A Brief Note on your Palate
In the previous lesson we suggested three different recipes to start practicing your stirring technique. We suggested that you tried a Reverse Martini in case you didn’t enjoy spirit-forward drinks. Even then, you may have found the Reverse Martini to be too boozy for you.
Everyone has different tastes, but don’t fall into the mistake of thinking that just because you didn’t like something once, that you never will.
Your palate evolves over time. Think about how many sweets you could have as a kid – your tolerance to sugar (and most likely salt) was much higher than what it is now. Similarly, there might be some foods that you couldn’t stand as a kid that you now enjoy.
The reason why you could eat more sweets and salt as a kid is because your body needed it. A lot of had to be recovered from all the running and jumping you did. Furthermore, a lot of calories were burnt by actually growing your body.
As we get older, other physiological changes affect your sense of taste. We slowly lose our taste buds, be it because you constantly burn them with hot food, or simply because that's just what happens over time. This means that along the way you may start looking for more intense, potent flavors.
Flavored Memories
Beyond physical changes, taste and smell are intrinsically related to memories.
Your life experiences, even if they have nothing to do with a flavor, will have an influence. Think back to the last time you had some sort of food poisoning – Wasn’t the mere thought of the culprit enough to turn your stomach again? Your memory of the food poisoning interfered with your opinion of whatever you ate, even if you like it!
Similarly, if you didn't like something the first time you tried it, this can be a permanent memory that starts affecting similar foods. Maybe you don't like one thing because it reminds you of another.
We are not all wired to like new things – the idea of novelty and change is more difficult to process for some. When you taste something for the first time, you may subconsciously be bracing and protecting yourself because you are in unfamiliar territory. That defensive mindset will influence whether you like something or not.
Knowledge Applied
We can take this newfound knowledge and apply it in a few ways.
First of all, be conscious that your sense of taste is affected by experiences and memories. If you try a recipe and you don't like it, do not discard it. Same goes for specific ingredients. Try them later, when you're in a different mood. Pinpoint exactly why you don't like something: Is it the ingredient itself, or something it reminds you of?
You'll be experimenting with your own recipes soon enough, which means that you'll be playing with different ingredients. It's always important to taste these on their own first, and then slowly add others and see how they play together.
Apply this knowledge when you make cocktails for your guests! Be mindful of the ambiance and of your cocktail's presentation. It's no coincidence that bartenders work on flair and that they often have a particular way of moving behind a bar - it's all about setting a stage that will put you in a better mood and predispose you to enjoy what you're about to drink.
Always remember that we're all different. There's no "right" way to enjoy something, only personal preference. You've already learnt that memories and experiences affect your taste buds, and we haven't all gone through the same things!
Don't take yourself, or this craft, too seriously. Don't be the person that looks down on others because they "are not doing it right", or because they don't have the same appreciation for an ingredient as you do. There's a lot of things you probably don't know about, and that's fine.
As you make cocktails for your guests you'll enjoy those moments where they exclaim "Oh, I don't like this ingredient, but I do in this cocktail!". Those moments are great, but don't be too pushy. Don't become a bad memory; remember it can ruin an ingredient for them forever!