I am a 16-year-old girl who has never smelled/tasted anything, ask me anything!

Have you ever thought about how much money you can save because you have different enjoyment of food? /r/financialindependence would have a blast figuring out the cheapest way to give you nutritionally complete meals that shave many years off how long it would take for you to retire.

Honestly, i have not!

i'll have to go and ask them haha

I got curious and researched it for you. Some people have figured out how to feed themselves for about $20/month (see https://wiki.earlyretirementextreme.com/wiki/Food and http://earlyretirementextreme.com/cooking-for-6-days-in-30-minutes-for-less-than-4.html). Most people would go crazy trying to eat like this, but it might not make a difference for you.

The average American household spends $151/week on food meaning that if you followed the above guidance, you could spend $7008/year less than the average American. Assuming a retirement fund withdrawal rate of 4%, this would make your cost of retirement $175,200 lower than average.

edit: as has been pointed out, the study I linked refers to actually covers household food spending and not individual. The basics of calculating the impact of ongoing spending on retirement cost holds true, but adjust the numbers according to your own spending.

I was so excited to be enlightened by that recipe, but its all I eat already :(

woah! WTF thank you!

Do you consider yourself lucky to not be able to “smell it” and hence unable to have “dealt it”?

of course. i am immune.

How do you like the texture of quinoa?

I LOVE QUINOA SO MUCH OMFG

Have you ever had food poisoning because of that?

I have had spoiled milk a grand total of 4 times, and I have a fear of throwing up so its actual hell. Nowadays, I will not eat anything even if its 3 days before the best by date.

Have you ever done drugs? My friend said he could smell the movies on TV when he did LSD.

sadly no. I have never smelled anything, even while hella high.

Yr moms gonna be pissed when she reads this

uh oh

I am the same with expiry dates.

right?! my friends all make fun of me but come on??

Does the temperature of the food make a difference? I really appreciate this AMA. It’s fascinating.

I really like warm drinks! soda, water, milk, that kinda stuff, both other than that not really

​

and, thank you! i wanted to bring more attention to my disability since nobody even knows it exists!

Why is your soda warm..I feel like I need to try that now.

i feel like it would just be to have the lukewarm bubble feeling but nothing more, right? i think the problem people usually have with warm soda is that it tastes worse than when it's cold

it tastes differently when its warm? wtf

Are you saying you like your soda, milk, and water warm?

yep!

Can you sense spicy food in any way? Like a burning tongue, throat, lips?

My throat and tongue burn usually, but I love spicy food! usually, cause I get to look at the other people's faces when i down hot sauce or something like that.

​

ACTUALLY STORYTIME-

2 years ago, freshman year, my school did a winter carnival thing with a contest with who could stand the worlds hottest hot sauce or something like that. I was given like, maybe a dime-sized drop on a spoon and I told them to give me more and they were like 'you don't want that' and I just stared at them until they filled up the spoon, and i downed it without batting an eye. my throat hurt the rest of the day but it was so worth it. I also won and got the rest of the bottle haha

Sounds like you'll have a good hustle for bets in the bar someday. Maybe enter national spicy chili competitions or weird bad tasting food competitions. Win a bit of money.

hell yeah!

Have you ever been self conscious about your breath around people without being able to smell it yourself?

oh very much so.

you don't know fear until you fear that you smell and you cannot tell but everyone else can.

I can not even begin to imagine how bad that must be for you. I usually am always doing double/triple checks and still second guess myself if I am fine. Do you have someone you trust to be your “smell buddy” to make sure you didn’t miss anything?

one of my friends, in fact, my smell buddy. its nerve-wracking sometimes but people usually understand if I do smell bad since i can't tell. i even once had some say,' are we allowed to tell her she smells bad?'

Do you have a favorite food?

Yes! Things that I like to eat or not are all based on texture.

My FAVORITE food is Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Cottage Cheese, and Ramen all mixed together. All different textures, all amazing together. Been told it tastes gross from friends and family that have tried it though haha

mashed potatoes

Also one of my favorites

Corn

Mmm, delicious, buttery corn

Cottage cheese

Not my favorite but I definitely enjoy a bowl

Ramen

A staple of college dining, delicious anytime of the day

all mixed together

Oh.

haha! its great if you cant taste!

