My Wife, the Supertaster
Not as great as it might sound39 total reviews
Comment from Liz O'Neill
This was my first thought. I do have to proclaim this is one of the most bizarre topics I've seen on here. It is running a close second to some of Helen's. We can learn so much unusual information and facts on here.
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
  |
This was my first thought. I do have to proclaim this is one of the most bizarre topics I've seen on here. It is running a close second to some of Helen's. We can learn so much unusual information and facts on here.
Comment Written 17-Nov-2023
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
-
Very true, Liz. Most folks that reviewed have never heard of this like you, but I've known about it for years. I guess my wife's sense of taste was so bizarrely different from my own, I must have Googled it years ago to find out why.
-
does it have any basis or purpose such as a primal root like the appendix or something like the annoying immune system passed to us by Neanderthal, or why we are hardwired to see faces or other things like that?
-
Perhaps it's man's intelligence that allows him the luxury of having more taste buds. Animals like dogs seem to be able to eat all manner of disgusting things and can't afford to be picky eaters. They aren't bright enough to cultivate their own food and put it in grocery stores, so they have to be able to eat just about anything to survive.
Man's great intelligence means he can create an overabundance of food and create grocery stores with thousands of items to appeal to the most picky of eaters, allowing us to have more taste buds.
That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.
-
A good sticky theory
Comment from Navada
Oh, God, please do!!! We definitely need the Supersmeller sequel to this delicious Supertaster tasty treat because this was utterly hilarious! I can completely sympathise with your wife because I also can't tolerate heat in my food. I wish I had a super-sensitive hubby to do the cooking and swap meals with me if they aren't to my taste - you are an absolute gem and she is very lucky!
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
|
Oh, God, please do!!! We definitely need the Supersmeller sequel to this delicious Supertaster tasty treat because this was utterly hilarious! I can completely sympathise with your wife because I also can't tolerate heat in my food. I wish I had a super-sensitive hubby to do the cooking and swap meals with me if they aren't to my taste - you are an absolute gem and she is very lucky!
Comment Written 17-Nov-2023
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
-
Why thank you, Navada. I'll be sure and read this to my wife.
It's a deal. I'll write about my wife the supersmeller and my daughter the dysphoniac (superhearer).
-
Good Lord! Is every member of your family a secret superhero? Are you the real-life inspiration for Pixar's The Incredibles? :)
-
Unfortunately, these are not very desirable superpowers!
-
Probably not, but they may serve as grist to the comedy mill - certainly in your capable hands. :)
Comment from Julie Lau
Jim! Great piece of writing, and so much has been revealed to me. I KNOW I am a supertaster, even before the ingenious test, because my reactions to over-spiced food are so similar to your wife's, and that the Dane's buds-in-the-hole will be about 17. Even the pug enjoys the food that I can't eat. (Suspected score of about 4 buds/hole because she eats all the most disgusting things.) And what's with the Cantonese cooks adding chilli these days? A ghastly aberration! Cheers, Julie
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
 |
Jim! Great piece of writing, and so much has been revealed to me. I KNOW I am a supertaster, even before the ingenious test, because my reactions to over-spiced food are so similar to your wife's, and that the Dane's buds-in-the-hole will be about 17. Even the pug enjoys the food that I can't eat. (Suspected score of about 4 buds/hole because she eats all the most disgusting things.) And what's with the Cantonese cooks adding chilli these days? A ghastly aberration! Cheers, Julie
Comment Written 17-Nov-2023
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
-
Thanks so much for the fun review and the 6 stars, Julie. I'll be very impressed if you can get the dogs to cooperate with counting their taste buds. I'd like a full report.
Comment from JSD
How amazing. Fascinating and well-written piece. Lost my senses of taste and smell with Covid and they are only slowly returning now. But how incredible to react so differently to food! (Love the idea of hole-punching the tongue - a different approach to piercings!)
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
|
How amazing. Fascinating and well-written piece. Lost my senses of taste and smell with Covid and they are only slowly returning now. But how incredible to react so differently to food! (Love the idea of hole-punching the tongue - a different approach to piercings!)
Comment Written 17-Nov-2023
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
-
Big mistake. Still hasn't filled back in yet.
Hope you get all your taste buds back. If I had to lose one sense, it would be smell, but half the joy in life (mine anyway) comes from eating, so I'd hate to lose that sense. I just don't want too much of it!
Comment from Karen Cherry Threadgill
I am so sorry that I don't have any sixes left. I would give you one if I could. That had me laughing out loud several times "hole punch", "Flavor", and "fart in the attic", I laughed a little at other places but those got me good. Thank you from the bottom of my pea picking Heart" Karen
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
|
I am so sorry that I don't have any sixes left. I would give you one if I could. That had me laughing out loud several times "hole punch", "Flavor", and "fart in the attic", I laughed a little at other places but those got me good. Thank you from the bottom of my pea picking Heart" Karen
Comment Written 17-Nov-2023
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
-
Thanks for this wonderful review, Karen. So glad you were amused. "Pea picking heart?" Now that's funny!
