The process of eating depends on all five senses, but relies most heavily on taste and smell - the two which we are most likely to take for granted.  

 

Here are some tips and tricks you can use take advantage of the way our senses work, as well as a brief explanation of why and how each tactic works.

The Affliction: Inability to taste salt

The Fix: Pair foods with salty and umami tastes

Why It Works: Salty and umami foods are complementary to one another, and when combined, each taste will heighten the intensity of the other.

Food Suggestions:

• Add soy sauce, ketchup, or Worcesteshire to sauce or straight to food

• Top dish with aged Parmesan cheese

• Use tomato-based sauces or soups

• Add sauteed mushrooms

• Add monosodium glutamate (MSG)

• Add bacon, ham, or anchovies

 

 

The Affliction: Dry mouth or general loss of flavor

The Fix:  Add a dash of citrus

Why It Works:  To begin with, the tang of sourness helps wake up taste buds, readying them for the task of tasting.  Additionally, our mouths are programmed to dilute acids, such as citrus juices or vinegar, by adding saliva.  Saliva is a miracle-worker when it comes to tasting.  First, saliva lubricates the mouth, making it easier to chew and swallow food.  Second, it also helps break down food, making the compounds which create flavor more readily available and thereby enhancing the total "volume" of flavor.  

Food Suggestions:

• Sprinkle lemon juice on dishes

• Use vinegar in sauces, dressings, etc.  (I am particularly fond of the richer flavor of balsamic vinegar.)

• Suck on hard candies - can be done just prior to eating or any time dry mouth proves tiresome

 

 

The Affliction: Everything tastes like metal

The Fix:  Promote saliva production

Why It Works:  In the same way that it helps with dry mouth or loss of flavor (see above), additional saliva flow may help dilute or rinse away the metallic taste in your mouth.  Personally, I found that strong umami tastes were also extremely effective at jump-starting saliva production, so much so that it sometimes made my jaw clench.

Food Suggestions:

• Suck on hard candies - citrus or peppermint flavored before eating

• Use citrus or vinegar-based dressings and sauces on dishes

• Use acidic marinades for meats

• Try some Parmesan cheese, sprinkled on food or eaten straight

• Dip food in ketchup

• Drink citrus juices just before and/or with the meal

 

 

The Affliction: Nothing tastes interesting.  At all.

The Fix:  Stimulate your senses

Why It Works:  Though we usually think of it in association with taste and perhaps smell, eating involves all of the senses.  Choosing foods that are distinctive to the sense of sight, touch, or hearing will give your mind something else to focus on.  Focus especially on foods that have unique textures or that make noise when chewed, as these can be experienced while the food is in your mouth.

Food Suggestions:

• Rice Krispie treats

• Crunchy veggies

• Potato chips / pretzels

• Thick, creamy foods (e.g. Oreo filling)

• Carbonated beverages

• Popcorn

• Foods with multiple textures, such as filled or stuffed items

 

 

The Affliction: Everything tastes bitter

The Fix:  Add a little salt or vanilla

Why It Works:  Both salt and vanilla, even when used in quantities to small to be savored, can help suppress a bitter taste.

Food Suggestions:

• Sprinkle on some salt on dishes

• Stir a bit of vanilla extract into sauces, soups, or drinks

 

 

The Affliction: Tastes are lacking in intensity

The Fix:  Add some fat

Why It Works:  Additional fat in foods helps the food carry its flavor for longer.  It also helps to curb bitterness in foods, allowing other tastes to come into focus.

Food Suggstions:

• Saute it in butter or oil

• Dip it in a creamy sauce

• Ice cream and whole fat dairy products

• Choose fattier cuts of meat

 

 

The Affliction: Tongue tastes or feels gooey

The Fix:  Dry out with tannins

Why It Works:  Foods containing tannins, a certain category of chemical compound, create the sensation of drying out one's mouth.  When the tongue feels like it is coated with something thick or sticky, tannic foods may help your tongue break loose.

Food Suggestions:

• Berry juice, especially cranberry, or juice blends including berries

• Grape juice, particularly dark or red grape juice (if your doctor says you can drink alcohol, red wines may also help)

• Tea

• Raw nuts

• Smoked foods - tannins from the wood used for smoking are present on the surface of the food

• Dark chocolate

 

 

Are you experiencing any other strange tongue afflictions?  Feel free to send me an email and I'll see if I can come up with any tips to add to the list!