The Friday Five, Vol. 5
*air horn*
This edition features spoilers for a semi-new tv show, talk about disordered eating, and edibles. Onto this week’s list…
We’re going to talk about that tuna melt scene
Specifically, the gustation and olfactory implications of the now infamous scene in episode 41 of the HBO (and Crave Canada) breakout show, Heated Rivalry2. No, this isn’t a saucy recap blog, this is a serious newsletter3 in which I get to force my niche interests upon you; next question.
The discourse around this scene—where one main character (Ilya Rozanov) makes the other (Shane Hollander) a tuna melt and then they proceed to get super hot and heavy pretty quickly after eating, basically breathing in each other’s faces for five straight (uh… actually, gay) minutes—is at the intersection of stuff I love to talk about: Food science and pop culture.
One thing I know for sure, and two things for certain: The components of this sandwich are tuna, salt, lemon juice, and cheese. Seems kinda dry, but ok. Also, pickles are on the counter there, too. Grillo’s Pickles to be exact which, absolutely I’m here to support anyone who is a Grillo’s stan. You think I don’t watch every piece of media immediately clocking which brands are featured or even briefly flashed to in the background, because that’s all optics and money (they’re not getting premium placement for free, baby). I’ve also spotted a Cheetos ad so that’s that on range.
People online are highly concerned about the lemon juice4, as if that’s the most diabolical thing you could pair with tuna. I’m sorry, were we eating bland ass tuna salad this whole time? Seek help. Salt and lemon here aren’t going to do anything crazy except enhance the flavor: Salt in its hygroscopic5 quality literally sucks up the water in food, therefore leaving more concentrated flavor molecules, for lack of refined words. Acid, or lemon, just clarifies those amplified flavors. When you’re consuming something that’s composed, you can’t think of it in individual elements, some ingredients are meant to be undetectable supports.
So where does the science of making out with someone right after you’ve eaten and having it actually not be a Big Deal come into play? I used to teach cooking classes, and one of the class themes was date night. Stay with me here. So on a random Saturday night, I’d make eight to 10 couples all eat garlic, every. single. time. (And they loved it! We had fun.) Here’s why it worked: It all comes down to your brain and the concept of sense neutrality and personal sensory fields.
When you’re eating, your tastebuds are taking in little particles of these flavors and sending those signals to the brain—oh this is spicy! this is sour. The more you consume one flavor, the tongue and tastebuds don’t react to it as strongly6, because it’s not a new stimuli to report. If your tastebuds have already been coated in the same food the person you’re sharing air and tongue and whatever else with has also consumed, your receptors are less likely to pick up on it and inform you.
The best way to sum this up is this. Ever walk into the kitchen and open the trash can and say, ‘oh yuck, that stinks,’ and then a minute later, it stops stinking? Your nostrils intake particles, which push new scent cues, until there are no more particles to be absorbed or your body hits a max capacity7, in which the scent then dulls and you get you ‘used’ to it. Basically, the ratio of smelly atoms to non-smelly atoms weakens after a time, and your body can no longer process it. It’s like how our brain doesn’t register the nose, because the eyes are constantly looking at it but your body has to adapt and say ‘yeah ok that’s always there’ so the brain filters it out of sight. At a point, the new scent or taste isn’t new8, and your body treats it as a neutral thing.
Honestly, the worst part of the whole scene is the different beverages they’re each drinking. Rozanov has what appears to be a general cola, and Hollander a ginger ale (his emotional support beverage, if you will). So, again, introducing a new flavor. The ginger ale is probably domineering any other smell or flavor trying to creep in. 5/10 on the yuck scale.
The TL;DR of this is: If you’re planning on making out with someone after eating, try sharing the same meal and/or bevys. Or, very generously give them a few bites of your dinner. Try my wine! Isn’t that dessert sooo good? That way, everyone’s taste buds have been tempered to all the flavors involved. You’re welcome. Tell your friends. Also, if you really like someone you probably don’t care that much when it comes down to it.
But what about the palm spit9? Girl, I can’t help you there. Since your saliva will contain microscopic particles of whatever you consume until you brush your teeth or do a super thorough rinsing, your hand and whatever else you subsequently touch is going to be a little tuna fishy. Sorry.
