I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 45



Only Noblemtl

Sin of innocence

I looked up the interview in question.

[······The human sense of taste is simpler and more complex than you might think. One thing is certain: no one in the world can know all the ingredients of the food we eat through taste.

The reason why this is impossible is because the mechanism by which we perceive taste is not built that way. If I talk too much, it will become a lecture, so I will stop here. I hope to have another chance to talk about it someday.

So how did that chef from the Tonight Show do that? Well, only God knows.]

When I first heard from Jimmy that the interviewee was a professor at MIT, I wondered if he was someone I knew. When I looked into it, it turned out to be the professor I had when I took biochemistry classes.

Robert Miller, a renowned biochemist.

The Professor Robert I remember was a cheerful and witty person. He was an impressive professor who had the skill to lead even a wasteful debate in an interesting way and produce a productive result. But the fact that he was doing this interview must have piqued his curiosity as a chemist.

His interview had a relatively mild tone, but by the end it definitely had a tone that cast doubt on the fairness of the process. And public opinion was not good.

└ If what that professor said is true, then the Tonight Show planned to air the episode with that chef in advance?

└ The human sense of taste is not designed to recognize such things. It cannot be explained scientifically.

└ Competition among late-night talk shows is really fierce these days. There are so many talk shows like The Late Show, The Tonight Show, Conan Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, etc. So, I wonder if they took a risk.

└ Isn’t it too hasty to judge? That chef has no reason to do something like that.

└ There is no reason. Just think about how much the name Shin Je-hee has spread already. Fame helps.

└ Did you actually watch the broadcast? If it was acting, wouldn’t it be better for him to go to Hollywood right away? He looks good too.

└ Jimmy Fallon is the furthest thing from being truthful. He was an alcoholic and always fake. I would not be surprised at all if the Tonight Show was rigged.

└ Think about it logically. That chef won the Michelin Guide Young Chef of the Year award this year. The restaurant he works at was awarded Michelin 3 stars. So why would he risk his career by manipulating it?

└ That certainly makes sense. But ridiculous things happen in the world.

It’s burning brightly. Newspapers have started to pick up the story, and before we know it, this incident is no longer just a mere incident, but a battle over the truth of the biggest talk show in America.

In the United States, when a public figure is found to have lied, he is sentenced to social death. Just look at the fact that Nixon, who was then president of the United States, resigned after being caught lying to the nation in the Watergate scandal, and you can see how severely the crime of being untruthful is punished in the United States.

Jimmy Fallon and the Tonight Show probably have nothing to lose anyway, so they’re just helping to create more buzz by abetting the incident. I’ll probably get a request to come back on the air soon. And I have no choice. I can’t be a swindler, let alone a quirk.

Ring ring ring

“Oh. Joohee.”

-Brother. Are you okay?”

“There’s nothing wrong. There must be something wrong.”

-I know, but it makes me sick that other people treat my brother like a conman without even knowing.

Joohee seems more upset than I am. I can feel that she is trying to suppress her anger by holding back her voice and speaking calmly, but she is unable to control her anger. I need to resolve this as quickly as possible.

“I got a call from Jimmy. I think I’ll be back on the air soon.

-Yeah. It must have been a real mess. I got a call from my mom and dad too. They asked what was going on.”

“Haha. Really? It looks like it was reported in Korea too. Just stay off the internet for a while. It’ll be fixed soon.

-Okay, oppa. Is it really okay?

“Yeah. When did I ever say something that wasn’t true? Nothing will happen, so just rest at home.”

Joohee is in New York after her exams. I was thinking about making dinner together for the first time in a while, but the situation is not helping. I went to the Korean portal and searched for my name.

[Chef Shin Je-hee embroiled in manipulation controversy.]

[Chef Shin Je-hee involved in Tonight Show manipulation? The heated battle for truth]

[Did Chef Shin Je-hee really know the answer in advance?]

It’s a bit shaky. I mainly provide translations of American articles, but there were also articles that the media independently investigated and reported on. I think I don’t need to read the comments to know. Public opinion tends to flow too easily in the direction presented by the media.

Ring ring ring

Jimmy got another call. NBC couldn’t afford to ignore him for too long.

