Thinking about a dark room, a heavy gauged metal smoker, charring and plenty of BBQ soot stuck all over walls, a carbonized dream of back-lite smoke filled room. Benches, I walk into a Miami smoke house to find a crummy atmosphere and somehow the noise and busy atmosphere makes me feel more excited.The lineup assure people that it is worth the wait. The fries and ketchup, sugar and fat.

Now take Joe’s stone Crab’s in Miami, not much smoking going on there, but the line ups make visitors from all over the world feel important. The maitre’d is dressed in black, the room is filled with folks standing waiting for their turn. The crowds are mixed between regulars and those new to the crab gambit.

The food is mediocre, the portions almost giant, and crabs are accompanied by a fantastic gooey mayonnaise that is like a thousand island dressing. Dipping the crabs meat, reaching across the table for coleslaw, the fries drop as my neighbior dips it into the crabs’ sauce. The noise is rising as people laugh and the waiters scream to answer demanding customers. The busboys are running to take away the clients dishes, as more food finds its way to the table. Fat and fat, on top of fat, people line up to get their fix. So where is the connection between BBQ and Stone Crabs….

The connection is based on our constant need to eat fat or foods that give us immediate gratification. Neuro-recptors that say “wow give me more” and we eat it to feel good. But the problem is, we never feel good after an explosion of fat.

The problem with these foods and especially in America is that we eat too many fast foods. Those foods are not always fast, or inexpensive because they are perhaps the most expensive. Think about it, heart attacks, obesity, and the rising problems associated with over and bad eating. I named the site mouthysensations because our mouth leads us more than we think.

Chinese food is also about fast and immediate gratification, as is sushi but the main difference is based on the subtleties, materials, techniques and general outlook. Too often Chinese over use MSG to enhance flavors but their cooking techniques are often fast and maintain a crispness that Asians enjoy. This comes back to texture, an important part of Asian cuisine. In the west, our fast food depends too much on fat and fat alone. Soggy fat, saturated fat and fat that lingers on and on. If you look at McDonalds, it is all about fat; burgers, fries, apple pockets, and shakes and with added fat.

Many Japanese foods are about eating fast. The chef stands in front and makes nigiri as you go along. It can be and is a fast food but fundamentally very different. It is based on rice and fish and the combination is perfect. The fast is not the problem is it. The problem is not about slow food, so eat fast but eat right.