That sounds so gross, but really cool that you have foods you enjoy despite not tasting. I would have thought eating would really be a chore!

I have a lot of issues around eating tbh, just cause it's like a chore. I actually stunted my own growth because i'd never eat while growing up.

I am currently hoping to get cleared to start working out again to get to a healthy weight!

would you be open to experimenting with suggestions for weird food combinations and reporting back to me on if you liked it or not?

sure haha!

You need a YouTube channel where you eat really weird food concoctions.

lets do it

I would love to see a photo of this hot mess

i might make it tonight just to post a picture!

How did you find out about your disability? Was there a sudden revelation that ahh, I'm not like others.

As a child, I was aware that I couldn’t smell. I am not able to remember why or when I originally had the realization, but I can recall the day I acted on my differences. First, I asked my classmates how they learned to smell. When they told me they just knew how to, I went around the rest of the day constantly trying to smell everything - my books, the flowers outside, and even just air. I ended up asking my parents, and in their confusion, I was able to realize that my inability to smell was different. And I didn’t like being different. For the next 10 years after that day, I attempted to lie to conceal my disability in fear that I would be judged because I was different. Seeing all these people around me being able to do something that I couldn’t do, made me feel very lonely during my elementary and middle school years. It wasn’t until the beginning of 8th grade I started to be more open about my condition. I’ve slowly learned to embrace my differences and be happy with my condition when I can. Smelling unpleasant things is something I will never have to deal with and I am pretty content with that.

Can we send you all the fruitcake no one is going to eat this year over the holidays?

PLEASE I LOVE FRUITCAKE

Do you like crunchiness of food, what is your favorite food in that way?

I love eating food that's crunchy, even though I have TMJ so its difficult to appreciate them haha

My FAVORITE food is Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Cottage Cheese, and Ramen all mixed together. All different textures, all amazing together. Been told it tastes gross from friends and family that have tried it though haha

​

That's nice thanks for reply :)

no problem, i love talking about my disability cause people dont even know it exists, ya know?

Since you're missing 2 senses, are the other 3 more sensitive? Or can you even tell?

My vision is 20/10, the best humanly possible and my hearing is around 18300 hz, i think???

Sounds like a weird type of superhero

someone else said that! hel yeah!

Are you able to use Listerine for more than 10 seconds then?

yes, can people who can taste only have it in their mouth for less? wtf

It causes a sort of cold burning sensation.

that you taste? huh haha

you learn something new everyday!

If I smell something really spicy my eyes start to water (like with unions). Doe this happen to you as well if you happen to be around chillies for example?

Sounds like your eyes are right-to-work.

haha yeah! my visions really good too, 20/10 vision lol

Yep! I use to work with a lot of fried food and would have to walk outside because my eyes would get irritated. not sure if thats the same thing, but yeah haha!

Since you can't taste, do you get cravings of any sort? Do you snack for fun or is eating just a necessity?

yes! its weird but i usually crave for textures, like smooth, crunchy, or anything like that.

eating is just a necessity, a chore if you will. I have a lot of issues around eating tbh, just cause it's like a chore. I actually stunted my own growth because i'd never eat while growing up.

I am currently hoping to get cleared to start working out again to get to a healthy weight!

I am craving some S M O O T H

hell yeah man

do you just eat healthy as fuck? if healthy food didnt taste so bad I would.

yes! I love vegetables and fruit, they just make me feel amazing! my favorite are honeydew/cantaloupe, watermelon, tomatoes, and carrots.

How do you feel about vegetarianism/veganism?

I actually am a vegetarian, because I don't like the texture of meat AT ALL. I honestly don't care about other people's reasonings though, I honestly don't even consider myself a 'vegetarian'. I just don't like meat cause I can't taste it.

You're better off, honestly. Meat's expensive af.

ahaha thats what my parents said!

It sounds like it would be super easy for you to eat healthy. Vegies, fruits, grains, nuts, legumes, they all have such great texture and you don't even have to add extra fats or salt to make them more palatable.

It sounds like a dream but a bitter sweet one.

yeah thats basically me in a nutshell haha even though i dont really even know what bittersweet means

Do you have a pet skunk?

haha i should get one!

What are some advantages of being unable to taste anything?

