As a child in the Soda Fountain of the Monterrey Casino, I asked for a hamburger; When I went to the cafeteria of the Farmacia Benavides del Centrito, I asked for a hamburger, I always ask for a hamburger in room service at the hotel… I think this was my favorite dish, and I say “I think”, because as the years went by my palate and notable foods have been added to the treasured collection of my cravings. The favorites on my list are so dissimilar, so extreme in flavors, textures, trends, ranging from “foie gras” to a taco al pastor. So far from each other that a “pho” from Vietnam, like the marrows from the El Jonuco restaurant in Apodaca, NL, takes my breath away with emotion. The Margarita pizza, with Designation of Origin from the Ardente restaurant, makes me smile at first bite, beef barbacoa tacos in my hometown of sunny Monterrey, I dream of them every day. The “sole meunière” in Paris seems to me the most sublime subtlety of the few and delicate ingredients in a single dish, not to mention the “jam” that you give yourself in a Texan BBQ, saturated with multiple components, that you eat and eat with singular joy to satiate And if it is a chicharrón soup, it is impossible to defy the whim of ordering it at Sud 777.
And these delicacies, why do they make me so happy?
Food is the action of eating when we are hungry, it is related to food intake. These can be healthy, of plant and animal origin, or not healthy, as is the case of processed and highly processed (ultra-processed) that include, among others, preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers, solvents, binders, bulking agents. (can be air or water), sweeteners, sensory enhancers, and colorants.
There is a determining factor in the action of eating, the sense of taste. The pleasure we experience when eating food is due to the production of neurotransmitters such as dopamine or endogenous opioids, which are responsible for such a joyful sensation. This same thing happens with sex. Of the brain it is important to consider its challenge, that of successfully balancing the resources for survival and procreation. That’s right, eating to live and procreating for the subsistence of the human being, two acts that produce well-being.
However, the multisensory experience of eating food involves all the senses with different ways of reaching the brain; from the view we appreciate the composition; we hear the sound, we perceive the touch (sensation in the mouth) and, the smell, which is ultimately what helps to conclude the taste, which reaches the brain through the orthonasal and retronasal pathways, experiencing it when we inhale and exhale.
It is also a memory stimulator, since by collecting all this information, it adds memories and lived situations that influence a symptom, be it happiness or sadness, depending on what it evokes, depending on the previous experiences accumulated in the subconscious. .
Another factor to eat are cravings and/or impulses, in this category there is a difference, men have a more instinctive reaction, they generally think that cravings arise when they are hungry. Instead, women commonly associate it with more emotional events, such as moods, boredom, or stress.
Currently, chefs have dedicated themselves to seeking a transformative impact, relying not only on practice, but also on a large amount of recent research that focuses on the use of new techniques from molecular gastronomy and gastrophysics —dedicated to investigating about the combinations to generate a better perception of taste—to create innovative dishes with surprising textures, original flavors and exploring creativity in the beauty of what they offer: a dish that combines all the senses.
Having said all of the above, I wish you a good meal and a romantic evening. Until next time…
