Chapter 8: Appreciate Tastes
Like scents, flavors are another form of sensation that can bring you so much joy and happiness. Flavors are unique and hard to describe. They make you love food, wine, and cocktails. They allow you to relish mealtime and snack time. Scent and smell are related. They are major parts of your appetite.
Appreciate sweet flavors. The flavors of ice cream and your favorite candy as a kid are probably nostalgic for you.
Appreciate savory flavors. The flavors of Chinese and other savory foods are robust and deeply satisfying.
Appreciate the fine flavor profiles of wine. Certain flavors, like buttery or woody or floral, are unique and you can only gain a sense of them through experience. These are unique flavors, the elevated flavors of expensive and acquired taste. The same unique flavors accompany whisky and craft beers.
Appreciate the smoky flavor of some sausages and cheeses. Smoke is a hard flavor to capture. It can put you in mind of grilling out and camping trips.
Appreciate the flavor of roasted hot dogs and s’mores. Barbecue and camping favorites are not only delicious, but they probably can transport you back to your past as a kid. They can put you in mind of warm summer days, spending time with your relatives.
Appreciate salty goodness. The unique flavor of salt is perfect in the right amount. Too much is nasty and too little is plain; when you strike that perfect balance of saltiness, food tastes just the way you like. Your idea of the perfect level of saltiness is unique. It is probably not be the same as the next guy’s. However salty you like food, appreciate that wonderful satisfaction you get when you hit that perfect amount of salt.
The same goes for spicy food and seasonings. Appreciate when the seasoning is just right for you. Appreciate that perfect level of seasoning or spiciness that is just for you.
Appreciate the flavor of your favorite hearty stew. Appreciate how it makes you feel full and warm, especially on cold days. Appreciate its unique aroma that makes your mouth water.
Appreciate how different ingredients join together to create a unique flavor. This is especially true in alcohol mixology. Three or four different liquors taste terrible by themselves, yet blend together to make things like Long Island Iced Teas and ADMFs.
Appreciate the interesting aftertastes of certain foods. Sometimes, the aftertaste is what makes food good. An aftertaste can linger for a long time, reminding you throughout the day of the deliciousness of food that you ate.
Appreciate the taste of your favorite soup, both hot and delicious. Whether you like thick, creamy soups like clam chowder or lighter soups like chicken broth or lobster bisque, the flavor of your favorite soup is something that you thoroughly enjoy. Appreciate that the flavor exists to make you say, “Yum.”