How to Develop More Sensitive Taste Buds

A crucial part of good cooking and gastronomic skills is an experienced and sensitive sense of taste. The problem is, few people have it or are aware of it so here is a way to develop it so you can taste more flavours.

Steps

1. 1
   Know the tastes. There are several "formal" tastes, but several informal types with some listed as follows.

   • Salty
   • Sour or acidic
   • Sweet
   • Bitter
   • Fat
   • Savoury or Umami
   • Earthy or musty.
   • Burnt or caramelised
   Ad
2. 2
   You can make as many groups as you can find. Trying to limit it to a few formal groups is fine, but when you find mixes of flavours forming new flavours you can expand your sensitivity. (See warnings)
3. 3
   Firstly work out what your sensitivity is. What foods do you feel particularly attracted to, a basic preference may be salty or sweet food types. For example:

   • Would you prefer a tart apple or a sweet one?
   • Would you prefer a chocolate or a salted snack? And so on.
4. 4
   The aim of this shows a sensitivity preference. You might prefer a sweet apple because a sour one may be too strong for your taste. There is a catch as this does change because your body has natural cravings to balance its nutrient needs. It can show a general flavour preference however.
5. 5
   Test how sensitive you are by comparing your taste with other people, preferably those who are experienced in both cooking and eating.

   • For example you might have a soup from a cafe and your guest may find it too salty, where you are reaching for the salt shaker. This reveals that your sensitivity may have weakened. Everyone's tastes are different so there isn't a "perfect" benchmark, but work towards what you are happy with.
6. 6
   Try this to regain sensitivity. For a two week period reduce all snack foods, instant meals, soft drinks/sodas, strong alcohol and remove condiments from the table. Reduce eating overly complex dishes which can hide individual flavours. It is not a diet in focus, but a way for your tongue to have a period when it is not in contact with things that reduce sensitivity. If you lose weight, then its a hidden plus.
7. 7
   Start a food flavour test.

   • This is actually quite simple. Take a sultana and place it on your tongue. Note the flavour and texture while it melts in your mouth. When soft, rub it against the roof of the mouth for a flavour burst. Breathe in, and see if air affects the flavour.
8. 8
   Note everything. You might find added flavours you never knew were there, such as a subtle saltiness, or other fruit flavours. You may detect preservatives, in which case you should then try to find a organic sultana. Also take note of your preference, such as too sweet, just right, or somewhat bland.
9. 9
   Take into account the scent of the food and how efficient your nose is. Quite often a lot of flavour comes from the scent, which is easily noticed when you hold your nose while eating, or suffer from a blocked nose during a cold or flu.
10. 10
    During your two week experiment, deliberately pick bland foods and try to find the flavour in them and then expand to more flavoursome foods. This is a great way to uncover tastes and develop sensitivity. You might also find far more taste in a salad or something that previously bored you at the end of the two weeks than you did at the start.
11. 11
    Expand this to your next meal. Try to focus on simple foods and simple cooking methods (such as steaming, boiling etc) then expanding the same food to compare to grilled, fried, baked, microwaved etc.
12. 12
    Expand it to drinks, such as juice, water, wines, beers etc. Excessive or very strong alcohol will decrease sensitivity however.
13. 13
    Try to appreciate all individual and complex flavours. This makes eating the most enjoyable.