If someones a shitty cook it usually doesn't bug me! I'm a SUPER shitty cook and nobody will eat what I make except for me haha

There's a super old episode of Futurama in which Bender tries to cook for everyone despite his lack of taste....literally! I'll have to google it later for you as I gotta put my kid to bed. I think it was called "The Iron Chef" or something along those lines...

really? thats amazing, please send that to me!

and also, hereforthezommentz- touche ahha that made me laugh thanks

A lot of people get a sense of the day by how the air smells (Incoming storms, different scents carried on a breeze, etc.). Do you have your own way of gauging how the weather will be aside from pure visual?

its purely visual for me. the first time someone told me they could smell that it was gonna rain i thought they were fucking with me.

Three questions:

Do you like any particular flavors of Ben and Jerry's ice cream?

Have you ever tried a boba (large tapioca pearl) milk tea or smoothie?

Have you ever tried sushi or sashimi? There is a strong element of texture for a piece of tuna or salmon.

1. i fuckin love ben and jerrys, i love all of them haha. specifically half-baked tho haha
2. ehhh.. its ok? i love smoothies but if theres a lot of seeds i cant
3. its soooo fucking gross im sorry but i hate it.

What's your opinion of the following foods?

Cottoncandy

Fish

Rice cakes

Grapes

Ice cream

1. fuckin love it! its so cool texture wise
2. get it fucking away from me i hate it
3. alright? dont eat it a lot but i would if i was offered to
4. love them! you bite into them and they have that amazing crunch and texture and its the best
5. i love ice cream! the ones that have the most texture are the best!

If you could taste for one meal, what would you have?

steak with squash, or a sandwich. stuff that i hate that i'd like to try with taste

Hey, since you mentioned that you find eating is a chore, have you considered meal replacement shakes to make your life more pleasant? Soylent, Jimmyjoy, Huel, and the likes?

i have not! i'll have to look into them!

How do you know when to clean or do laundry if there's no visible reason to think something is dirty?

I ask my mom or siblings to smell my clothes tbh haha

How does this change how/what you want to do? I'm 35 and still not sure what I wanna be when I grow up, so no pressure - just wondering what you're passionate about.

I love art! I used art in middle school to help me cope with feelings of being different and stuff like that, i lied about it for 10 years. I am looking at colleges rn and am hoping to major in animation and minor in creative writing! this is actually my youtube if you wanna see haha- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-xD1pGt6oa2Wil9HK0d9A?view_as=subscriber

Does it bother you that you can't smell what the Rock is cooking?

i cry everyday thinking about it

How terrifying is it to fart in public?

very. you dont know fear until you fart but have no idea if its bad or not.

Do you still experience the "too much pineapple" effect?

I dont know what that is?

What's your favorite cereal?

I really dislike cereal tbh. a mix of accidentally using spoiled milk and i really hate soggy cereal.

Does it bother you? Are there foods you do or do not like anyway?

You cant miss something you've never had, ya know? Sometimes i get a little jealous but get over it pretty quickly.

​

quick list of food i hate-

spreads (peanut butter, jelly, jam)

sandwiches in general

meat (anything, chicken i can put up with but nothing else)

caramel

smoothies with a ton of seeds

Do you use perfume? If yes, how do you chose it?

Yes, and I usually ask the employes at the store to give their opinion, and even though they try to sell me the most accidentally one it really helps to get others opinions!

Although you aren't able to smell, are you able to tell the difference of when there is a different smell present? Like a humidity, density, or other feel difference?

being completely honest i have no idea what you're talking about hahaha. if the air is humid i can feel it but i had no idea you can smell the humidity? (am i getting that right?)

Do you eat loads of broccoli, cabbage and sprouts?

I love vegetables and fruit, they just make me feel amazing! my favorite are honeydew/cantaloupe, watermelon, tomatoes, and carrots.

Can you feel spicy food? Would you wanna spicy wing food challenge? Are there any food challenges you think would be fun to complete and have an advantage on?

My throat and tongue burn usually, but I love spicy food! usually, cause I get to look at the other people's faces when i down hot sauce or something like that.

