why cleanse the palate
Overview. 1  Cleansing the palate, or clearing the taste buds of one taste to prepare them for a new one, is commonly discussed in wine tastings. However, you might find cleansing your palate useful in any setting where you're eating foods with competing tastes, such as a chocolate, beer or cheese tasting, sushi dinner or a typical multicourse meal.
Palate cleansers are to remove lingering flavors from the mouth so that the next course may be enjoyed with a fresh perspective. The French also use them as an all-important digestive, to avoid heartburn, indigestion and to stimulate the appetite.