8 Best Tasting Words From A Girl With Synesthesia

Imagine a world where every time you said your own name, the taste of your favorite ice cream flavor filled your mouth. A world where the title of the newest book you’re reading tastes like home cooked pasta and meatballs. For some, including myself, a world like this is reality. The way this is possible-a secret superpower that goes by the name of lexical-gustatory synesthesia. 

Synesthesia is a phenomenon of crossovers between different senses. Take singer/songwriter Pharell Williams for example. His synesthesia causes him to see different variations of colors when listening to music. I can only imagine what colors his hit song “Happy” are. 

Lexical-gustatory synesthesia is one of the rarest forms of synesthesia in the world! And in honor of being one of the lucky few people who can taste words, I thought I would share my top eight tastiest words.

“Houses” strawberry lemonade

Strawberry lemonade is one of my all time go-to drinks. “Houses” has the “ess” sound twice, which is typically perceived in my brain as a liquid substance. Sometimes when I’m craving my usual Starbucks Refresher order, I repeatedly say the word “houses” until I satisfy the taste, or inevitably wind up with the drink in my hand. 

“LUCK” (CHOCOLATE CHIPS)

Who doesn’t love sneaking a handful of chocolate chips while baking. “Luck” is a funny one, because everytime I go to have Lucky Charms, I refrain from saying the name, or else my cereal will taste like chocolate rather than marshmallows. The “uck” sound translates to a crunchy texture, like something to bite down on. The letter “L” is almost always a dense flavor, so put the two together and it’s a dreamy sweet treat.

“Laundry” (Cheesecake)

Continuing on our sweet trend, “laundry” is another word that has that dense “L” sound-to-taste association. Words ending with “ie”, “ee” , or “y” have lighter sugary sensations. I absolutely adore Cheesecake- big thank you to the state of New York- and make sure to request it for my birthday each year. I will happily gloat that I’m “going to do laundry” just to get a taste of the airy goodness. 

“Crooked” (Club Crackers)

The first thing I always turn to when I’m running late to class and need a quick snack, is crackers. If I have Club Crackers, I’ll always pick them as my first choice. As I previously mentioned, anything that mimics the “ck” sound translates to a crunchy sensation. I love how these crackers are always baked with just the right amount of salt. This isn’t an often used word, but sometimes I’ll secretly throw it in conversation for my own personal pleasure. 

“novel” (Peppermint Hot cocoa)

As the weather dips in temperature and fall makes its way to the calendar, I can’t help but anticipate the holiday season. Something about the “vel” part of this word makes it a creamy, soup-like texture. The love I have for wintery aesthetics paired with my love for reading, makes this word-to-taste association the perfect combo. Peppermint hot chocolate and a good book, what could go wrong!

“bronco” (pickles)

Now, I’m aware that pickles are a controversial pick when it comes to tastiness. Fortunately, I’m on the right side of the argument, as I am a dill-pickle enthusiast. Everything about the word “bronco” points in the direction of crunchiness. I’ll happily cheer on Denver’s football team, if it means I can get my taste of pickles for the day!

“compromise” (Fried Calamari)

New England culture thrives off of seafood. While I’m not really a lobster or clam girl, I am always up to go back to my roots with some fried calamari. This is in my top 10 list because it packs such a flavorful punch. “Compromise” isn’t a recurring word in my vocabulary, and sometimes I forget this word-to-taste association exists at all. But when I do remember, it’s a delicious aftertaste I don’t want to forget!

“Surprise” (Mint Chip Ice cream)

To finish this list off with a bang we have one of my favorite words to taste. Since the word “surprise” has two S’s, it causes the taste of the ice cream to come off as more liquidy than usual. Think, mint chip ice cream that’s been thawing for more than ten minutes. In my opinion, mint chip is one of the most supreme ice cream flavors. It’s a universal reminder of long summer nights. Now I hate surprises, but because of this decadent taste on my tongue, I surely love talking about them.

Having this type of synesthesia is both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes a word will taste so good I feel like I have a superpower, and other times- not so much. There is still so much to discover about lexical gustatory synesthesia, but for now I’ll enjoy snacking on the words I come across in my day to day life!