-
You can thank Tennesee Ernie Ford for that! Karen
Comment from Lisasview
What the heck Jim... super tasters ... I had no idea... this is such fun information to know... Can't wait until my husband gets home to tell him.
The other night when we went with friends to have dinner. We ordered a bottle of the red house wine... I said it was terrible (we are in Spain and most of the wine is fabulous) anyway, the husband of the couple said he thought it was fine... but I ordered a good and more expensive bottle of wine because for me it was not good... So I guess I am a super taster... I wonder if he has less taste buds??? and what would we call that? ha ha..
Lisa
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
|
What the heck Jim... super tasters ... I had no idea... this is such fun information to know... Can't wait until my husband gets home to tell him.
The other night when we went with friends to have dinner. We ordered a bottle of the red house wine... I said it was terrible (we are in Spain and most of the wine is fabulous) anyway, the husband of the couple said he thought it was fine... but I ordered a good and more expensive bottle of wine because for me it was not good... So I guess I am a super taster... I wonder if he has less taste buds??? and what would we call that? ha ha..
Lisa
Comment Written 17-Nov-2023
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
-
That could be, Lisa. Maybe you are.
They call someone with less taste buds a "nontaster" which is a bit of a misnomer because they taste something. Perhaps "diminutivetaster" would describe it better, but that's a mouthful. Maybe "dulltaster" would be best.
-
Very funny
Lisa
Comment from Carol Hillebrenner
I would love for my husband to offer to do the cooking. He does make great waffles, but that is about it. I lost my sense of smell and taste during covid, although the test said I didn't have covid. Taste is coming back and smell is getting better, unfortunately we have a litter box for the cat. I can often smell that. I had no idea there were supertasters. It sounds like a curse, not a gift. This was a fun and informative article.
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
|
I would love for my husband to offer to do the cooking. He does make great waffles, but that is about it. I lost my sense of smell and taste during covid, although the test said I didn't have covid. Taste is coming back and smell is getting better, unfortunately we have a litter box for the cat. I can often smell that. I had no idea there were supertasters. It sounds like a curse, not a gift. This was a fun and informative article.
Comment Written 16-Nov-2023
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
-
Glad you smell better now, Carol. I'm sure everyone appreciates that.
Yeah, it's a real thing. That taste bud test proved it to me.
Comment from lancellot
Fifty years, damn you are a good husband. Yes, it doesn't sound like being a supertaster is a good thing, and I can see how being that particular type of minority can be an issue. Maybe, you wife is a secret X-man.
This well written and a humorous conversational tone, like you are telling this story during an after-dinner chat with friends.
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
|
Fifty years, damn you are a good husband. Yes, it doesn't sound like being a supertaster is a good thing, and I can see how being that particular type of minority can be an issue. Maybe, you wife is a secret X-man.
This well written and a humorous conversational tone, like you are telling this story during an after-dinner chat with friends.
Comment Written 16-Nov-2023
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
-
She may well be an X-man, but that's no kind of super power I would desire to have!
Thanks for your great 6-star review, Lance.
Comment from Wendy G
An excellent piece of writing, very readable with plenty of wit and good humour. Having just read your poem, I am now wondering if you are clothed. Not a question I have ever considered before, about anyone at all!
Lol. Very enjoyable. Well done.
Wendy
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
|
An excellent piece of writing, very readable with plenty of wit and good humour. Having just read your poem, I am now wondering if you are clothed. Not a question I have ever considered before, about anyone at all!
Lol. Very enjoyable. Well done.
Wendy
Comment Written 16-Nov-2023
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
-
It's early, and the heat hasn't come up yet, so yes, I'm clothed--for now. :)
Thanks for your great review, Wendy.
Comment from LJbutterfly
Some of your wife's habits are similar to mine, except I'm not a supertaster. I'm a dieter. In a restaurant, I don't want sauce, salad dressing, butter, mayonnaise or any creamy substances put on my food. It needs to be on the side so I can dip my fork into it (not my food),if I eat it at all.
This post was very informative. I didn't know there was such a thing as supertaster. Plus, I thought everyone had the same amount or tastebuds. Actually, I never really thought about tastebuds at all. Thanks for this fun piece.
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
|
Some of your wife's habits are similar to mine, except I'm not a supertaster. I'm a dieter. In a restaurant, I don't want sauce, salad dressing, butter, mayonnaise or any creamy substances put on my food. It needs to be on the side so I can dip my fork into it (not my food),if I eat it at all.
This post was very informative. I didn't know there was such a thing as supertaster. Plus, I thought everyone had the same amount or tastebuds. Actually, I never really thought about tastebuds at all. Thanks for this fun piece.
Comment Written 16-Nov-2023
reply by the author on 17-Nov-2023
-
Thanks, Lorraine. Yes, I didn't make it up. I've known about it for years but just decided to write about it. I'll bet the wait staff loves you! (not)