> “I can taste strong spices,” she said, “but still no lemon or herbs.”

Hah, that resonated with me. I've had anosmia since birth, and I had a moment this week where I was chewing on rosemary to gauge what its impact on my dish would be, and thought to myself "I really don't get herbs".

Very interesting and beautifully written piece.:-) Greetings to her, and good luck during pregnancy for you both.

I lost part of my taste for about week around Christmas, and when eating my mother's waffles I thought she had lost her baking touch because it tasted like cardboard. Thankfully my taste was soon recovered, but it made me think of the "small" things we take for granted . . .