February 12, 2021

Tasteless Takeaways from Covid-19

By Lila Rubenstein

My guilty pleasure, No Thai ‘s notorious Pad Seeyu, looked mouthwatering as it steamed in front of me. Unfortunately, on day two of quarantine at the Residence Inn in Ann Arbor, the typical mind-blowing flavor of the basil garlic sauce was painfully absent with every bite. I knew what this meant… I had lost my ability to taste. As this new reality sank in, I wondered if I had lost my sense of smell as well. I scrambled around my room to find the strongest smelling item I could find, and after taking a whiff of my lavender-scented hand sanitizer, I realized that I couldn’t smell at all either. My heart dropped. Not being able to taste and smell was truly my worst nightmare.

Food has always brought me joy and solace, and I had hoped some delicious solo snacks would help keep my spirits up. I had already curated a long list of restaurants that I was looking forward to ordering in from, but how could I count on food to be comforting when I couldn’t taste anything? The foods that used to satisfy me the most no longer fulfilled my cravings at all. Food was lackluster and uninspiring – I no longer felt the anticipatory excitement of seeing food brought out to the dinner table or smelling something yummy coming out of the oven. 

After my two sad and lonely weeks in quarantine, most of my symptoms were fading and I hoped my sense of taste and smell would soon return. To my disappointment, they did not. As time continued to pass, I discovered just how critical these senses were to me– my enjoyment of food is such a huge part of my life.

It is now months after my COVID diagnosis, and fortunately, I am beginning to regain some taste and smell. However, because it is still very diminished, I started smell training. Yes, you read that right. I am hoping to wake up my olfactory system by sniffing strong smelling essential oils in order to enjoy food the way I did pre-COVID. Hopefully, I will once again find joy in all of the incredible variety of tastes and smells that surround me. 

It is safe to say that I will never take my taste and smell for granted ever again. However, it makes me not only cherish food, but the small moments in every area of my life. I wave to more people on the street, listen to music a little louder, and smile a little bit wider. COVID has taught me that life is just too short. The next time you are faced with a small crossroads, take the extra piece of cake and appreciate the sweet, smooth frosting on the tip of your tongue: it may not always be there.