When i realized my sense of smell was not returning as it did the last time i had covid i started to become fearful about what that meant. There are some that regain it and some that dont. It has to do with damage to the olfactory nerve and it greatly affects your ability to taste food. I love food so this was a huge disappointment for me. Determined to will my body to repair itself i decided to take an approach to my sense of smell similar to that of stroke recovery. I simply spent hours of my off time attempting to smell things. Coffee grounds, toothpaste, essential oils, tea tree oil, gum, orange oil squeezed from the peel, dill, vinegar, ginger, onion salt, and soap. I sniffed everything and willed myself desperately to smell it. My sense of smell came back gradually. I was dousing everything in catsup and black pepper in an attempt to make it less bland. Sometimes i would soak food in balsamic vinegar and i would cover everything in salt.
I was on a trip to Austin to see my dentist when i realized i had fully regained my sense of smell and therefore my taste. I stopped at this wonderful restaurant with vegan options called “the Soup Peddler” and ordered a gluten free vegan grilled cheese and a tuna salad meal to go. I knew i wasnt going to taste it in its entirety but it was so good i had to get it and then i’d just taste whatever percentage of the goodness my new reality allowed. When i sank my teeth into that grilled cheese the “cheez” was melty and creamy and hot. The potato bread was crispy, toasted, golden, good God level deliciousness. I tasted everything!
The tuna salad had a base of crunchy ice cold green cabbage with watermelon radishes, tomatoes, a lemon wedge, chickpea cilantro salad, pickled onions, kalamata olives, and tuna. The dressing to be mixed into the whole thing was avocado, lime juice, and honey. When i say this is the best tuna salad in existence on the face of the planet, i mean, after you mix this puppy up with that dressing, there will be no talking. You will sit in silence in that car and savor every last bite of this tuna salad, because the flavors are on point! The dressing is everything. The pickled onions are also fire! I was in heaven. I ate the whole meal and then realized i had just tasted every little bit of it, and i didnt have to douse it in salt. When i returned home i tried eating and smelling other meals i had missed and i tasted them as well. The first time Cashew burped in my face and i smelled it…it was an exciting confirmation that my olfactory nerve was back in business. I am smelling things!