When I lived in New York and went to Chinatown, I learned that these flavors and their meanings were actually a foundation of ancient Chinese medicine.Salty translated to fear and the frantic energy that tries to compensate for or hide it.Sweet was the first flavor we recognized from our mother's milk, and to which we turned when we were worried and unsure or depressed.Sour usually meant anger and frustration.Bitter signified matters of the heart, from simply feeling unloved to the almost overwhelming loss of a great love. Most spices, along with coffee and chocolate, had some bitterness in their flavor profile. Even sugar, when it cooked too long, turned bitter. But to me, spice was for grief, because it lingered longest.
Judith Fertig, The Cake Therapist
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