A man with a rare condition who can taste, smell and feel words reveals ‘Christmas’ isn't mulled wine and mince pies, but tastes like crisps dipped in plain yogurt. Henry Gray, 23, was diagnosed with lexical-gustatory synaesthesia in 2009 - meaning he can taste, smell or have a feeling associated with words.
Synaesthesia is a neurological condition that results in the joining or merging of senses that aren't normally connected. This means those affected can often taste or smell when hearing, speaking, reading or thinking about words.
For Henry the word festive smells ‘like incense’ and tinsel tastes "like a mouthful of crushed ice" and he says ‘scrooge’ is metallic-tasting spaghetti hoops. Henry, a barman, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, said: “To me, Christmas tastes like a crisp dipped in plain yogurt.
“For Saint Nicholas - Saint is salty and Nicholas is little puzzle pieces dipped in vinegar. Interestingly Turkey tastes like shredded chicken.
“Scrooge is a weird one - it tastes like spaghetti hoops but with a metallic taste as if the spaghetti hoops are in melting battery metal. I've always associated words and names with tastes, smells and feelings - it's all I've ever known."
Henry had assumed everyone was able to taste or smell words until his parents and teachers pulled him up on his comments on classmate's names. “I would say things like Lucy is like a big red lollipop when they called her name out in the register and everyone would look at me confused,” he said.
“Most of the time I quite like having synaesthesia and it doesn’t get in the way. I’m a bartender at a pub so whenever I look at people's ID, I get a strong sense of the taste and smell. One of the worst names for me is Kirsty which is the faint smell of urine.”
Henry finds that he often gets the feeling of the word strongly when he first meets someone and can then block it out from then. The condition mainly affects him with names but other words such as ‘Yuletide’ has the sensation of feeling sick and ‘bauble’ tastes like bubble-gum.
What ‘Christmas’ smells and tastes like for Henry
Christmas: Tastes like a crisp dipped in plain yogurt
Presents: Placing lips against a window
Festive: Smells like incense
Yuletide: The sensation of feeling sick, like nausea in the stomach
Tinsel: Tastes like a mouthful of crushed ice
Carols: A pair of little golden hoop earrings
St. Nicholas: ‘Saint’ tastes salty, whilst ‘Nicholas’ is little puzzle pieces dipped in vinegar
Santa: Biting into an M&M
Reindeer: I can see silver and red sparkles
Turkey: Tastes like shredded chicken
Winter: An image of a white bunny, hiding it’s face with its own floppy ears
Cracker: Tastes like licking rough stone
Angel: Amells like lots of plastic tabletops that have been cleaned with detergent
Bauble: Tastes like bubble-gum
Stocking: Tastes like popping, crackling Rice Krispies
Mistletoe: Sounds like rustling a packet of crisps.
Scrooge: Spaghetti hoops, but there’s a metallic taste there, as if the spaghetti hoops are in melting battery metal
Wreath: Tastes hot, steamy, like breathing in hot steam from a boiled kettle
