Title: the Dark Side of the Spoon: the Gustatory Experience of Eating in a Blind Dining Restaurant Author(S): Kathe Gray Source: Graduate Journal of Food Studies, Vol

Title: The dark side of the spoon: The gustatory experience of eating in a blind dining restaurant Author(s): Kathe Gray Source: Graduate Journal of Food Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jan. 2015), pp.50-59 Published by: Graduate Association for Food Studies

©Copyright 2015 by the Graduate Association for Food Studies. The GAFS is a graduate student association that helps students doing food-related work publish and gain professionalization. For more information about the GAFS, please see our website at WWW.GRADUATEFOODORGANIZATION.ORG. GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 50 “mouth sense” which toidentifythat weconsume;however, These tastesprovide themostbasicofpaletteswith activated. fits intoitsmatchingreceptorisatastestimulus the tastantasakey; onlywhena particulartastant sweetness, andumami(asense of‘meatiness’). categories oftaste:bitterness, saltiness,sourness, into aconscioustasteperception. to thebrain, whichinturn translates theimpulse on tastebuds. solved substance,suchasfood—andreceptorsites between anoutsidetastant—amoleculeofadis- sense; atastesensationistriggeredby thereaction we commonlyrefertoastaste.Taste isachemical also responsibleforgustatoryperception,what material tothedigestive tract asweswallow. Itis churns foodaswechewitandconveys masticated bumps. Inadditiontoitsroleinspeech,thetongue ered withmoist,pinktissueandstippledsmall the humantongue:aroughlysurfacedmusclecov- sense moreaccurately capturesthesensorial reality impression of foodsandothersubstances. Mouth abstract in ablinddiningrestaurant The gustatoryexperienceofeating The darksideofthespoon: KATHE GRAY keywords |anthropologyofsenses;gustatorysystem;taste;mouthsense;blinddining. rich portraitofaphysicalspaceevenintheabsencevisualinformation. are tastes themselves the when a can construct in concert working systems how sensory I alsoexperience unremarkable. especially ways, evocative and specific in experiences the paucityofvocabularythat so, I the Englishlanguagehastodescribegustatory discover such astaste, olfaction, and located touch—which isperceptually in the mouth. In doing modalities— an assemblageofsensory those I“mouthsense,” selected myself,I explore observation. By making severalvisitsto restaurant and eating both mystery meals and accessing sensorial, embodied, and affective ways of knowing that otherwise elude visual waiters, becomes the field site for a “sensory apprenticeship,” an experiential approach to as their and thenserve dining rooms into pitch-black lead sightedpatrons impaired people Gustatory perception is limited to five recognized MOUTH SENSE:ASENSE-SCAPEDEFINED 2 Aneural impulseisthencommunicated | 1 4 Imaginethereceptorasalockand provides amoredetailed sensory

In this ethnographic account, a blind diningrestaurant,In thisethnographic wherevisually Picture 3

gustation withsubtletyandnuance. chewing andswallowing,thesecomplexes enhance substance andforcedintothenasalcavity during complex mixturesofodorants; releasedfroma olfaction. Theolfactorysystemroutinelyprocesses oral cavity, andthroat),and,mostprominently, sensations ofbothshapeandtexture, by thetongue, thermoreception (temperature), touch(including the piquancy, or“heat,” offoodslike chilipeppers), sensitivity (especially throughthedetectionof located perceptuallyinthemouth:chemical taste perceptionseveral othersensorymodalities of eatinganddrinkingasadailyactivity, adding to our bodies. material throughtaste,wenecessarilytake itinto is amostintimatesense,given thatinknowinga philosopher CarolynKorsmeyer positsthattaste by neurochemistryandphysiology alone.The of ingestingcertain substances—roadkill orhuman taboos froman earlyagesothatthemere thought experienced) emotionally. We are inculcatedwith understood intellectually, andexperienced (andre- matter butalsohowitisinterpreted culturally, influenced notonly by howthebodyencounters However, atasteexperience cannotbedefined 6 Consequently, ataste experience is 5

