Flavor Sensations

We push to imitate nature's flavors, both sour and sweet; compare the taste of lemons to that of a lush, ripe peach, or the nectar of pure honey to the tang of a dill pickle. The fruit-flavored snack-pack spilled into my hand, perceived imitations of the real deal: One shaped blackberry (hardly) Two round orange slices (scored) One green apple (Granny Smith?) A bunch of cherries (close) Two raspberries (not) I popped rubbery orbs into my mouth, closed my eyes and chewed slowly, seeking the flavor of raspberries like those growing on vines just beyond the entrance to Castlewood State Park. The cherry almost succeeded in replicating the original; all others were blatant counterfeits. I once met a Flavor Chemist. How many blackberries must he consume before he can approximate the taste? He answered my question with a smile, and a bottle of imitation vanilla flavoring.