ACTUALLY STORYTIME-

2 years ago, freshman year, my school did a winter carnival thing with a contest with who could stand the worlds hottest hot sauce or something like that. I was given like, maybe a dime-sized drop on a spoon and I told them to give me more and they were like 'you don't want that' and I just stared at them until they filled up the spoon, and i downed it without batting an eye. my throat hurt the rest of the day but it was so worth it. I also won and got the rest of the bottle haha

​

Since your food preferences are based off texture rather than flavor, what is the most overrated food, in your opinion?

meat, it fucking sucks to eat it. I hate it SOOO much, bacon specifically.

Do you ever use your super power to mess with people?

yes yes yes yes yes x100

I love to eat lemons, down hot sauce, or just other shit to see other people's reactions.

What's alcohol like for you?

Also, I don't know how to word this question. If I see an eyeball, or a bug, or something that is taboo to eat in my culture, then I don't want to eat it. Are you shy to eat taboo or odd foods? Or since you can't taste anything you don't care? Does that also go with nonfoods? Like could you eat paper or crayons or something? Also, I read spicy burns your throat, so can you tell the difference between salty, sweet, or savory foods?

i dont like beer, but i like harder liquor cause i can usually drink it easier than other people i think.

i honestly dont care whats in my food, unless its spoiled. i've had spoiled milk too many times.

i use to eat paper a lot honestly, just cause i'd get bored in class.

spicy stuff hurts my throat, but other than that i can't tell the difference.

Has it ever been detrimental to something important in your life?

yes. in my weight/heath and my mental state.

weight/heath wise, i'm 5'9 and weight around 120ish, but im athletic in general anyways.

I have a lot of issues around eating tbh, just cause it's like a chore. I actually stunted my own growth because i'd never eat while growing up.

I am currently hoping to get cleared to start working out again to get to a healthy weight!

mental state wise,

As a child, I was aware that I couldn’t smell. I am not able to remember why or when I originally had the realization, but I can recall the day I acted on my differences. First, I asked my classmates how they learned to smell. When they told me they just knew how to, I went around the rest of the day constantly trying to smell everything - my books, the flowers outside, and even just air. I ended up asking my parents, and in their confusion, I was able to realize that my inability to smell was different. And I didn’t like being different.

For the next 10 years after that day, I attempted to lie to conceal my disability in fear that I would be judged because I was different. Seeing all these people around me being able to do something that I couldn’t do, made me feel very lonely during my elementary and middle school years. It wasn’t until the beginning of 8th grade I started to be more open about my condition.

I’ve slowly learned to embrace my differences and be happy with my condition when I can. Smelling unpleasant things is something I will never have to deal with and I am pretty content with that.

What's the taste/smell you are the most curious about of how it must taste/smell?

cookies. everyone says freshly baked cookies are the best smell so i'd definitely like to smell it if i could.

Whats your favorite texture?

I love eating food that's crunchy, even though I have TMJ so its difficult to appreciate them haha

What makes your condition "isolated"?

Do you/have you smoked cigarettes or pot?

so, in medical terms, isolated basically means i have no other symptoms other than not being able to smell/taste. usually, people who cant taste/smell have other disabilities, like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Kallmann syndrome, and many more. I do smoke pot, and its amazing haha

Does your disability qualify you to sit in the handicap/senior seats on busses?

haha im not sure, it probably does but i never looked into it!

If you breath to close to a perfum (like the inside of a bottle ) does it hurt your nose? Because It does to people who can smell

usually i dont stick my nose into perfume bottles and sniff haha, but usually the air does sometime irritate my nose even if i cant smell it.

What's candy like? Chewing Gum? Jelly Beans? Have you tried fizzy candy like Atomic Warheads?

candy depends on whether you are talking about chocolate stuff or fruity stuff, cause the two are very different. usually, all the chocolate candy is very smooth and i do like it but i much prefer fruity stuff cause they're either very chewy and softlike, or they have sugar (i think its sugar?) around it and thats the fuckin best

i love to chew gum! i have tmj tho so i cant do it as much as i like to!

my favorite thing to do is buy those bean boozled things and then offer them to people like their regular jelly beans cause it doesn't bother me!

i love warheads so much!

Why can't you smell or taste? Are the parts missing or somehow not connected to your brain?

​

BTW: Did you know the same kind of taste sensors that are on your tongue are in your butt? I don't really understand how or why but I think it helps with getting bad stuff out of your digestive track.

the connections between the sensors in my nose and taste buds don't work properly so the signals don't get to my brain for me to interpret? if that makes sense?

also wtf

Everyone asking about taste, but what about smell. Fresh flowers, summer breeze, and the dump need to be smelt at least once in life. Is there any possibility you will obtain any of those senses down the road?

