I’ve been eating gluten free for many years now. I may like gluten, but gluten doesn’t like me!
So when a new gluten free product appears on the market, I’m often curious enough to give it a try. Sometimes it’s something I used to enjoy before going gluten free, and sometimes it’s simply something new that catches my eye.
What I find interesting is how often I end up wondering whether it actually tastes different to the version made with gluten.
Sometimes I think it does. Other times, I’m not so sure. Am I remembering the original differently? Has my taste changed over the years? Or is there really not much difference at all?
It probably depends on what the item is. I imagine I could have quite a different answer with a biscuit than with a loaf of bread, for example.
But I can find myself pondering the question, trying to work out which version I prefer, or whether I can even tell the difference.
And then I usually end up thinking, does it really matter?
Maybe it tastes different to the gluten version. Maybe my memory of that version isn’t quite right. Maybe my taste has changed.
Or maybe it doesn’t matter which.
I’m eating it now, and if I like it today, that’s the important bit.
It strikes me how easy it can be to get caught up in comparing something with what we remember, or what we think it should be like, rather than simply enjoying what we’re experiencing.
Of course, there are times when the difference matters. I’m not suggesting we should stop noticing things or being curious about them. I rather enjoy the curiosity.
But sometimes I can let the question go without needing to find an answer.
After all, I don’t need to settle the debate about whether today’s gluten free version tastes like the original before I can enjoy eating it.
If I like it, I like it.
And that’s enough for today.
If something in this post resonates and you’d like to explore it further, reach out. I’d be happy to talk.
