Eighteen fatty acids, methyl esters of fatty acids and fatty alcohols emulsified in water with sucrose palmitate stearate were tested for taste quality. In the case of bitter tasting compounds the taste thresholds were determined. The intensity of bitter taste of fatty acids and fatty alcohols is dependent on the length of the hydrocarbon chain and on the number, the configuration and the positions of double bonds. The methyl esters of linoleic and linolenic acid are not bitter. Gamma-linolenyl alcohol and alphalinolenic acid have the lowest threshold values (0.2–0.5 and 0.6–1.2 mmol/l), similar to that of caffeine (0.8–1.2 mm