of thesenses positsthatsensoryperception is ‘correct’ experience.” (or displeasure) ofitbutalso“forhaving the not onlypreparesusfortheaestheticpleasure the visualrecognitionofwhatweareabouttoeat was whippedcream. swallowed aspoonfulofhair moussethinkingit befuddlement, alarm,and thenamusementtohave the flavor ofBuckley’s coughsyrup;wereactwith succulent steakonthegrill;westeelourselves for sense ofit),isalsoaninherentlysocialactivity. share food,wecannottheexact samemouth while anintenselypersonalone(forwecan might eatthem. Christmas kitchen,nomatterwhattimeofyear I sugar cookiesalways bringtomindmy mother’s vivid mentalimagesofthepast;forexample, iced itself. Theflavor of yet otherstuffsmight evoke we may stillberesistanttosamplingthecheese of StinkingBishopemanatesonlyfromtherind, While wemightappreciatethatthepungency flesh, forinstance—mightfilluswith revulsion. it isweareabouttoputinourmouths. taste experience; thatis,wetypicallyseewhatever sight isalsoanintegral component ofthequotidian of thesesocialinteractions. AsKorsmeyer notes, substances cancreatebothsocialtiesanddivisions. food, drink,tobacco,andotherconsumable to seehowsharing,distributing,andwithholding movement, pain,changeintemperature, taste—is perceptions—sight, sound,touch,smell,proximity, result intheproductionofallmannersensorial As theseexamples intimate,thetasteexperience, A SERIESOFBLIND DATES For mostofus,sightisusuallypartandparcel To understandthatsocialencountersinvariably engaging inintensesocialactivities. through world,especially sensorialize our etc.)Inotherwords, toasting… feasting, we singing…cooking, shouting, speaking, (through etc. spectacle, smell, heat, taste, sensorialproductionswith human ofnoise, processThis cannotbedone ofsocializing 9 We salivateatthesightofa Theanthropology 7 8 Infact, and mediatorsofsocialvalue. are bothphysiological receptorsofinformation both aphysical andacultural act;thesenses and, inCanada,Montreal,Toronto, andVancouver. Paris, New York, St.Petersburg, Sydney, Tel Aviv, centers worldwide:Beijing,London, Los Angeles, establishment ofotherdarkrestaurants inurban latest trendsinthehospitalitybusiness,with and morality. acting culturally asmeasuresofbothaesthetics comportment, withkinestheticcontrolandbalance sensorium oftheAnlo-Eweprioritizesbodily which itordersitsvarioussenses.InGhana,the or thepatternofemphasisandmeaningthrough anthropologist explores aculture’s “sensorium,” restaurants—and theirpatrons—rhapsodize about experience ofbeingblind.Additionally, many demographic, andtoteachthe sightedaboutthe jobs forblindpeople,ahistorically underemployed their sociallyconsciousefforts tobothprovide Like Blindekuh,most darkrestaurants publicize rooms andthenserve astheirwaiters. who leadsightedpatronsintopitch-blackdining opportunities toblindandvisuallyimpairedpeople, was establishedinparttoprovide employment the world’sfirstdarkrestaurant. Therestaurant the childhoodgameBlindMan’s Bluff—became translates to“BlindCow,” theGermannamefor restaurant inZurich1999.Blindekuh—which friends’ response,heopenedthefirstblinddining himself facedwheneating.Encouraged by his that they couldexperience thechallengeshe would sometimesblindfoldhisdinnerguestsso Spielmann, avisuallyimpairedSwisspastorwho restaurant inToronto, Canada. that Ifoundmyself visitingO.Noir, ablinddining given itsintimaterelationshipwithtaste.Soitwas explore mouthsenseby bracketing outvision, remain, Iwonderedifmightbebetterableto of onesensewithanenhancementthosethat that thehumanbodycompensatesforloss a pronouncedvisualbias. and superiorsense,thesensoriumismarked by has longbeenprivilegedastherational, modern, Blind dining has since become one of the Blind dininghassincebecomeoneofthe Blind diningoriginatedinthehomeofJorge 11 InWestern culture,wheresight 12 Having oftenheard 10 Asensorial 13

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 51 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 52 interlocutors. attentively andmindfullyattunedwithher a CittàslowtowninWales, Pinkfoundherself leisure andworkactivities.Duringhertourof pleasure andlong-lastingenjoyment fromtheir participants tolive moreslowly, takingsensual Slow), atransnational movement, encourages its more careandtake moretime.Cittàslow(City suspected thateatinginthedarkwouldrequire that Iwouldattendtothemdifferently. Ialso nonsight senseswouldbeheightened,Ididexpect of assumptions.First,whileIdoubtedthatmy my researchsitewaspredicatedonahandful they’ve beenserved. sight—and tryingtoidentifythemystery meals Most mentionthesheerfunofeatingwithout from thevisualoverload ofthemoderncityscape. Some restaurants pitchthemselves asarespite heightening ofalltheirothersenses. the sensualityofeatingindarkaswell of theirinhibitionstohave arollickinggoodtime. loosen upwithoutembarrassment, toletgoofsome