Does the sight of these lemons and limes make you want to run and hide? Is your idea of seasoning you food mean just a touch of salt and pepper with a drizzle of olive oil and perhaps a tiny little bit of lemon juice? If so, I think you are a supertaster.
I first heard of “supertasters” on an episode of Alton Brown‘s show Good Eats. He is the mad scientist in the kitchen, explaining the chemistry of the deliciousness of food. When I heard the term supertaster a bell went off inside my head. This explained so much! I suddenly realized my husband is a supertaster which means basically he has way more tastebuds than I do and makes him more easily overwhelmed by strong flavours.
I am not a supertaster when it comes to cooking. I prefer to be hit over the head with flavours and textures. Bring it on! What is odd is that when it comes to baking, I prefer more subtle flavours. I am not one to put cardammon in my chocolate icing, for example. I find the science of food fascinating and now I understand why some people find foods overpowering and others do not.
It is my strong suspicion that Martha Stewart is a supertaster. One of the reasons I stopped getting her magazine is her recipes for dinners and sides are just too bland for me. I need more than a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of lemon juice. I am envious though! To be so easily satisfied with food, well, that would make my life a whole lot easier. That’s OK, I am determined to bring a ton of zing and dazzle to all my food. Thankfully my husband’s super tastebuds seem to have adapted and now he loves my zesty foods.
Are you a supertaster?
Ah, I learned of super tasters about a year ago, and it ended all the dinnertime arguments with my husband. HE is a supertaster. I always would get so mad at him because I felt he was being too picky – even if I don’t particularly like something, if it is for dinner, I can just eat it. But not him. And now I understand, before I thought he was just hypercritical of my cooking.
This should be front page Yahoo and Google news. Who knows how many people could avoid marriage counseling and divorce…
Too funny Kavindra and so true! Me and my husband argue over food a lot and now that I know we’re just different and for once he is more sensitive about something than I am…it’s much easier to deal with. He is also a supersniffer, he had the more sensitive nose in the world and hates it when I work with garlic and onions, can you imagine?
I totally agree, knowledge of this difference between husband and wife could save marriages!
I’m not a super taster, just a picky eater. xD It’s interesting, though, and really explains a lot of why some people prefer bland food.
I am so not a super taster! Give me the zing baby. 🙂
Picky means you are discerning, that’s a good thing Tori! I can’t imagine enjoying bland food, bland food is like death to me, LOL.
Genie Sea, right on! Nothing better than the zing.
I hadn’t really ever thought about this Suzie! I am NOT a super taster! I love spice, zing, whatever you call it. (I can’t handle super hot spice, but give me loads of flavors! No bland foods here!)
I am way more picky now than I was as a kid. I like to think of it as knowing exactly what I want instead of picky though!
WOW! Omg, this explains so much about my hubby and how he tastes things way differently than me. Wow wow wow…thank you, Suzie! xox k-
I can’t handle a lot of heat either Tammy but bring on the flavour flavour!
Isn’t it amazing MH? Who knew there was a scientific reason for men and women’s tastebuds to be so different, LOL. At least in my household.