OUR FLAVORFUL WORLD

Image Source: Nick Fewings (Unsplash)

"As Rilke observed, love requires a progressive shortening of the senses: I can see you for miles, I can hear you for blocks, I can smell you, maybe, for a few feet, but I can only touch on contact, taste as I devour." - William H. Gass.

Today, we conclude our journey through the senses with taste. A Microsoft Bing search of this word (as a noun) returns the following three definitions:

1.    The sensation of flavor perceived in the mouth and throat on contact with a substance: "the wine had a fruity taste."

2.    A person's liking for particular flavors: "this pudding is too sweet for my taste."

3.   The ability to discern what is of good quality or of a high aesthetic standard: "she has awful taste in literature." (Note: this definition is subjective and relies on the speaker's perspective.)

This discussion will focus on the first definition beginning with the basics and concluding with ways to use our sense of taste mindfully.

We have four basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Some experts argue that there is a fifth taste- Umami, which is Japanese for savory or delicious and is often said to evoke an emotional response. We have approximately 10,000 taste buds in the roof of the mouth, tongue, and throat (July 2022). What is important to note is that taste begins with activating the sense of smell.

For example, we recognize the odor of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. Our mouth fills with saliva, and we bite the cookie. The cookie mixes with the saliva, opening the taste buds and allowing us to recognize the familiar taste. Remember, we engage in sense association through learning and stored memory.

One final tidbit about this sense - other than the (four or five) basic tastes, most of what we perceive is assisted by our olfactory system. Pay attention the next time you have a head cold or stuffy nose - How much does your sense of taste decrease? Let's move on to how we can mindfully engage our flavorful world.

Nose Test

To directly experience the taste-smell connection, we will do the nose test.

1.    Eat an orange piece and savor all a slice has to offer. Clear the residual flavor with a drink of water.

2.    Pinch your nostrils with your non-dominant hand and eat a second orange piece. Observe if the flavor profile changed. Once again, clear the residual flavor with water.

3.    With an unblocked nasal passage, eat a third slice and take note of the flavor - did it change again? Did you have a better experience?

Try this experiment with your other favorite foods (i.e., pizza, chocolate, pasta sauces, etc.). Hopefully, you will gain a better appreciation for clear sinuses.

Eat with Awareness

One of my unhealthy habits is eating too fast, born out of my time in the fire service. As a firefighter, meals were often interrupted by calls for service. I developed the habit of devouring the food to "beat" the bell - not knowing when I would have a chance to take the next bite.

Eating with awareness asks us to savor each bite for flavor and texture and chew each mouthful more deliberately. This practice will require slowing down to enjoy the cook's creation (even the sandwich you made for lunch).

Image Source: Katja Grasinger (Unsplash)

Sharpen the Senses

Our vision plays a role in the digestive process as well. If it does not appear appetizing, we may avoid it altogether. Therefore, let's take it out of the equation to observe whether this sharpens the taste buds.

We have all heard of the blind taste test for solid and liquid foods. Let's perform this practice like the nose test.

1.    Look at a plated meal and admire its color scheme. Does it contain a variety of colors? Place a fork or spoonful in your mouth and note the flavor and texture before swallowing. Clear the palate as in the nose test.

2.    Make a blindfold, cover your eyes, and repeat the process from step one. Does this enliven the taste buds in any way? Clear the palate again.

3.    With your vision engaged, eat another bite of this same food. What happens now?

I hope you have enjoyed and learned something new about the wonders of the five senses. I leave you with the following quote by Confucius -

"Everyone eats and drinks; yet only few appreciate the taste of food."

Until next time -

Namaste,

Tim

References

Definition of Taste. Retrieved from https://www.bing.com/search?q=taste%20definition&FORM=ARPSEC&PC=ARPL&PTAG=1188 on 3/14/2023.

How the Sense and Smell of Taste Works. Retrieved from https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-the-sense-of-taste-works-1191869 on 3/14/2023.