It all started when I boasted that out of my entire Food Science class in college, I was one of only two students who could blindly identify the difference between Coca Cola and Pepsi. I know what you’re thinking which is exactly what everyone in the entire class thought; “Oh, that’s easy”. There were at least 35 students in there. From the moment my professor labeled me a super taster, I have felt entitled to bragging rights!
Just as I suspected, each member of the family believed with certainty they could easily distinguish between these two colas. The challenge was ON! We went out and bought Coke and Pepsi and tiny clear cups. We made a voting sheet and passed out the pencils. SO fun!! Turns out, every family member got it right except for one! Maybe I inherited my super-tasting abilities.
pub-4561044891259873, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0The next time we were all together, my Dad presented another challenge. Could there be a healthier mayonnaise that tasted just as good as the Hellmann’s we grew up using? Hellmann’s now makes a variety with canola oil and one with olive oil. I regret to announce that I was the only one in the family who got this one wrong. I’ll just go ahead and attribute that to age, allergies, and the fact that I had eaten practically no mayo in many months.
This Christmas with my family, I am considering a few blind taste testing ideas. Oreo recognition test (the least healthy option, but top pick for all the kids, obviously), spring water vs. purified water vs. bottled water with added minerals or cheese identification tasting. Even better, we could blindly compare regular cheeses with their low-fat versions or skim milk vs 1%, as my Dad insists he simply can’t make the switch to skim. That may result in a healthy change for someone and would make me feel better about the competition especially if the alternative is Oreos!
By the way, I just began reading a book I picked up for $1.00 at the discarded books library sale. It’s titled, best Food WRITING 2012. If you are a dietitian, a foodie or even slightly interesting in food and spectacular writing, this is a great book for you. I am only 3 works in! I will be seeking more current publications of this book in the future! Get the most recent 2017 version as a Christmas gift for a foodie friend or loved one; of course, there’s always room for one more gift to yourself…
