We all thought there were four but actually there are five. Not Gospels, but tastes. There’s sweetness, sourness, saltiness and bitterness. And the fifth is umami, the Pete Best* of the culinary world that was there from the beginning. Umami is a meaty, broth-like, or savoury taste.
What’s your favourite taste? For me, there’s nothing better than a juicy ripe sliced tomato with olive oil, salt, red onion and basil, accompanying a medium-rare T-bone steak with some twice-cooked chips. And mustard mayo. There’s a restaurant in Stellenbosch in South Africa which did that to perfection. One day, I hope to return there for that transcendent experience.
A meal may be there to nourish, but we prepare it in a way that is to be experienced and enjoyed. Even in the centuries when the Bible was written, and food was frequently scarce, there was time and produce set aside for feasting. It may be interesting to have a meal explained scientifically, and that has its place. But someone who only relates to food on a nutritional or biological basis is missing out on the joy of food.
The liberty of exclusivity: Choice, freedom and Jesus
I was born in the mid-1970s when there were three television channels in the UK: BBC1, BBC2 and ITV. That …