second one was saved until all eight were on the table. That
way, we could go back and retaste to ensure that our
original thoughts were sound, and we could taste all eight
side by side.
Sparkling water and wine were provided (the latter after
much deliberation) in order to rinse our mouths between
bites.
Key to a Good Tasting #6: Taste
Tasting is different from eating. I often get asked, “How can
you review a restaurant fairly or how can you say one
product is better than another? Doesn’t it depend on how
hungry you are at the time?” And, indeed, mood and
appetite can have a powerful effect on how much you enjoy
eating a particular food at any one time. But the goal of
analytical tasting is to assess qualities of the food beyond
your gut reaction of whether it’s good or bad. With pizza,
for example, I start by taking a slice from each pie with an
across-pie-average of charring, bubbles, sauce, and cheese.
I then bite just the tip, noting the pressure of the crust on my
lower teeth to gauge its degree of crispness. As I pull the
slice away from my mouth, applying just a bare soupçon of
torque, I judge the effort it takes for the dough to tear. (In
this case, Pizza #5 was clearly tougher than the rest, I
thought triumphantly—one must never talk to his fellow
tasters during a blind tasting lest your opinion influence
those of others—so it must certainly be one of those high-
mineral samples.)
After carefully working my way up the side of each slice,
I evaluate the cornicione (the raised rim of the pizza). It’s