Taste

Of course, it almost goes without saying that I’ve got impeccable taste. Well I would think that, wouldn’t I? Just as you probably think you have too. In fact it’s unlikely that I’ve ever met anyone who declares that their own taste to be appalling – even if it obviously is. And what is taste? An understanding of what looks good to wear, or possibly how one’s house is decorated? All in the best possible taste.

But taste, as far as I’m concerned, is something you experience when you stick something in your mouth. And, when it comes to that, I’ve definitely got impeccable taste. If I like it, so should you. But you don’t always, do you?

So, why is it that we like different things? You know what I mean: he likes Marmite and she hates it and so on. I remember being surprised when I first went to school to find that other children didn’t like the things I did. I guessed this was for a couple of reasons: first, we were born naturally different and second, we were brought up in different ways. And it’s that latter thought that interests me because, if it’s correct, it means we can blame the parents. And we can change ourselves.

I know that I’ve deliberately made myself like something that I’ve previously hated. Not just forcing myself, over a period of a year or two, like I did with whisky - after getting myself so drunk on it as a teenager that merely the smell of it could make me retch. I’m so pleased I succeeded.

No, it was rather seeing other people get a kick out of certain foods that I wouldn’t touch that got me thinking I wanted the same kick as them because I was obviously missing something. And as a result, these days I’ll eat virtually anything that you’ll eat; with the caveat that it helps if it’s cooked well and made from reasonable ingredients.

You frequently hear that it’s difficult to get children to eat their vegetables but it occurs to me that if they’re made to experience them as a natural part of life, not give them any choice or prejudices, then life’s so much easier. When I had my own children, I made the conscious decision that, once they were old enough, whenever they wanted a snack or a treat, they received fruit or vegetables. And so it was that you’d see them sitting in their pushchairs sucking on orange segments, bananas and carrots. They thoughts sweets were something only grandparents produced.

As a result they didn’t actually get into sweet things until they were quite a bit older than their contemporaries and while, once they’d experienced it, they loved chocolate as much as anyone, they loved fruit and vegetables too. After all, if they hadn’t eaten the healthy stuff, they probably feared I’d starve them.

I’m sure this conditioning effects us all and the way we’re brought up from day one determines to a large extent what we’re prepared to eat in later life. This isn’t some scientific study but I reckon the theory’s got legs.

So, next time I see you in one of our restaurants, I’ll be able to listen to what you say when you read the menu, hear what you like and dislike and know exactly how you were brought up.

But, of course, you’ve got such good taste. It’s just that mine’s better than yours.