-I think you should come into the NBC studios first. There’s a meeting there. How about we discuss the method together?

“All right.”

When I arrived at the studio, about 10 production staff members were gathered in a conference room and talking. Their expressions were not dark.

“First of all, should we invite Professor Robert?”

The PD asks Jimmy. The host has a strong say in American late-night talk shows. It’s because they have their name on the show. If the show fails, the host is the one who suffers the most damage.

“Of course. I’ve already received information from MIT. He’s a biochemist. He’s been nominated for the Nobel Prize several times.”

Jimmy’s side was also moving quickly.

“Then how are you going to verify it?”

“If we try to do something here, there will be people who won’t believe us. So, it’s right to follow Professor Robert’s opinion here.”

“What if Professor Robert doesn’t show up?”

“That’s not possible. If we don’t get this issue clean, The Tonight Show will suffer a huge blow. It’s not the job of an academic to kill someone with a single word and then not give them a chance to explain themselves.”

“Professor Robert would probably agree with that.”

I joined in on the discussion. The Professor Robert I know is a natural scientist and not the type to be picky about verification.

“Honestly, I don’t think this is something that should be this big. I’ve never lied or exaggerated my taste buds like they’re particle analyzers. So what the hell is going on?”

I was really wronged. I never intended for this to become an issue.

“Don’t worry. Let’s use this as an opportunity to turn things around. The ratings have been sluggish lately, but the buzz is at its peak right now. It’s trending at number one on Twitter.”

Jimmy tries to lighten the mood by laughing. But I, the person involved, can’t just laugh.

“It may be good for the show pros, but please consider my position as well.”

“It will be good for Jehee, too. She will be able to get her taste buds certified by an MIT professor. This kind of recognition will help her later in her career as a chef.”

“I didn’t ask for it, and it’s really awkward, but I can’t be treated like a scammer. I don’t have a choice anyway.”

“It’s a good mindset. Let’s take the initiative and do what we have to do anyway.”

The staff exchanged opinions again and discussed how to make this issue explode in the most spectacular way. I would rather do this than a half-assed explanation. It is enough to get caught up in such a negative issue once.

Professor Robert agreed to appear on the condition that he verify it in the way he wanted. Romeo and Luce De Sole staff, who knew my taste buds well, seemed unnerved. They seemed to think it was just a funny incident.

It’s broadcast day. Today is an important day for the Tonight Show, so they’ve decided internally to devote almost all of the broadcast time to it.

First, Professor Robert came forward and gave a brief lecture on why this happened. A lecture that was broadcast nationwide! Professor Robert also accepted it with great satisfaction.

* * *

“Dear viewers, we have someone who can put an end to the Tonight Show manipulation controversy.

In fact, we did nothing wrong, so we wondered if we should go this far. However, after internal discussion, we decided to actively accept all possible verification methods. We will hire the right person to do this job. Professor Robert Miller of MIT.”

When Jimmy calls for applause, the audience applauds enthusiastically and welcomes him. In fact, everyone was waiting for his appearance.

“Hello. I am Robert Miller, a biochemistry professor at MIT. I never expected that my short interview would cause such a big controversy. If I have caused any harm unintentionally, I would like to apologize first.”

Professor Robert is the first to offer a gentle apology. He says he simply made a brief comment to the reporter’s question. He probably had no idea that it would be reported so widely.

“You don’t have to do that at all. The broadcasting station said that we were trending number one on Twitter for the first time in two and a half years. It’s all thanks to you, Professor.”

“Haha. That’s how it turned out. The Tonight Show has decided to accept the verification method I suggested. And I’m the only one who knows what method I’m going to use. I haven’t even shared it with the production team yet.

So, no matter what the outcome is today, the controversy will disappear.”

Professor Robert’s face changes to the solemn expression he has when giving a lecture.

“I heard you have something to say first.”

Jimmy keeps his promise to Robert. He gives him time to teach.

“I feel obligated to at least briefly explain why I am doing this interview. I am not saying this simply to defend or slander anyone or any group.”

Seeing Robert’s serious expression, the audience also began to listen to him intently.

“You said it was impossible to distinguish the flavors?”

