloe vera is used in various foods, it has been ensured that this part of the leaf is not included.

But even though aloe loses its bitter taste, not many people would say that it smells or tastes particularly good. The scent is often described as “organic”, i.e. it smells very planty.

Contact us for questions about aloe vera – Maybe you have questions about how the choice of aloe vera raw material affects the taste or smell of the finished product.