A SECOND TASTE-BUD

My mother., as I assume many other African mother's can, can make a full dish without having a taste from it.

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This I have seen far too many times especially when she's on a fasting programme. I recall trying that out and the entire attempt was a disaster. I wondered how she could do that, even adding salt and seasoning without measuring it at all but I resigned and thought to myself that it's a motherhood thing.
And/or maybe there's just a spirit that whispers to her that, "...add some more seasoning,...don't add again...it's all good now." and things like that.

And then overtime, I sas able to do that myself. Tasting, just like seeing and percieving is very important to cooking. These senses all go hand-in-hand but the absence of it, although posing some difficulty, should be no deterrent.

Personally I've had instances when my sense of taste was numb and no matter the quantity of the meal I tasted from, it' all tastes bland, like paper. It especially happens so when I am down with catarrh.

Helen Keller came to mind when I saw this topic. From reading, I learned that she was born without sight and hearing. Still, she went on to learn to talk and write, enrolled in and graduated from college and also became a published author. If she can achieve that irrespective of the odds, then the sense of taste should pose no much issue.

We all love to have a taste of our meals while cooking and for chefs, it super necessary. In the eventuality that the barrier of the lack of taste stands in the way of my passion, I simply would employ the services of a food taster(s). Someone who fills in that gap. My mom is a great bet but i also assume that there may be others whose careers evolve around this.
And certainly i would have an around-the-clock tester present. While it's no better though, at least, it's not that and the sense of smell that is absent.

Blind tasting occured to me too. You know, having the game with friends. But this way only applies to chefs who lose the sense of taste frequently (not those who never have had). And then I think of the fact that one born without the presence of the sense of taste may see nothing different around it and somehow his other senses will be on high radar. Still an excellent chef cannot give his customers just anything.

And so for me, maybe occasionally, I get to host a good tasting gathering and have close people and even other top chefs critique my skills. This lack cannot be a limitation as anything is possible.
And that's it.

Thanks for gracing this post.
Greetings!