The Anatomy of Taste

• 1 Bitter
• 2 Sour
• 3 Salty
• 4 Sweet

Lets take a moment to discover the tongue and taste buds.  After all the tongue is how we distinguish what makes anything we place in our mouths either enjoyable or unpleasant.  What are the basic sensations of taste?  Why do some items taste better to different people?  How can I really educate myself to understand how to taste anything?  The answers to these questions are simple.  During my education at the Culinary Institute of America we spent some time learning not only how to taste but what taste really is and is not.  Hopefully by the end of the blog you will understand some of the most basic techniques used to taste anything including cigars.

Notice the picture at the top of the page, also notice what is missing.  That’s right I am not talking about the nose or soft palate at all in this blog.  These also help us determine what we all think of as “taste” but technically we only taste four things with the tongue.  Again notice the picture and see the areas highlighted in pink.  These areas contain taste buds that do basically one thing.  They only taste one of the four basic taste sensations which are bitter, sour, salty, and sweet.

Educating yourself about your tongue is important when trying to educate your palate.  Here is a simple thing anyone can do to learn which areas of their own tongue tastes each of the four.  Everyone is different and therefore you may taste sweet more to the middle of your tongue and that is okay.  First take a solution of water and sugar (1:1) plug your nose and take a tooth pick and place a drop of this solution on the tip of your tongue.  You should taste the sugar instantly.  Now do the same thing around your tongue to determine what part of the tongue tastes the most sweet.  From now on you will know what part of the tongue you taste sweet and if someone tells you this cigar, wine, scotch, or whatever is sweet you can focus more on that area of the tongue to determine if you agree or not.  Second mix up another simple solution of salt water (1:1) plug your nose and repeat the same process until you can determine where you taste salt.  Follow this process with lemon juice or vinegar for sour and strong cold black coffee for bitter.  During this mapping process of your tongue you should also notice the area you least taste each of the four basic tastes.

So lets tackle the last topic of taste.  Why does Joe like that cigar and I hate it?  The answer to this question is simple his tongue is different.  Joe may have more of one taste bud than you do in certain areas of his tongue therefore making different combinations of tastes more appealing to him than you.

Now that you understand what taste is and how to determine where you taste each of the four tastes on your tongue.  Lets discuss some interesting trivia about the tongue.  Why are certain areas of the tongue laid out to taste different things and why are they in such specific locations on the tongue?  It is believed that we taste bitter at the back of the tongue and in the back of the throat because throughout evolution we learned that poisonous things taste bitter.  So this is the body’s last defense against toxic ingestion.  Bitter has the least taste appeal to most people and is the acquired taste.  Hench we tend to teach ourselves to like the taste of coffee or beer.  Notice a child’s reaction to the taste of coffee for instance.  Sweet is located at the tip of the tongue again because of evolution.  Most mammals produce milk and not surprising milk contains lactose (sugar) to stimulate the nursing instinct.  Again notice a child’s response to candy, milk, or even a baby’s reaction to butter.

So what is taste?  Taste is not flavor and flavor is not taste.  Taste is only one of the following things.  Sweet, Sour, Salty, or Bitter.  Flavor is these combined with the nose which mixes air borne compounds making things have a flavor all to themselves unique.  Next time you eat anything plug your nose you will know exactly what I mean and will forever understand the difference of taste v. flavor/aroma.  I also hope you will now begin to start tasting things with just a bit more confidence.  Start exploring and have fun.

Saturday at the Cigar Shop

Today started like most of my Saturdays I got up and had to go to work. But my friends on Saturday I love my job because its all about cigars. The more one smokes quality cigars the more one learns of life and of ones self, for you can not smoke a cigar alone and truly enjoy its beauty the way the tobacconist intended. I am going to begin my blog centered around the two things I enjoy above all else except family and that is cigars and people.

Let me begin by telling you who I am.  My name is Ken and I am working with Osvaldo Pla “OB”  both to promote his excellent brand of cigars Pla Cigars and to help spread the passion and knowledge of cigars to the world.  I honestly can say that cigars helped to save me.  I was working in a career that just was not what I wanted in life.  Going to the Cigar Bar after work and meeting people helped me realize that life is short and there are just too many cigars needing to be smoked.  Like many of you the guys at the local shop are just as important to you as your family.  God has granted me with the gift of smoking with some of the finest people I have ever met.  Wednesdays at Ob’s is looked forward to by many in Naples.

Thank you Ob your a hell of a person and a great friend to us all. 

Stop and think about this.  Where? else can two men of different backgrounds and status come together and be equal.  No where else in our society does this ever seem possible except at my local cigar shop/s.  The gentlemen mentioned above all have different backgrounds and many are wealthy and some are not.  Some are young some are old and lets not mention politics but yes even that differs within the group.  We add only one thing to the mix a cigar and instantly everyone is a brother or sister in some cases.  Before anyone knows it,  its time to go and with sadness you leave looking forward to the next time that next “Wednesday” so you can do it all again.

Please comment and share your cigar experiences with us.  We want this to be a community experience.  I am completely new to this whole blogging thing so please be kind and remember its been more years than I care to admit since I had to write anything.  I promise to get better with time and eventually will find my voice.  Those who point out my mistakes will become my editor.  Are you ready for the job?

Until we meet again stay safe.

My next blog will focus on Master Ob and his story.