This gets me back to taste.  Taste is not simply a function of what your nose smells and your mouth senses; no it is much more complex. A recent article I read referred to taste genetics.  But, what about our memories and experiences with different foods?  Do all of these factors make tasting an art?  Certainly some people are much better at tasting than others but to some extent we can all improve our ability to taste.  In fact, that’s why I attended the balsamic vinegar tasting – to learn from the perceptions of myself and others about some of the differences in what I was tasting.  I’ve done similar, very rigid, blind tastings of wine, which is both highly enjoyable and extremely educational.  I’d like to do it with more foods.  Standard foods for such tasting would be olive oil or chocolate.  Perhaps an easier and less expensive way to start is at the farmer’s market: Buy several different varieties of plums, or eggplants or tomatoes; invite some fellow foodies over to give a range of perspectives and taste the varieties side-by-side.  Sounds like fun, and I’m sure we’d all be amazed at what we learn by thinking more about what we are tasting….

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