For some time I have noticed that Kate sometimes likes a particular food item one time and dislikes it at another. At first, I thought she might be picking up on variations in the way the food was prepared. Then I began to realize there is just an unpredictable variation in her perception of taste. Last night, for example, she had a cheese quesadilla and a cheese burrito at Chalupas. After she took her first bite of the quesadilla, I asked her how she liked it. She said it was delicious. In a moment, she took another bite. Then I noticed that she only took bites of the burrito. When I asked about the quesadilla, she said it had a funny taste.
Even more surprising is what appears to be her changing taste for Dr. Pepper. It has been her favorite drink since before we met 56 years ago. She has always been sensitive to the mixture of the Dr. Pepper syrup and carbonated water that she gets from dispensers. Now she is finding that her drinks don’t taste the way they should even though I can’t perceive any difference from the way they should taste. Three times in a row this week (at three different places) she has complained to me that the Dr. Pepper didn’t taste right. Just a few minutes ago, I gave her a glass of water. She told me it had a “funny” taste and isn’t drinking it.
Fortunately, her judgments about food don’t extend to everything she gets. She is still eating well. We just returned from lunch. She enjoyed her sandwich, soup, and, especially, the salted caramel gelato.
