Food for Thought | James Beard

“The ability to recall a taste sensation, which I think of as ‘taste memory,’ is a God-given talent, akin to perfect pitch, which makes your life richer if you possess it. If you aren't born with it, you can never seem to acquire it… And naturally good chefs and cooks must depend upon memory when they season or when they are combining subtle flavors to create a new sauce or dish.”

--James Beard
from Delights and Prejudices, October 1964.