There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as each healthy vulva tastes a little different. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that a vagina should taste sweet, with hints of citrus fruits and other sugary foods.
Certain foods (like asparagus or spicy food) can also have a strong smell that may linger in your vulva. And the taste of your vulva can fluctuate throughout the month because of things like your menstrual cycle or sweating.
Sweet
A lot of people think their genitals taste like a pineapple, which is supposedly an indicator that the person’s vulva has healthy bacteria. There’s no scientific evidence to support that, but pineapple and citrus fruits have long been anecdotally associated with a sweeter tasting vulva. The same goes for foods rich in Vitamin C, which can help a vagina with pH balance and encourage healthy flora.
Keeping the area clean and free of illness or infection is also key to improving the flavor of your vulva, Ton says. Avoiding scented body wash or sprays can help with this, since they may change the way the area smells, she adds.
Of course, the flavor of your vulva can change throughout the month depending on hormones and your menstrual cycle. For example, blood tends to have a metallic or penny-like flavor, and sweat can leave the area feeling salty. But overall, most people find their vulva has a rich and complex scent that tastes something like a fruit cocktail or fresh flowers. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about!
Sour
In a healthy vagina, bacteria – called flora – produce lactic acid. This gives a sour taste to your fluids, just like yogurt does. This is normal and desirable.
Vaginal fluids also have a salty taste due to the presence of bacteria that produce salt. They can also have a bitter taste due to the presence of some unfriendly bacteria, such as Candida, and a metallic taste from the mineral trimethylamine, which is produced by sweat glands in your groin.
The sour, salty, and bitter tastes are all part of a normal vaginal microbiome — the unique environment that houses multiple species of bacteria in different parts of your vulva. And just like your GI tract, the composition of your vulva microbiome is going to be slightly different from another woman’s.
There are a few things you can do to help keep your vulva healthy and make the experience of oral sex even better, including wearing breathable cotton underwear, showering before oral sex, eating lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and Greek yogurt, and drinking plenty of water. But for the most part, there’s no need to try out all those vaginal-health gummies or pineapple-based supplements on the market.
Salty
In the same way that certain foods make your breath or sweat smell, certain dietary choices and even infections can alter vaginal taste. For example, if you consume acidic foods like asparagus or garlic and eat cruciferous veggies, it may cause your vulva to smell or taste pungent. In addition, many women anecdotally report that consuming pineapple or citrus fruits makes the vulva taste sweeter.
Other things that can impact vaginal flavor include wearing thongs, which can spread bacteria from the anus to the vulva; non-porous sex toys, which harbor bacteria and aren’t easily cleaned; alcohol, which increases perspiration and can cause a salty tang in the vulva; and sexually transmitted diseases, which can produce a fishy, sulfurous odor and can make oral sex taste less than desirable.
However, despite these factors, it’s important to remember that your vulva should never taste like flowers or perfume. Skip feminine sprays and washes and focus on maintaining good hygiene, which means regularly rinsing with water to clean the area. A healthy vulva is self-cleaning, and a woman should trust that her body knows what it needs to maintain a balanced pH level.
Bitter
It’s not uncommon for a healthy vagina to have faint tastes and scents, including bitter, salty, or metallic. That’s because the vulva is self-cleaning, and it’s responsible for its own upkeep. But if you’re using soaps or gels that upend its natural pH levels, you may notice a change in your vagina’s “flavor.” Infections like trichomoniasis, bacterial vaginosis (BV), and yeast infections, such as Candida, can cause a strong fishy smell or even foul taste in the vulva.
While there isn’t one definitive answer to the question of what a healthy vagina should taste like, many women on online forums swear that eating lots of fruits and vegetables (especially those high in probiotics) makes their vulva tingle with syrupy sweetness. Other anecdotal evidence suggests that onions, garlic, asparagus, red meat, and dairy can make the vulva taste more earthy or musky. It also seems that the flavor of your vulva can change throughout your menstrual cycle, especially during ovulation when hormones may be a little bit out of whack. The good news is that these changes are typically temporary.
Metallic
For anyone who has ever questioned their vulva’s taste (or odor, for that matter), take heart: it’s totally normal. A metallic flavor is often reported, along with a sour or salty one. People also describe it as coppery, penny-like, or battery-like. Depending on the time of year, it may even taste slightly bitter or acidic.
The vulva is naturally acidic, which helps protect the bacteria that blossom down there. It’s also a self-cleaning machine that secretes fluids to keep everything slippery and fresh. The fluids include the natural vaginal lubricant that keeps things comfortable, and arousal lubricant, which is produced during foreplay and sexual activity.
Other things that can alter the flavor of your vulva include menstruation, which can cause it to taste a little metallic due to the blood content; exercise and natural body perspiration, which can leave a hint of salt behind; and food you eat and alcohol or tobacco use, which can leave a foul or fishy odor. This varies throughout the month due to hormones, your menstrual cycle, and the amount of good bacteria it contains.
