A testing situation

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Posted at 11:02AM, 05 March 2009 by Sarah Sysum - Assistant editor, Easy Cook magazine

Enthusiasm for the New Year's diet waning? Back on the chocolate and cheese? Well then I have the diet for you...

It's called the "Good Food eat-one-thing-until-you-can't-face-it-anymore" diet. For me it started with what has become known as sausage-gate.

My job as shopping coordinator means that one of the areas I research and write is our 'On Test' pages. Many people don't realise that, unlike many publications that test around 12 products to find a shortlist of six, we will test at least 40 in a strict blind tasting over a period of around 3-4 days.

By Day 3 I never ever wanted to eat another one again

My first major taste test was sausages; I couldn't believe my luck that I would get paid to eat over 40 different brands and flavours. Day 1 was a real treat, Day 2 not so good and by Day 3 I never ever wanted to eat another one again. So famous in the office did it become that it was dubbed 'sausage-gate'. And I didn't eat another sausage for well over six months.

Since then I've sworn off mayonnaise, said goodbye to lemon curd and given ice cream a wide berth too.

Recently we tested luxury puddings (the results will be in our May 2009 issue). Now I have a really sweet tooth, but even I found 10 chocolate tarts, eight pavlovas, eight cheesecakes, 11 lemon tarts and an assortment of gorgeous gooey goodies pretty tough to take. It's likely I'll be having starter over dessert for while.

But of course this diet isn't foolproof. I'm always asked if there is anything I'm still eating despite testing. Yes. Chocolate. Which is probably why the size 10 will always remain a dream.

On second thoughts, best stick to the healthy diet and exercise...

Comments

Joltek

5 March 2009, 12:49PM
Joltek

lol - I should try this for cheese - that is the one thing I can never get enough of. Deep fried Mozzarella mmmmmmmmm.

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Becks

5 March 2009, 1:41PM
Becks

Hahahahahahaahahahaha. I am on a pre-skiing-hot-tub crash diet at the moment which is nigh impossible. Especially since I'm sitting here with a box of Meg Rivers cakes on my desk and three crates of Easter eggs in the cupboard. Food magazines - they don't mix well with slenderness!

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FitDelicious

5 March 2009, 2:09PM
FitDelicious

I too taste food as part of my profession. I sample up to 5000 products a year, maybe more between all the trade shows I go to, food stores and restaurants I research, and all the foods I develop. I even taste foods for their taste plus shelf life, the first day they are best and the last day they are coded to eat, their use-by-date. I call that â��First and Worstâ��. Iâ��m usually green by the end of those tastings. But tasting can be great fun if you learn to Master the Art of Tasting and teach your taste buds how to discriminate and appreciate great tasting food instead of wasting them on highly processed foods that pack on the calories or pounds. You just have to take itty bitty bites and small swirling sips if you donâ��t want to gain weight. Marcia Schurer, author FitDeliciousâ�¢: Lose the Pounds, Not the Taste; Food Intelligence Toolsâ�¢ for Healthy and Delicious Eating. http://www.fitdelicious.com/

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Caroline

5 March 2009, 2:50PM
Caroline

Surely it's time to put chocolate 'On test' again soon? And at that time I'd like to volunteer my tastebuds in the name of thorough research.

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Suzanne

5 March 2009, 4:49PM
Suzanne

When can we test pork pies? I would be very good at that one, Sarah, and then maybe I'd get my obsession with them out of my system once and for all ...

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Eva Caiden

6 March 2009, 2:43PM
Eva Caiden

I think you should do a champagne taste test! Although wouldn't fancy trying the value versions...

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Danni T

6 March 2009, 3:41PM
Danni T

I thought I'd be well and truly over chocolate following a rigorous Easter egg test at olive. The days following the test I was gobby as anything, proclaiming bravely that I would never touch chocolate again. A few days later there I was merrily scoffing the remaining eggs. Saying that I don't think a sausage test will be on the cards soon...crikey! Eva's champagne test sound appealing, maybe its time for a Good Food/olive collaboration?

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Tonks the cat

6 March 2009, 5:09PM
Tonks the cat

lemon curd?? You taste tested lemon curd? Isn't it just a case of 'the more expensive, the nicer'?

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Sarah

6 March 2009, 9:08PM
Sarah

Hi Tonks â�� thanks for reading my blog! Yes you would think that luxury is better wouldn't you? I know I certainly thought that before I started taste testing. That's why on the magazine we always blind taste everything, so our tasters don't have any preconceptions over brands or lines. In the last year for example we've found that some brands of economy ketchup were equally as tasty as their expensive counterparts but it's definitely worth paying more for lemon curd (results in our June 09 issue). Keeping reading there are plenty of interesting results over the next couple of months...

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cathywarren

9 March 2009, 1:51PM
cathywarren

Hmmm, sounds amazing! Reckon you should start a reader taste test too so we can all help you out a bit!! Happy to help!!!

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jansrecipes

10 March 2009, 3:47PM
jansrecipes

And me, put me down for meat and anything sweet!

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