Where Does Deliciousness Lie? Taste and Self-Perception in an Age of Plenty

"I want to eat something delicious"—when we think that, where do we look?

Review sites, rankings, influencer posts.
Lately, I feel that more people are going out to find "things said to be delicious" rather than "delicious things" themselves.

However, I wonder.
Does deliciousness really exist outside of us?

The "deliciousness" that resided in a can of mackerel in miso

For me, a "feast" is the canned mackerel in miso I ate as a boy.

One summer day, while hiking in the mountains with the Boy Scouts, I arrived at the campsite covered in sweat. After setting up the tent with an exhausted body, I finally got my hands on a can of mackerel in miso. It was nothing special.

Yet, the taste from that time still remains in my body.
The sweet and salty red miso and the fat of the mackerel soaked into my tired body, bringing a "sense of fulfillment" that words cannot describe.

It was not about "what I ate," but "in what state, with what feelings, and with what body" I ate it.
Deliciousness is something inseparably linked to such context.

The excess of "deliciousness" sought only on the outside

Of course, the world is overflowing with attractive cuisine.
Elaborate presentation, eye-catching visuals, buzzworthiness.

For example, recently there are bowls of ramen covered in chashu pork, or bowls that compete for "visual impact" with layers upon layers of toppings.

I do not intend to deny that entirely.
However, sometimes I suddenly find myself tilting my head and wondering, "Is this really the result of pursuing 'deliciousness'?"

The flashier the presentation, the more our senses become paralyzed.
And, rather than my own realization of "delicious," the "photogenic quality for others to see" takes priority.

Half of taste lies within oneself

"Deliciousness" is not determined by the quality or technique of the dish.
If the body and mind of the person receiving it are not in order, no dish can be felt as "delicious."

Being hungry.
Being tired.
Having one's five senses open.

Only when these are in order does "taste" become one's own.
That is why, when I think "I want to eat something delicious," I first want to put my own inner self in order.

Even so, we in the modern age immediately look outside.
We jump at the "correct answers" evaluated by someone else, leaving behind the act of "feeling for oneself."

Whose "deliciousness" are you living by?

That can of mackerel in miso from that day.
It was never expensive or famous, but it was the only "feast" for me.

"Delicious things" certainly exist outside.
But "feeling that something is delicious" is always within oneself.

Whose sense of taste is the "deliciousness" you are seeking supported by?
Is it truly something you felt with your own tongue?