Column Judith Witte: Richness of flavour

There I was, after an exciting hiking, climbing and scrambling trip in the Alps, enjoying a "Hausgemachte" spaghetti bolognese. It tasted different than at home. In fact, had I ever eaten this simple dish as good as I did here in the Mindelheimer hut at 2058 meters? I do not think so. 

Last summer I was also allowed to attend a short lecture by 'taste professor' Peter Klosse, along with a group of cooking enthusiasts. I tasted all kinds of dishes in combination with different wines. He explained that our tongue contains thousands of taste buds, which in turn are composed of several taste buttons, each of which contains about 50 to 100 taste cells. Each of these is sensitive to a specific taste. Which one? We don't know yet, because not all of them have been mapped yet. It astonished me. (And no, it was not because of the wine (yet)).

We discovered that the same wine tastes deliciously fresh in combination with one dish, but when combined with another, it becomes a bit tasteless. There is so much more than tasting sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami (the taste of savoury and/or protein-rich food, such as soy sauce and meat). That you can also distinguish between filming, tense and dry. And that the intensity also determines what you taste; compare it to the number of decibels for sound. Klosse calls this 'richness of flavour' and again makes a distinction between fresh and ripe tones. That the smell plays an essential role in tasting, just like your saliva. And yes, indeed, also the moment, the place, the people you are with and the colour of the drink or snack. On a cold winter day, I can really enjoy a bowl of pea soup. But if my veggie schnitzel is greenish and has a bean-based taste, I am less impressed. 

When people talk about 'the protein transition', they invariably first talk about offering a solution to the sustainability issue, then about the nutritional value. But if a product is not considered tasty, it does not stand a chance. All good intentions aside. More and more people are prepared to say goodbye to their (daily) piece of meat. By doing so, they do not only remove a protein-rich product from the menu, but also the 'umami shot' that goes with it. 

After the delicious bolognese, I bent over the map to plan the route for the next day. Should I choose an easy route? Or a more difficult one, which promised fantastic views? All those paths, all those possibilities! It all dazzled me. Such riches.

Judith Witte
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