Raisins and Almonds

Exercise: Taste

Paying attention to how much food we take in—its tastes and textures, chewing sufficiently, and swallowing—helps us be in the present moment and explore the entire sensory experience.
—from Writing from the Senses

At a workshop I handed out raisins and almonds. I suggested people eat slowly, observing taste sensations and textures, then write about their experience. Here is what one student wrote.

Author: Carolyn Kellogg

Raisin
I noticed its dark color and wrinkly skin. As I held it in my mouth, it plumped up from my saliva. As I chewed it, I had that tangy, enjoyable sensation at the base of my tongue along the side that encourages me to take another raisin – eat one, want another.

Almond
I saw its light brown with groves as I popped it into my mouth. The nut resisted my jaw clamping down – unlike the raisin that yielded to my teeth. As I brought pressure, the nut splintered into long pieces. The skin is vaguely fuzzy, the inside smooth. The nut transforms into a meal with that distinctive almond flavor.