Be careful what you write about, it may come back to haunt you.
A few of weeks ago, I wrote about what makes grilled food have so much flavor.
I wrote that "taste" occurs on the tongue, many other factors also influence "flavor," such as sizzling sounds, smoky aromas, the temperature of the food, and the texture when you bite in.
What I didn't include, for brevity's sake, was more information on flavor perception gained from flavor chemist Sara J. Risch. She pointed out that "taste" is detected on your tongue: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami. But "flavor" includes a lot more than "taste." It encompasses all your senses: touch (texture, temperature and mouthfeel), smell (aroma), hearing (such as sizzle or crunch) and sight (the food's color and appearance).
Risch even suggested tasting jelly beans with your nose plugged and your eyes closed as a little experiment.
It's pretty hard to tell which flavor of jelly bean you're eating when you can't see the color or smell the aroma.
I finished writing that "flavor factor" story on a Thursday.
That Friday morning, I underwent nasal surgery for a deviated septum. For a week after my nose was plugged with splints. I soon realized that there was very little "flavor" in anything I tasted.
I could perceive what was salty or sweet. But the grilled cheese sandwich lacked mellow cheddar flavor. My son and I made fettuccine Alfredo from my usual recipe. He thought it tasted fine, but I took a bite and decided it wasn't worth the calories. Orange juice tasted vaguely sour-sweet but lacked that burst of citrus.
The biggest moment of truth came when my family was frying bacon downstairs in the kitchen. I opened my bedroom door and thought the sizzling sound I heard was running water, and I couldn't catch a single whiff of the smoky, meaty fragrance that usually permeates the whole house. With no tempting aroma, there was no desire to eat it.
I lost five pounds that week, although now that I've "returned to my senses" they are likely to creep back on.
I have to wonder if all those celebrities are getting plastic surgery not just to make their noses look better but to curb their food cravings by losing their sense of smell.
During my post-surgery checkup, I mentioned my taste/smell experience to my doctor. He said yes, smell has a great deal to do with taste. When patients complain of losing their sense of smell, he asks if their food tastes good. If they say that food tastes just the same as always, he knows their sense of smell is intact.
What a diet breakthrough. I might just make millions by marketing a new diet device: a simple nose clip.
e-mail: vphillips@desnews.com