applaud theway thatthedarknessallowspeopleto couple whohad wantedtoexperience O.Noir since was accompanied by Dawn andKevin, amarried restaurant onthreeoccasions. OnthefirstvisitI the experience and evoke my experience forothers. using terminologythatwould bothtake mebackto attempt tonotemy experiences ofmouth sense to describemy flavor experiences; Iwantedto and moreonenrichingthelexicon ofwords Iuse foods Imightbeeatinginthedarkened restaurant I determinedtofocuslessonidentifyingwhat element might“flavor” my experience. Finally, experience withfriends,toseehowthesocial experienced. Thirdly, IwantedtosharetheO.Noir accurate portrayal ofhowfoodanddrinkare by thetongue,asIwantedtocaptureamore mouth sense,rather thanjustthetastesperceived studying whatI’ve nowcometounderstandas rich, reflexive, sensorydetail.Second,Iwouldbe and therestaurant spaceitself—withthatsame my sense-scape—boththeflavor experience provide mewiththeatmospheretocomeknow My choiceofablinddiningrestaurant as Over thecourseof my research,Ivisitedthe 17 Iexpected adarkrestaurant would 15 They also 16

dancing ethnographer. attunements thatstudentdancersundergo,wasa subject ofherresearchonthesensoryandbodily same contemporary dancetraining thatwasthe that CarolinePotter, whoundertookthevery then, aneatingethnographer, inthesameway actually consumingfoodanddrink,afterall.Iwas, one cannotcommentonmouthsensewithout also participatedfullyintheresearchmyself— they madeover thecourseofevening. I to make useofany spontaneousobservations their experiences, they granted mepermission sole guideonthefloor. alone. For bothofthoseevenings, Tracey wasthe me onmy secondvisit;onmy finalvisit,Idined about it,andtolearnhowonelearns,” way tolearnaskill:itisalsoanidealway tolearn apprenticeship representsnotonly“an excellent that evening wasVictor. they’d heardaboutitmonthsprevious; ourguide by othermouthsenseexperiences. by readingsthatIhaddone,othertimesoccasioned by subsequentvisitstoO.Noir, sometimesstirred course ofmy researchperiod,sometimesprompted commentary anddetailtomy fieldnotes over the ourselves by firstname and thenqueueupbehind and Iwouldmeet ourguide.We’d allintroduce coats andplacingourorder withthehost,my guests restaurant beganthesameway: aftercheckingour Sarah Pinkcalls“sensoryapprenticeship.” not somuchparticipantobservationasitwaswhat and intellectualactivity.” are crafted over longerperiodsofinteraction the momentsinwhichthey arelived. Rather they include sense-scapes—are“notsimplymadein ethnographic places—andIwouldextend thisto the followingmorning.IalsotookfromPinkthat write moreelaborate fieldnotesnolaterthan notes immediatelyafterdining,usingthemto during my visitsbutinsteadscribbledbriefscratch that otherwiseeludevisualobservation. sensorial, embodied,andaffective ways ofknowing While Ididnotinterviewmy friendsregarding PICTURING THEDARK I neitherwrotenorrecordedobservations 19 18 Like her, my methodwas 22 Each visit to the Eachvisittothe MyfriendAlisonjoined Consequently, Iadded 21 andtoaccess 20 Suchan black onblacker. To contend withthedistraction, distracted by theseever-shifting patterns of connections? Iinitiallyfound myself inordinately visual cortexes? Themisfiringof somany synaptic so many days lived inthelight?Aninvention ofour see, wewereseeingsomething: theafterimageof experiencing. Even thoughtherewasnothingto nothing solidorstillaboutthe“blindness”wewere the firstobservationseachofusmade:therewas my companionsdidaswell,andthisbecameoneof closed, Isaw thesamevariegatednoise.Eachof sunglasses. Whethermy eyes were openedor rendition oftheaurora borealisseenthrough days oftheanalogsignalorperhapsapointillist low-contrast version oftelevision snowbackinthe speckles dancedthroughmy visualfield,like a in any recognizedsense,arandom patternof to discerneven thevaguestofoutlines,tosee completely. Instead,even thoughIwasunable of blackness,thatitenveloped meutterlyand never beforeexperienced suchaserenesheet the O.Noir diningroomwasabsolute,that Ihad we werelefttosettleourselves in. world. Whiletheguideattendedtootherpatrons, no deeperthanmy lowerarm,becamemy known this intimatespace,aswidemy shouldersand my handswouldtrace thelocationofeachobject; plate withadollopofbutteratitstop.Eachtime, right, apaperservietteinthecenter, andabread rubberized placemat,aforktoitsleft,knife our guidenotedthetablesettingforus:acentral each seatourselves safely. Onceweweresettled, hands firmlyontothechairbacksothatwecould escort