It is quite a simple task for any self-respecting person to try to establish an analogy between the emotions or feelings we may experience throughout our lives and the various flavours we taste , from the mixture of foods that make up our diet.

That pleasure we experience when tasting an excellent meal, which runs through our 5 senses and immerses us in a kind of state of fullness and harmony, due in part to the skill of a great chef in combining and cooking the food, can be similar to the state of abstraction underlying the contemplation of a beautiful natural landscape or the first days of a love that seemed impossible, for example.

The Taste of Emotions

Life can also evoke certain flavours at certain times, as has been suggested in countless literary works, songs or films, which are part of the collective imagination in the form of emotional synaesthesia. Thus, we could find the following associations among others:

1. Sweet

Following the popular philosophy, we understand that sweet moments are those associated with moments of success, whether personal, professional or similar. We understand that a person goes through a sweet moment when things are going in line with their expectations or even better. We could compare such taste then with emotions like joy or sentimental states like euphoria, satisfaction, love , etc.

2. Salty

To say that a person is salty (or ‘salá’ as the Andalusians would say) or that he or she has a salt shaker, basically has to do with the capacity that this person has to overcome his or her fear of making a fool of himself or herself or of what others will say. In other words, to orientate him/herself towards having fun in everyday situations or, in short, to enjoy certain events, knowing how to provide them with a little more salt.

3. Bitter

When we imagine a person who is bitter, we usually imagine a person who is angry with the world, complaining or grumpy, who has no difficulty in expressing his or her anger left and right. We can also think of sad, or melancholic people who find it difficult to enjoy their lives, whether or not there are objective factors that justify it.

4. Spicy

Saying that a situation has become spicy or that this or that person is “spicy” usually evokes a certain state of excitement of a mainly sexual nature related to emotional tension of a pleasant nature , in most cases, triggered by a “hot” situation. It is true that not everyone enjoys spicy food, just as there are people who, either through inexperience, personal embarrassment or various additional factors, find it difficult to experience this exciting sensation as pleasant.

5. Acid

In the case of the sour taste, I can’t stop thinking about a kind of humor without filters, in the purest Hugh Laurie style – protagonist of the “House” series -, in which one expresses one’s own feelings without considering excessively those of others .

It also perfectly reflects the states of pressure to which certain people with high levels of self-demanding are subjected, who experience anxiety, stress or various emotional tensions, derived from obsessive thinking styles in a pessimistic premonitory format, also called worry.

Interestingly, these emotional states are associated with digestive disorders, mainly gastritis, heartburn and other problems of a psychosomatic nature.

Emotional regulation is like making a recipe

Learning to manage our emotions, knowing how to interpret the situations and ups and downs that life throws at us is an art, an art that can be learned, in the same way that a magnificent chef combines ingredients to enrich his sauces, we can learn to favour certain interpretations of our reality , so that our vital tasting is fuller.
Good appetit!