The Mouth.

A conversation last night with 2 chefs brought up some interesting points. The mouth is the most overlooked single component of the tasting process. What is flavor relative to  the last thing that was in your mouth, toothpaste, mouthwash, high fructose corn syrup, pickles or cigarettes.
One chef does not hire smokers, another forbids soda consumption in the kitchen and prior to service. Of course it makes sense but how does one enforce these rules ?
We concluded that the best way is to show them the relativity of the last thing you consumed and how it affects your perception of salt and sweet, perhaps even acidity.
Dont tell them.
Show them.

After a very detailed cleaning, things indeed do taste different.

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For an even more thorough cleansing, scrape the tongue with a (preferably flexible) plastic tablespoon. It's an eye-opener to see what accumulates and clings to the tongue.