EPIPHANY! MUST READ!

[Attraction]

I suffered from chronic bad breath for about 6 years, from 2011 to 2017. I was cured in 2017, after getting my tonsils out (had tonsil stones) and getting my rotten wisdom teeth extracted. Click here to read my story.

However, that is completely unrelated to what I just discovered:

About 1 week ago, I learned that Humans actually have FIVE (5) BASIC TASTES. The 4 commonly known in "The West" are SALTY, SWEET, BITTER and SOUR.

The FIFTH taste is called UMAMI.

Upon further research, I learned about how Chinese restaurants have been using MSG as a secret ingredient in their food since the 1970's, which is a large part of the reason why it just seems to taste better than other types of food.

The reason why Chinese food seems to have something different about it that makes it taste better... it because it does! It has significantly higher UMAMI flavor than we are normally used to consuming.

What does UMAMI taste like? You are probably wondering how you have never heard of this your entire life, but I assure you it's real... well, I'm almost sure at least - checkout this Wikipedia article about Human taste if you don't believe me.

Another word for UMAMI is SAVOURY, or SAVOURINESS. Allow me to explain. It is important, because it's how I just came to this realization, so if you get anything from this post, it should be the following.

Umami leaves a lingering, long-lasting and tongue-coating sensation in the mouth (specifically the tongue). Even after brushing the teeth, Umami taste and perception continues. In fact, I just ate a meal LOADED with Umami flavor, then brushed my teeth, tongue, and scraped my tongue, yet 2 HOURS later, the flavor is still here on my tongue (even as I type this).

I used to have this EXACT FEELING in my mouth, and ask my dad to smell my breath, and if you read my earlier posts, you know that my father is 100% honest about my breath - he tells the truth. However, despite expecting him to tell me my breath smells, because my mouth has this lingering flavor for hours and hours, he would almost always say "No, your breath doesn't smell at all". He would bring his nose directly in front of my mouth, I would breath into his nose, and he would assure me over and over that "Your breath doesn't smell, at all.". Umami is the reason why I always thought that my breath smelled!

Due to my trust of my father, given that I know he tells the truth, I was left in a serious predicament. How do I explain that my father is right, and that my breath doesn't smell (which I believed, fully), but that I have this subtle, yet intense coating and flavor all over my mouth?! It doesn't make sense!!!

Until today!! That sensation, that lingering flavor in our mouths is the 5th Human taste - Umami!