Seasonal Sensory Self-Defence Tips

Dear Crusader

With the blink of an eye we find ourselves in the sensory overload that is the festive period, which means it's the occasion for a once-in-a-lifetime bumper Flavour Crusaders newsletter!

It's that time of year when our cognitive accoutrements must work extra hard to process the visual onslaught of flashing lights, advertisements, decorations, and the sub-manic bustle of shopping.

Our audio apparatus must be high performing too. It's no easy task to jump from Mariah Carey, to Wham, to The Pogues, with the relentlessness of the Duracell Bunny on a power surge.

Hence, it's an opportune time to spare a thought for our flavour faculties as well. The run-up to the big day is an escalating frenzy of parties and socials, each one accompanied by an intensity of flavours that are only found in such abundance at this time of year.

Rich meals, mince pies, mulled wine, spiced cakes, Christmas pudding, and a plethora of cheeses that would bewilder even Gromit himself, all vie for our sensory attention.

Which is why this time of year is the perfect opportunity to sharpen one's sensory toolkit.

So today we will be sharing three top tips to help your senses get the most out of the festivities. Following which we shall take a look back at our recent Flavour Crusaders articles that may have slipped under your radar.

At the very least, you will have everything in one place to entertain your grey matter when the 'ho ho ho's' and jungle bells become a little overbearing.

Sensory Self-Defence in The Silly Season - a survival guide

1. Fighting Olfactory Overwhelm: When we repeatedly encounter the same odour over a short period, our ability to detect it diminishes. This phenomenon, known as olfactory fatigue or adaptation, is a temporary suppression of sensitivity to specific smells. This is why when we continue to smell the same thing it's intensity reduces, a common problem during the continuity of flavours at this time of year. To reduce the effect, mix up your sensory stimuli by introducing more diverse flavour combinations rather than continually bombarding yourself with cloves, cinnamon, dried fruit, and nutmeg-based concoctions.
2. Boost Your Odour Memory: Research suggests that one's ability to remember odours is not as good as we may think. Highly familiar odours are recalled efficiently, however, we significantly lose the recall of less familiar odours after 64 days. The festive period is the ideal time to experience odours that are much less common throughout the rest of the year. Use this opportunity to both refresh your odour memory and broaden it with scents of citrus fruits, mulling spices, and spruce, because an updated odour memory is a better performing odour memory. This will serve you well going into 2025 as you sniff your way through ex-sherry casks.
3. Sharpen Your Odour Identification: The plethora of seasonal sensory smells is also the ideal occasion to dial-in one's odour identification. Take the time to truly consider each flavour opportunity that touches your lips. Mentally disassemble the component parts and identify each one like it's gym-o-clock for your senses. Consciously processing flavours changes how the brain reacts to odours, tastes, and mouthfeel, making it more efficient and faster at identifying what's going on in one's glass.

Although you may get a break from work, your senses never get time out. But if you're smart you can use each opportunity to improve your skills and abilities, and gain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon we call flavour.

To get your started, here are our recent articles you may have missed, or perhaps fancy revisiting.

They all live on the free Flavour Crusaders Substack page, waiting to entertain you during those moments when the brain needs some stimulation.

Until next time, I wish you a wonderful winter wonderland, may your sensory dreams come true, and a massive thank you for staying tuned throughout 2024.

We have big plans for The Sensory Advantage in 2025. If you have zero interest in enhancing your sensory skillset, whatever you do, do not click the link.

Keep sniffing, keep sipping, and above all... keep thinking.

Ho ho ho and cin cin cin!

It's a Tasting Not a Test!

Whisky tastings can be a serious business. With five differing dimensions of golden yellow lined up and ready for the get-go, there’s a certain pressure to perform, say the right things, and above all, add the right amount of water. Even the most light-hearted whisky socials cannot discount a sense of underlying apprehension amongst the less experienced. Why does tasting whisky bring an unspoken pressure to perform and not commit any flavour faux pas?

Find out here: It's a Tasting Not a Test

Licking Lamp Posts: The Mystery of Metallic Tastes

The steel in your sauvignon blanc, the copper in your cask sample, or even the iron in your full-blooded syrah. Whatever frequently inhabits the glass in your hand, there’s no doubt that metallic tastes are prevalent in some of our most favoured potable predilections. But what’s going on?

Discover the mysteries of metallic tastes. Are they a taste or an odour? How can they be created inside the mouth? And how is it possible that toasted oak can produce metallic-tasting compounds. One of the less-frequently discussed nuances of flavour is yet another rabbit hole with no looking back.

With spoons at the ready: Licking Lamp Posts: The Mystery of Metallic Tastes

Synaesthesia - The Ultimate Guide

This cognitive curiosity has puzzled neuroscientists, psychologists, and geneticists alike, who have developed various theories to explain its origins and mechanisms. It’s also a topic that pops up in tasting circles from time to time, however, it is often surrounded with a great deal of misunderstanding and unfounded hearsay.

Join me in clearing the confusion by discussing what Synaesthesia is, what the main types are, and delve into how it relates to flavour. It's a multi-sensory adventure that challenges all preconceptions of reality!

Step into the vortex here: Synaesthesia - The Ultimate Guide

Fashion Sense: How Attire Affects Flavour Desire

It’s not often that we consider flavour perception when riffling through one’s wardrobe. Why would we? But our choice attire can have a considerable affect on how we experience flavour. A cognitive step too far perhaps when grappling with an inner verdict on vogue. But once we delve into the science it soon becomes apparent that it’s an area of sensory psychology that should not be overlooked. I promise, you will never look at tartan troosers and Christmas jumpers in the same light again.

Slip into something more comfy here: Fashion Sense: How Attire Affect Flavour Desire

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