usoneatatimetoourchairs,placing darkness) aswetravelled. Ourguidewouldgently and commentingparenthetically(mostlyaboutthe tables untilwereachedourown,gigglingquietly blackened diningroom,chuggingourway pastother our benefit—andassemblywouldpassintothe would open—anactionourguidenarrate for us, we’d beengulfedby darkness.Aseconddoor an unlitantechamber. Asthedoorclosedbehind guide wouldleadusthroughaninitialdoorway into right shoulderofthepersoninfrontus.Our the guide,eachofusplacingourrighthandon I wouldlike totellyou thatthedarknessof forkful witha companion.Onmy subsequent two exclamations asoneperson attemptedtoshare a by astringofinstructions, interjections,and face,” isthis?”and“Have “What ataste,” followed … ormaybe pork,” “IthinkIhave gravy onmy areyou eating?”“Thisisdefinitely chicken“What related tothediningexperience: isthis?” “What at oneanother’scommentaries,mostofwhich another’s conversations, wedidalllaughunshyly around usseldomparticipatedactively inone somehow surprisedinthedark.Whiletables laughter, andtheoccasionalsquealfrompatrons with loudandspiritedconversation, boisterous be sharedacrosstables,buttheairherewasfilled the strangeness oftheexperience itselfbegged to to combatthechillinessofroom,andperhaps audio space,perhapswewereenergizingourselves difficult torecognizeandmaintainourpersonal loudly, perhapsthelackofvisualcuesmade itmore us fromourusualinhibitionsaboutspeakingtoo of fourormore.Perhaps thedarknessreleased I laterconcludedisusuallyreserved forparties the diningroomtorightoflobby, anarea Consequently, Dawn, Kevin, andIwereseatedin three ofourcompatriotstoothercommitments. visit: we’d anticipatedbeingagroupofsixbutlost also notable.Thiswasespeciallytrueonmy first fellow diners,bothinspeechandlaughter, were whereabouts withongoingpatter. Thevoices ofour alerting oneanother—andtheirpatrons—to crew. They usedtheirvoices like drivers usehorns, chinked—but theguideswereamostaudible the uncarpetedfloor, silverware clinked, glasses any shareddiningspace—chairsscraped against with sound.Therewerethenormalsoundsof In fact,theoppositewastrue:roomalive and even distortedby thedepthofdarkness. hushed andsecretive, withvibrations attenuated of blackvelvet, I’d expected ittosoundthatway too: there. Ithadn’t dissipated;I’d simplyacclimated. whenever Ithoughttocheckthis,thenoisewasstill away over time.Indeed,itseemedto,butinfact I wonderedwhetherthepatterningwouldgo companions andIpreferredtokeep themopen. Kevin optedtositwithhiseyes closed;my female Just asI’d expected like thespacetolook aswath

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 53 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 54 its contentsunintelligible”; years ofblindnesssuddenly found“hishouseand it mightbethatamanwho hadregainedsightafter understood, inthemostrudimentary ofways, how some confusion—tomy imageofthediningroom.I split secondoflightaddednothing—save perhaps the suggestionofawall.Awall?Ultimately, that vision, Isaw Kevin, eyes closed,andbehind him as Istruggledtofind my napkin.Withperipheral our immediatearea.Dawn saw my faceinprofile, switch. For abriefmoment,dimlightspilledinto number accidentallyflippedanemergencylight guided agroupoutofthediningroom,onetheir size. Interestingly, thatsameevening, asVictor I couldfeelmy conceptionoftheroomexpand in my arm.Asaguideledthatgrouptotheirseats, was unabletolocateitwithrepeatedsweepsof a wallstooddirectlybehindme,even thoughI joined usinthediningroom,Iwasconvinced that distance away infrontofme.Untilanotherparty additional tableortwosatatleasttwicethat four satabouteightfeettomy rightandthatan first seated,Ideterminedthatatableofatleast For example, whenDawn, Kevin, andIwere (decidedly partial)portrait ofthediningroom. incidental noises,they alsohelpedmebuilda O.Noir experience, Idiscovered that,alongwith guides lentaconvivial commensalitytothe we wouldhave hadwebeenvisibletooneanother. room fetedAmy sonorously, moreso,Isuspect,than sing “Happy Birthday” toafellowpatron.Theentire was particularlytruewhenTracey asked allofusto sporadic interactions withtheentireroom.This Tracey carriedonwitheachtablebutalsothrough first visitpersisted,partlythroughthechatter a senseoftheanimationthatcharacterized my the experience moreintimateandinsular. Still, individual conversations andsomehowrendering the roomfromanoverhead speaker, obscuring two. Pleasant,ifinnocuous,folk-popbubbledinto dining room,onethatseemedsetupfortablesof in whatIhave construedastherestaurant’s