Tart vs. Sour — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 26, 2023
Tart is sharp, tangy taste, often pleasantly so. Sour is a taste resembling that of an acid or something spoiled.
Difference Between Tart and Sour
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Tart and Sour are terms used to describe certain taste sensations. While Tart often refers to a sharp, but pleasantly tangy flavor, Sour is associated with a stronger acidic taste that might not always be pleasant.
Many fruits, like cherries or certain apples, can be described as Tart, indicating they have a pronounced flavor without the overbearing acidity. On the other hand, a lemon or vinegar possesses a Sour taste, denoting a stronger, more intense acidic flavor.
Though Tart and Sour can sometimes be used interchangeably, there is a subtle difference in their intensity. Tart can be considered milder, often implying a balanced mix of sweet and tangy, while Sour leans more towards a pure acidic sensation.
Comparison Chart
Ntensity
Milder
Stronger
Desirability
Often pleasant
Can be unpleasant
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Usage
More common in desserts
Often in fermented foods
Associated Foods
Pastries, some fruits
Lemons, pickles, sour cream
Taste Profile
Balanced mix of sweet and tangy
Purely acidic
Compare with Definitions
Tart
A flavor profile in certain wines or gourmet foods.
The wine had a Tart finish that complemented the meal.
Sour
A descriptor for fermented products.
Sour cream adds richness to many dishes.
Tart
A pastry filled with fruit or custard.
She ordered a strawberry Tart for dessert.
Sour
Feeling or showing resentment.
He had a Sour expression after the argument.
Tart
A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with custard.
Sour
Strongly acidic in nature.
The Sour taste of the lemon made her pucker her lips.v
Tart
Having a sharp pungent taste; sour.
Sour
Having a taste characteristic of that produced by acids; sharp, tart, or tangy.
Tart
Sharp or bitter in tone or meaning; cutting.
Sour
Made acid or rancid by fermentation.
Tart
A pastry shell with shallow sides, no top crust, and any of various fillings.
Sour
Having the characteristics of fermentation or rancidity; tasting or smelling of decay.
Tart
Chiefly British A pie.
Sour
Bad-tempered and morose; peevish
A sour temper.
Tart
A prostitute.
Sour
Displeased with something one formerly admired or liked; disenchanted
Sour on ballet.
Tart
A woman considered to be sexually promiscuous.
Sour
Not measuring up to the expected or usual ability or quality; bad
A sour performance of the play.
Tart
To dress up or make fancy in a tawdry, garish way. Often used with up.
Sour
Not having the correct or properly produced pitch
A sour note.
Tart
Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
I ate a very tart apple.
Sour
Of or relating to excessively acid soil that is damaging to crops.
Tart
(of wine) high or too high in acidity.
Sour
Containing excessive levels of sulfur compounds, carbon dioxide, or both. Used of oil and natural gas.
Tart
(figuratively) Sharp; keen; severe.
He gave me a very tart reply.
Sour
Containing excessive levels of peroxides. Used of gasoline.
Tart
A type of small open pie, or piece of pastry, containing jelly or conserve; a sort of fruit pie.
Sour
The sensation of sour taste, one of the four primary tastes.
Tart
A melt block of wax for use in a tart burner.
Sour
Something sour.
Tart
A prostitute.
Sour
A mixed drink made especially with whiskey, lemon or lime juice, sugar, and sometimes soda water.
Tart
Any woman with loose sexual morals.
Sour
To make or become sour.
Tart
To practice prostitution.
Sour
To make or become disagreeable, disillusioned, or disenchanted.
Tart
To practice promiscuous sex.
Sour
Having an acidic, sharp or tangy taste.
Lemons have a sour taste.
Tart
To dress garishly, ostentatiously, whorishly, or sluttily.
Sour
Made rancid by fermentation, etc.
Don't drink that milk; it's turned sour.
Tart
Sharp to the taste; acid; sour; as, a tart apple.
Sour
Tasting or smelling rancid.
His sour breath makes it unpleasing to talk to him.
Tart
Fig.: Sharp; keen; severe; as, a tart reply; tart language; a tart rebuke.
Why art thou tart, my brother?
Sour
Peevish or bad-tempered.
He gave me a sour look.
Tart
A species of small open pie, or piece of pastry, containing jelly or conserve; a sort of fruit pie.
Sour
Excessively acidic and thus infertile.
Sour land
A sour marsh
Tart
A woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money
Sour
Containing excess sulfur.
Sour gas smells like rotten eggs
Tart
A small open pie with a fruit filling
Sour
Unfortunate or unfavorable.
Tart
Pastry cup with a filling of fruit or custard and no top crust
Sour
(music) Off-pitch, out of tune.
Tart
Tasting sour like a lemon
Sour
The sensation of a sour taste.
Tart
Harsh;
Sharp criticism
A sharp-worded exchange
A tart remark
Sour
A drink made with whiskey, lemon or lime juice and sugar.
Tart
A sharp but pleasant taste.
The raspberries were Tart and delicious.
