It is initially sweet and then the taste of the root becomes pungently acrid. The root of the "Croton glandulosus" can be characterized by a pungently fragrant tap root. The plant is "mildly" to "pungently" scented. The flavor of the sauce varies, but generally tends to be pungently tart. Robert Blake said the book was "Pungently written, perceptive and controversial".