Interesting Experiences

Since I've broadened my diet in the last few days, I've had some remarkable experiences as I "re-taste" things again. I've found that my taste buds are in some ways much more sensitive, allowing me to experience eating differently than I did before my project began.

When Nick and I went to eat at Valenza's, he encouraged me to eat the slice of lemon in my water glass. I've never liked lemons and didn't want to eat it, but it had been so long since I've had citrus I decided to try it. I took a little lick and loved it, and ended up sucking all the juice I could from the lemon peel, and then took his and ate it too! I think it's crazy I enjoyed it so much, and it made me think that my "sour" taste buds had been lying dormant for a long time, and it was amazing to wake them up so vigorously.

My dinner with Nick was also the first time I tried butter other than my own. Valenzas makes delicious bread and provides small butter packets in the bread basket. On my first slice, I couldn't believe the way the butter tasted (not to mention the bread, it wasn't flat and it wasn't cornbread...I was thrilled!). The salt added such a different flavor. On my next piece, I grabbed a new butter packet from the basket without really looking at it. After taking a bite, it tasted really noticeably different than the last slice, and I knew it wasn't real butter. After examining the package, I learned it was mostly vegetable oil with some other artificial ingredients. It tasted so "wrong" to me I wouldn't eat it. I think this is interesting because prior to my project, I didn't notice differences in flavors of butter, and now I am much more sensitive to tastes.

I've also really enjoyed the textures of different foods, especially bread and pasta. I've also been conscious of how different foods feel in my stomach, and the kind of energy they provide. I've realized that my project has made me hyper-aware of the entire experience of food and eating - from obtaining ingredients, to cooking and preparation, to tasting and eating, and its consequent result on our bodies. My relationship to food has changed dramatically, and although I don't think I'll always have this heightened sensitivity with respect to taste, I've become so interested and passionate about all the elements of food that I only want to continue pursuing these experiences in further depth.