other visits—once withAlison,oncesolo—Iwasseated rather thanseen. much differently intheimaginationwhen itisheard While thevocalizations ofbothpatronsand 23 aspaceisfashioned hesitation, we allbegantoplay withour food.Ifirst rife withpotential embarrassment. After some direction ofanunknownappetizer withaforkwas same time,thenotionofstabbing inthegeneral dictated thatwenotuseour hands,whileatthe to proceed.Middle-classNorth Americanetiquette were allmomentarilyataloss,uncertainexactly how and meatforthem.Whenourstarterarrived, we the three-coursesurprisemeal,vegetarian forme for thedailyoff-menusurprisedishes. are invited eithertoorderfromthemenuoropt plus eitherstarterordessert).Additionally, they entrée, anddessert)atwo-coursemeal(entrée choose betweenathree-coursemeal(starter, we re-enteredthelight. which, thoughsoftlylit,seemedoverly brightwhen room throughtheantechamberandintolobby, guide inthelead,weconga-linedourway fromthe left shoulderofthepersoninfrontusandour the inverse ofourentrance: withlefthandonthe the world. how itisthatsight-impairedpeoplemightconstrue society tooomnipotent—toteachitsparticipants with blindness—andtheocularcentrismofWestern just tootemporary andsuperficialanencounter depends onavisualanalogy. Dininginthedark is strikes me,ofcourse,thatthisimagethespace of terra incognita,traversed onlyby ourguides.It generous thanusualinrestaurants—was akind into existence. Thespacebetweentables—more upon theirtable,bringingthemoutofthedarkand spoke, itwasasifatightpooloflightwerecast discrete settings;eachtimediningcompanions were watchingastageplay thatfeaturedseveral It suddenlyseemedtomethatitwasasthoughwe relation toourownby bothdistanceanddirection. another by howthosevoices werepositionedin almost intuitively distinguishingonetablefrom listened forconversations takingplacearoundus, the numberofoccupiedtablesinroom.We on my secondvisit;AlisonandIwereestimating On my firstvisit,Dawn, Kevin andIallselected Leaving thediningroomaftereachvisitwas My conceptionofthediningareasconsolidated PLAYING WITHOURFOOD AtO.Noir, patrons conveyed ittomy mouth. shapes betweenmy thumbandindex fingerand was lukewarm. Ithenpinchedoneofthenickel-like sat onabedofwiltedgreens.Theentireassemblage shapes toppedwithathickandslightlygrittysauce and quantityoffoodthere:asoftmoundcooked plate, gettingasenseofthetexture, temperature, dabbed my index finger lightly over the surface of my salad, wassavory onmy tongue. Onthewhole,it The sauce,though, thesameoneserved over the much oftheirinherentflavor mutedinthe process. more broccoli,allsautéed toasoggysoftness, undignified anyway. Iatecauliflower, potato,and white ricewithmy fingershadbeguntofeel rather pretty easy.” nickel andafloretofbroccoli. bean fromitsslightlystringytexture, thena carrot fingers, Ifoundabean,whichjudgedtobegreen before itgrewunappetizinglycool.Stillusingmy warm, IknewI’d needtoeatsteadilyfinishit of short-grained rice.Though itwassufficiently mess ofsaucyvegetables arranged aroundapillow finger around my plate,detectingthroughtoucha returned withourentrées.Again,Idabbedmy Victor arrived toclearourplatesand,minuteslater, and swalloweditdown. flavorful thatIsoppedupthe excess with my roll chock-a-block withgrated Parmesan? Itwasso grainy meatiness—perhapsabalsamicvinaigrette acerbic butmellowbite,anastringentpull,anda The saucewasthemostchallengingtoidentify:an taste, andshape,thenshareourdiscoveries. try toidentifyitsmajorcomponentsby texture, “Root vegetables.” I switchedtomy fork.Trying toeatthesoft “Have you triedyour forkyet? It’sactually Almost asquicklywe’d finishedourstarter, And soitwent:wewouldnibbleatthestarter, aftertaste.” “And arugula—peppery, andthatbitter “Yup, definitelyaparsnip.” “Parsnips?” thatwasaparsnip.”“Well, sauce.” “Or apotato?Itwouldbeblandwithoutthe “Yeah, metoo.Carrots,maybe?” 