Do you think of flavors as being like musical notes?

[NailBat]

I've heard this analogy here and there, and it makes so much sense. But I don't know WHY it makes so much sense.

Some flavors we call "deep", other flavors we call "bright", just like notes on piano. Savory, salty, rich flavors are like bass notes. Acidic, crispy, fresh, or bitter flavors are like high notes.

In both flavor and music, the higher notes tend to be more immediately obvious. In cooking this is often things added late in the recipe or even on the plate, such as a squeeze of lemon. The low notes however make the sound/flavor more full and satisfying. Each on its own would feel like its missing the other.

The best flavor pairings seem to be those that mix low and high notes. For example in sandwiches or tacos, the low notes tend to be in the filling while the high notes tend to be in the toppings. The flavor profiles between the "low" and "high" are so different that when combined, neither steps on the other but instead they fit together naturally.

If you want to take the analogy a step further, I'd say that things like rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, etc would be like the middle note of a chord.

 

[garlichead]

A good analogy.

When I taste for balance I have a tendency to close my eyes and concentrate more. Personally it's more of a painters "palette" where I drag in a component which for me are sweet, sour, bitter, salty, spicy and not every component of a dish needs to have these in balance in order to achieve overall balance, so I'll add "dance" to the analogy. Cheers.

 

[karadekoolaid]

I´ve got a degree in music - however, I´d never align musical analogies to food. To be honest, I think it´s stretching it a bit far.
I´d be more inclined to go with the "art" comparison, like garlichead. "High" notes and "Deep" notes (although I´d describe them as low notes)obviously have different resonances, but I don´t think "High" and "Deep" apply to food; food doesn´t resonate.
Nor would I be able to justify a dish being "Vivace"; "Molto allegre"; "Allegretto" or "Moderato" - just doesn´t seem to fit, for me.

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[Morning Glory]

I don't think in terms of musical notes but I do think in terms of colours and shapes - and its not necessarily the colours of the foodstuff in question. The thing here that is interesting is the link to synaesthesia (which I have, in terms of colour and shapes association).

To quote:

Synaesthesia is a neurological trait or condition that results in a joining or merging of senses that aren't normally connected. The stimulation of one sense causes an involuntary reaction in one or more of the other senses. For example, someone with synaesthesia may hear colour or see sound.that I had it

Synaesthesia is a very specific condition which you either have or don't have. It took me a while to understand as I assumed that everybody had the same associations and I was quite shocked to find that most people didn't. All words, letters, numbers, days of the week etc. have specific colours and sometimes shapes and textures to me. Its involuntary, by which I mean the the association is simultaneous and irrevocable. I've taken part in some studies about synaesthesia. I'm quite mild on the spectrum compared to some.

 

[Windigo]

I don't think in terms of musical notes but I do think in terms of colours and shapes - and its not necessarily the colours of the foodstuff in question. The thing here that is interesting is the link to synaesthesia (which I have, in terms of colour and shapes association).

To quote:


Synaesthesia is a very specific condition which you either have or don't have. It took me a while to understand as I assumed that everybody had the same associations and I was quite shocked to find that most people didn't. All words, letters, numbers, days of the week etc. have specific colours and sometimes shapes and textures to me. Its involuntary, by which I mean the the association is simultaneous and irrevocable. I've taken part in some studies about synaesthesia. I'm quite mild on the spectrum compared to some.

Yes, I have this too but with flavors. I talked about it before. I can 'taste' any food in my mind and have had this since childhood. This is why I love reading cookbooks. I can often determine if something tastes good just by reading the recipe. I have a huge collection of cookbooks because reading about food is like 'eating' a banquet for me.

The description by NailBat seems to be something else, it's an interesting thought to consider a recipe the same way you do a symphony but it's not what my brain does when I read a recipe. I just 'taste' it and know if it will work for me or not.

 

[NailBat]

The describtion by NailBat seems to be something else, it's an interesting thought to consider a recipe the same way you do a symphony but it's not what my brain does when I read a recipe. I just 'taste' it and know if it will work for me or not.

Right, I'm not "hearing" flavors, I just have this very strong mental connection between pitch and flavor. I'm not the only one who uses the analogy, and I can't even explain WHY some flavors seem bass-like. They just do.

I don't have your gift for tasting flavors in my head. I can tell what would taste good by reading a recipe but not from imagining the actual flavor. Now sound, on the other hand: my brain is a god damn radio station.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Gosh, this is to deep for me