The taste game
I’ve never been able to fully immerse myself in digital games. I’m not sure why, but somehow, I can’t seem to keep my attention focused on what’s happening on the screen for very long. Maybe because it doesn’t seem real.
The problem with digital games is that the rules and the results are already programmed. You cannot determine the ending or the rules. But what if there is a game that has some basic guidelines, but generally can be manipulated? And you never know what the true result will be until you try.
What if there is a game where you can modify the rules, add new participants, and still not be sure of the ending? That’s a game that could keep me busy! Welcome to the game of flavors.
What is flavor? According to a dictionary, flavor, as a noun, is “taste, especially the distinctive taste of something as experienced in the mouth.” This definition is too simplistic, as chefs jingling in molecular gastronomy (or simply termed, the science of food) will greatly differ. One of the most definitive descriptions of flavor, as described in Heston Blumenthal’s book, “The Fat Duck Cookbook,” is that “flavor is, in fact, a composite sensation created by our brain from all of our senses, except one that we experience in the mouth. The reason is very simple: it is the mouth that has to swallow the food or spit it out if it turns out to be something unexpected. “
“The Taste Bible”, a book by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, states that “taste = taste + mouthfeel + aroma +” the x factor “”. Perceiving taste is a complex activity that involves all of our senses: taste, smell, sight, and even our moods and emotions. The movie, “Ratatouille”, provides one of the best examples of food excitement in the scene where Anton, the feared food critic, is transported back to his childhood days by tasting the Ratatouille dish prepared by Remy the rat. .
A very simple method of discovering the taste is to eat something, say a cookie while pinching your nose. You could distinguish the salty or sweet flavors, but that’s about it. Now, let go of your nose and voila, you suddenly get this cascade of flavors that weren’t there before!
There are five basic flavors: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami (salty), but there are thousands of aromas. How would you describe the taste of umami? It’s hard to pin down, but think of something yummy like mushroom soup. It is simply delicious. A peculiar symptom of the Covid-19 infection was the loss of taste or smell, and there have been reports that this loss persisted even after recovery from the disease.
You now have a better idea of what constitutes flavor. Imagine the possibilities. Do you still think that the game of flavor is not exciting?