24 response. describing thesumofmy mealrather thanitsparts. the opportunitytoexercise my vocabulary for notes, IwasdisappointedtoseeI’d againmissed with icecream.Again,whenelaborating my field potatoes. For dessert,webothhadbaked apple sliced chicken breastwithgreenbeansandroasted with asaucemorepiquantthanumami;shehad of whichitwascomposed.Ihadanotherstir-fry, eating, rather thanmeditatingontheflavor profiles we focusedonidentifyingwhatitwaswere dessert forher. JustasDawn, Kevin, andIhaddone, vegetarian dishanddessertforme,ameat We bothoptedforthetwo-coursesurprise:a describe theflavor sensationswe’d experienced. component ingredientswere,rather thantryingto had onourplates,tryingtodeterminewhatthe fallen intothehabitofdeconstructingwhatwe notes, Iwassurprisedtoseehowreadilywe’d all deceived us. spices—cinnamon, perhapsadashofnutmeg—had its perfumedbouquetandthenrealizingthatthe identifying itfirstassomesortof exotic fruitfrom each struggledtobreakoffapiecewithourspoons, ice creamwasachunkoffirmbutjuicyflesh. We we wereright.Yet buriedunderthesilky-smooth pliable, creamy, redolentwithvanilla—and weknew suspected icecream.Aspoonfulofthestuff— spoons. Thebowlwascold,soweallimmediately announce thearrivalofourdessertsanddessert (rather thanthemoretraditional basmati)rice. been served mildlyspicybutterchicken withwhite and Kevin, meanwhile, haddeterminedthatthey’d was apalatable,ifunremarkable,stir-fry. Dawn own body, totheappreciation of aflavor and its sensation can draw thetaster’s attentiontoher and outwardintentionality; thatis,ataste Korsmeyer suggeststhatthisisanatural Alison andIvisitedO.Noir afewdays later. Later thatnight,whileassemblingmy field “Sure, apple.” “Apple, then?” enough.” “Maybe, butitdoesn’t seemquitegranular “Pear?” Victor removed ourplates,returningquicklyto 25 Atastercanexercise bothinward

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 55 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 56 mouth sense. development ofvocabulary for communicating the blinddiningexperience toencourage the outward intentionality, theninward enjoyment. of whatweeat,mustfirstbeabletoidentifyit: Consequently, toappreciatetheaestheticqualities what mightnormallygive usgreatpleasure. foods thatdisgustus,wecan’t even fully enjoy memory forus.Notonlycanwenotavoid those have anaffinity, orthatitisafoodstimulates a prohibitedfood,thatitisfoodforwhichwe we areunabletosay withcertaintythatitisnot world. Withoutknowingwhatitisweareeating, discovering andidentifyingsubstancesoutinthe function, directingthetaster’sattentiontoactsof effect onherownbody, oritcanserve acognitive mellow onion, floretsofbarelybitter broccoli, and mushrooms, fat slivers of(what I assumedtobe) hint ofcitrusandadash heat;chunksofmeaty overcooked; azestysauceroundedoutwith dente crunch,pastajuston therightsideofbeing slippery rotininoodleswith anever-so-slight al appreciating, anddescribingmy meal:warmand vegetables—I wasreadytobeginassessing, the table—pastawithlighttomatosauceand in thepast.OnceTracey broughtmy entréeto acclimated tothevisualstaticmorequicklythan quickly becamecomfortableinmy invisibility. I folk-pop onthestereo—noonecouldhearme—I the darkness—noonecouldseeme—and at tablesaroundme.However, cloaked by both dark diningroomwhilecouplessatinconversation much awkward delay. (seeming) solitudeofthediningroomwithouttoo order quicklyandhopedtobeescortedintothe than Ihadduringprevious visits.Iplacedmy articulating my flavor experience moremindfully would knowwhatIwaseating,socouldattendto order fromthemenuonmy finalvisitto O.Noir; I the firstofholiday cheer. I’d alreadydeterminedto order whileotherpatronsmilledaroundflushwith in thelobby, standingaloneasIwaitedtoplacemy Perhaps Ineededadifferentapproachto STRUGGLING FORWORDS Initially Ifeltlike avoyeur, sittingsolo in the Ifeltself-conscious put intomy mouthinordertorespond toits In part,Ineeded toknowpreciselywhat Ihad it seemedthatpreciselythe oppositehappened. lieu ofdescribingtheflavors themselves; infact, I knewwhatthedishwas tobeserved was—in identifying thefoodsthat I waseating—even when dining blinddidnotpromptmetodispensewith they areeating; to preparesothatpeoplecandeterminewhat of mealsthatblinddiningestablishmentstend Part ofmy dilemmastemmedfromtheordinariness meal, inwordsthatlackspecificityand evocation! experience throughthecomponentsthatmake a lacked thatindeliblehoneyed aftertaste. Ethiopia, thoughthiscoffeewasmuchharsherand small cupsofdarkcoffeeIdrank whiletravelling sugar andcream.Iwasremindedvaguelyofthe strong, madebittersweetby theadditionof a joltofirritablered.Thecoffeewassurprisingly nudged thestitches,unleashingametallictang, week before.Itwistedmy tonguetoloosenitand flaps left over fromawisdomtooth extraction the bitter. Somelodged inthebackofmy mouth, inthe where itmeltedinarushofmingledsweetand mousse clungtomy forkandthentomy teeth, and acupofcoffee.Rich,velvety, andgooey, the followed theentréewithdarkchocolatemousse a generoussprinklingofsavory grated cheese.I mushy, tastelessbitsofsomenamelessvegetable; and metaphors. was cruddy!”