After a dining experience in a pitch black restaurant with some of his companions, Lawrence D. Rosenblum, author of, 'See What I'm Saying', concludes his experience saying something that left me chuckling. He writes, "13 different dishes in all - lacked flavor". (p. 104)
As a Hispanic woman who grew up watching my great aunts and grandmother cook, I myself am now an avid cook, and lover of all foods. I can smell if the frying plantains are close to burning, I can feel when the dough for an arepa is ready to shape and cook, I can see when my sofrito is just the right color and consistency, and most importantly, I can hear when the coffee maker on the stove is about to boil over.
However, while I know from experience that how food smells, feels, and sounds is a good indicator of how it'll taste, I would not have always been able to explain why. Rosenblum covers this gap in knowledge throughout his book by stating that neurophysiological research supports the perceptions of flavor through other senses. He also emphasizes that eating, is a multi-sensory function. So, everything is working together to enhance the experience.
There is also a really informative article on Food Insight.org called, The Science of Taste, that explains this in detail.
Hopefully you're able to better appreciate all your senses working together to ensure you enjoy your next meal!
- Luci
References
Rosenblum, L. D. (2010). See What I'm Saying: The Extraordinary Powers of Our Five Senses. W.W. Norton & Company
Food Insight. (2018, March 13). The Science of Taste. https://foodinsight.org/the-science-of-taste/
No comments:
Post a Comment