Jimmy asks a question.

“We first need to understand the process by which our body perceives taste.

This is not a university and you, the viewers, are not students, so I will explain as simply as possible.

There are five tastes that we can sense with our tongue: sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami.

Many scholars are debating whether the taste of fat should be included here, but it has not been decided yet. Even if it is included, it means that there are only six tastes that we can perceive.”

“How spicy is it?”

“Spicy taste cannot be detected by the taste receptors on the tongue. So to speak, the tactile sense of the tongue detects spicy taste. It is similar to the feeling when you drink warm water over 43 degrees. We feel warm food with our tongue, but it is not a taste.”

“But surely we don’t feel the spiciness?”

Jimmy looks puzzled.

“Imagine if I sprinkled some chili powder on Jimmy’s arm and rubbed it there. How would that feel?”

“It looks like it will be very hot.”

“That’s right. The tongue feels the pain. It doesn’t taste. If I put ketchup on Jimmy’s skin, does it taste sour or sweet?”

“No, of course not.”

“Do you understand now? The taste that our tongue feels and the stimulation that our skin, including our tongue, feels are completely different.”

“Aha. I see. So you’re saying that all flavors are determined by those five?”

“To be exact, our tongue does not have any other taste receptors besides those. The receptors on the tongue detect the taste. And they transmit it to the brain. The orbitofrontal cortex of the brain receives the signal and interprets it. Through that process, we are able to taste.”

“I am learning something new today. Dear viewers, please do not change the channel because it is boring. MIT students pay tens of thousands of dollars every year to listen to this professor’s lectures.”

Jimmy’s playful expression brightens the potentially heavy atmosphere.

“And another thing to know is that there are only a few receptors on the tongue, but hundreds of receptors in our nose. In short, we perceive 90% of taste through our nose, while our tongue only perceives 10%.”

“That’s also a new fact.”

“If you’re curious, just hold your nose and try the food. You’ll barely be able to tell the difference in taste.”

Jimmy holds his nose and eats the strawberries he prepared in advance.

“It’s strange. I can barely taste anything.”

“Well, now I can tell you what I want to say. Just because our tongues are more sensitive doesn’t mean that we taste better. We even taste food that we haven’t eaten.”

“What do you mean?”

“Close your eyes and say the word ‘lemon’ out loud five times.”

“Lemon, lemon, lemon, lemon, lemon.”

Jimmy closes his eyes and does as Robert tells him.

“Now close your eyes and imagine a fresh lemon, the best lemon from California.

I’m going to cut that lemon with a knife now. The knife digs in and cleanly cuts the lemon’s peel. As it cuts, the lemon’s juice spurts out, revealing the bright yellow lemon flesh inside.

Okay! Now open your eyes.”

Robert looks around at Jimmy and the audience.

“I am sure your mouth will water as if you had just eaten a new dish.”

“That’s true. It’s amazing.”

Jimmy looks confused.

“Yes, because the brain interprets taste. That’s why I questioned the contents of Secret Ingredient. Is it really possible? Can you identify the ingredients of food just by taste without the help of sight and imagination?

Receptors in our tongue and nose separate the complex flavors of food into sensations that we can perceive and transmit to our brain.

Besides, I’m convinced that about half of the tastes we perceive are products of our imagination.

If you are in doubt, close your eyes and try the food. We imagine the taste of food by looking at it. If you eat food from zero with your eyes closed, the vast majority of people will not be able to tell the difference between foie gras and the liver of a cuttlefish.”

“I fully understand what you said, Professor. Now, let’s take the time to verify whether we were fair through the experiment you requested.”

It was a tedious but necessary process. Jimmy set out to lighten the mood and really get the ratings up.

“There is one thing that is most important in scientific experiments. When you control the variables, the results of the experiment should always be the same. Yesterday it worked, today it doesn’t? This has no meaning other than coincidence. At least in science.”

Robert smiles meaningfully.

“Okay! Thank you for waiting for a long time. Let’s invite Chef Shin Je-hee. Please welcome her with a round of applause.”

The audience watched as Jehee walked into the studio, very curious to see what the results of today’s experiment would be.

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