mamculuna | (no subject)

I usually like really strong flavors: fiery peppers, lots of garlic, old rich cheeses, powerful curries, peaty scotch, and so on. I've read sometimes that people who like really spicy food can't taste the subtleties of more delicate flavors, and I've wondered if that were true of me. I do like some delicate fish flavors, but recently my son gave me a couple of chocolate bars that were amazing in the attention required to savor the slight hints of very non-chocolate flavors, in spite of the power of the chocolate itself. Both are from Vosges--Calindia has just an echo of cardamom, almost more of a scent than a taste (probably actually is really a scent, not a taste) that you have to focus on before it gets overwhelmed by the bitter-rich chocolate, and Matcha, which is like the Platonic ideal of milk chocolate, only I want to taste it in tiny morsels to keep discovering the little elusive whisper of green tea.

Sorry to be writing a commercial! But have to say I'm glad these things are expensive--otherwise I'd be eating them every day, and then they wouldn't be nearly as much fun.

no subject

That might be true. I like strong flavors too and my BF is less inclined. But he can taste very subtle tastes (and smells) that escape me.

Date: 2010-05-04 01:40 pm (UTC)

mamculuna.livejournal.com

I think I'm going to try to work on subtle flavors for a while, just in case it's matter of paying attention!

I'm like that with paintings and books and movies, too--love the in-your-face wild things, but if I focus, I can take pleasure from the quiet and complex.

Date: 2010-05-04 03:03 am (UTC)

c-mantix.livejournal.com

*eyes glazing over*

I'm currently following a total sugar (refined sugar, fruit, carbs...) elimination diet to get candida under control, so reading your post is torture;-p

Date: 2010-05-04 04:08 am (UTC)

anomster.livejournal.com

Oh, Elle, I feel for you! I hope it works!

Date: 2010-05-04 11:41 am (UTC)

I have to admit to feeling 20x better, which makes the diet so much easier to follow. When I'm done with the draconian part of the regime, I think I'm going to stay away from wheat (gluten) and white sugar.

Date: 2010-05-04 01:44 pm (UTC)

I've heard that the gluten-free thing really works. Hope it continues to be good for you. With the exception of the occasional (very occasional) chocolate, gift, I don't eat much sugar, either, or much meat. Lately it's been mostly fish and veggies. All winter I drank milk and ate cheese because I was curing a broken bone, and can't say I'd be eager to have either of those again for a while.

Date: 2010-05-04 04:07 pm (UTC)

I hope it continues to work as well! The best description I can come up with for how I feel on the diet is 'quiet inside and out'. I do not usually eat meat, so it's very strange to be eating it twice a day. LOL.

BTW, have you looked into silica supplementation for bone maintenance?

Date: 2010-05-04 04:10 pm (UTC)

Hmm, didn't know about silica! I'll have to look into that. Thanks.

Eating meat twice a day would be hard at this point for me, but I know lots of people do well on it.

Date: 2010-05-04 07:03 pm (UTC)

I'm glad you're feeling better! And that the diet will become less draconian.

Date: 2010-05-04 01:33 pm (UTC)

Sorry! but green tea and cardamom are the best part, and guilt free...

I've been losing a little weight by just keeping the portions extremely tiny and exercising a lot, but it takes constant will-power. Fortunately I took said candy bars with me to Chicago where my husband quickly disposed of the temptation.

Date: 2010-05-04 03:58 am (UTC)

Sounds like our tastes are similar! Except for scotch. There are a few things I like that have subtle flavors (esp. if it's mushroom!), & I definitely appreciate both strong & delicate accents in chocolate. Not sure how I feel about cardamom, though, but I'd give it a try! The Matcha one sounds good too. In fact, you write really well about this, mamcu! Ever thought of doing food writing?

Date: 2010-05-04 01:36 pm (UTC)

Heh! Food writing would be a disastrous path for me to follow, but thanks.

I agree about mushroom flavors, and also nuts seem to me to have subtle variations. But who knows, maybe what's subtle to me is shouting to people like my son's partner and my sister, who both can't eat the spicy garlicky things I love.

Another interesting chocolate I ate had lavender, which was also delightful. Can't remember who made that, though.

Date: 2010-05-04 02:41 pm (UTC)

Dagoba makes a lavender (dark) chocolate bar, w/blueberries. It's 1 of my favorites. (Actually, I think I'd like it better w/out the blueberries--to me, they don't really work w/the lavender flavor.) Anyway, is that the one you were thinking of? If it's not, I'f like to know who makes the other one! Dagoba also has a chai flavor, in milk chocolate w/crystallized ginger; you might like that if you like the green tea choc, although I'm not sure it's all that subtle.

Interesting point about the same flavor being subtle or shouting to diff't. people. I've heard about diff't. perceptions of taste intensity.

Date: 2010-05-04 02:50 pm (UTC)

Maybe it was Dagoba! The store where I usually buy Dagoba doesn't stock either the lavender or the ginger, but I know I got the lavender in SF, where I also bought something good from a local company. While I'm here in Chicago I'll check the local stores for that. Do love the Dagoba everything!

I think there's actually research on the flavor-perception differences, but haven't found it with a minimal search.