—or express themselves insimiles other superlatives—“That wasexquisite!” “That they speakofthefoodthey prepare,they use restaurant workers, even chefs,indicatethatwhen Sutton notesthatstudiesofNorthAmerican of thesensetasteinWest—is alsoatfault. explanation—namely, thehistorical subordination However, Isuspectthatadeepercultural unremarkable inuniqueandmemorable ways. gourmands butalsoineveryday parlance. vocabulary thatisusednotonlyby chefs and rich lexicon fordescribingtasteandtexture, a that Chineselanguagesfeatureanextraordinarily And stillIfoundmyself speakingoftheflavor AFTERTASTES 26 27 Asthisaccountmakes obvious, itisdifficulttodescribethe Conversely, Yi-Fu Tuan suggests 28 perspective. is discussedalmostexclusively fromthepatron’s only tofindthat,inarticleafterarticle,blinddining Internet forinterviewswithblinddiningguides they wouldtypicallybeexcluded? Isearchedthe serve it?Isitliberating toworkatajobfromwhich those ofagency:Howdoguides“see” thefoodto the restaurant, fromquestionsofpracticality to and Iwerealsocuriousaboutstaffexperience at of O.Noir, itwasinevitable thatmy companions my ownphenomenologicalandsocialexperience which toshareitinmemorable ways. lack ofaspecificand evocative vocabulary with the foodsI’d been served—was hamperedby the sense experiences—especially theordinarinessof Furthermore, my abilitytoarticulatemy mouth cultural moresandmy ownpersonalpreferences. aesthetic qualitiesinaway consistentwithmy lives.” people always seemtodoatsomepointintheir always wantedtobeabledo—it’ssomething waiting tablesasariteofpassage:“ItisjobI Vancouver’s DarkTable, intimates thatshesees of theirwork.Tamara Tedesco, onceaguideat the tactical,emotional,andfinancialrealities only needtobelegallyblind: unnerved by thedarkness.AsGillnotes,guidesnot at thetableside,andtocalmreassureguests though therestaurant, toannouncetheirpresence experience, usingvoice andtouchtoguidevisitors service positionusuallydeniedthem such restaurants allowthem tobeemployed ina dark diningexperience orspoke only abouthow servers eitherreportedpatrons’reactionstothe at adarkdining restaurant waslessabout making a Canada-wide nonprofit. For her, then,working Tedesco hadafull-timecommunicationsjobwith Although my researchwasfocusedprimarilyon Despite this,inthefewinterviewsIfound, juggling afour-tablesection. graciousness tobabyneedy patrons while not to knock customers in the head and the of humor, acommandingvoice, thenimbleness they alsohave tohave agentletouch,sense 32 Atthetimethatshewasinterviewed, 29 Yet guidesare fundamentaltothe 30 31 —not about novelty, notaneducation. time. Blindnessover courseofameal or twoisa knowledge isacquiredover asignificant periodof to “see” withoutsight.However, suchsensorial developing, practicing, andpolishingtheir capacity long apprenticeship,withvisuallyimpairedpeople would suggestthatblindnessitselfiskindoflife- community ofpractice: by theirpractical apprenticeshipwithinaspecific suggests thatsensoryresponsescanbenuanced with blindness.TheanthropologistTimIngold experience canteachthesightedaboutliving see themis,tome,ahugeoversight. atmosphere oftheplacesimplybecausethey can’t the effectssuchcost-savings measureshave onthe that patronsand—especially—guideswillnot notice intent onturningahealthy profit.Theassumption the restaurant asanexplicitly ambitious business for therelatively highprixfixe, Ican’t helpbutsee veneer-topped tables—andtheworkaday cuisine found inhotelconferenceroomsandinexpensive of thediningroomfixtures—thekindseating is adubiousgood.Given thepedestrianquality for itslowwages,difficulthours,anddrudgery, jobs inthehospitalityindustry, asectorrecognized Providing anunderemployed demographic with aspirations ofblinddiningestablishments. also callingintoquestionthesociallyconscious power andpractice ofdiscerningexcellence while mouth, italsocausedmetoreflectontasteasthe of literal taste,thekindthattakes placeinthe common tomany ofherpeers. money thanitwasaboutobtaininganexperience to diagnosetheirpatients’heartconditions. doctors cultivatedistinctive techniquesoflistening Moreover, Iwonderhowmuchthedarkdining While I’d intended O.Noir tobeanexploration 33 forexample, cardiac 34 I

