Episode 009: Fundamentals of Food Appreciation

There are many ways in which we humans appreciate food and there is a wide range of differences among us in how we perceive what we put into our mouths – – I refer to this as our unique sensory realities.  I’d like to explore these concepts today with you to serve as a backdrop for much of what gets discussed here on The Food Sommelier podcast.  

The way you taste food depends on so much more than the food itself. All of your experiences – even your genetics! – and the personal expectations you have for your meal influence the flavor. This means that each of us taste different things even when we’re eating the same food. Understanding all the subtle nuances that influence flavor means taking a closer look at your five senses and the role they play in taste. The taste buds on your tongue and your sense of smell are both chemically linked, and understanding how they work together with the rest of your senses is key to becoming a great food taster. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your food without understanding your tastes, but it can make eating that much more enjoyable when you know why you love (or hate) certain, distinct flavors.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE…

1:10 Intro to the fundamentals of food tasting

1:43 How our different opinions influence our taste buds

2:12 The hypothetical factors that can alter your opinions and tastes, such as environment, mood, temperature, medication, and aroma sensitivities

5:10 What is food acceptability?

5:49 The three ways we perceive flavor

7:05 A closer look at your five senses and how they define your taste buds

7:54 How each species lives in its own sensory world – like my two cats!

9:17 Even humans can have different sensory realities

9:50 How sight influences your own sensory reality

10:22 Why taste and smell – our chemical senses – are the most unique senses

11:29 The 5 basic tastes that the tongue can perceive

12:00 New research shows what the tongue can actually taste

12:22 The sensory receptors in your tongue that create your personal taste

12:40 What kind of receptor is TAS2R38?

15:02 There are over 1000 smell receptors in your nose!

15:27 An analogy to help us understand the super complicated role your nose plays in taste

17:37 How your genes influence your smell receptors

18:04 An article from the Monell Chemical Senses Center about smell

19:31 How to appreciate the complexities of your and my different food preferences

SOME OF THE RESOURCES DISCUSSED…

Danielle Renee Reed and Antti Knaapila. Genetics of Taste and Smell: Poisons and Pleasures. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2010; 94: 213–240.

Reference to the 2004 Nobel prize for science for understand the sense of smell: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2004/buck-lecture.pdf

Just for my listeners of The Food Sommelier podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook download with a free 30-day trial to give you the opportunity to check out their service.

If you want to learn more along the lines of today’s episode, I recommend the free audio download of one of my favorite articles from Scientific American titled Making Sense of Taste.  You can download this or pick or another audiobook free by trying audible.com.

To download your free audiobook today go to www.audibletrial.com/foodsommelier

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

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Until next time!

PRAISE FOR THE FOOD SOMMELIER PODCAST: 

• Delish
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  I'm so glad I found this podcast as it provides a deeper level of food appreciation than other I've listened too. I'm now more able to eat mindfully and fully enjoy the food I'm eating.

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  The perfect podcast for any food lover looking to rediscover a new type of relationship with food.

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  Annette has such a good outlook on food and brings on some of the top experts and movers and shakers in the food/nutrition world. There is so much to learn from all of her guests and even her own experience! You will gobble this up and learn new tips and tricks to incorporate into your every day life.

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• Good podcast for those who are concerned about what we eat
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• Awesome show
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  Warning- don't listen to this show on an empty stomach! Loved the episode about Olive Garden. Brought back fond memories of the classic spaghetti nepolitana that i always used to order! I look forward to more Your browser does not support the audio element.