"Synesthesia: a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway." Wikipedia.
A Synesthete simultaneously perceives more than one sense at a time, such as seeing the color of pain, feeling music brush across their skin, or hearing sounds when they encounter aromas.
Shortly after I wrote my post about this phenomena, I came upon Friday Elliott during the 2015 Steamposium Convention in Seattle, Washington, as she offered samples of her delicious tea blends.
Owner and operator of Friday Afternoon Tea, Friday disclosed that she utilizes her particular Synesthesia, called Lexical-gustatory Synesthesia of taste/smell to she create her remarkable tea blends.
For instance, while watching Firefly, a popular science fiction TV show, she was able to create a tea blend based on the character named Inara. When I tasted that blend I knew it was all about Inara.
"In the case of Inara," she said, "all her characteristics contribute bits and pieces to the overall flavor profile. Her speaking voice has a silky, almost creamy texture. The way she carries herself tastes like Madagascar vanilla. The strong, bold, yet cloistered nature of her personality is a family of spices, evolving over time."
"Synesthesia" comes from Ancient Greek: syn, "together, aisthesis,
"sensation," and it means "to perceive together." "I didn't realize I was not neurotypical until the age of seventeen." Friday related.
'I can taste all these things. Being a chef my entire adult life has helped me identify the various components of any given profile and pinpoint ingredient ratios. It's very much like reverse-engineering a dish I eat in a restaurant. Experience and a keenly trained palate make it possible for me to replicate in tea form what I taste in my brain-mouth." As such, Friday's particular Synesthesia is very rare.
I got to meet with Friday again at his year's Steamposium Convention. This time, I asked her to select a tea blend based on my personality. I am delightfully pleased with my OMFG Tea Blend!
Since this is blog is generally about writing, I am delighted to report that this blend is the perfect brew to savor when I'm working on a poem, with its golden hue, earthy aroma, and ethereal ambiance.
I encourage you visit Friday's website at: www.fridaytea.com
Image: http://fridaytea.com