Resistance of the taste buds
| Objective: To test your ideas about resistance by challenging your taste buds! |
Duration: 30 to 75 minutes
Material:
- Sugar
- Salt
- Something sour (e.g. lemon juice)
- Something spicy (e.g. pepper or chilli)
Instructions:
Prepare the revolution. To revolutionize your meal tonight, suggest that your family eat dinner… while testing the resistance of your taste buds! Since some people can withstand a high dose of spice but can't bear salt, while other people love sugar yet make the funniest faces when they taste the sourness of a lemon, you need to test this resistance in several ways! To do this, set aside four bites of your dish, then have each person cover the first bite with as much sugar as they dare. Do the same thing with the other bites, using something salty, then spicy, then sour. Although the purpose of the activity is to test your resistance, be careful not to make the bites too strong, especially the spicy one! For a typical hot sauce, one or two drops is probably enough! If you prefer, you can use crackers or pieces of bread instead. If your family members don't want to play along, no problem: for this activity, you can simply do the tasting by yourself.
Lead the revolution. Taste the four bites, taking the time to observe how each. If the flavour of a bite is too extreme, you obviously don't have to finish it! Philosophy should be delicious not dangerous!
Think about the revolution. Before moving on, take the time to soothe your tongue—for example, by drinking a large glass of water or by sticking the back of a metal spoon against your taste buds. Then discuss these few questions together: Is it important to be able to resist discomfort or pain? Is it hard to admit that we have reached our limit? Can resistance be dangerous? Why or why not?
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Bonus: If you are still waiting for the pièce de résistance of this revolutionary meal, the chef recommends the following menu of questions: Is it sometimes good to want to impress others? Who decides what is impressive? Can you impress yourself? Why or why not? |
| Tricks for tots: Rather than making each bite as extreme as possible, you can add increasing amounts of salt on your four bites. Start by tasting the least salty bite, then gradually work your way up to the saltiest. You can stop whenever you want! Then think about these questions: Are there difficult things that you must do? Is it a good idea to test your limits once in a while? Can you become more resistant? Why or why not? |
| Tips for teens: Resistance is not only an individual matter, it can be a political one as well. You may be familiar with examples from history such as Gandhi's Salt March, Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her bus seat, or the Patriots' Rebellion. Ask yourself: Is it ever necessary to resist authority? Is it sometimes important to stop resisting and submit? Can resistance be non-violent? Why or why not? |
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