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 57 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 58 18. Although O.Noir refersto theirwaitstaffas 17 .Sarah Pink,“An UrbanTour: TheSensorySo- 16. AndrewYang, “Waiter, I’matYour Mercy,” New 15. “DiningintheDark,” postedMarch Guide, Night 14. FlorenceFabricant,“At DansLe Noir, Din- 13. “PressReleases,” http://www.blindekuh.ch/en/ 12. Veit Erlmann,ReasonandResonance:AHistory 11. KathrynGeurts,Culture Bodily andtheSenses: 10. David Howes,TheVarieties Experience ofSensory 9. Ibid.,90. 8. Korsmeyer, SenseofTaste. Making 7. AdamYuet Chau,“TheSensorialProductionof 6. Korsmeyer, SenseofTaste. Making 5. BartoshukandDuffy, TheTaste Culture Reader. 4. Korsmeyer, SenseofTaste, Making 3. NaomiDuguid,Burma:Rivers ofFlavor (Toronto: 2. LindaM.BartoshukandValerie B.Duffy, “Chem- 1. CarolynKorsmeyer, SenseofTaste: Making Food NOTES phy ciality ofEthnographic Place-Making,” Ethnogra- com/2007/07/22/travel/22surfacing.html?r=0. York July22,2007.http://travel.nytimes. Times, 12, 2007,http://youtu.be/d548Gqb4j7s. dark/ com/2011/12/06/at-dans-le-noir-dining-in-the- 6, 2011,http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes. ing intheDark,” York New , December Times accessed August31,2014. http://www.onoirtoronto.com/what-is-o-noir/ isO.Noir?”accessed August31,2014;“What blindekuh_zuerich/who_we_are/press_releases/, ence. 2010); Howes,TheVarieties Experi- ofSensory Auralityof Modern ley: University ofCaliforniaPress,2003). Ways (Berke Community inanAfrican ofKnowing - (Toronto: University ofToronto Press,1991). 10.1080/00141840802563931. the Social,” Ethnos 73,no.4(2008):490,doi: Random HouseCanada,2012). Food andDrink(Oxford, UK:Berg,2007). meyer, TheTaste Culture Reader:Experiencing ical Senses:Taste andSmell”inCarolynKors- Press, 1999). and Philosophy (Ithaca,NY: CornellUniversity 9,no.2(2008). ; “What isO.Noir?”; “What (Brooklyn,NY: Zone Books, 83. , 29. Numerousarticlesabouttheblinddiningex - 28. Yi-FiTuan, “Pleasures oftheProximate Senses: 27. David E.Sutton,“Synesthesia,Memory, andthe 26. Fabricant,“At DansLe Noir”;“Dininginthe 25. Korsmeyer, SenseofTaste. Making 24. Any conversation reportedhereisnotaver- 23. Oliver Sacks,AnAnthropologist Mars:Seven on 22. Pink,“An UrbanTour,” 190. 21. GregDowney, LearningCapoeira: in Lessons 20. Sarah Pink,DoingSensoryAnthropology (London: 19. CarolinePotter, “SenseofMotion,Senses thedarksmile.com/blog/review-of-nox-dine-in- in theDark”September 10,2014,http://www. Road, Singapore,” Smile TheDark “Review ofNox: DineintheDark,269Beach concept-eatery-dark-table/; RichardAston, vancouverweekly.com/dining-in-the-dark-at- Vancouver Weekly, October11,2012,http:// in theDarkatConceptEateryTable,” referred toincludeCatherineAllman,“Dining magazines, andblogs.AsamplingofthoseIhave perience canbefoundinonlinenewspapers, 236. Food andDrink(Oxford, UK:Berg,2007):226- meyer, TheTaste Culture Reader:Experiencing Eating, Taste, andCulture,” inCarolynKors- ford, UK:Berg,2007). Culture Food Reader:Experiencing andDrink(Ox Taste ofHome,” inCarolynKorsmeyer, TheTaste Dark.” restaurant. of thediscussionDawn, Kevin, andIhadatthe batim transcript butinsteadareconstruction 1996), 127. Paradoxical Tales (Toronto: VintageCanada, Oxford University Press,2005),53. Cunning from anAfro-Brazilian Art(Oxford, UK: SAGE Publications,2009),69. (2008). of Self:BecomingaDancer,” Ethnos73,no.4 dining andsocializingwithoutsight. the unlitspaceandthroughexperience of trons entrusttheirguidestosteerthemthrough tionship engenderedby dininginthedark:pa - acknowledgement ofthemorecomplex rela- “servers,” I’ve optedtocallthem“guides”asan (blog),“Dining

- 34. Tom Listening, Sound, Rice,HearingtheHospital: 33. TimIngold,ThePerception oftheEnvironment: 32. Shaw, “DinersintheDark.” 31. NightGuide,“DiningintheDark”;GillianShaw, 30. Gill,“Pitch-BlackDarkTable.” Sean KingstonPress,2013). Knowledge andExperience(Canon Pyon, UK: Routledge, 2000). Essays onLivelihood, andSkill Dwelling lano/7196261/story.html. health/Diners+dark+blind+restaurant+Kitsi- ber 6,2012,http://www.vancouversun.com/ rant inKitsilano,” TheVancouver Sun,Septem- “Diners intheDarkataNewBlindRestau- rants.london; Yang, “Waiter, I’matYour Mercy. theguardian.com/travel/2006/mar/01/restau- Dark,” TheGuardian, March1,2006,http://www. dinner-in-the-dark/; LianeKatz,“Dining inthe http://hklovebites.com/2014/07/02/alchemy- ner intheDark,” Love Bites cle7889819/; Jen(hklovebites), “Alchemy—Din- pitch-black-dark-table-misses-the-mark/arti- com/life/food-and-wine/restaurant-reviews/ January 25,2013,http://www.theglobeandmail. Dark Table MissestheMark,” andMail, TheGlobe “At DansLe Noir”;Alexandra Gill,“Pitch-Black the-dark-269-beach-road-singapore; Fabricant, (blog),July2,2014, (London:

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