Also, have you ever farted in a crowded room, only to have th room empty out?

i asked my doctor that and unless we jump through some major medical hoops i will most likely live my entire life without smell or taste. I kinda hope so, but honestly im not sure.

haha not yet lol

Do you enjoy the texture of cheez ballz, I love to squish them in my mouth. Wats your take on oatmeal, olives, and sex. Not necessarily together but they can be together if you would like I guess?

I love cheez ballz!!

oatmeal- gross get it away from me

olives- never had them!

sex- since im a lesbian its great tbh ahha

What's you go to night snack?

corn, i love corn so much.

When you eat veggies and fruits do you not eat things like melon crusts or kiwi skins? Wondering if you eat certain parts of things that other people would just throw out.

i usually do what other people do, though i do like the skins of cucumbers

Does that makes "eat your vegetables" easier?

After all, if you are unable to smell or taste anything, I would think it makes eating healthy, but not necessary tasty food a lot easier.

yes because i love healthy food a ton, its amazing and it makes me feel amazing !

When did you first realise you had this disability? Was it diagnosed at an early age?

As a child, I was aware that I couldn’t smell. I am not able to remember why or when I originally had the realization, but I can recall the day I acted on my differences. First, I asked my classmates how they learned to smell. When they told me they just knew how to, I went around the rest of the day constantly trying to smell everything - my books, the flowers outside, and even just air. I ended up asking my parents, and in their confusion, I was able to realize that my inability to smell was different. And I didn’t like being different. For the next 10 years after that day, I attempted to lie to conceal my disability in fear that I would be judged because I was different. Seeing all these people around me being able to do something that I couldn’t do, made me feel very lonely during my elementary and middle school years. It wasn’t until the beginning of 8th grade I started to be more open about my condition. I’ve slowly learned to embrace my differences and be happy with my condition when I can. Smelling unpleasant things is something I will never have to deal with and I am pretty content with that.

Reading through your answers, it seems like not being able to taste or smell things has both positives and negatives.

Do you wish you could taste and smell, or do you think the cons outweigh the pros?

Bonus question: Have you ever met or spoken with other people who have this condition? What was that like? E.g. Did you guys strongly disagree about favorite foods and the like? Thanks!

honestly im not sure. its hard for me to miss something i've never had, but i also want to be a part of a ton of conversations ive never been in, ya kno? I do think that given the pros and cons i'd like to smell/taste though.

i've never met someone with my condition sadly, makes me feel quite alone in this universe haha.

Do you still enjoy food? What about drinks? Do you have favorites?

eating is a chore, but i still have my favorite foods and drinks. i love soda/fizzy drinks and my favorite food is Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Cottage Cheese, and Ramen all mixed together. All different textures, all amazing together. Been told it tastes gross from friends and family that have tried it though haha

Have you ever considered a raw meat/carnivore way of eating?

Ever tried eating offal?

i have not haha and nope!

How do you feel about carbonated beverages like soda?

i fuckkking love sodas! its my favorite drink fun fact, i can tell the difference between certain sodas because of the carbonation and its different in certain sodas!

What are your most and least favourite textures to eat? Is there anything you just can’t eat because of the texture?

I love vegetables and fruit, they just make me feel amazing! my favorite are honeydew/cantaloupe, watermelon, tomatoes, and carrots.

quick list of food i hate-

spreads (peanut butter, jelly, jam) sandwiches in general meat (anything, chicken i can put up with but nothing else) caramel smoothies with a ton of seeds

My FAVORITE food is Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Cottage Cheese, and Ramen all mixed together. All different textures, all amazing together. Been told it tastes gross from friends and family that have tried it though haha

Are farts an issue?

no sir!

What is your favorite time of year? Do you prefer urban or rural environments?

i love christmas!

i like urban enviorments much more tbh

i saw you mention that your growth was stunted because you didn't like to eat as a kid. are you very thin now?

i am around 5'9, was suppose to grow to 6' because everyone in my family is super tall and weigh around 120

How important if food presentation to you?

i honestly don't care if my food is visually appealing, cause im just eating it haha.