Tasting trumps meditation: Let us learn how to taste again!

Michael Haase
February 16, 2017
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Imagine yourself in 3000 BC; roaming the forest for food. If you found some interesting berry what would you do? Slowly and mindfully tasting the food was a matter of life and death, because your taste buds indicated what was safe and what was nutritious. (Epigenetics made us really fast at learning what to eat: http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/12/01/mice-inherit-specific-memories-because-epigenetics/)

Now, back in 2017, we have outsourced food nutrition and safety to the food industry. As a result, today many of us have forgotten how to taste food. We have outsourced our tastebuds and in their place has come convenience. Today, people simply want to get full fast. It seems rational in a busy day, but what do we loose from such a one-dimensional perspective on our food?

Try this: Stop reading for a second and think of a food craving you have right now. It might be the deep fruity flavor of a roasted eggplant bathed in olive oil, the milky notes of a saltbaked celeriac, or the buttery taste of sautéed sweet potato. Do you feel the saliva building-up in your mouth? Did you for a moment completely forget to think about your to-do list for the day? Human imagination is terrific at remembering taste for a reason, and we owe it to ourselves to stop ignoring our brain’s taste muscle.

Really tasting our food is a fantastic opportunity to create a little meditative oasis in a busy day. Take those extra 5 minutes eating mindfully (and don’t listen to a podcast at the same time), and you will notice a greater sense of perspective during the rest of your day, making you more efficient and increasing your mental health without meditation. Furthermore, ‘really tasting’ your food will make it easier to release you from unhealthy food cravings and overeating. Therefore, I believe tasting your food is the most time-efficient, convenient and cheap highway to mental and physical health. Harvard thinks so too: http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/mindful-eating.

Plant Jammer wants to bring back taste. We are working to bring the language of flavor to your food, helping to engage your senses and explore your taste muscle once again. We are excited to build concrete tools and tricks to assist the taste revolution. Let’s bring back taste!

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