What does “Sumptuous” feel like?

When we think of the word “sumptuous”, we might imagine something that is lavish, luxurious, and indulgent. Something that appeals to our senses and satisfies our desires. Something that makes us feel content and happy. But what exactly does it mean to feel sumptuous? And how can we achieve this feeling in our everyday lives?

According to the Oxford Dictionaries, sumptuous means “splendid and expensive-looking”. It is derived from the Latin word “sumptuosus”, which means “costly” or “expensive”. However, being sumptuous is not just about spending a lot of money or having a lot of things. It is also about the quality, the elegance, and the refinement of what we have and what we do. It is about the attention to detail, the craftsmanship, and the creativity that goes into making something beautiful and enjoyable.

One of the domains where we can experience sumptuousness is food. Food is not only a necessity for survival, but also a source of pleasure and delight. Food can stimulate our taste buds, our noses, and our eyes, but also our sense of touch and feeling. This is where the concept of mouthfeel comes in. Mouthfeel is “the sensation of touch and feeling” that we get from food in our mouths. It is influenced by factors such as temperature, texture, viscosity, and hardness. Mouthfeel is an important aspect of the overall flavor and enjoyment of food, as it can enhance or diminish the taste and aroma.

Some foods are naturally sumptuous, as they have a rich and pleasant mouthfeel that makes us feel satisfied and content. For example, chocolate has a smooth and creamy texture that melts in our mouths, releasing its sweet and bitter flavors. Cheese has a soft and elastic texture that stretches and pulls, releasing its salty and tangy flavors. Ice cream has a cold and velvety texture that cools and soothes our mouths, releasing its sweet and fruity flavors.

Other foods can be made sumptuous, as they are prepared with care and skill to create a desirable mouthfeel that matches their taste and aroma. For example, a steak can be cooked to a perfect doneness, with a crispy and charred crust and a juicy and tender interior, releasing its savory and meaty flavors. A soup can be blended to a smooth and silky consistency, with a creamy and rich base and a spicy and aromatic seasoning, releasing its warm and comforting flavors. A cake can be baked to a moist and fluffy texture, with a decadent and smooth frosting and a crunchy and nutty topping, releasing its sweet and indulgent flavors.

To create sumptuous foods, chefs need to consider not only the ingredients and the recipes, but also the perception and the expectation of the consumers. They need to balance the different elements of mouthfeel, such as temperature, texture, and viscosity, to create a harmonious and satisfying sensation. They also need to balance the different elements of flavor, such as taste, aroma, and color, to create a coherent and appealing impression. They need to pay attention to the details, such as the presentation, the portion, and the garnish, to create a beautiful and enticing appearance.

By doing so, chefs can create sumptuous foods that make us feel content and happy, without being excessive or wasteful. They can create foods that are opulent, meaning “wealthy and luxurious, but not extravagant, meaning “exceeding what is reasonable or appropriate”. They can create foods that are elegant and refined, but not ostentatious and pretentious. They can create foods that are indulgent and satisfying, but not gluttonous and unhealthy.

Sumptuousness, then, is not only a feeling, but also an attitude. It is an attitude of appreciating the quality and the beauty of what we have and what we do. It is an attitude of enjoying the pleasure and the delight of what we eat and what we experience. It is an attitude of being content and happy with what we have, without being greedy or envious of what we don’t. Sumptuousness, in short, is an attitude of living well and living wisely.