Sour
(by extension) Any cocktail containing lemon or lime juice.
Tart
An adjective describing a sassy or bold manner.
Her Tart response caught everyone off guard.
Sour
A sour or acid substance; whatever produces a painful effect.
Tart
Slightly acidic but mainly tangy in flavor.
The sauce had a Tart undertone that brightened the dish.
Sour
The acidic solution used in souring fabric.
Sour
(transitive) To make sour.
Too much lemon juice will sour the recipe.
Sour
(intransitive) To become sour.
Sour
(transitive) To spoil or mar; to make disenchanted.
Sour
(intransitive) To become disenchanted.
We broke up after our relationship soured.
Sour
(transitive) To make (soil) cold and unproductive.
Sour
To macerate (lime) and render it fit for plaster or mortar.
Sour
(transitive) To process (fabric) after bleaching, using hydrochloric acid or sulphuric acid to wash out the lime.
Sour
Having an acid or sharp, biting taste, like vinegar, and the juices of most unripe fruits; acid; tart.
All sour things, as vinegar, provoke appetite.
Sour
Changed, as by keeping, so as to be acid, rancid, or musty, turned.
Sour
Disagreeable; unpleasant; hence; cross; crabbed; peevish; morose; as, a man of a sour temper; a sour reply.
He was a scholar . . . Lofty and sour to them that loved him not,But to those men that sought him sweet as summer.
Sour
Afflictive; painful.
Sour
Cold and unproductive; as, sour land; a sour marsh.
Sour
A sour or acid substance; whatever produces a painful effect.
Sour
To cause to become sour; to cause to turn from sweet to sour; as, exposure to the air sours many substances.
So the sun's heat, with different powers,Ripens the grape, the liquor sours.
Sour
To make cold and unproductive, as soil.
Sour
To make unhappy, uneasy, or less agreeable.
To sour your happiness I must report,The queen is dead.
Sour
To cause or permit to become harsh or unkindly.
Pride had not sour'd nor wrath debased my heart.
Sour
To macerate, and render fit for plaster or mortar; as, to sour lime for business purposes.
Sour
To become sour; to turn from sweet to sour; as, milk soon sours in hot weather; a kind temper sometimes sours in adversity.
They keep out melancholy from the virtuous, and hinder the hatred of vice from souring into severity.
Sour
A cocktail made of a liquor (especially whiskey or gin) mixed with lemon or lime juice and sugar
Sour
The taste experience when vinegar or lemon juice is taken into the mouth
Sour
The property of being acidic
Sour
Go sour or spoil;
The milk has soured
The wine worked
The cream has turned--we have to throw it out
Sour
Make sour or more sour
Sour
Smelling of fermentation or staleness
Sour
Having a sharp biting taste
Sour
One of the four basic taste sensations; like the taste of vinegar or lemons
Sour
In an unpalatable state;
Sour milk
Sour
Inaccurate in pitch;
A false (or sour) note
Her singing was off key
Sour
Showing a brooding ill humor;
A dark scowl
The proverbially dour New England Puritan
A glum, hopeless shrug
He sat in moody silence
A morose and unsociable manner
A saturnine, almost misanthropic young genius
A sour temper
A sullen crowd
Sour
A taste resembling acid or something spoiled.
The milk had gone Sour and was undrinkable.
Sour
Something that has turned bad or gone off.
The deal went Sour at the last minute.
Common Curiosities
What foods are typically described as Tart?
Cherries, certain apples, and many pastries have a Tart flavor.
Can Tart and Sour be used interchangeably?
Sometimes, but there's a subtle difference in intensity and pleasantness.
What does Tart mean in terms of flavor?
Tart refers to a sharp but often pleasantly tangy flavor.
Are Sour flavors always undesirable?
No, Sour flavors can add depth or a kick to many dishes.
Do all fermented foods taste Sour?
Many do, like yogurt and kimchi, but not all fermented foods are Sour.
Can a food be both Tart and Sour?
Yes, some foods might exhibit both flavor profiles.
Is Tartness always a pleasant taste?
Often it is, but taste is subjective and can vary from person to person.
What can cause a food to become Sour?
Bacterial action, fermentation, or spoilage can lead to a Sour taste.
How can I reduce the Sourness of a dish?
Adding sweet ingredients or diluting the dish can help balance the flavor.
How does Sour differ from Tart in taste?
Sour has a stronger, more intense acidic taste, while Tart is milder.
How is the term Tart used outside of food?
It can describe a sassy or bold manner in speech or behavior.
Are there any health benefits to Tart or Sour foods?
Some believe that they can aid in digestion and provide other benefits.
Is a Sour expression related to the taste?
No, a Sour expression refers to showing displeasure or resentment.
What does it mean if a beverage is Tart?
It has a sharp but balanced tanginess, often found in wines or certain juices.
Is Tartness a desired flavor in gourmet foods?
Yes, Tartness can be perceived as a refined or delicate flavor in certain gourmet dishes or wines.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
